When this name is pronounced, most often I recall Anna, the younger sister of Mary. But what is known about herself?
Origin
Maria (Mary) Boleyn was born in the family of one of the courtiers of King Henry VIII in the Norfolk manor house Blickling Hall, which belonged to the Boleyn family, and grew up in Heever (Kent).
Her father, whose name was Thomas Boleyn, made a successful career at court, although blue blood did not flow in his veins. The mother was Elizabeth Howard, whose sibling subsequently became Lord Treasurer under the King. There is some disagreement among historians regarding the date of Mary’s birth: the majority is sure that it was 1499, while others speak for the period from 1499 to 1508. There are also some doubts about which of the famous sisters was the eldest. But those who attribute primacy to Anna cannot explain the fact that none other than Mary’s grandson, Lord Hansdon, asked him to be given the title of Earl of Ormond. If Anna was the eldest, then this title should rightfully belong to her daughter Elizabeth I. So, most likely, the older sister was still Maria Boleyn. Anna was born either in 1501 or in 1507. They also had brother George.
Education
As befits the noble maidens of that time, Mary was attached as a maid of honor to Mary Tudor as a maid of honor, the sisters of the same Henry VIII, who played a fateful role in the life of both the eldest and the youngest of the Boleyn clan. In 1514, she accompanied the princess to Paris to marry the king of France, Louis XII. After she played her part, Maria Tudor left her with her, and did not send her home. Perhaps, Maria’s father tried to do this, who by that time had become the ambassador of England to France. And even when Maria Tudor returned to her homeland in 1515 after the sudden death of her husband, having not been married for a year, her former favorite remained in Paris and began to serve a new pair of monarchs - Queen Claude and King Francis I.
Be that as it may, being at the royal court had a significant impact on the career of the young maid of honor. Over time, her parents could find her a prosperous party from among some Lords, and she would live comfortably the rest of her life, having given birth to a couple of heirs. But it didn’t quite happen.
French court affair
Maria Boleyn was not at all quiet, but managed to spin several novels with some of the courtiers of the king, and then with Francis I. There is no clear evidence for this, maybe it's just exaggerated rumors, although the king himself spoke about her as a rather frivolous girl. Be that as it may, Maria’s reputation was not at all impeccable, which influenced the court’s attitude to her younger sister Anna, who did not allow herself such liberties. The fact is that Mary lived and behaved the way she wanted, she was almost not interested in wealth and power, she did not seek to get married by calculation, unlike her sister.
But the stay in France ended in 1519. Mary's father influenced his eldest daughter to get a maid of honor with Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England, the first wife of Henry VIII.
First marriage
In 1520, the 21-year-old beauty marries. William Carey was a suitable party.
He was one of the court of the king, and quite influential. The king himself was naturally invited to the ceremony of their marriage. It is generally accepted that it was then that he paid attention to Mary. She was pretty and externally corresponded to the standard of beauty of that time: fair-haired, full-breasted and white-faced. Photo of Maria Boleyn, of course, does not exist, but there are many paintings with her portrait. Here is one of them.
Henry and Maria Boleyn
Their romance began shortly after her wedding.
By that time, Henry was already married to Catherine of Aragon, who still could not please his legitimate male heir, and the appearance of which he sought in every way. During this time, their relationship cooled, although they remained quite friendly, so to speak, mainly due to the fact that the queen did not interfere with the king’s novels on the side. For example, before Mary, Henry had a favorite, Betsy Blount, who was the first of his women to give him a son. But in 1522 her place was confidently taken by the eldest daughter of the Boleyn family. She confidently held her position until 1525. Did Heinrich Maria Boleyn Love? The story is silent about this.
The fact that she was married did not bother anyone: neither her, nor her husband or parents, who were gifted with generous estates, so that they would not impede the monarch’s whims.
Although the parents were not at all opposed, on the contrary, because according to the court customs of that time, slipping their children into bed with influential people and using these relationships to obtain possessions or titles was not at all considered something vile, but was in the order of things. Therefore, when after 3 years the king refocused on their youngest daughter, the Boleynes rejoiced again.
Maria Boleyn never claimed the title of queen; she was satisfied with the state of a constant lover. But her sister Anna went much further: she demanded a divorce from Catherine and a legal marriage with the king.
So, when Mary ceased to interest Henry, she was allowed to return to her husband.
This happened in 1525, and in 1526 Henry Carey, the son of Maria Boleyn, was born. But her husband shortly afterwards, namely in 1526, died, leaving his wife with two young children in her arms. She could be doomed to poverty because he owed huge sums of money, and if not for the intervention of her sister Anna, then she would hardly have been able to get even with them herself. The king allocated her from the treasury 100 pounds as an annual income.
Children
Maria Boleyn and William Carey had two children - daughter Katherine Carey (in 1524) and son Henry Carey (in 1526). Fatherhood is attributed to Henry, they say, they were born during the period of the romance of Mary and the king. Whether this is true or not, there is no official evidence. However, there are indirect ones: contemporaries said that Henry was very similar to the king in appearance, and a certain priest John Hale, in his memoirs, called the young Mr. Carey Henry's bastard. Although it is believed that by the time of the birth of her son, the romance of Mary and the voluptuous monarch had already exhausted herself, and she went to her legal spouse. But about the fatherhood of Katherine's daughter, there is no such certainty. Be that as it may, Mary never sought from Henry to recognize them as his children - either because they were not, or to protect them from imminent death at the hands of the rightful heiress to the throne of Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon, who then became known as the Bloody Mary.
Second marriage
When her sister Anna, having achieved her goal over the years, becomes Queen of England in 1933, Mary still serves at the court, now in her sister’s retinue. But suddenly, unexpectedly for everyone, she gets married. This time, William Stafford became her chosen one. The husband of Maria Boleyn was a very poor man, he did not have any title. It follows from this that this was a union of love, which was a rather rare occurrence among courtiers.
The fact that her sister married almost a commoner, so angered the Boleyn family and Anna herself that she sent the Staffords couple out of the royal court. They lived in Rochford (Essex). The spouses did not have common children.
Although then Anna took steps towards reconciliation: for example, she sent them gifts and money to Rochford to support them financially. It is not known whether Maria Boleyn held a grudge against Anna until the end of her days or not, but the fact remains: she did not visit her during her time in prison or before her execution in 1536. Perhaps she was simply afraid to fall out of favor with the king, who had already unjustly executed her brother George, and accused Anna of being a witch.
