Anne Boleyn’s last moments at the scaffold have fascinated historians for centuries. While her exact words were not recorded verbatim, witnesses of her execution wrote down what they heard, giving us the closest version of her final speech. What survives today captures her calm, careful, and dignified manner, even in the face of death.
Standing before the crowd and the executioner, Anne reportedly addressed the onlookers with composure. She acknowledged her fate but maintained her courage and faith. According to witnesses, she spoke clearly, saying words to the effect of, “Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law and by the king’s command, I am condemned to the death, and I pray you all to bear me witness, that I die innocent of all treasons and offences laid unto me.”
Historians agree that while this may not be a perfect transcript, it accurately reflects her meaning and the strength of her character. Even in her final moments, Anne Boleyn projected dignity, courage, and grace—a queen who faced her death with the poise that would make her memory endure for centuries.
