Anthony William Hall
Encyclopedia
Anthony William Hall was a Shropshire
man who claimed to be descended directly through the male line from Henry VIII
and Anne Boleyn
(from an illegitimate son, born before their marriage). In 1931, Hall attempted — in an "open letter" to King George V
— to claim the British throne. He also made many speeches, in Birmingham
and elsewhere, in which he set out his claim and challenged the King to a duel, with the loser to be beheaded. Hall was arrested many times for using "scandalous language", and was fined and bound over to keep the peace. Hall was a Shropshire police inspector.
The theory that Anthony Hall was a descendant of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn was used as the basis for a 1999 novel called Heir Unapparent, written by John Harrison.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
man who claimed to be descended directly through the male line from Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
(from an illegitimate son, born before their marriage). In 1931, Hall attempted — in an "open letter" to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
— to claim the British throne. He also made many speeches, in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and elsewhere, in which he set out his claim and challenged the King to a duel, with the loser to be beheaded. Hall was arrested many times for using "scandalous language", and was fined and bound over to keep the peace. Hall was a Shropshire police inspector.
The theory that Anthony Hall was a descendant of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn was used as the basis for a 1999 novel called Heir Unapparent, written by John Harrison.
External links
- "Bid to brand throne claimant mad" at BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 27 July 2006 - "The man who told George V: I'm Henry VIII's rightful heir - move over" at The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 28 July 2006 - "The Passion of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn" at Heir Unapparent
- "Scans of documents from 1931" at the Public Record OfficePublic Record OfficeThe Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...