The royal family may have its problems these days, but as Alison Weir reminds us in this cohesive and impeccably researched book, the nobility of old England could be both loveless and ruthless. Weir, an expert in the period and author of a book on Henry’s VIII wives, focuses on the children of Henry VIII who reigned successively after his death in 1547:

• Edward VI,
• Mary I (”Bloody Mary”) and
• Elizabeth I.

The three shared little–living in separate homes–except for a familial legacy of blood and terror. This is exciting history and fascinating reading about a family of mythic proportions.

From Publishers Weekly

The tragedy of four accidental rivals to a throne, three of them children?by different mothers?of a much-married despot, seems to lose none of its drama by frequent retelling. Along with the royal siblings, Weir (The Six Wives of Henry VIII) includes their cousin, the doomed Lady Jane Grey. Guiltless of the intrigues committed in the name of religion, power and property, Queen Jane was forced at 15 to reign for nine days in a futile attempt to block the accession of the fanatically Catholic Princess Mary.

The 300 burnings for heresy during the five years Mary ruled were eclipsed statistically by the hangings and beheadings for conspiracy and treachery. In the 11 years between the death of Henry VIII and the survival of his adroit daughter Elizabeth into the succession in 1558, rapacity had at least as much to do with the turbulence and the terror as religion. So many ennobled miscreants grasped for land, loot and legitimacy that readers will need a scorecard to match their names with their new titles.

Weir adds nothing fresh to the story, but her sweeping narrative, based on contemporary chronicles, plays out vividly against the colorful backdrop of Tudor England. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is a 2 DVD set about Queen Elizabeth I starring the Oscar Winner Helen Mirren. Even though there have been many TV series and movies made about Queen Elizabeth I, the story is still captivating and Helen Mirren did a great job as Queen Elizabeth I. She is totally believable in the role and the story keeps you captivated til the end. This movie won 3 Golden Globes and also another 17 wins & 13 nominations.

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 11/20/2007

In this Queen of This Realm “memoir” by Elizabeth I, legendary historical novelist Jean Plaidy reveals the Virgin Queen as she truly was:

• the bewildered, motherless child of an all-powerful father;
• a captive in the Tower of London;
• a shrewd politician;
• a lover of the arts; and eventually,
• an icon of an era.

It is the story of her improbable rise to power and the great triumphs of her reign–the end of religious bloodshed, the settling of the New World, the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Brilliantly clever, a scholar with a ready wit, she was also vain, bold, and unpredictable, a queen who commanded–and won–absolute loyalty from those around her.But in these pages, in her own voice, Elizabeth also recounts the emotional turmoil of her life: the loneliness of power; the heartbreak of her lifelong love affair with Robert Dudley, whom she could never marry; and the terrible guilt of ordering the execution of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. In this unforgettable novel, Elizabeth emerges as one of the most fascinating and controversial women in history, and as England’s greatest monarch.

From the Inside Flap

In this “memoir” by Elizabeth I, legendary historical novelist Jean Plaidy reveals the Virgin Queen as she truly was: the bewildered, motherless child of an all-powerful father; a captive in the Tower of London; a shrewd politician; a lover of the arts; and eventually, an icon of an era. It is the story of her improbable rise to power and the great triumphs of her reign–the end of religious bloodshed, the settling of the New World, the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Brilliantly clever, a scholar with a ready wit, she was also vain, bold, and unpredictable, a queen who commanded–and won–absolute loyalty from those around her.

But in these pages, in her own voice, Elizabeth also recounts the emotional turmoil of her life: the loneliness of power; the heartbreak of her lifelong love affair with Robert Dudley, whom she could never marry; and the terrible guilt of ordering the execution of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. In this unforgettable novel, Elizabeth emerges as one of the most fascinating and controversial women in history, and as England?s greatest monarch.

Mademoiselle Boleyn

The author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and The Queen’s Bastard returns with a look at the future queen of England before Henry VIII comes into her life. When Anne is nine, her father is sent to France by Henry to conduct state affairs, and brings the family.

Beautiful, intelligent and learned, Anne gains the favor of France’s kind Queen Claude as well as of the brilliant Marguerite of Savoy, the bright but lecherous Francois I and even Leonardo da Vinci, all before she turns 17.

