In 1522, Anne Boleyn returned to the English court, and within a few years, she was already at the centre of political tension, whispered promises, and poetic legend.

Long before Henry VIII began his pursuit, Anne was linked to two influential men: Henry Percy, heir to the Earl of Northumberland, and Sir Thomas Wyatt, courtier and poet.

Did Anne Boleyn and Henry Percy secretly promise to marry?
Was there a binding precontract, something that, under Tudor canon law, could have invalidated a later royal marriage?
Why did Cardinal Wolsey intervene?
And what really lies behind Wyatt’s famous poem “Whoso List to Hunt” and its haunting line: “Noli me tangere, for Caesar’s I am”?

In this episode, I explore:

• Anne Boleyn’s place in the Tudor marriage market
• The political implications of a precontract
• The Cavendish account of Percy and Anne
• The later denials in 1532 and 1536
• The myths surrounding Thomas Wyatt
• The Spanish Chronicle story
• How Anne’s reputation began forming long before she became queen

Subscribe for more Tudor history deep dives, myth-busting, and documentary-style episodes on Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII, and the Tudor court.    #AnneBoleyn
#TudorHistory
#HenryPercy
#ThomasWyatt
#HenryVIII