History Remembers Mary Boleyn as the Scandalous 'Other Boleyn Girl.' New Research Debunks the Myths Surrounding the Tudor Mistress

Meilan Solly | Senior Associate Digital Editor, History

Add as preferred source. The subject of this portrait is often identified as Mary Boleyn. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons In death as in life, Mary Boleyn has been relegated to the sidelines, overlooked in favor of her sister, Anne Boleyn, the ill-fated second wife of Henry VIII.

When Mary is remembered at all, it’s typically in the context of her relationships with the Tudor king and queen. She served as Henry’s mistress prior to his marriage to Anne, then supported her sister as a lady-in-waiting. Mary left court in disgrace after marrying beneath her station, but she avoided Anne’s fate: beheading on charges of treason in 1536. Mary died in obscurity in 1543.