But Anne and her siblings are put upon by her cold and cruel father, Thomas Boleyn, to do whatever he may order to further his interests and those of England. Maxwell’s Anne witnesses the devastating effect upon her sister, Mary, and determines to find her own destiny—certainly a rarity in the era. The budding romance between Anne and her paramour Percy is feelingly described, and all the more poignant when one knows the outcome. Maxwell delivers a ripping piece of historical romance. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Robin Maxwell offers a fascinating glimpse at the ambitious girl who will grow into the infamous queen. An unforgettable blend full of scandal, intrigue, and history that will keep readers spellbound as Anne’s inevitable destiny unfolds.”
-Susan Holloway Scott, author of Duchess

“Absolutely superb! Mademoiselle Boleyn is one of the most lush and beautiful historical novels I have ever read, I seriously could not put it down.”
-Diane Haeger, author of The Perfect Royal Mistress

“Reading Maxwell’s brilliant new novel, it’s easy to see why Anne is the “Boleyn girl” who changed the course of history, and why she is the source of never ending fascination. We are finally able to catch a glimpse of Anne Boleyn before her enemies vilified her, while she was still just a young woman looking for true love. I couldn’t put it down.”
-Michelle Moran, author of Nefertiti

“Anne Boleyn fans will cry huzzah! when they learn that novelist Robin Maxwell has returned to her Tudor roots. In this saucy romp, a prequel to her Secret Diary, Maxwell writes in the remembered voice of a child — a tricky feat indeed. Readers will find much to delight in, from finely drawn secondary characters like Leonardo da Vinci to scintillating descriptions of the French glitterati and the royal court. Frothy and French as its main setting, Maxwell’s work nevertheless conveys a gravitas that foretells Mademoiselle Boleyn’s eventual fate, especially in the novel’s exploration of the motives of Henry Percy, Anne’s first love and her ultimate betrayer.”
-Vicki Leon, author of Working IX to V

“Historically plausible account of Anne Boleyn’s adolescence in France as a courtier of King Francois. Maxwell’s prequel to her first novel (The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, 1997) explores Anne’s upbringing far from England…Lavishly imagined detail-regarding entertainment, dress and habits of the time-adds depth to this work…accomplished rehabilitation of much-maligned Anne as an empowered woman.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“The author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and The Queen’s Bastard returns with a look at the future queen of England before Henry VIII comes into her life…The budding romance between Anne and her paramour Percy is feelingly described, and all the more poignant when one knows the outcome. Maxwell delivers a ripping piece of historical romance.”
-Publishers Weekly

Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford

Wife of Anne Boleyn’s brother George, Jane, Viscountess Rochford, has been painted by historians, beginning with the Protestant Elizabethan John Foxe, as a barren, jealous shrew who lied about George and Anne’s incestuous relationship, helping send them to their deaths for treason against Henry VIII.

Jane herself was executed for treason several years later for abetting the adultery of Henry’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard. According to Fox’s revisionist account, Jane was faithful to the opportunistic Boleyn clan; she didn’t rush to slander her husband, but succumbed under Thomas Cromwell’s relentless interrogation, repeating an indiscretion by Anne about Henry’s sexual dysfunction.

Moreover, Fox says, George’s execution was a financial blow to Jane—his royal perquisites of lands and offices were seized. Jane clawed her way back to a senior court position when she was ordered by Catherine Howard to pass messages to her lover, and Jane’s complicity, according to Fox, opened the door for historians to excoriate Jane for her sister-in-law’s death.

In her debut, Fox never quite convinces readers that her lackluster, almost faceless Jane is a courageous, mostly blameless victim of court intrigues, and this amateurish, toothless history is more a rehash of Anne’s rise and fall with a tag-on about Catherine’s foolhardiness. (Jan.)

