Mary Boleyn

‘A much-needed, highly-readable reassessment of a maligned Tudor woman. Soberton goes back to the original sources in their original language, offering fresh insight, questioning old myths, and cementing her place as one of Tudor history’s rising stars.’

‘Sylvia Barbara Soberton’s ground-breaking research challenges centuries-old beliefs about Mary and goes back to original sources to ask why historians have let misogynistic claims about her go unquestioned for so long. The strength of this book is that it leaves no claim about Mary unchallenged and reveals the shaky foundations of many statements made about her by historians over the years.’

‘Sylvia Barbara Soberton has done it again! In Mary Boleyn she weaves every known primary source into a fascinating and lucid narrative. Arguing that the black reputation of this Boleyn sister is unwarranted, Soberton reviews the evidence and presents a compelling alternative view. She also follows up on the major figures associated with Boleyn whose lives tend to vanish into history. The compact study offers a handy appendix with transcriptions of Boleyn’s letters and other relevant historical documents.’

‘Compellingly argued and meticulously researched, Sylvia Barbara Soberton brings this other Boleyn girl out of the shadows. Mary Boleyn: The Queen’s Slandered Sister presents readers with a new version of Mary, asking us to look again at the life of an important figure at the Tudor court, whose life has been linked to scandal for far too many centuries. Highly recommended.’

‘This book offers a meticulously researched and compelling portrait of Mary Boleyn that strips away centuries of myth and lazy assumption. Page by page, it brings us closer to a woman too often reduced to scandal, silence, or ridicule, revealing instead a far more complex and human figure. A thoughtful, illuminating study, it restores Mary Boleyn to history with nuance, care, and fresh authority.’

‘A triumph of research and scholarship. Soberton’s groundbreaking new study skilfully unravels the myths surrounding Mary Boleyn. Returning to the primary sources in their original languages, she demonstrates that the phrase “the great and infamous whore” was never a reference to Mary. Employing her trademark critical approach, Soberton exposes long-standing inaccuracies, not only by revisiting the primary sources but also by revealing how dangerous it can be for historians to rely on flawed nineteenth-century translations. In doing so, she illuminates both Mary’s life and her posthumous reputation – one shaped for generations by historians who uncritically accepted these mistranslations. This is the most compelling and historically accurate biography of Mary Boleyn to date – a must-read for scholars and Tudor enthusiasts alike.’

Sylvia Barbara Soberton

Sylvia Barbara Soberton is a full-time author and independent historian, specializing in the Tudors. She is best known for The Forgotten Tudor Women book series and has contributed peer-reviewed papers to the Royal Studies Journal and The Court Historian. Her writing has also appeared in Ancient Origins, History of Scotland, and DailyArt Magazine. Sylvia regularly gives talks and appears on podcasts such as The Tudors Dynasty, Not Just the Tudors, Talking Tudors, and Tudor Chest.

Sophie Bacchus-Waterman

Sophie Bacchus-Waterman is a Tudor historian and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She has written for publications including The Court Historian and the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, and has appeared on several popular history podcasts. She is the first person to write a full biography dedicated to Elizabeth Boleyn.

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