The Last Boleyn - Historical Accuracy

Historical Accuracy

Like most novels about the Boleyns, liberties are taken. The following are a few examples:

• Ages and birth order of the Boleyn children: In the book the birth dates of Mary, George, and Anne are 1503 (George), 1504 (Mary), and 1507 (Anne). Most historians now agree on the following: 1499 (Mary), 1504 (George), and there is a dispute on the year of Anne's birth on whether it was 1501 or 1507.

• Mary's education abroad: Mary is shown being sent to the court of Archduches Margaret at the mere age of eight in 1512. It is now clear that it was Anne, not Mary, who spent time in the Netherlands, and was sent there some time in 1513. Mary went abroad a year later around the age of fifteen, to be a lady-in-waiting to Mary Tudor. Anne did not arrive in France in 1517 but very shortly after her sister, in late 1514.

• Anne is described as having a sixth finger. In reality, she never had one.

• Physical and Characteristical description of Mary Tudor: The king's sister Mary is described as "gentle", "sweet" and "raven-haired", along with having dark eyes. However, the real Mary Tudor had red hair and blue eyes like her older brother Henry and was known for her tantrums. She was very spoiled and hot-tempered, often demanding her way, and could hardly have been called gentle or sweet by anyone.

• Death of King Louis: On December 29, 1514, the king is said to have been "dead for a week" meaning that he would have had to have died on December 22. In actuality, Louis died on New Years Day in 1515.

• Mary's affairs: Thomas Boleyn is not believed to have approved of her becoming King Francis's mistress, and likely was unaware of her actions at the time they occurred. She did become King Henry's mistress circa 1521/1522, and, despite the affair lasting for presumably several years (1521/1522?-summer 1525), Bessie Blount was the king's longest term mistress, maintaining his favor for approximately eight years at the most. Mary's first son Henry Carey was born around the beginning of 1526, not 1522.

• Presence of Anne Basset: Anne Basset did not arrive at court until Jane Seymour was queen, yet she is portrayed prominently in a number of scenes in The Last Boleyn.

• Mary's appearance: She is portrayed as ravishing in The Last Boleyn, mentioned several times as blond, blue-eyed, angel-faced. While Mary was considered to be the more attractive of the Boleyn sisters, seeing as Anne was olive-skinned and raven-haired, she was likely not quite so "blond" and was described as being "merely pretty". Only one contemporary portrait of her exists, and while the headdress conceals her hair, the woman in the painting has eyes that are dark brown, not blue.

• Jane Parker is referred to as Jane Rochford throughout the book even before her marriage. In reality, "Rochford" was a name she gained after marrying George Boleyn, as he was the Viscount of Rochford. So technically, only then would she have been called "Lady Rochford" and not prior.

• Mary in the book has a son by William Stafford named Andrew, when historically they had a daughter named Anne. Also, Mary's first child was Catherine and not Henry. Catherine was born first and Henry was born later while she was married to William Carey.

In all, Mary is portrayed differently from the usual promiscuous fool she is normally viewed as. Her outrageous affairs are dismissed as childlike naivete and misguidance, as well as an unfortunate situation.