Mary Boleyn

Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, was the elder sister of Anne Boleyn, the English queen consort, and played a significant role in the English court during King Henry VIII’s reign. She was a mistress of Henry VIII for a period, rumored to have borne him two children, although he did not acknowledge them. Mary was also speculated to have been a mistress to King Francis I of France. She was married twice, first to William Carey and then secretly to William Stafford, which led to her banishment from the royal court. Born into the influential Boleyn and Howard families, she grew up at Hever Castle in Kent and received an education appropriate for a lady of her status. Mary’s life after her fall from favor was marked by relative obscurity until her death in 1543.