The Unheralded Life of George Boleyn

‘George Bolyen: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat’ by Clare Cherry & Claire Ridgway. (Photo courtesy of MadeGlobal Publishing)

The Tudor dynasty, and the reign of Henry VIII in particular, has never ceased to amaze scholars and historians who have researched the period for many years, and also made its way into popular culture. Due to the popular TV series “The Tudors,” which aired between 2007 and 2010, there has been a renewed interest in the monarch and his many wives. Add to that the award-winning novels of Hilary Mantel, and it is easy to understand why so many people remain obsessed with all things Tudor.

Novels and TV series, however, tend to take the liberty of changing historical facts in favor of added drama and suspense; in return, readers and viewers hastily believe the picture painted of certain characters to be true — while often the images conveyed couldn’t be more wrong.

When we think about the Tudors, the first thing that likely comes to mind is the tyrannical King Henry VIII and his six wives, two of whom he divorced, while another two he had executed for treason. 

The most famous of these is arguably Anne Boleyn — it was her a lovestruck Henry pursued for many years, and it was partly for her the king ultimately broke away from the Roman Catholic church and asserted supremacy over the Church of England. 

But Anne Boleyn will also always be remembered as the Queen who was (wrongly) accused of adultery, and worse, of incest with her own brother, George Boleyn.

While there have been numerous attempts to portray Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII in fiction, non-fiction and in film, the interest in Anne’s brother George has remained moderate. Often dismissed as a courtier who only rose to fame because of his obvious connection to the throne, the image of George — mostly shaped by so-called biographers who wrote about the Boleyn family after their downfall and therefore had their own interest at heart — is anything but flattering: an arrogant and pompous womanizer who mistreated his wife and making his way up to the king’s inner circle by clinging to Anne’s coattails.

In a new book titled “George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier & Diplomat,” authors Clare Cherry and Claire Ridgway attempt to shed some light on the young man whose life was unjustly cut short n his early 30s.

Both women are passionate about the Tudors, and offer their own explanations on why this particular part of English history has been such a great matter of interest throughout the centuries.

“The Tudors had all that’s needed to make a good soap opera: marriages, divorces, murders, intrigue, plots, torture… the list goes on and on,” says Cherry. “The truth beats fiction any day!”

Ridgway concurs: “I think Henry VIII’s reign, in particular, appeals to people because he’s a larger than life character who went from being a romantic, chivalrous prince to a man people see as a monster and tyrant. People want to know how he became what he did, and they feel sorry for his ‘victims.’”

Clare Cherry and Claire Ridgway paint a riveting picture of George Boleyn. (Photo courtesy of MadeGlobal Publishing)

Cherry who works as a solicitor in Dorset, began researching the life of George Boleyn in late 2006.

“I had never really thought much of the men accused with Anne,” she says. “It’s her who is, rightly, thought about and given sympathy due to the unfairness of the trials and executions. I only knew of George as the brother who she was accused of incest with. 

“Then I read a fictional account in which his character was expanded on, and I became interested in finding out more about him and whether the fictional portrayal of him was accurate. I found out very quickly that there was more to him than that, and the book grew from there.”

Cherry first met best-selling author Ridgway through the latter’s website, The Anne Boleyn Files. When her research on George grew more extensive and eventually became a book-length manuscript, she sent it to Ridgway. 

“Clare had put an immense amount of work into her manuscript, it was so detailed and was fully referenced, but it needed more work,” Ridgway recalls. “There were various parts of the book where I had expertise because of the research I had done, so we decided to carry out more research, then weave [our findings together] and rewrite the book.”

The result is an intriguing portrait of a man who was often overshadowed by his sisters Anne and Mary (Mary was the king’s mistress before Anne even entered the picture). It reveals lesser known sides of the courtier; he was a gifted poet, a successful diplomat, a talented sportsman and very committed to religious reform. 

Though the book is heavy on facts, it is a fascinating read, given the nature and backstory of the Boleyn family. When the authors lack proof, they admit to speculating instead of leading readers on with misconceptions, giving them freedom to form their own opinions.

While they both think George was a mesmerizing character in his own right  and not merely by association, the authors don’t shy away from highlighting his lesser character traits, resulting in a well-rounded profile. 

During her research, Cherry was surprised to find a number of letters written by George that had survived the years. 

“[They are] wonderful to read,” she says. “His character comes across in his letters, sometimes serious and sometimes jovial and sometimes a mixture of the two. I also hadn’t known he was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Governor of Dover Castle, or how influential he was in the Reformation Parliament.”

It is indeed this facet to George that is often overlooked: that he was a skilled and influential diplomat. Some might argue that he only received this honor for being the brother of the queen, yet Henry VIII must have respected him a great deal, or he would never have trusted him with delicate jobs and missions.

“George acted as a courier for Henry’s love letters to Anne Boleyn, he was sent to persuade Convocation of the scriptural case for royal supremacy and he was sent on important embassies to France to negotiate with Francis I,” Ridgway explains. “What I found most fascinating about him was his incredible career and his faith. 

“Both aspects of his life are sadly missing from most fictional depictions of him.”

In this regard, the authors do right by George Boleyn by sharing with the world there was more to the courtier than meets the eye. Maybe his biggest accomplishment was that of being a loving and kind brother, though the affection the siblings shared would eventually cost them their lives.

By Katrin Figge on 01:02 pm Jun 16, 2014