Mary Boleyn… a name few people have heard about. Her sister however is more famous: Anne Boleyn was the unfortunate second wife of Henry VIII of England. Unless you’ve seen the movie The Other Boleyn Girl, based on the great novel written by Philippa Gregory, you may never have heard about this Mary. Who was she?
I’m currently reading Mary Boleyn by Alison Weir and it’s a great additional reading after watching the movie. Whereas Philippa Gregory beautifully narates the story from Mary’s point of view in the Other Boleyn Girl, Alison Weir lays out the real historical facts. A lot has been written about Anne Boleyn as she became Queen of England in 1533 and her life is well documented. Unfortunately this is not the case for her older sister Mary. But this is what we DO know…
Youth
Mary was probably born at Blickling Hall, the family seat in Norfolk, and grew up at Hever Castle, Kent. Her date of birth is estimated around 1499. Her family enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII. Her parents were Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and Lady Elizabeth Howard, the eldest daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk.
Mary remained in England for most of her childhood and was educated alongside her brother George, and her sister, Anne at Hever Castle in Kent. They received the conventional education essential for their rank.
France
In 1514 she was sent abroad as a maid-of-honour to the King’s sister, Princess Mary, who was going to Paris to marry King Louis XII of France. She remained in France, even after Queen Mary was widowed and returned to England. Her sister Anne joined her at the French court. Some rumours have it that she had an affair with King Francis himself as he referred to her as “The English Mare”. In 1519, she returned to England and was appointed a maid-of-honour to Catherine of Aragon, the queen consort of Henry VIII.
Royal mistress
After her return, her father arranged her marriage to William Carey, a wealthy and influential courtier, on 4 February 1520. Henry VIII was a guest at the couple’s wedding.
Henry VIII and his wife Catherine of Aragon had since their wedding many children. Unfortunately, only a girl, the later Queen Mary I, survived. Not having a male successor put a heavy strain on the marriage. So Henry looked elsewhere… and found Mary. They had an affair for a couple of years, but as Henry was quite discrete at that time, the starting date and duration of the liaison are unknown.
During that period, Mary had two children and it was rumoured that one or both of Mary’s children were fathered by the king.
- Catherine Carey (1524 – 15 January 1569).
She married Sir Francis Knollys, Knight of the Garter. One of her daughters, Lettice Knollys, became the second wife of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, the favourite of Elizabeth I. She is a direct ancestor of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, mother of Elizabeth II. - Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (4 March 1526 – 23 July 1596).
He was ennobled by Queen Elizabeth I shortly after her coronation, and later made a Knight of the Garter. He was married to Anne Morgan, by whom he had issue.
No real evidence support that Henry could be their father, but a later portrait of Catherine Carey show a real ressemblance to… the king.
Anne’s rise to power
By 1522, her sister Anne had joined the royal court. The sisters were not particularly close and Anne, being more ambitious and intelligent, achieved considerable popularity at court. When the king took an interest in Anne, she refused, in contrast to her sister, to become his mistress. This drove him mad and by the middle of 1527, Henry was determined to part from Catherine of Aragon and to marry Anne. This was easier said than done and it took years before it was achieved. Anne was finally crowned queen on 1 June 1533 and on 7 September gave birth to Henry’s daughter Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth I.
Second marriage
During those years, Mary’s husband had died of sweating sickness and left Mary with a lot of debts. King Henry granted Anne Boleyn the wardship of her nephew, Henry Carey and she arranged for him to be well educated. Anne also interceded to secure her widowed sister an annual pension of £100.
In 1534, Mary secretly married an Essex landowner’s younger son: William Stafford (later Sir William Stafford). It is believed to have been a love match. This marriage was in no way a profitable one. When Mary became pregnant, the marriage was discovered. Queen Anne was furious, and the Boleyn family disowned Mary. The couple was banished from court.
With William Stafford, Mary had two more children:
- Edward Stafford (1535–1545).
- Anne Stafford (1536–?).
Probably named in honour of Mary’s sister, Queen Anne Boleyn.
After her banishment, not a lot is know of Mary’s life. There is no evidence of any contact or visit with her sister or brother. Both were executed in May 1536. Mary died of unknown causes, on 19 July 1543, in her early forties.
Movie “The Other Boleyn Girl”
Have you not seen the movie The Other Boleyn Girl yet? Watch the trailer below:
Reading tip:
Mary Boleyn ‘The Great and Infamous Whore’ by Alison Weir
Bax of Things 