If you’ve spent any time in the historical fiction section of a bookstore over the last twenty years, you’ve seen it. That striking cover with the Tudor gown. The Other Boleyn Sister—or The Other Boleyn Girl as it was originally titled—basically set the world on fire in 2001. Philippa Gregory didn't just write a book; she launched an entire sub-genre.
Suddenly, everyone was obsessed with the "forgotten" sister. Mary Boleyn became the face of the "good" sister, while Anne was the scheming, power-hungry villain. But honestly? The gap between the book and what actually happened in the 1520s is a total canyon.
People still argue about this book in Reddit threads and history forums like it was released yesterday. Why? Because Gregory is a master at making you feel the claustrophobia of the English court. She makes the stakes feel like life or death. Usually, they were.
The Rivalry That (Probably) Never Was
In the novel, Mary is the sweet, innocent pawn. She’s the one who gets shoved into King Henry VIII’s bed by her ambitious uncle, the Duke of Norfolk. Then Anne comes along and ruthlessly steals the King’s heart. It’s a classic sister-vs-sister drama.
But history is rarely that tidy.
First off, Gregory flipped their ages. In the book, Mary is the younger, naive sister. Most modern historians, like Eric Ives and Claire Ridgway, actually believe Mary was the eldest child. She wasn't some wide-eyed teenager who didn't know how the world worked. She had already been to the French court and, if the rumors are true, was so scandalous that King Francis I supposedly called her his "English mare."
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Hardly the blushing virgin we see at the start of the book.
What the book gets right (and wrong) about Henry
The book portrays Henry as a man who can be manipulated by whichever sister is currently "winning." It’s true he was obsessed with an heir. It's true he had an affair with Mary that lasted a few years. But the idea that Anne "stole" him is a bit of a stretch.
The King's interest in Mary had likely cooled long before he set his sights on Anne. Henry didn't just hop from one sister to the next like a game of musical chairs. Anne famously refused to be his mistress, which drove him into a decade-long frenzy to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
The Biggest Myths in The Other Boleyn Sister
There are a few things in the story that drive historians absolutely crazy. If you’re reading this to prep for a history exam, definitely don't use the book as a primary source.
- The Incest Allegation: One of the most shocking parts of the book is the suggestion that Anne and her brother George actually committed incest to try and conceive a male heir.
- The "Deformed" Baby: There’s a scene where Anne gives birth to a "monster" or a deformed fetus, which the book uses to justify the witchcraft charges.
- The Paternity of Mary's Kids: The book heavily implies that Mary’s children, Catherine and Henry Carey, were fathered by the King.
Let's break those down. The incest charge was almost certainly a political hit job. Thomas Cromwell needed a way to get rid of Anne, and adultery with five men—including her brother—was the ultimate "nuclear option" to ensure her execution. Most experts agree it never happened.
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As for the deformed baby? That theory comes from a historian named Retha Warnicke, but most of her peers find it flimsy. There's no contemporary record of a "monster" birth. And the kids? While little Henry Carey looked a lot like the King, Henry VIII never acknowledged him. He acknowledged his other illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, so it’s weird he’d ignore a Boleyn son if he really thought the boy was his.
Why the Book Still Works Today
Despite all the factual gymnastics, you've gotta give Gregory credit. She understands the human cost of the Tudor court.
The book shines when it talks about the vulnerability of women. In the 16th century, women were basically currency. They were "pawned" by their families to gain land, titles, and influence. Mary Boleyn's tragedy in the novel isn't just about losing the King; it's about being a commodity.
"I was the first girl to be used by the family... I was the one who was supposed to make us all great."
That quote from the book hits hard because it feels authentic to the pressure these women faced. Even if the dialogue is modern, the sentiment of being a "disposable" asset for a powerful father or uncle is very real.
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The Style Shift
Gregory’s writing style in this specific novel is very "close." It’s first-person, told entirely through Mary’s eyes. This makes the reader feel every slight and every moment of fear. You’re right there in the "lying-in" chambers. You're feeling the silk of the dresses.
It’s an immersive experience.
The Actionable Truth for Tudor Fans
If you're a fan of The Other Boleyn Sister, you don't have to stop liking it just because it's "inaccurate." You just have to treat it like what it is: a brilliant soap opera set in a real castle.
If you want the real story, here is how you should actually approach the Mary vs. Anne debate:
- Read a real biography: Check out Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir. It separates the "whore" myths from the actual woman who survived her family's downfall.
- Watch the 2008 movie with a grain of salt: The movie starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson takes even more liberties than the book. It's fun, but it's basically Tudor fan-fiction.
- Look at the dates: The timeline of Henry’s pursuit of Anne lasted seven years. Seven! The book makes it feel like it happened over a weekend. Understanding the "Great Matter" (the divorce) takes time.
- Visit the Tower: If you’re ever in London, go to the Tower of London. Seeing where Anne and George were actually held makes the drama of the book feel much more grounded and somber.
The real Mary Boleyn was a survivor. She was the only one of the three siblings to die in her own bed, far from the executioner's axe. She married for love the second time—to a man named William Stafford—and was banished from court for it. In the end, being "the other sister" was the only thing that saved her life.
There's a lot of power in that. While Anne became a legend, Mary became a mother who actually got to grow old. In the cutthroat world of the Tudors, maybe Mary was the real winner after all.
Check the back of your copy for the Author’s Note. Gregory usually explains where she took liberties, and it’s a great jumping-off point for your own research into the real Howard and Boleyn family trees.