The scandalous true story of Mary Boleyn

Infamous sister of Anne, and mistress of Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn, the infamous other Boleyn girl, began her court career as the mistress of the king of France. Francois I of France would later call her The Great Prostitute and the slur stuck.

Her family and court life

The bete-noir of her family, Mary was married her off to a minor courtier but it was not long before she caught the eye of Henry VIII and a new affair began. Although a bright star at Henry's court, she was soon eclipsed by her highly spirited and more accomplished sister, Anne, who rapidly took her place in the king's heart.

The legacy of Mary Boleyn

However, the ups and downs of the Boleyn sisters were far from over. Mary would emerge the sole survivor of a family torn apart by lust and ambition, and it is in Mary and her progeny that the Boleyn legacy rests.