The Other Boleyn Girl
Encyclopedia
The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical fiction
novel written by British author Philippa Gregory
, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn
. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England
, while others have consistently pointed out the lack of historical accuracy. Even so, it has enjoyed phenomenal success and popularity since its publication in 2002.
The Other Boleyn Girl concerns the sister of Anne Boleyn of whom little is known. Inspired by the life of Mary Boleyn
, Gregory depicts the annulment of one of the most significant royal marriages in English history (that of King Henry VIII
and Catherine of Aragon
) and the great need of a male heir to the throne, though most of the actual history is highly distorted.
in a sympathetic light, whilst she is usually demonised by admirers of Elizabeth I. The Other Boleyn Girl was unusual not only because it centred on the relatively unknown life of Mary Boleyn
, but also because of the interest it sparked for the period and resulted in the adaptation of the book for the big screen and recognition for its little-known central character.
The novel has enjoyed high commercial success and it has a large and loyal fan-base. It has appealed to popular interest in the Tudor era, which is currently high in both Britain and America. It has been followed by a sequel called The Queen's Fool
, set during the reign of Henry's
daughter, Queen Mary
. The Queen's Fool was followed by The Virgin's Lover
, set during the early days of Queen Elizabeth's
reign.
Gregory is also the author of The Constant Princess, story of Anne's predecessor, Catherine of Aragon and The Boleyn Inheritance
, the tale of Anne of Cleves, Lady Jane Rochford and finally Katherine Howard's rise to the throne in 1540.
was the sister of the more famous Anne Boleyn
. As such, she is usually mentioned in the numerous biographies that have been written about Anne
, but never in any substantial detail.
Mary, unlike Anne, was the mistress of two kings – Francis I of France
and Henry VIII of England
. She was born sometime between 1499 and 1508. A popular but unverifiable legend suggests that Mary was considered the more beautiful of the two sisters.
Mary was married twice, first to William Carey
, and secondly to William Stafford
. She died in her early forties in 1543.
Philippa Gregory
was intrigued by the story of a queen's sister who apparently has been forgotten by history because she lacked the political importance and impact of her sister. Gregory was fascinated by Mary's story and sought to write a novel on the "other Boleyn girl."
based on the novel was broadcast by the BBC
in 2003. It had a relatively low production budget of £750,000 and was filmed using modern camera techniques, with much of the script improvised. Jodhi May
played Anne Boleyn, Natascha McElhone
played Mary, Steven Mackintosh played George, Jared Harris
played Henry VIII, and Philip Glenister
played Stafford. It received mixed reviews.
A 2008 feature film adaptation starred Scarlett Johansson
as Mary, Natalie Portman
as Anne, and Eric Bana
as Henry VIII. In Translating Henry to the Screen, a bonus feature on the DVD release of the film, screenwriter Peter Morgan
discusses the dilemma he faced in adapting Philippa Gregory's 600-plus-page novel for the screen. He ultimately decided to use it merely as a broad guideline for his script, which Gregory felt perfectly captured the essence of her book, although many plot elements were eliminated, diminished, or changed. Among the more notable deviations in the film, Mary's marriage to William Stafford, a major part of the book, is mentioned only in a note just before the closing credits, there is no mention of Anne's "stealing" Mary's son to keep a grip on the king's favour (there was a scene designed to vaguely cover that, but it was cut from the film), Anne becomes pregnant with Elizabeth after being raped by Henry, Anne and George decide against committing incest
, Mary adopts Elizabeth at the end of the film and there are no overt references to George's homosexuality. In addition to this, the character of Elizabeth Boleyn is almost the opposite of that in the book and she is portrayed as protective of her daughters against their father and uncle and critical of the family's social climbing at the expense of their moral integrity.
Sequels
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
novel written by British author Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
, while others have consistently pointed out the lack of historical accuracy. Even so, it has enjoyed phenomenal success and popularity since its publication in 2002.
The Other Boleyn Girl concerns the sister of Anne Boleyn of whom little is known. Inspired by the life of Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
, Gregory depicts the annulment of one of the most significant royal marriages in English history (that of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
) and the great need of a male heir to the throne, though most of the actual history is highly distorted.
