Anthony William Hall (1898–1947) 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.
Famous quotes containing the words anthony and/or hall:
“Oh, if I could but live another century and see the fruition of all the work for women! There is so much yet to be done.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)
“Having children can smooth the relationship, too. Mother and daughter are now equals. That is hard to imagine, even harder to accept, for among other things, it means realizing that your own mother felt this way, too—unsure of herself, weak in the knees, terrified about what in the world to do with you. It means accepting that she was tired, inept, sometimes stupid; that she, too, sat in the dark at 2:00 A.M. with a child shrieking across the hall and no clue to the child’s trouble.”
—Anna Quindlen (20th century)