Lady Elizabeth Howard, later Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire (c. 1480 - 1538) was one of the many daughters of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk by his first wife Elizabeth Tilney. She is most famous for having been the mother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England. As such, she was also the maternal grandmother of Queen Elizabeth I. She was also a direct descendant of King Edward I.^[1] Events March 6 - Treaty of Toledo - Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain recognize African conquests of Afonso of Portugal and he cedes the Canary Islands to Spain Great standing on the Ugra river - Muscovy becomes independent from the Golden Horde. ... Events Treaty of Nagyvarad. ... Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (c. ... Anne Boleyn, 1st Marquess of Pembroke[1] (ca. ... Silver groat of Henry VIII, minted c. ... Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland Queen of France, nominal title Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533–March 24, 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1] and Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and who kept Scotland under English domination during his lifetime. ...

Marriage and children

Little is known of her but we can piece together a rough chronology of her life through the comments and mythologies of her contemporaries.

Her family managed to survive the fall of their patron, Richard III in 1485 and Elizabeth successfully joined the royal court as a young girl. There, she was wed to Thomas Boleyn, an ambitious young courtier - sometime before 1500, probably in 1498.^[2] According to Thomas, his wife was pregnant many times in the next few years but only five children are thought to have survived birth and only three into adulthood: - Richard III may refer to: King Richard III of England Richard III, a play by William Shakespeare about the king Richard III may also refer to motion pictures based on the Shakespeare play: Richard III, 1995 (UK/USA), starring Ian McKellen Richard III, 1986 (Soviet Union) Richard III, 1980 (France... // Events August 5-7 - First outbreak of sweating sickness in England begins August 22 - Battle of Bosworth Field is fought between the armies of King Richard III of England and rival claimant to the throne of England Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. ... Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and 1st Earl of Ormonde (about 1477 - 12 March 1538/9), was a Tudor diplomat and politician and the father of Anne Boleyn, the second Queen of King Henry VIII. He was born and buried at the family home, Hever Castle. ... A courtier is a person who attends upon, and thus receives a privileged position from, a powerful person, usually a head of state. ... 1500 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1498 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Mary Boleyn, mistress of Henry VIII (c. 1499 - July 19, 1543).
• Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of Henry VIII (c. 1501/1507 - May 19, 1536).
• George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. 1503 - May 17, 1536).
• Thomas Boleyn - thought to have died young.
• Henry Boleyn - thought to have died young.

Lady Mary Boleyn (c. ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... 1499 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... // Events February 21 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeat the armies of Adal led by Ahmed Gragn. ... Anne Boleyn, 1st Marquess of Pembroke[1] (ca. ... Silver groat of Henry VIII, minted c. ... 1501 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1507 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (140th in leap years). ... Year 1536 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. ... Year 1503 (MDIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (138th in leap years). ... Year 1536 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ...

As lady in waiting for the royal court

Throughout this time, Elizabeth was lady-in-waiting at the royal court; firstly to Elizabeth of York and then to her successor, Katherine of Aragon. To judge from later gossip, Elizabeth Boleyn must have been a highly attractive woman.^[3] Rumours circulated that she was the mistress of the young king, Henry VIII. However, despite recent attempts by one or two historians to rehabilitate this myth, it was denied by Henry and never mentioned in the stream of dispensations he sought in order to make his union with Anne lawful. Most historians believe it is likely that this rumour began by confusing Elizabeth with Henry's more famous mistress Elizabeth Blount, or from the growing unpopularity of the Boleyn family after 1527.^[4] Lady in Waiting is an album by American southern rock band The Outlaws, released in 1976. ... Elizabeth of York (February 11, 1466–February 11, 1503) was the Queen Consort of King Henry VII of England, whom she married in 1486, and the mother of King Henry VIII. She was born at Westminster, the eldest child of King Edward IV and his Queen consort Elizabeth Woodville (who... The recently-widowed young Catherine of Aragon, by Henry VIIs court painter, Michael Sittow, c. ... Neighborly gossips in the Altstadt in Sindelfingen, Germany Gossip consists of casual or idle talk of any sort, sometimes (but not always) slanderous and/or devoted to discussing others. ... A rumor (British English: rumour) is a piece of purportedly true information that is circulated without substantiating evidence. ... Madame de Pompadour the mistress of King Louis XV of France. ... Silver groat of Henry VIII, minted c. ... Elizabeth Blount, better known as Bessie Blount (c. ... January 5 - Felix Manz, co-founder of the Swiss Anabaptists, was drowned in the Limmat in Zürich by the Zürich Reformed state church. ...