Literary significance and criticism
Gregory has a high rate of success with using relatively unknown characters in her historical novels – often, they are not typical historical heroines. In The Queen's Fool, she used the character of Mary IMary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
in a sympathetic light, whilst she is usually demonised by admirers of Elizabeth I. The Other Boleyn Girl was unusual not only because it centred on the relatively unknown life of Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
, but also because of the interest it sparked for the period and resulted in the adaptation of the book for the big screen and recognition for its little-known central character.
The novel has enjoyed high commercial success and it has a large and loyal fan-base. It has appealed to popular interest in the Tudor era, which is currently high in both Britain and America. It has been followed by a sequel called The Queen's Fool
The Queen's Fool
The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory is a 2004 historical fiction novel. Set between 1548 and 1558, it is part of Philippa Gregory's Tudor series. The series includes The Boleyn Inheritance...
, set during the reign of Henry's
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
daughter, Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. The Queen's Fool was followed by The Virgin's Lover
The Virgin's Lover
The Virgin's Lover is a historical novel written by British author Philippa Gregory. It belongs to her series of Tudor novels, including The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Queen's Fool....
, set during the early days of Queen Elizabeth's
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
reign.
Gregory is also the author of The Constant Princess, story of Anne's predecessor, Catherine of Aragon and The Boleyn Inheritance
The Boleyn Inheritance
The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory which was first published in 2006. It is a direct sequel to her previous novel The Other Boleyn Girl, and one of the additions to her six-part series on the Tudor royals...
, the tale of Anne of Cleves, Lady Jane Rochford and finally Katherine Howard's rise to the throne in 1540.
Historical accuracy
Mary BoleynMary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
was the sister of the more famous Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. As such, she is usually mentioned in the numerous biographies that have been written about Anne
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, but never in any substantial detail.
Mary, unlike Anne, was the mistress of two kings – Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
and Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. She was born sometime between 1499 and 1508. A popular but unverifiable legend suggests that Mary was considered the more beautiful of the two sisters.
Mary was married twice, first to William Carey
William Carey
William Carey was an English Baptist missionary and a Reformed Baptist minister, known as the "father of modern missions." Carey was one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society...
, and secondly to William Stafford
William Stafford
William Edgar Stafford was an American poet and pacifist, and the father of poet and essayist Kim Stafford. He was appointed the twentieth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1970....
. She died in her early forties in 1543.
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
was intrigued by the story of a queen's sister who apparently has been forgotten by history because she lacked the political importance and impact of her sister. Gregory was fascinated by Mary's story and sought to write a novel on the "other Boleyn girl."
Specifics regarding historical accuracy
Some areas of disputed historical accuracy include the following:- Birth order and early lives of the siblings. Many histories, including Eric Ives's biography of Anne Boleyn, suggest that Mary was almost certainly the elder sister, and the eldest of the Boleyn children, whereas The Other Boleyn Girl presents George as the eldest. George is portrayed as being born in 1503, Anne in 1507, and Mary in 1508. However, most historians agree that Anne was probably the younger sister.
- Sexuality of George Boleyn. The book depicts George Boleyn as being homosexual, in love with Francis WestonFrancis WestonSir Francis Weston was a gentleman at the court of King Henry VIII of England. He became a friend of the king and gained a sad fame by being one of the men accused alongside Anne Boleyn...
, but sexually attracted to his sister Anne and willing to commit incestIncestIncest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
with her. American academic Dr. Retha Warnicke postulated George Boleyn and his associates might have been homosexual, but no contemporary evidence supports the theory. However, George Cavendish in "Metrical Visions" wrote that he was a notorious seducer of women. Also, no contemporary records mention Anne Boleyn giving birth to a deformed foetus, which Gregory contends is possible evidence of incest.
- Paternity of Mary Boleyn's children. It has long been rumoured that one or both of Mary Boleyn's children were fathered by Henry VIII, originating from a report made in 1531 by an anti-Boleyn Prior and Catherine of Aragon adherent who had never seen the boy. There is some debate, with Sally Varloe, Dr. G. W. Bernard (author of The King's Reformation), and Joanna Denny (author of Anne Boleyn: a new life of England's tragic Queen and Katherine Howard: a Tudor conspiracy) arguing that he may have been Henry Tudor's son. Some writers, such as Alison WeirAlison WeirAlison Weir is a British writer of history books, and latterly historical novels, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty.-Personal life:...
, consider it unlikely that Henry Carey (Mary's son) was fathered by the King.
