Mary Boleyn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Boleyn
A 17th-century copy of a lost portrait
Born	c. 1499 Blickling Hall, Norfolk, England
Died	19 July 1543 (aged 43–44)
Noble family	Boleyn
Spouse(s)	William Carey, of Aldenham William Stafford, of Chebsey
Issue	Catherine Carey, Lady Knollys Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon
Father	Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Mother	Lady Elizabeth Howard

Mary Boleyn (c. 1499 – 19 July 1543) was an important lady in the court of King Henry VIII. She was the sister of Anne Boleyn, who later became Queen of England. Mary's family, the Boleyns, had a lot of influence during King Henry VIII's rule.

Mary was married twice. Her first marriage was in 1520 to William Carey, a wealthy courtier. Later, in 1534, she secretly married William Stafford, a soldier. This second marriage made King Henry VIII and her sister, Queen Anne, very angry. Because of this, Mary was sent away from the royal court. She lived quietly for the rest of her life and died seven years later.

Mary Boleyn's Early Life

Mary Boleyn was likely born at Blickling Hall in Norfolk, which was her family's home. She grew up at Hever Castle in Kent. Her father, Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, was a rich diplomat and courtier. Her mother was Lady Elizabeth Howard.

Historians believe Mary was born around 1499. She was probably the oldest of the three Boleyn children who survived. This is suggested because she married first, which was traditional for an elder daughter. Also, her grandson later tried to claim a family title, which he could only do if Mary was the oldest.

Mary, along with her brother George and sister Anne, was educated at Hever Castle. She learned many things important for young ladies of her time. This included basic math, reading, writing, and history. She also learned dancing, embroidery, music, and how to manage a household. Mary was also taught outdoor skills like archery and riding.

In 1514, when Mary was about 15, she went to France. Her father helped her become a maid-of-honour to Princess Mary, King Henry VIII's sister. Princess Mary was going to France to marry King Louis XII.

Mary Boleyn was allowed to stay in France even after many other English maids were sent home. This was probably because her father was the English ambassador there. She even stayed after Queen Mary returned to England in 1515. Mary remained at the French court with King Francis I and his wife, Claude.

Return to England and First Marriage

Mary returned to England in 1519. She became a maid-of-honour to Catherine of Aragon, who was King Henry VIII's queen. People at both the French and English courts thought Mary was very beautiful.

Mary Boleyn's signature as "Mary Carey"

Soon after she came back, Mary married William Carey on 4 February 1520. William Carey was a wealthy and important person at court. King Henry VIII himself was a guest at their wedding.

Mary and William Carey had two children:

• Catherine Carey (born 1524)
• Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (born 1526)

Anne Boleyn's Rise to Power

Mary's sister, Anne, returned to England in January 1522. She also joined the royal court as a maid-of-honour to Queen Catherine. Anne became very popular at court. The sisters were not thought to be very close.

Anne was seen as more ambitious and clever than Mary. When King Henry VIII became interested in Anne, she refused to become his secret companion. By 1526, Henry was determined to marry Anne. This made him want to end his marriage to Queen Catherine.

Mary's husband, William Carey, died during an illness called sweating sickness. He left Mary with many debts. Anne Boleyn helped her sister by arranging for Mary's son, Henry Carey, to be educated. Anne also made sure Mary received an annual payment of £100 to help her financially.

Mary's Second Marriage and Exile

In 1532, Mary traveled with Anne and King Henry to France. Anne was crowned Queen on 1 June 1533. On 7 September, she gave birth to Henry's daughter, Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1534, Mary secretly married William Stafford. He was a soldier from a good family but did not have much money or many opportunities. Many people thought they married for love. When Mary became pregnant, her secret marriage was discovered. Queen Anne was very angry, and the Boleyn family turned away from Mary. Mary and William Stafford were sent away from the royal court.

Mary faced serious money problems. She had to ask Thomas Cromwell, the king's adviser, to speak to Henry and Anne for her. She said she could have married someone more important, but she would never find anyone who loved her as much as William Stafford. She also said she would rather "beg her bread" with him than be the greatest queen.

King Henry did not seem to care about her problems. Mary asked Cromwell to speak to her father, uncle, and brother, but it did not help. Eventually, Anne softened and sent Mary a beautiful golden cup and some money. However, Anne still refused to let Mary return to court. This was the closest the sisters came to making up. They are not thought to have met again after Mary was sent away.

Mary's life after 1534 is not well known. There is no record of her visiting her parents. There is also no evidence that she wrote to or visited her sister Anne or brother George when they were imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Mary died on 19 July 1543, when she was in her early forties. The cause of her death is unknown.

Mary Boleyn's Children

Mary Boleyn was the mother of:

• Catherine Carey (1524 – 15 January 1569). Catherine was a maid-of-honour to two queens. She married Sir Francis Knollys. Catherine later became a chief lady-in-waiting to her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. One of Catherine's daughters, Lettice Knollys, married Robert Dudley, who was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I.
• Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (4 March 1526 – 23 July 1596). Queen Elizabeth I made him a noble shortly after she became queen. He was later made a Knight of the Garter. When he was dying, Elizabeth offered Henry the Boleyn family title of Earl of Ormond, but he declined it. He was married to Anne Morgan.

Mary's marriage to William Stafford (died 5 May 1556) may have resulted in two more children:

• Edward Stafford (1535–1545).
• Anne Stafford (born 1536?), possibly named after Mary's sister, Queen Anne Boleyn.

Mary Boleyn in Books and Movies

Mary Boleyn has been featured in many stories, both fictional and non-fictional.

Novels Featuring Mary Boleyn

Mary is a character in these novels:

• Brief Gaudy Hour: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Margaret Campbell Barnes (1949)
• Anne Boleyn by Evelyn Anthony (1957)
• The Concubine: A Novel Based Upon the Life of Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts (1963)
• Anne, the Rose of Hever by Maureen Peters (1969)
• Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts (1979)
• Mistress Anne: The Exceptional Life of Anne Boleyn by Carolly Erickson (1984)
• The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy (1986)
• I, Elizabeth: the Word of a Queen by Rosalind Miles (1994)
• The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell (1997)
• Dear Heart, How Like You This? by Wendy J. Dunn (2002)
• Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer (2002)
• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2009)

Mary has also been the main character in three novels about her life:

• Court Cadenza (later The Tudor Sisters) by Aileen Armitage (1974)
• The Last Boleyn by Karen Harper (1983)
• The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (2001)

The novel The Other Boleyn Girl was very popular. However, it has been criticized for not always being historically accurate. For example, it shows Anne as the older sister, not Mary.

Films and TV Shows with Mary Boleyn

Mary is a character in several films and television series:

• In the film Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), she is played by Valerie Gearon.
• In the BBC television film The Other Boleyn Girl (2003), she is played by Natascha McElhone.
• In the Showtime television series The Tudors (2007–2010), she is played by Perdita Weeks.
• In the film The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), she is played by Scarlett Johansson.
• In the miniseries Wolf Hall (2015), Mary is played by Charity Wakefield.

Non-Fiction Books About Mary Boleyn

Mary is also the subject of these non-fiction books:

• Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir (2011)
• The Mistresses of Henry VIII by Kelly Hart (2009)
• Mary Boleyn: The True Story of Henry VIII's Mistress by Josephine Wilkinson (2010)

Family Tree

See also

In Spanish: María Bolena para niños