William Harrison Ainsworth 
Windsor Castle 
Historical Novel

Windsor Castle is a historical romance with gothic elements that depicts Henry VIII’s pursuit of Anne Boleyn. Intertwined with the story are the actions of Herne the Hunter, a legendary ghost that haunts Windsor woods. When Henry VIII decides to replace Catherine of Aragon with Anne Boleyn as his wife, some of the individuals close to the Court oppose Henry and his desires for Boleyn. One of them is Thomas Wyat who wants Boleyn for himself. Other is Cardinal Wolsey, who also opposes the marriage and uses his own daughter, Mabel Lyndwood, to lure Henry away from Boleyn. Eventually, Wolsey turns to outing Wyat’s desires for Boleyn to the Court, which almost results in Wyat’s execution but is stopped before that point. Meanwhile, Henry VIII tries to deal with Herne the Hunter, a spirit of Windsor Forest and an evil force that seeks to take the souls of people, but falls short. Thomas Wyat and Mable Lyndwood get captured by Herne and the two fall in love in captivity, while Catherine accepts her fate, but warns Boleyn, who also has some dark secrets, that Henry will treat her in the same way.

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William Harrison Ainsworth (1805-1882), a rival and a friend of Charles Dickens, was an English historical novelist born in Manchester. While completing his legal studies in London he became familiar with literary and dramatic circles of London scene. Ainsworth briefly tried the publishing business, but soon gave it up and devoted himself to journalism and literature. His first success as a writer came with novel Rookwood. Ainsworth wrote several Lancashire novels which cover altogether 400 years. Jack Sheppard, Guy Fawkes, Old St Paul’s, Rookwood, and The Lancashire Witches are regarded as his most successful novels.