- Role of Thomas and Elizabeth Boleyn. The Other Boleyn Girl depicts Mary's parents as devoid of affection for their daughters, and eager to use both as sexual pawns for political gain. Sources such as Anne Boleyn by Marie-Louise Bruce (1972) suggest that Mary's parents did not encourage her sexual escapades and were horrified when she was sent home from France in disgrace.
- Anne Boleyn's wardship of Henry Carey. Anne Boleyn took on Mary's son as her ward after the death of his father and supplied him with an education. This was a common practice in the Tudor nobility and one very similar to the situation faced by dozens of young aristocratic children, including Anne and Mary's cousin, Katherine Howard, who was raised by her grandmother when her father was penniless. Anne's actions are usually seen as kind by contemporaries and historians, but the novel re-imagines it both as a cruel act and as an adoption in the modern sense, in which the child's caretakers are considered his legal and social parents. Actually, Anne secured Mary a highly respectable pension of £100 a year.
- Sexual experience of Mary Boleyn. Mary is depicted in The Other Boleyn Girl as a sexually inexperienced young girl when she begins her affair with the king. However, history alleges that she had an affair with Francis I of FranceFrancis I of FranceFrancis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
and a subsequent period of promiscuity at the French court. She is generally thought to have been dismissed from the French court because of this, shaming the Boleyn family. Genealogist Anthony Hoskins contradicts the claim that Mary Boleyn had a reputation as being sexually active at an early age, and indeed, denies that Mary was extensively educated at the French court like her sister at all. Hoskins claims, "It is now established that it was Anne Boleyn, and not her sister Mary, who lived at the Flemish and French courts as a child," and surmises that French King Francis I's comments on her reputation were not based on her early behaviour, as he possibly only had met her as early as 1520 at the Field of Cloth of Gold. However, most historians believe that both Anne and Mary spent time at the French court. The French king remembered Mary as "a great prostitute, infamous above all" and "the English mare."
- Motivations and characterisation of Anne Boleyn. The Guardian newspaper claimed Anne had been presented as "a scheming trollop," expressing incredulity at such a characterisation. In The Other Boleyn Girl, Anne Boleyn is presented as cold, vindictive, ruthlessly ambitious, vain, and given to physical violence; this is not supported by contemporary accounts. She was certainly complex: highly intelligent, fluently bilingual, politically astute, artistically gifted, loyal to her family, generous to friends, and known for her charm and elegance, notwithstanding arrogance and a notorious temper when stressed. During her time abroad, she was reported to have been sweet and kind. Feminist scholars objected to Gregory's characterisation and praise Anne Boleyn as a feminist icon.
- Incest between Anne and George Boleyn. Historically, Anne Boleyn was charged with committing incest with her brother. The novel heavily implies but does not state that Anne, convinced that Henry VIII could not give her a healthy son, resorts to incest with her brother. Both the 2003 BBC production of The Other Boleyn Girl and the 2008 Hollywood film with Natalie Portman clearly depict the two attempting but not committing incest.
- None of the sources Gregory listed in her bibliography question Anne Boleyn's innocence. Gregory used two biographies of Anne, one by the American historian Retha WarnickeRetha WarnickeRetha Marvine Warnicke is an American historian and Professor of History at Arizona State University. Warnicke graduated with a B.A. from Indiana University, magna cum laude, in 1961. She then moved on to Harvard University, where she earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in 1963 and 1969, respectively...
and another source by Marie-Louise Bruce (1972). Both these writers insisted that Anne was innocent, as did books by David LoadesDavid LoadesDavid Michael Loades, FSA is a British historian and an expert on the Tudor era. He is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wales, where he taught from 1980 until 1996, and was Honorary Research Professor at the University of Sheffield from 1996 until 2008. In the 1960s an1970s he...
, Alison WeirAlison Weir (historian)Alison Weir is a British writer of history books, and latterly historical novels, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty.-Personal life:...
, and Lacey Baldwin Smith that GregoryPhilippa GregoryPhilippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
had used when researching the story. Gregory did not use Dr. Eric Ives's 1986 scholarly biography on Anne Boleyn, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn: the Most Happy, in which Ives expounds the possible political motives for Anne Boleyn's fall. Ives describes Anne as an active and effective politician, and explains Anne's fall and execution as the result of minister Thomas Cromwell's determination to avoid a similar fate to that of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.
