Mary Boleyn was the sister of King Henry VIII's second wife, the infamous Anne Boleyn.
But she was also the king's mistress before her sister's ascendancy. She may also have given birth to Henry's son.
Before her sister's ascendancy, Mary was the most famous member of her family, a dubious honor since it was based upon her adulterous affair with King Henry VIII. The affair was brief, ending in mid-1525 (probably July.) On 4 March 1526, Mary gave birth to a son, called Henry. He was widely assumed to be the king's son. He physically resembled the king, a fact often remarked upon.

In 1534, Mary secretly married William Stafford. He was the younger son of Humphrey Stafford of Blatherwick in Northampton. This marriage was a disaster for her, other than her personal happiness. Mary undoubtedly loved Stafford, a soldier she had met at Calais (he had been part of Henry VIII's retinue.) But her relatives - all newly ennobled and very self-conscious about their status - were outraged.

Meanwhile, her son was still living with his aunt, Queen Anne. He was being tutored by the great French poet, Nicholas Bourbon,
clearly benefiting from the wardship. His mother's life between 1534 and her sister's execution in 1536 is difficult to trace. She seems to have resided at Rochford, Essex from the time of her disgrace to her death on 19 July 1543. When her sister fell into disfavor and Henry sought a divorce, his earlier affair with Mary was mentioned. Perhaps this would justify an annulment. Mary did not visit her sister when Anne was imprisoned in the Tower. Nor did she visit their brother George, also condemned to death. There is no evidence that she wrote to them, either. Like their uncle, the duke of Norfolk, she may have thought it wise to avoid association with her disgraced relatives.

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