Queen Elizabeth II, the current monarch of the United Kingdom, is related to Mary Boleyn through their shared ancestry. Mary Boleyn was the sister of Anne Boleyn, who famously became the second wife of King Henry VIII of England and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. But how exactly is Mary Boleyn related to Queen Elizabeth II, and what is the story behind their family connection? Here is a brief overview of the surprising ancestry of the British monarch.
Mary Boleyn: The Other Boleyn Girl
Mary Boleyn was born around 1499, as the eldest daughter of Thomas Boleyn, a wealthy diplomat and courtier, and Elizabeth Howard, a noblewoman from the powerful Howard family. She grew up at Hever Castle in Kent, along with her younger siblings Anne and George
Mary was married to William Carey, a gentleman of the privy chamber, in 1520. Around the same time, she became one of the mistresses of King Henry VIII, who was then married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It is not clear how long their affair lasted, but some historians believe that Mary bore two children by the king: Catherine Carey, born in 1524, and Henry Carey, born in 1526. However, Henry never acknowledged them as his illegitimate offspring, and they were raised by their legal father, William Carey
Mary’s affair with Henry ended by 1526, when he became enamoured with her sister Anne, who refused to be his mistress and demanded marriage instead. Anne eventually became Henry’s second queen in 1533, after he broke away from the Catholic Church and annulled his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Mary was not favoured by her sister or the king, and she was banished from court in 1534 for secretly marrying William Stafford, a soldier of lower rank and status. She lived in obscurity for the rest of her life, and died in 1543
Queen Elizabeth II: The Royal Descendant
Queen Elizabeth II is the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Mary Boleyn through her daughter Catherine Carey. Catherine married Sir Francis Knollys, a prominent courtier and politician, and had several children with him. One of their daughters was Lettice Knollys, who married Walter Devereux, the Earl of Essex, and gave birth to Robert Devereux, the second Earl of Essex and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Robert married Frances Walsingham, the daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, the spymaster of Elizabeth I. Their daughter Frances Devereux married William Seymour, the Duke of Somerset, and had a daughter named Jane Seymour (not to be confused with Henry VIII’s third wife). Jane married Charles Boyle, the Earl of Burlington, and had a son named Richard Boyle, who also became an Earl of Burlington. Richard married Dorothy Savile, and their daughter Charlotte Boyle married William Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire. Their daughter Dorothy Cavendish married William Cavendish-Bentinck, the Duke of Portland and a prime minister of Great Britain. Their son Lord Charles Bentinck married Anne Wellesley, the niece of Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. Their son Charles Cavendish-Bentinck married Caroline Louisa Burnaby, and their daughter Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck married Claude Bowes-Lyon, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Their daughter Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married King George VI in 1923, and became known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Their daughter Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in 1926, and ascended to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. She married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1947, who became known as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. They have four children: Prince Charles (the Prince of Wales), Princess Anne (the Princess Royal), Prince Andrew (the Duke of York), and Prince Edward (the Earl of Wessex)
Conclusion
Queen Elizabeth II is related to Mary Boleyn through a long line of noble and royal ancestors that spans over five centuries. Mary Boleyn was the sister of Anne Boleyn, who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth II is descended from Mary Boleyn’s daughter Catherine Carey, who may have been an illegitimate child of King Henry VIII. This means that Queen Elizabeth II shares some genetic ties with both Henry VIII and his six wives, as well as with many other historical figures and rulers of Europe
