Mary Boleyn Wasn’t Just “The Other Boleyn Girl”

Illicit Facts About Mary Boleyn, The Other Boleyn Girl
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Illicit Facts About Mary Boleyn, The Other Boleyn Girl
Jun 19
PEOPLE
Christine Tran
One historian famously declared that all we know for certain about Mary Boleyn could barely fill up a postcard. Truly, the mysterious “Other Boleyn Girl” will go down in history for her relation to bigger names in Tudor England. She was the sister of Anne Boleyn, the aunt of Elizabeth, and one of only two publicly acknowledged mistresses to Henry VIII. Thanks to historical fiction and interested Tudor fans, the legend of Mary Boleyn has grown to sordid prominence. How exactly did Mary “snare” a king? What scandalous act did she commit to earn her famous exile? Was she really so “promiscuous"? Unlace that bodice to these revealing facts about Mary Boleyn, the infamous "Other Boleyn Girl."
Mary Boleyn Facts
1. Her Parents Were Power Hungry
Mary Boleyn’s parents, Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and Lady Elizabeth Howard, were both savvy courtiers who knew a thing or two about social climbing. According to many, Thomas’s ambitions knew no bounds—and he was prepared to sacrifice almost anything to get to the top. It’s no wonder that Mary ended up in the middle of some of the Tudor court’s most shocking scandals.
Wikipedia
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2. She Was Blue Blooded
There's a reason why the Boleyns seemed so power-hungry— they'd previously suffered a dramatic fall from grace . No “upstart” to the aristocracy, Mary drew blood from the Dukes of Norfolk on her mother's side. Her great-grandfather had passed while fighting against Henry Tudor's forces, on the side of Richard III. When Henry Tudor became King of England, he demoted the men of the Boleyn family to Earls.
Wikimedia Commons
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3. Her Birth Was Mysterious
Lady Elizabeth Howard was pregnant a number of times throughout her life, but only three of her children survived: Mary, Anne, and George Boleyn. It’s unknown when each of the three children was born, but it’s likely that Mary was the oldest. She was the first to get married, and her grandson ended up inheriting one of her father’s titles—but not without a lot of drama in the interim (more on that later).
The Other Boleyn Girl, Focus Features
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4. Her Birthdate Changes Everything
Historians generally believe that Mary Boleyn was born sometime between 1499 and 1508. While knowing the exact date doesn’t seem that imperative, it does end up coloring what later happened to Mary—it’s the difference between starting at affair at 21 and starting an affair at 12. Either way, the results were scandalous.
The Other Boleyn Girl, Focus Features
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5. She Wasn't the Favorite
Most likely raised at Hever Castle at Kent with her siblings, Mary was given the education in literacy and charm that befits the daughter of a career courtier family—but then, her father seemed to turn on her. He sent Anne—not Mary—to complete her education at the esteemed court of Margaret of Austria, a great honor for any courtier's child. Did Thomas favor Anne over Mary? It wasn't the last time that the sisters would be pit against each other.
The Other Boleyn Girl, Focus Features
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6. They Spared No Expense
Whether or not she was her father's favorite, Mary Boleyn was groomed to be an exceptional and hard-to-miss member of the Tudor court. Her education was extensive. It included academic subjects like math and history, and recreational activities like archery, riding, and hunting. This was in addition to more "feminine" pursuits of the time like dancing, household management, singing, and games such as cards and chess.
After all, soon enough it would be time to send her out into the world to boost the profile of the Boleyn family—for better or for worse.
The Other Boleyn Girl, Focus Features
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7. She's a Mystery
There are no surviving portraits of either Boleyn sister, and so Mary and Anne sometimes “share” presumed images. For example, a miniature painting by Lucas Horenbout from roughly 1525 was believed to portray Anne Boleyn for years, until one scholar used the age and dress of the model to suggest she was, in fact, Mary.
Regardless of the lack of portraits, there is a popular idea that Mary was the “fairer” of the two Boleyn sisters, promoted by historical fiction such as The Other Boleyn Girl.  However, there may have been a reason for all this confusion...
The Other Boleyn Girl, Focus Features
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8. The Boleyns Were Judged Harshly by Their Own Friends
The assumption that Mary was the prettier Boleyn sister most likely transpired from a misinterpreted conversation between their father’s chaplain, John Barlow, and an Imperial council member in the 1520s. The council member asked whether the king’s new woman (Anne Boleyn) was “worth leaving his wife for.” Barlow's reply was cold-blooded.
The Other Boleyn Girl, Focus Features
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9. He Caused a Historical Mix-Up
When asked if Anne Boleyn was beautiful, Thomas Boleyn's chaplain replied “the other lady more beautiful still." This led people to believe he was referring to Mary, the king’s previous mistress and Anne’s sister, as the “hotter” one—but hey, keeping track of Henry VIII's lady friends can be difficult. In truth, it was the king’s even earlier mistress, Bessie Blount, who beat Anne in this little beauty contest—not Mary.
The men were talking about Anne in relation to her, not her sister. Either way, they’re being pretty hard on Anne.
The Other Boleyn Girl, Focus Features
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10. She Was in for a Wild Ride
While Mary had been passed over as a potential maid-of-honour to Margaret of Austria, she did eventually find a position for herself as maid-of-honour to Henry VIII's sister when she was about 15 years old. It was a plum role for an ambitious young girl—but she got more than she bargained for. She traveled with a number of other English maids to accompany Mary Tudor to France, where Tudor would wed King Louis XII. When they got there, they were met with a grim surprise.
Wikipedia
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11. She Didn't Want to Go Back
Nearly immediately, King Louis XII made moves to send his new wive's English attendants home—but Mary Boleyn had an ace up her sleeve. Her father had recently been appointed England's ambassador to France, so she was allowed to stay. However, just a year later, Louis XII passed. Mary Tudor packed her bags to go back to England, but Mary Boleyn decided to stay—and she may have had devious reason to.
Wolf Hall (2015), BBC
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12. She Was Up to No Good
Following the passing of Louis XII, his son-in-law Francis I was crowned King of France. Mary Boleyn stayed in France to serve under his queen, Claude— but she was hiding a dark secret from her so-called friend . It was during this time that Mary was said to have begun an illicit affair with King Francis I...and that might not have been the only trouble she was getting into.
Wikimedia Commons
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13. She Had a Bad Reputation
According to some, Mary Boleyn embarked on a number of affairs with different men during the time she was in Paris. However, history may vindicate her yet—many historians believe that these ta…

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