For a little while now I have been thinking about Elizabeth Boleyn, Anne Boleyn’s mother, and wondering what became of her. I remember reading, some time ago, that Elizabeth had died in childbirth early in Anne’s life (around 1512) and that Thomas Boleyn had remarried and that’s why her name does not regularly appear in historical records. I also remember reading that she was Henry VIII’s mistress and that she even had his child!
So I decided to find out the truth for myself and research what became of Elizabeth Boleyn. Here is what I found:
What happened to Elizabeth Boleyn?
Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire, born around 1480 Elizabeth Howard, was the daughter of Thomas Howard, earl of Surrey. She was the eldest of the two daughters of Thomas Howard and Elizabeth Tilney and was descended from King Edward I (Fraser, pg. 116).
Elizabeth’s paternal grandfather, the first Duke of Norfolk, died fighting for Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field (Warnicke, pg. 8). The Howards survived losing their patron and instead grew in favour under the new Tudor King, Henry VII.
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