Mark Smeaton facts for kids

Mark Smeaton (around 1512 – 17 May 1536) was a talented musician. He worked at the court of Henry VIII of England, serving in the household of Queen Anne Boleyn. Smeaton, along with Queen Anne's brother George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, Henry Norris, Francis Weston, and William Brereton, was executed for treason.

A Musician at Court

Mark Smeaton's exact birth date is not known. Historians believe he was about 23 years old when he died in 1536. We don't have many details about his early life. It is thought that his father was a carpenter and his mother a seamstress. His last name, Smeaton, might come from a Flemish word.

Early Musical Life

Mark Smeaton was known for his amazing singing voice. He was also a handsome musician and a good dancer. He played several instruments, including the lute, viol, virginals, and the organ.

Smeaton first joined the choir of Cardinal Wolsey. Cardinal Wolsey was a very powerful church leader. After Wolsey lost his power, Smeaton moved to King Henry VIII's Chapel Royal. This was a special group of musicians who performed for the King.

Serving the Queen

It was in the Chapel Royal that Queen Anne Boleyn noticed Mark Smeaton's musical skills. He became a court musician. In 1532, he was given the important role of a Groom of the Privy Chamber. This meant he worked closely with the royal family.

Mark Smeaton came from a humble family. He was not from a noble or aristocratic background. Because of this, he was never part of Queen Anne's closest friends. These friends were usually her favorite ladies-in-waiting and other high-ranking courtiers. Queen Anne once reminded him that she would not speak to him in the same way she spoke to nobles.

Mark Smeaton in Stories

Mark Smeaton's story has been told in many films, TV shows, and books.

Films and TV Shows

• In 1969, actor Gary Bond played Smeaton in the film Anne of the Thousand Days.
• Michael Osborne played him in the 1971 BBC TV series The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
• More recently, Max Fowler played Smeaton in the TV miniseries Wolf Hall. This show was based on books by Hilary Mantel. In this version, Smeaton is shown as being scared and tricked into saying things, rather than being hurt.
• Chris Clynes played Smeaton in the 2016 BBC documentary drama The Six Queens of Henry VIII.

Books and Plays

• Mark Smeaton is a character in the novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel.
• He also appears in the Royal Shakespeare Company plays based on these books. Joey Batey played Smeaton in these plays.

Opera

• Smeaton is even a character in an opera! He appears in Gaetano Donizetti's opera Anna Bolena. In opera, sometimes a female singer plays a male role. This is called a trouser role, and a contralto singer plays Smeaton.