- There is no evidence supporting Gregory's assertion that Anne had three miscarriages. Gregory ignores the argument, as stated in Eric Ives's biography of Anne Boleyn, that part of the reason Anne was executed was because of her political and religious leanings, which her brother shared and supported.
Screen
A ninety-minute television dramaThe Other Boleyn Girl (2003 film)
The Other Boleyn Girl is a 2003 BBC television film, adapted from Philippa Gregory's novel of the same name.-Production:This was a low production budget of £750,000. The drama was shot using modern camera techniques and the cast spent four weeks in workshops improvising the script with the director...
based on the novel was broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 2003. It had a relatively low production budget of £750,000 and was filmed using modern camera techniques, with much of the script improvised. Jodhi May
Jodhi May
Jodhi May is an English actress.-Early life:Born in Camden Town, London, May first acted at the age of 12 in 1988's A World Apart. The role earned her a Best Actress award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, shared with her co-stars Barbara Hershey and Linda Mvusi...
played Anne Boleyn, Natascha McElhone
Natascha McElhone
Natascha McElhone is an English actress of stage, screen and television, best known for her roles in Ronin, The Truman Show and Solaris. McElhone also plays a leading role in the Showtime series Californication....
played Mary, Steven Mackintosh played George, Jared Harris
Jared Harris
Jared Francis Harris is a British character actor, well known for playing the obnoxious Mac McGrath in the Adam Sandler film Mr. Deeds, and for his portrayal of Lane Pryce on the AMC series Mad Men.- Personal life :...
played Henry VIII, and Philip Glenister
Philip Glenister
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.-Television and films:...
played Stafford. It received mixed reviews.
A 2008 feature film adaptation starred Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
as Mary, Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
as Anne, and Eric Bana
Eric Bana
Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
as Henry VIII. In Translating Henry to the Screen, a bonus feature on the DVD release of the film, screenwriter Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
discusses the dilemma he faced in adapting Philippa Gregory's 600-plus-page novel for the screen. He ultimately decided to use it merely as a broad guideline for his script, which Gregory felt perfectly captured the essence of her book, although many plot elements were eliminated, diminished, or changed. Among the more notable deviations in the film, Mary's marriage to William Stafford, a major part of the book, is mentioned only in a note just before the closing credits, there is no mention of Anne's "stealing" Mary's son to keep a grip on the king's favour (there was a scene designed to vaguely cover that, but it was cut from the film), Anne becomes pregnant with Elizabeth after being raped by Henry, Anne and George decide against committing incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, Mary adopts Elizabeth at the end of the film and there are no overt references to George's homosexuality. In addition to this, the character of Elizabeth Boleyn is almost the opposite of that in the book and she is portrayed as protective of her daughters against their father and uncle and critical of the family's social climbing at the expense of their moral integrity.
See also
- Anne Boleyn in popular cultureAnne Boleyn in popular cultureAnne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England, has inspired or been mentioned in numerous artistic and cultural works. The following lists cover various media, enduring works of high art, and recent representations in popular culture, film and fiction...
Sequels
- The Queen's FoolThe Queen's FoolThe Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory is a 2004 historical fiction novel. Set between 1548 and 1558, it is part of Philippa Gregory's Tudor series. The series includes The Boleyn Inheritance...
- The Virgin's LoverThe Virgin's LoverThe Virgin's Lover is a historical novel written by British author Philippa Gregory. It belongs to her series of Tudor novels, including The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Queen's Fool....
- The Constant PrincessThe Constant PrincessThe Constant Princess is a historical novel by Philippa Gregory, published in 2005. The novel depicts a fictionalized version of the life of Catherine of Aragon.-Plot summary:Childhood:The book starts at Alhambra Palace, when Catalina is five years old...
- The Boleyn InheritanceThe Boleyn InheritanceThe Boleyn Inheritance is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory which was first published in 2006. It is a direct sequel to her previous novel The Other Boleyn Girl, and one of the additions to her six-part series on the Tudor royals...
- The Other QueenThe Other QueenThe Other Queen is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory, released in the United Kingdom in September 2008 and the United States in October 2008. It was released in Australia in June 2008. It covers the period of Mary, Queen of Scots' long imprisonment in England...