#thomasboleyn

In Defense of Thomas Boleyn

On our TVs and in our beloved books we see Thomas Boleyn acting like a pimp, using his daughters to gain power within the court of Henry VIII, this fictional tale of Thomas has rather slandered his name, blackened it. So, what was Thomas Boleyns actual thoughts Anne and Mary’s relationship with the king?

Let’s get the first thing out of the way— his status at court. Thomas Boleyn had been climbing through the ranks since the court of Henry VII, and had no need to pimp out his daughters.

Thomas Boleyn, at Henry VIII coronation, was made Knight of the Bath and in the early years of Henry VIII reign was given various offices including keeper of the exchange at Calais and the foreign exchange in England, joint governor of Norwich Castle with Sir Henry Wyatt, Sheriff of Kent. Also in 1518 Thomas Boleyn was made a member of the privy Council, and in 1519 Thomas was made the English ambassador at the French court.

This was all before Mary or Anne Boleyn became involved with the king.

When Mary did start her affair with the king it is very likely that Thomas Boleyn cut loose with her, perhaps disowning her (which isn’t a good thing— but it does contrast the idea of Thomas planning the affair, and supporting it for his own gain).

When Mary Boleyn was widowed after her husband William Carey died from sweating sickness in June of 1528, King Henry VIII had to intervene and ask Thomas to provide for her financially. This suggests that Thomas was taking no care in her, and that they weren’t in an extremely close nor happy relationship during this time.

Distance Chapuys, the imperial ambassador at the court of Henry VIII, records in February of 1533 Thomas Boleyns opposition to the marriage plans between Anne, his daughter and the King.

“𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵; 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘰, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦,”

“𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘬𝘦 [𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘬] 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮. 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘻𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘰; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥) 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.”

In May of 1533, Chapuys also recorded Anne’s resentment at the opposition of both her father and uncle:

“𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮. 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘻𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘰; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥) 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.”

So, in likelihood, Thomas was against the marriage between his daughter Anne and the king, and with the evidence to suggest that Thomas tried to cut ties with his elder daughter Mary after her affair with the king in 1522 and initially didn’t help her when widowed, it can be said almost certainty that Thomas Boleyn didn’t use and manipulate his daughters to boost his own status, nor did he approve of his daughters sexual relations with the king. This is a great contrast to the power-hungry pimp we see on our TVs, and the popular belief of the character and morals of Thomas Boleyn.

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Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and father of Anne Boleyn, remains one of the most controversial figures of the Tudor court. A skilled diplomat and ambitious nobleman, he rose from a respectable courtier to one of the most powerful men in England — but his climb to greatness was forever tied to the tragic downfall of his own family.

Boleyn’s greatest opportunity came through his children. His daughters Anne and Mary entered the royal court, where their beauty, intelligence, and charm attracted the attention of Henry VIII. While Mary became the king’s mistress, it was Anne who transformed the Boleyn family’s destiny. Thomas supported Anne’s refusal to become merely another royal affair, allowing her relationship with Henry to become a political crisis that would reshape England.

Through Anne’s rise, Thomas gained wealth, titles, and influence. He became a trusted royal servant and one of the men who benefited most from the king’s desire to marry Anne and break away from the Catholic Church. But the same ambition that lifted the Boleyn family also placed them in danger.

When Anne failed to provide Henry with a male heir, the king’s affection turned into suspicion and anger. In 1536, Anne was arrested, accused of treason, and executed. Her brother George Boleyn was also executed. Thomas Boleyn survived, but his family’s destruction was complete.

Critics have long portrayed Thomas as a man who sacrificed his children for his own advancement — a father who pushed them toward the throne but could not protect them when the crown turned against them. Whether he was ruthless or simply trapped in the brutal politics of Tudor England remains debated by historians.

On June 22, 1509, shortly after becoming King of England, Henry VIII held a grand ceremony in which he created 26 new Knights of the Bath. The event was part of the celebrations surrounding his accession to the throne and coronation preparations, showcasing the young king’s desire to establish a powerful and prestigious royal court. Among those honored was Thomas Boleyn, who would later become one of the most influential figures at the Tudor court.

The Order of the Bath was one of England’s oldest and most respected knightly traditions, associated with honor, loyalty, and service to the monarch. The ceremony followed medieval customs, including rituals of purification and preparation before receiving knighthood. By granting these titles, Henry VIII strengthened his ties with important nobles and officials who would support his reign as he transformed England into a major European power.

THOMAS BOLEYN, 1ST EARL OF WILTSHIRE

c.1477-1539

Thomas Boleyn is the father of Queen Anne Boleyn, who was the second wife of King Henry VIII of England and the grandfather to her daughter Queen Elizabeth I.

            Boleyn was born in Blickling Hall, Norfolk, England and married Elizabeth Howard in c. 1500. The couple had five children, only three survived: Mary, George and Anne Boleyn.

            Boleyn was an English diplomat and politician for King Henry VIII who made him Knight of the Garter in 1523. In 1503 Boleyn escorted Princess Margaret Tudor, the king’s sister to Scotland to marry King James IV. As ambassador, Boleyn had contact with powerful figures around Europe including Archduchess Margaret of Austria who accepted his daughter, Anne to become her maid-of-honour. Boleyn was involved in the arrangements for the ‘Field of Cloth of Gold’ the meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I of France in 1520. He was at the meeting between Charles V and Pope Clement VII in 1529 to seek support for the marriage annulment of Henry VIII and his wife Catherine of Aragon.

            Boleyn’s daughter Mary had been a mistress of Henry VIII and afterwards the King fell in love with his youngest daughter Anne and intended to marry her once his marriage to Catherine was annulled. Due to the king’s love for Anne, her family gained greater favour and Boleyn became Viscount Rochford.

            Henry VIII married Anne in 1533 and was married for three years before he tired of her. Henry VIII wanted a son but Anne only gave birth to a surviving daughter, Elizabeth. Henry wanted out of his marriage and Anne was arrested for treason (for infidelity), and George was also arrested (for incestual relations with his sister). There was no strong evidence of these charges, but they were found guilty and were both executed in 1536.   Boleyn fell from grace and was replaced as Lord Privy Seal. He and his wife left court and returned to their family home, Hever Castle where his wife died two years later in 1538. Boleyn died a year later and was buried in St. Peter’s Church, Hever. After he died, Henry VIII took possession of Hever Castle and gave it to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves after their marriage ended in 1540 it passed on to various owners. Mary, his surviving daughter married for love and was living a humble life away from court; she died in 1543 aged in her 40s. Through Mary Boleyn’s children, the Boleyn blood still exists on the English royal throne. Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon is a direct descendant of Mary through her daughter Katherine Carey.