Searching for Anne Boleyn: Facial Recognition, Secret Codes, and the Tower Letter

What if some of the greatest mysteries surrounding Anne Boleyn have been hiding in plain sight?

In this episode, Rebecca is joined by researcher Karen L. Davis to explore three fascinating and interconnected areas of her work: the use of facial-recognition technology to investigate Anne Boleyn’s portraiture, a concealed cipher within Henry VIII’s love letters, and new evidence concerning the authenticity of the disputed Tower Letter.

Karen explains why the famous Windsor sketch labelled Anna Boleyn Queen may not be as securely identified as generations have assumed—and how scientific comparison of Holbein’s preparatory drawings, Anne’s relatives, and portraits of Elizabeth I could help bring us closer to her true appearance.

The conversation also turns to an enigmatic sequence of letters and numbers hidden in one of Henry’s letters to Anne, as well as the biblical and reformist language that may connect Anne’s correspondence, John Skip’s controversial sermon, and the letter reportedly written from the Tower in May 1536.

From broken provenance and mistaken portrait labels to Queen Esther, secret messages, and scholarly resistance, this episode asks what might emerge when inherited assumptions are tested using new technology, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a fresh examination of the surviving evidence.

Karen’s findings are awaiting peer-reviewed publication, but they may open remarkable new avenues in the search for the real Anne Boleyn.

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Host: Rebecca Larson

Guest: Karen L. Davies