In the final Anne Boleyn episode of our Women Who Had to Put Up With Henry VIII’s BS series, Sarah and Alora step back from the chronology to untangle the myths that have followed Anne for centuries. We explore where some of the most enduring legends about her came from, why they were so easily believed, and what they reveal about how Anne has been remembered rather than who she actually was.

From the persistent claim that Anne Boleyn inspired the song Greensleeves, to the rumor that she had a sixth finger used to brand her as unnatural, to the many ghost stories said to haunt England in her name, this episode separates historical evidence from propaganda, superstition, and sensationalism. By the end, Anne’s story comes full circle, not as a villain or a legend, but as a woman whose memory was shaped by fear, politics, and misogyny long after her death.

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