Scandals involving both daughters

In 1519, Elizabeth's elder daughter, Mary, who was then living in the French royal court, was brought home in disgrace once her reputation was left in tatters due to a series of sexual escapades in France. The French King vindictively called Mary "my English mare", and later in his life described her as "a great whore, the most infamous of all".^[5] Events March 4 - Hernán Cortés lands in Mexico. ...

Elizabeth never forgave Mary for this slur on the family's reputation, and in the words of historian M.L. Bruce both Thomas and Elizabeth "developed feelings of dislike" for their daughter.^[6] In later years, Mary's romantic involvements would only further strain this relationship. Around 1520, the Boleyns managed to arrange Mary's marriage to Sir William Carey, a respected and popular nobleman at court. It was sometime after the wedding that Mary became mistress to Henry VIII (the exact dates as to when the affair started and ended are unknown), although she never held the title of "official royal mistress," as the post did not exist in England. Popular legend states that Mary bore the King an illegimate child. There is little evidence to support this theory. Few of Henry's mistresses were ever publicly honoured, excepting Elizabeth Blount, who was mentioned in Parliament and whose son was created duke of Richmond in an elaborate public ceremony in 1525. ^[7] Henry's relationship with Mary was so discreet that within ten years, some observers were wondering if it had ever taken place.^[8] mary elline m. ... Sir William Carey (?1490 - 1528) was a courtier and favourite of King Henry VIII of England. ... Elizabeth Blount, better known as Bessie Blount (c. ... Events January 21 - The Swiss Anabaptist Movement was born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptized each other in the home of Manzs mother on Neustadt-Gasse, Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union. ...

In contrast to Mary, Elizabeth's other daughter, Anne, had a close relationship with her mother. Elizabeth had been in charge of Anne's early education and she had taught her music and religion, as well as embroidery, reading and writing.^[9] In 1525 Henry VIII fell in love with Anne and Elizabeth became her protective chaperone. She accompanied Anne to court, since Anne was attempting to avoid a sexual relationship with the king.^[10] It was Elizabeth who travelled with Anne to view York Place after the fall of the Boleyn family's great political opponent, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey - an intrigue which had given Anne her first real taste of political power. She was crowned queen four years later. Events January 21 - The Swiss Anabaptist Movement was born when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and about a dozen others baptized each other in the home of Manzs mother on Neustadt-Gasse, Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union. ... The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones 1622 Banqueting House was destroyed by fire. ... Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, (c. ...

Elizabeth remained in her daughter's household throughout her time as Queen consort. Tradition has it that Anne's only daughter, Elizabeth I was named after her maternal grandmother. However, it is more likely that she was named after Henry's mother, Elizabeth of York, although we cannot rule out the possibility that she was named after both grandmothers. King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ... Elizabeth I redirects here. ...

Elizabeth Boleyn sided with the rest of the family when her eldest daughter Mary was banished in 1535 for eloping with a commoner. Mary had initially expected her sister's support (Anne had been Mary's only confidante within the Boleyn family since 1529).^[11] but Anne was furious at the breach of etiquette and refused to receive her..^[12] Events January 18 - Lima, Peru founded by Francisco Pizarro April - Jacques Cartier discovers the Iroquois city of Stadacona, Canada (now Quebec) and in May, the even greater Huron city of Hochelaga June 24 - The Anabaptist state of Münster (see Münster Rebellion) is conquered and disbanded. ... Events April 22 - Treaty of Saragossa divides the eastern hemisphere between Spain and Portugal, stipulating that the dividing line should lie 297. ...

