"But first, she had to survive May 17th, the day her brother, George Boleyn, was executed. We do not know for sure that Anne physically watched his death, but she would have known. And that is devastating enough. Because during her own trial, Anne had tried to defend the men accused alongside her, she insisted on their innocence. Even while facing death herself, she tried to save them.
Then George died before her. Her brother.Her ally. One of the people who had risen with her and fallen with her. On May 18, Anne expected her own execution. Instead, she was told she had to wait, officially, because the French swordsman had been delayed. One more day in the Tower.One more day after George.One more day knowing death was coming.
Anne was executed the following morning, on May 19, 1536. We remember the scaffold, but perhaps we should also remember the waiting. The sister grieving before the queen was killed."
Credit to //@estelleprnq on IG.
Dating from the 1570s or 1580s, the ring opens to reveal tiny enamel portraits: one of Elizabeth herself, and the other believed to be her mother, Anne Boleyn, executed when Elizabeth was just two years old. It features rubies, diamonds, and a large central mother-of-pearl.
By tradition, the ring was removed from Elizabeth I’s hand just after her death by Robert Carey (Mary Boleyn’s grandson) and taken to James I to acknowledge both Elizabeth’s death and James’ accession to the throne. It is believed that James gifted it to Alexander Home (1st Earl of Home) as we know that it was passed through the Home family until Arthur Lee (1st Viscount Lee of Fareham) purchased it. He owned the property of Chequers, before gifting that house and its contents - including this ring - to the Nation. Chequers became the country residence of the Prime Minister, and the ring remains there as part of the Chequers collection: hence why it is called the ‘Chequers Ring.’