The Boleyns - by Amanda Harvey Purse

About the Book

New paperback edition - Starting with Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, Amanda Harvey Purse looks at significant Boleyns through history, shining a spotlight on how their story has been entwined with that of the British monarchy for almost 500 years.

Book Synopsis

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was executed on 19 May 1536. Her sister Mary, rumoured mistress to the monarch, lived on and survived the king's wrath. But this is not the end of the tale of the Boleyns and the British Royal family - their stories have remained entwined for almost 500 years, through countless wars, crises and triumphs. In this book, Amanda Harvey Purse delves into the archives to tell the remarkable story of a number of individuals who form part of the Boleyn bloodline, spanning the worlds of the military, art and politics. Among those featured are Robert Devereux, executed for treason after leading an army against the government in the early seventeenth century; Lettice Knollys, banished from the court of Elizabeth I after marrying the wrong man; and Cecilia Nina Bowes-Lyon, the grandmother of and godmother to Elizabeth II, who married Claude Bowes-Lyon and played a significant role in the convalescence of soldiers during the First World War.

Review Quotes

'I like Amanda Harvey Purse's accessible writing style and am sure readers will find this a readable and informative series of prompts for further research.'--The Writing Desk, May 2024

'A glittering evocation of the Boleyn family's rise.'--Dr Owen Emmerson, Castle Historian, Hever Castle

'In taking the long view of the Boleyns, this wonderful book offers a genuinely fresh perspective on one of the most famous families in British history. The executioner's sword might have brought Anne's story to a brutal close, but her bloodline would endure far beyond that of Henry VIII and is still part of the royal family today.'--Tracy Borman

'The Boleyns provides a fascinating summary of the lives of some of the Boleyns' descendants. With adulteresses, soldiers, statesmen, and queens numbered amongst their progeny, it provides a great overview of the later history of a family usually overshadowed by their most famous member.'--Elizabeth Norton

About the Author

Amanda Harvey Purse is an author and historical researcher for London-based museums. She has spent the last twenty-five years studying the Victorian period and is a member of The Royal Historical Society. She is the author of THE BOLEYNS. She has studied the Tudors at the University of Roehampton and is the founder of Tudor Secrets and Myths. Dr Owen Emmerson is castle historian and assistant curator at Hever Castle, the seat of the Boleyn family.