Only a year later, the family was overtaken by a greater scandal. Elizabeth's youngest daughter Anne and her only living son, George, were both executed on charges of treason, adultery and incest. Anne's two chief biographers, Eric Ives and Retha Warnicke, have both concluded that these charges were fabricated.^[13] They both agree that the king wanted to marry his mistress, Jane Seymour. Beyond this obvious fact, the sequence of events are not completely clear and historians are divided about whether or not the key motivation for Anne's downfall was her husband's hatred of her or her political ambitions.^[14] Despite the claims of several recent novels, academic historians generally agree that Anne was innocent and that she was sexually faithful to her husband.^[15] Nonetheless, the judges obeyed the king and condemned the two Boleyns, and four others, to death. The men were beheaded by the axe on May 17 1536 and Anne by a French swordsman two days later. Traitor redirects here. ... Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Eric William Ives (1931 -) is a well-respected British historian and an expert on the Tudor period (1485 - 1603. ... Professor Retha M. Warnicke (b. ... Jane Seymour was strict and formal compared to her flamboyant predecessor, Anne Boleyn. ... Year 1536 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ...

Following the annihilation of the family's ambitions, Elizabeth retired to the countryside. The fall of the Boleyns' has been likened to "a Greek tragedy", and yet there is something tragically pathetic and anticlimactic about Elizabeth Boleyn's quiet, uneventful death only two years after she had witnessed the cruel machinations of the Tudor court which had devoured two of her brilliant and glamorous younger children. She did not attempt a reconciliation with her surviving daughter, Mary, who outlived her by only five years. Tragedy is one of the oldest forms of drama. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", by Lady Antonia Fraser, p. 116 (1992)
2. ^ "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn", by Eric Ives, p.17, (2004)
3. ^ "Anne Boleyn," by Marie-Louise Bruce, p. 13, (1972)
4. ^ "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn," by Eric Ives, p. 16, (2004)
5. ^ "Anne Boleyn," by Marie-Louise Bruce, p. 23 (1982)
6. ^ Ibid
7. ^ "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," by Alison Weir, p. 81 (1991); the idea that Mary was Henry's chief and official mistress for several years has gained fame because it is a central plot-point in two modern novels based on her life - Philippa Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl" and Karen Harper's "The Last Boleyn". However these are novels and there is no firm historical evidence that her affair with the king was ever so publicly acknowledged. Academic discussions of the issue can be found in Alison Weir's above-mentioned book (p. 133-4) and "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn," by Eric Ives, p. 15 - 17
8. ^ "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn," by Eric Ives, p. 15 - 16
9. ^ "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," by Alison Weir, p. 148 (1991)
10. ^ "Divorced Beheaded Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation of the Wives of Henry VIII," by Karen Lindsey, pp. 58 - 60 (1995)
11. ^ "Divorced Beheaded Survived: A Feminist Reinterpretation of the Wives of Henry VIII," by Karen Lindsey, p. 73(1995)
12. ^ "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," by Alison Weir, p. 273 (1991)
13. ^ "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn," by Eric Ives (2004) and "The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn," by Retha Warnicke (1989)
14. ^ For the debate, see the introduction to J.J. Scarisbrick's 1997 edition of his biography "Henry VIII," "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn," by Eric Ives, pp. 319 - 337 and "The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn," by Retha Warnicke, pp. 189 - 233 (1989)
15. ^ "The Other Boleyn Girl," makes the suggestion that Anne and George may have been guilty of incest. However, see the following non-fiction and academic works for arguments proving Anne's innocence - "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn," by Eric Ives, pp. 338 - 356 (2004); "The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn," by Retha Warnicke, pp. 2 - 5 (1989); "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," by Alison Weir, pp. 306 - 337 (1991); "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," by Lady Antonia Fraser, pp.245 - 255 (1992); "Six Wives," by David Starkey, pp. 571 - 583 (2004)