Anne Boleyn: What Did the Tudor Queen Really Look Like?

Unfortunately, almost no reliable portraits of Anne Boleyn have survived to this day. After her downfall, Henry VIII ordered the destruction of her belongings and portraits, as if she had never existed. As a result, the miniature paintings and depictions of Anne that exist today vary greatly, making it difficult to determine her true appearance.

To get a better idea of how Anne Boleyn really looked, we must turn to descriptions from her contemporaries. Venetian diplomat Francesco Sanuto wrote:

"Anne Boleyn is not the most beautiful woman in the world; she is of medium height, with dark skin, a long neck, a wide mouth, and black, beautiful eyes. Her figure was ordinary, and her chest was not very prominent."

However, Anne was known for her charm, charisma, and ability to present herself in a way that turned any supposed flaw into an asset.

Interestingly, one of the only confirmed depictions of Anne Boleyn can be found on a coin from her time. While it doesn’t reveal much about her features, it remains a fascinating glimpse into the image of one of history’s most enigmatic queens.

[Julia-fdh]

I absolutely love Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn—she's the most charismatic and passionate. But to be honest, Natalie Portman is a closer match to Anne’s historical appearance.😊

[hounaidafarhat]

Sad how we don't really know what she looks like. The image they show of her are all different, and the image on the coin of her doesn't do her justice

[marianapagan]

What bothers me more is that very few TV shows and movies portray Catherine of Aragon correctly. They always portray Catherine of Aragon as a brunette when she was a ginger/strawberry blonde.
I get it, this is about Anne Boylen. I know Natalie Dormer did not look exactly like Anne, but she was pretty close. The movies always get really close to the reality when it comes to Anne. But hardly ever with Catherine of Aragon.

[garysmith]

No one knows how she looked. The idea of beauty has changed a lot over the centuries. One can only guess.

[hanzowo]

It's interesting that her sister had a completely different appearance, actually fitting the beauty standards of that time—blonde hair and blue eyes. I wonder how such a contrast happened within the same family? 🤔🤔🤔

[MegBillipp]

I think Genevieve is quite a good representation of what Anne might have looked like. Anne was not particularly the beauty standard. But she was beautiful in wit and her defined features. She's also described as money and has dark auburn hair.

[dinosaursinloveeee]

I think Geneviève Bujold (Anne of the Thousand Days) is the closest historical match to what Queen Anne would have looked like.

[christinerobbins]

They also describe her as "thin lipped" so these "bee stung lips" feel out of place 😂

[PastelKitsune]

1 it’s unlikely she had olive skin - she was described by her contemporaries to be swarthy and dark skinned because the beauty standard at the time was to have deathly white skin so its far more likely she was just mildly tanned
2 she was actually known to have a ‘lyttle neck’ something which she was known to have joked about before her execution

[a.munroe]

If Natalie Portman, Natalie Dormer, and Genevieve Bojould were to become one person, I think we'd have a person that encompasses Anne Boleyn's essence.

The charisma, learning, fire and appearance balanced with her natural human nature..

[femtales_ai]

Which actress who has played Anne Boleyn do you think best matches her historical description?

[Celestialyeontan]

Wow this depiction of Anne is pretty
Can you show us how people described Mary I when she was young?

[fatimaqureshi]

Anne said before execution “I only have a little neck”

[AlisonHoffman-vj]

Anyone notice the Adams apple on Anne's throat on the coun pic

[YvonneDoetlaff]

Die münze das einzigste abbild, was von anne boleyn, geblieben ist ❤

[CC_]

Ngl from what I’ve heard and seen she would’ve looked a bit like me

[kellykean]

Not gonna lie how you described her I look the exact same

[femtales_ai]

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[ppogepenne]

It’s like how we’ll never truly know Shakespeare’s face. Artistic portrayals of him aren’t trustworthy

[RogelLagumbay]

Did you See Anne Boleyn We Dont Know What si the True Face of Anne Boleyn And I know She is In athe Heaven And i Beilive Christians We will see him because Anne Boleyn Nad Christians Pople Have A Faith in Lord Jesus ❤