Just a few details about Anne Boleyn - who was, as posters have been saying, a fascinating and enigmatic woman.
Date of birth: There seems to be no absolute agreement on this. Anytime from 1501-1509. The year 1507 seems to be a current favourite.
Background: Although the Boleyns were of mercantile origin in the male line, they were highly upwardly mobile, Anne's father married a Duke's daughter (Norfolk), his father an Earl's daughter (Ormonde) and his father a Baron's daughter. She was, in fact descended from King Edward I.
Siblings: Again there is no agreement as to the order of birth of Anne's surviving brother and sister. Both Mary and Anne spent time at the French Court, but there is no direct evidence as to when they went, how old they were or who educated them. It is thought that Anne was brought up with the children of Queen Claude, the wife of Francis I. Mary left France under a cloud. She had, it seems, been the mistress of several men including King Francis who referred to her in Italian as "una grandissima ribalda... infama sopra tutte". She had, in short become a laughing stock even at that immoral Court. She became Henry's mistress and was quickly married off to William Carey, a Gentleman of the King' Chamber. The son she bore, Henry Carey, Lord Hunsdon, was widely believed to be Henry VIII's.
There were ugly rumours that Henry and Anne's mother had been lovers - and that Anne was his own daughter. Henry denied the allegation. He was not altogether believed.
Henry changed the name of all the Boleyns to "Rochford" before creating Anne Marquess of Pembroke in her own right.
Anne's fall: A fairly recent study of Anne has put forward a persuasive theory that she gave birth to a grossly deformed foetus in the weeks before her arrest and that this was the basis for the witchcraft/incest charge.
Anne's skeleton was uncovered along with many other Tudor victims when Queen Victoria ordered repairs on the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula within the Tower in the 1870s. It was described as "very delicate". There was absolutely no indication of a sixth finger on either hand. She was reburied by Katherine Howard before the altar.
