Mary Boleyn has long existed in the shadow of her more famous sister.
When she is remembered at all, she is often reduced to a mistress, a scandal, or “the other Boleyn girl.” Her reputation has been shaped by centuries of gossip, speculation, and sexual judgment but very little attention has been paid to the woman herself.
Yet Mary’s story did not end with Henry VIII. She walked away from the Tudor court, defied her powerful family to marry for love, and became the mother of Catherine Carey.
Possibly fathered by Henry VIII and raised in the aftermath of Anne Boleyn’s execution, Catherine returned to the Tudor court and formed a close, enduring relationship with Elizabeth I. She witnessed some of the most dangerous years of the Tudor dynasty, yet her own role has remained largely hidden.
Today, I’m joined by Wendy J. Dunn, a multi-award-winning Australian author whose work gives voice to the women of Tudor history. Wendy is the author of several works of historical fiction, as well as the nonfiction book Henry VIII’s True Daughter: Catherine Carey. Her latest novel, Shades of Yellow, connects the life of a modern woman with that of Amy Dudley, the often-overlooked wife of Robert Dudley.
Together, we explore Mary Boleyn’s contested reputation, Catherine Carey’s possible royal parentage, the powerful women surrounding Elizabeth I, and how historical fiction can bring us closer to the women who lived behind the closed doors of the Tudor court.
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