Special Sub-Topic: Mary Boleyn Click Here To Play: Mary Boleyn

Who were Mary's parents?

Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard. Mary was born in either 1499 or 1508 (there is controversy over the actual date, since records were not kept well back then). Because of that controversy it cannot be determined who was the eldest, Mary or Anne. Through her mother she was connected to one of the most powerful families in England, the Howards. Her father was a trusted friend of Henry VIII who also came to have great influence in court.

In 1515, Mary Boleyn went to France as a maid of honor for which English princess?

Mary Tudor. Mary Tudor (Henry's sister) was forced to marry the French King Louis XII, and brought several English attendants with her. Another maid of honor was Mary's sister Anne, who spent the next five years there.

Mary Boleyn stayed in France for a few years, during which time the present King of France died. Mary became very close to the man who took his place in 1515. Who was this new king?

Francis I. Francis I was young, athletic, and relatively handsome, and when Mary Tudor and her attendants left France (since Louis was dead, the Princess had no reason to be there) Mary Boleyn and her sister Anne stayed on. Eventually, Mary became his mistress.

Around 1520, Mary Boleyn was recalled to England, where she was quickly married off. Who was her husband?

William Carey. William Carey was a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber for Henry VIII. It was quite a step down from her lofty job as the love of the King of France, although in those days women had no choice in who they married, so she did not complain. They had two children. The paternity of the second child was questioned, mainly by supporters of Katherine of Aragon, as it was believed that Henry VIII was the father. There is no direct evidence to support this.

Bored of her marriage, Mary looked elsewhere for love. In the early 1520s, she seemed to find it with which English king?

Henry VIII. Not long after her marriage Mary, at the behest of her family, became the mistress of King Henry VIII, and their affair continued for possibly three years or more. Unfortunately, Henry tired of her sometime before 1525 and instead focused on her sister, who in eight years became Queen of England.

In 1528, Mary's husband suddenly died. What was it that killed him?

He caught the sweating sickness. There was a particularly bad outbreak of the sweating sickness in June 1528, and although most people fled from London to avoid the epidemic, the Careys did not run fast enough, and William died. Anne Boleyn, too, caught the usually deadly disease, but she miraculously survived.

After her husband's death, Mary decided to retire to the country with their two children. Where did she go?

Hever Castle. Hever was the traditional home of the Boleyn family, and Mary and her siblings Anne and George were raised there.

"For well I may have had a greater man of birth, but I could never have had one that loved me so well. I had rather beg my bread with him than be the greatest queen christened." Who is Mary Boleyn talking about in this quote?

William Stafford. William Stafford was Mary's second husband. He had very low status, so when Mary announced their marriage in 1534, her family was very angry. Anne, outraged that the sister of the queen would marry such a low-born man, banished her from court. In this quote, Mary is stating that though she may not be a queen like Anne, she is much happier. This seems to be true, since in only two short years Anne Boleyn was executed by her "loving husband".

Mary Boleyn had four children in all.

t. The children born in her first marriage were Katherine Carey (born 1524 or 1529) and Henry Carey (born 1524). She had two more with William Stafford: Anne Stafford and another boy. She was pregnant with one of them at the time of her banishment, although it is not recorded which one.

Mary Boleyn outlived the rest of her family, who had all died within two years of Anne and George's execution. In what year did Mary finally die?

1543. Mary died in the quiet countryside. She did not come back to court after her exile, although both of her children from her first marriage would play a small part in the court of Queen Elizabeth I fifteen years later. After her death, few remembered her, but now you know her story.