I swear I read it in Tracey Borman’s book “Elizabeth’s Women” but I’ll have to go hunt it down to see if she provides an exact source – I’ll get back to you on that! I’m not hopeful because I heavily disagree with Borman on a lot of things and she is known to perpetuate myths that have been disproved and/or have no source. She also sources a lot of Weir in her book which is … not exactly reassuring.
It is mentioned on wikitionary that Anne used it but obviously that’s not exactly a strong source nor does it link it to anything.
The Anne Boleyn Files also mentions it but again doesn’t provide an exact source
So too does On The Tudor Trail but they mention that they couldn’t find a reference for it either, same thing for “Me and Mine” other than a small note in Ives’ book
In all honesty there’s a very good chance that it wasn’t one of Anne’s mottos but perhaps she had used the phrase before? In a way that it wouldn’t have been noted down as important but, in that case, Elizabeth would probably have no idea about it.
@alicehoffmans what do you think?
I think…I will believe it if and when Weir ever provides a source for it.
“Always the same” would be a strange choice for Anne. It’d be a bit tongue-and-cheek in that it’d draw attention to that Anne was not the norm of English Queen Consorts (besides Elizabeth Woodville), and that her titles also advanced her beyond the norm for her station (so she could not claim to have always remained ‘the same’)– simply put, there was no precedent for a noblewoman becoming Marquess of Pembroke and then Queen. Also, the mottoes we do know are hers are French…why would she switch if up with a Latin one?
The conflation probably happened because Elizabeth did adopt Anne’s heraldic badge of a crowned falcon– that doesn’t mean she adopted her motto, though. And dynastically, it wouldn’t have been very smart to constantly remind people that she was Anne’s daughter in using her old motto.
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