'Windsor Castle, Book 2' Summary

Windsor Castle, Book 2 by William Harrison Ainsworth is a historical novel set in the court of Henry VIII. The novel follows the events surrounding Henry's pursuit of Anne Boleyn and his eventual marriage to her. The novel also features the character of Herne the Hunter, a spirit of Windsor Forest who seeks to take the souls of various individuals. The novel opens with Henry VIII and his court at Windsor Castle. Henry is in love with Anne Boleyn, but his marriage to Catherine of Aragon is still valid. Cardinal Wolsey, the Lord Chancellor, is opposed to Henry's marriage to Anne, and he tries to use a maiden of mysterious birth, Mabel Lyndwood, to lure Henry away from her. Henry eventually marries Anne Boleyn, but their marriage is not a happy one. Henry is still in love with Catherine of Aragon, and he is also haunted by the ghost of Herne the Hunter. Herne the Hunter is an evil force that seeks to take the souls of various individuals, and Henry tries to stop him, but is never able to do so. The novel ends with Henry's death in 1547. Anne Boleyn had been executed three years earlier, and Herne the Hunter is still at large. The novel leaves the reader with a sense of foreboding, as it is clear that the Tudor dynasty is in decline.