Henry VIII May Have Turned Against Anne due to Brain Damage
On January 7th, 1536, Katherine of Aragon died. Henry and Anne appeared in church, dressed in celebratory yellow, rejoicing over either Katherine’s death or its removal of the threat of war. By now, Henry was already showing an interest in Jane Seymour. However, it was still nothing more than a courtly flirtation. Anne, however, was pregnant for the third time. Katherine’s death had removed the main impediment to her legitimacy. She must have felt reasonably secure.
Then, on January 24th, while he was jousting in Greenwich tiltyard, Henry’s horse fell heavily. It landed on top of the King and knocked him unconscious. The King’s councilors believed that he would not live and the Queen was informed. Anne took the news badly. Yet, miraculously, within two hours the King was conscious and seemingly on the road to recovery. However, the shock had taken its toll on Anne. On January 29th, she miscarried another boy.
Henry turned on Anne, bitterly remarking it was clear they would have no male children. Historians date the rapid decline of the marriage from this point. The affair with Jane Seymour took on a new significance, as Anne’s enemies scented an opportunity. Within six months of Henry’s accident, Anne would be dead at her husband’s behest.
However, Anne’s downfall may not have been just due to yet another failed pregnancy and court intrigues but a change in how her husband reacted to the situation. For according to some modern experts the accident could have damaged the frontal lobe of Henry’s brain, causing a sudden personality change. After the accident, Henry became notably depressive, paranoid and tyrannical-. Many were to suffer from the King’s temperamental uncertainties in the years to come. It seems its first victim may have been Anne.