Anne Bassett

The King’s Mistress: Letter from Anne Bassett to Lady Lisle

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This letter was written around 1539 and found in Lisle Paper, Vol. I. No 86. It states that Anne of Cleves had passed through Calais where Lady Lisle was to greet her. It is around this time (1538-1539) that Anne Bassett is first rumored as a mistress to King Henry VIII. Bassett was sent to court with her sister during the end of the reign of Queen Jane Seymour. The Queen had informed their mother, Lady Lisle, that she only had room for one lady - she chose Anne. It is [More]

A Group of Ladies and Henry VIII

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This letter was written sometime between 1537 and 1547. We can determine that since it is written to King Henry VIII, who died in 1547, and also mentions Prince Edward, who was born in 1537. The letter, in my opinion, sounds like this may be the time between the death of Queen Jane and Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves - when he was looking for a new wife. While researching the ladies in the letter below it was brought to my attention that this letter was written after [More]