Mary Boleyn Trivia Quiz

Answer: Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard

Mary was born in either 1499 or 1508 (there is controversy over the actual date, since records were not kept well back then). Because of that controversy it cannot be determined who was the eldest, Mary or Anne. Through her mother she was connected to one of the most powerful families in England, the Howards.

Her father was a trusted friend of Henry VIII who also came to have great influence in court.

Answer: Mary Tudor

Mary Tudor (Henry's sister) was forced to marry the French King Louis XII, and brought several English attendants with her. Another maid of honor was Mary's sister Anne, who spent the next five years there.

Answer: Francis I

Francis I was young, athletic, and relatively handsome, and when Mary Tudor and her attendants left France (since Louis was dead, the Princess had no reason to be there) Mary Boleyn and her sister Anne stayed on. Eventually, Mary became his mistress.

Answer: William Carey

William Carey was a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber for Henry VIII. It was quite a step down from her lofty job as the love of the King of France, although in those days women had no choice in who they married, so she did not complain. They had two children.

The paternity of the second child was questioned, mainly by supporters of Katherine of Aragon, as it was believed that Henry VIII was the father. There is no direct evidence to support this.

Answer: Henry VIII

Not long after her marriage, Mary, at the behest of her family, became the mistress of King Henry VIII, and their affair continued for possibly three years or more. Unfortunately, Henry tired of her some time before 1525 and instead focused on her sister, who in eight years became Queen of England.

Answer: He caught the sweating sickness

There was a particularly bad outbreak of the sweating sickness in June 1528, and although most people fled from London to avoid the epidemic, the Careys did not run fast enough, and William died. Anne Boleyn, too, caught the usually deadly disease, but she miraculously survived.

Answer: Hever Castle

Hever was the traditional home of the Boleyn family, and Mary and her siblings Anne and George were raised there.

Answer: William Stafford

William Stafford was Mary's second husband. He had very low status, so when Mary announced their marriage in 1534, her family was very angry. Anne, outraged that the sister of the queen would marry such a low-born man, banished her from court. In this quote, Mary is stating that though she may not be a queen like Anne, she is much happier.

This seems to be true, since in only two short years Anne Boleyn was executed by her "loving husband".

Answer: True

The children born in her first marriage were Katherine Carey (born 1524 or 1529) and Henry Carey (born 1524). She had two more with William Stafford: Anne Stafford and another boy. She was pregnant with one of them at the time of her banishment, although it is not recorded which one.

Answer: 1543

Mary died in the quiet countryside. She did not come back to court after her exile, although both of her children from her first marriage would play a small part in the court of Queen Elizabeth I fifteen years later. After her death, few remembered her, but now you know her story.