The Mistress of Kings

I have been reading Alison Weir's book, Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings, a biographical historical study of the sister of Anne Boleyn. It's fairly interesting, not a novel, but a factual study. Alison Weir points out inconsistencies in the story of Mary Boleyn, and why she differes from the modern version. It is not like Philippa Gregory's book, The Other Boleyn Girl, which is based on rumors and is a novelization of Mary's life. I like the historical details of the times, what was considered appropriate behavior of the players. Weir explains why it was common for kings to take mistresses during their wife's confinement during pregnancy. Although it was common to take mistresses, King Henry VIII was discrete and therefore there is little real evidence that Mary Boleyn was his mistress as his enemies claimed. Although he claimed Elizabeth Blount's child, Henry Fiztroy as his bastard child, Henry never claims the daughter by Mary Boleyn, Katherine, even though she resembles him, because Mary Boleyn was married to his cousin William Carey at the time. An engrossing study.