Self-made Seductress
Who was Anne Boleyn? Read the history books, and you get the facts: Anne Boleyn (1501- 1536) was the Tudor sister who became the Queen of England, the mother of Elizabeth I, and the tragic love of King Henry VIII who had her beheaded after only 1000 days of marriage. But read the countless poems, biographies and movie scripts, and you get the picture: by daring to dream, Anne Boleyn stubbornly and singlehandedly changed the course of history.
The daughter of a sheriff, Anne educated herself at Europe’s most sophisticated courts and became a beguiling power player. She wasn’t a typical English Rose, but used her eyes – ‘black and beautiful’ – to tease and tempt. ‘Intelligent, spirited and courageous’, is how Thomas Cromwell described her. When King Henry VIII fell for her, Anne dared to hold out for the big prize: she demanded he set aside his wife of over 20 years and change the very faith of England. He gladly succumbed. Anne gave birth to ‘sweet, pale’ future queen Elizabeth, but when 3 unsuccessful pregnancies followed, Henry had his queen executed on (false) charges of adultery and incest. The end? Not quite! Because since her death, Anne Boleyn has been reborn as a legendary femme fatale and a feminist heroine. In other words: a woman who, against all odds, dared to be.
- Share
MD Friends
Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
- Share
MD Friends
More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
- Share
Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
- Share
Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
- Share
 food "Pinterest")
