Katherine of Aragon was kind to Anne
After her arrival at court, Anne Boleyn became one of Queen Katherine of Aragon’s ladies in waiting. It seems that Henry’s first wife was kind to Anne- even when she knew her Lady was having an affair with her husband. George Wyatt claims that initially, Anne tried to resist Henry’s advances and that Katherine tried to help her, shielding her from the King’s advances. However, even after Katherine found out that Anne was encouraging Henry’s courtship, she continued to be cordial to her lady in waiting- probably because she thought Henry would grow bored with Anne once he had his way.
However, Katherine quickly realized Anne was different from Henry’s other fancies. Once when she was playing cards with Anne, Anne drew a King. “My Lady Anne, you have a good hap to stop at a King,’ remarked Katherine, “but you are not like others, you will have all or none.” The harshest words that remain on record from Katherine regarding Anne date from the time when Katherine finally realized Henry would marry her. Then, the soon-to-be abandoned Queen referred to her ex-lady as “the great scandal of Christendom.”
However, Katherine also knew Henry well too well. When her other ladies began to speak against Anne, she stopped them. “Pray for her,” she told them. “Because the time would come when you shall pity and lament her case.”