D id Mary hate Anne Boleyn?

The truth about their notorious feud

In 1514, Anne arrived in France to serve as a maid to Mary during her wedding to King Louis. When Louis dismissed the majority of Mary’s retinue the next day, Anne was one of the few ladies who was permitted to stay. However, she was five years younger than Mary and lower in status, so it is unlikely that they would have been close.

Anne stayed in France for the next seven years after Mary returned to England following her marriage to Charles. When Anne arrived in England in 1522, the two women would meet again, this time in a pageant where Anne famously played the role of ‘Perseverance,’ and Mary played the role of ‘Beauty.’ During the late 1520s, Mary found herself at odds with

Henry, who was pursuing a divorce from Catherine in order to marry Anne. Mary was enraged, and in 1529 she left the court in protest, refusing to accept Anne as anything more than a mistress. In March 1532, the men of the Duke of Norfolk, Anne’s father, and the men of the Duke of Suffolk, Mary’s husband, got into a fight. It was allegedly sparked by something Mary said about Anne, and one of Suffolk’s men died as a result.

Mary died soon after Anne’s coronation, so did not witness her downfall. She’s often said to have resented Anne’s rise in power, possibly because the latter had previously served her. But as a young girl, Mary dealt with her mother’s death and her sister’s move to Scotland in less than six months. Catherine, nine years her senior, became a strong presence in her life and they shared many interests, including a strong Catholic faith. It’s likely that Mary’s dislike for Anne was due to her loyalty to Catherine.