Review

Advance praise for Jane Boleyn

“A riveting story–expertly written and based on an impressive body of research. Julia Fox’s book re-creates the inner life of one of the great scapegoats of history and vividly depicts the fervid, extravagant, interbred world of the Tudor court.”
–Sarah Gristwood, author of Elizabeth & Leicester

“Jane Boleyn’s true history was obscured by lies and propaganda. Now, in an outstanding debut by Julia Fox, the full tragedy of her thwarted life has come to light. A fascinating and moving read, Jane Boleyn exposes the harsh reality of Henry VIII’s court, where cleverness and ambition often led to the block.”
–Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

“This electric account of the life of Jane Boleyn brings us face-to-face with the glittering but brutal world of Henry VIII’s court. For centuries the infamous Lady Rochford was accused of betraying her husband to his death on charges of incest with Anne Boleyn. Julia Fox’s immaculate detective work and vivid storytelling bring to life one woman’s struggle to survive at the apex of a society where success brought untold riches and a king’s anger cost you your life.”
–Leanda de Lisle, author of After Elizabeth

The Other Boleyn Girl (2003 BBC Version) (2003)

King Henry VIII and his passions are so gripping, viewers still can’t get enough of them nearly five centuries later. Consider the riveting British drama The Other Boleyn Girl, witty, tragic, and as full of real emotions as, well, Jane Austen’s novels. The BBC film, based on the novel by Philippa Gregory (and remade into a much glossier Hollywood version in 2008), allows the viewer to sympathize with the plight of women in 16th-century England, while being slightly revolted by the whole sticky mess.

Imagine two sisters whose father and entire family encourage them to debase themselves to curry favor with the handsome young King Henry (Jared Harris, Ocean’s Twelve, To the Ends of the Earth). Mary Boleyn, played with winsome gravity by Natascha McElhone (Californication), is the first sister to catch the eye of the king, grown weary of his wife, Queen Katherine (Yolanda Vazquez, Notting Hill). “Use your wiles!” insists Mary’s father, Sir Thomas Boleyn (noted British theater actor Jack Shepherd), as the appalled, newly married young woman tries to resist. Mary ultimately carries on an affair with the king and bears him an illegitimate son–but sister Anne sees her own opening as the king becomes restless again.

The film takes a decidedly modern approach to this period drama, by having the sisters occasionally speak directly to the camera, confessing their deepest desires (since clearly their own family couldn’t care less). The men around them are desperate to advance their standing in the court and don’t hesitate to push the young sisters into moral harm’s way to get what they want. Things take a dangerous turn when Anne, played by the revelatory Jodhi May (Defiance), musters up ambition of her own to be not only a royal plaything but queen herself. The lack of a male heir, however, and Anne’s own pride begin to spell her downfall, as her family distances themselves (”don’t let that girl sink us all alongside her!” her horrified, and somewhat horrifying, father declares). It’s the film’s great achievement that though we know (most of) the end of the tale, we remain riveted to the very end. –A.T. Hurley

Product Description

An extraordinary tale of sex, passion and royal intrigue. This is the little-known story of Mary Boleyn who was mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her older sister, Anne. Inspired by Philippa Gregory’s best selling novel, this film is about great families jockeying for position and using their daughters as pawns in a deadly game. Set during one of the most notorious periods in British regal history, it is a powerful narrative and at its heart is the relationship between two rivals – the Boleyn sisters.

Here is the high acclaimed movie The Other Boleyn Girl starring many famous actors and actresses, released in 2008.

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

A tale of two sisters competing for the same king, The Other Boleyn Girl uses historical facts as window dressing for this work of fiction that is entertaining, if not wholly believable. Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) is the doe-eyed vixen ordered by her power-hungry uncle to bewitch King Henry VIII (Eric Bana).

Her shy sister Mary (Scarlett Johansson) has always been in Anne’s shadow; Anne is prettier, more accomplished, and desired by many men. So when the King picks Mary–the “other Boleyn girl”–as his mistress, Anne turns on her sister and schemes to become not only the King’s consort, but his new queen.

With a pair of American actresses in the lead roles and an Aussie portraying their hunky object of desire, the English accents are all over the place in this period piece with a modern feel. Though the Boleyn girls’ mother points out that her “daughters are being traded like cattle for the advancement of men,” it is Anne who ultimately throws her slight weight around to bully Henry into doing her bidding. When he begs her to give herself to him, Anne–wearing a Carrie Bradshaw-esque “B” pendant on her neck–counters, “Make me your Queen.”

Is the audience really supposed to believe that Henry the VIII–the most powerful man in the land–would divorce Catherine of Aragon, separate from the Catholic church, and put England in upheaval simply because Anne refused to sleep with him until he jumped through all her hoops? “I have torn this country apart for you,” he hisses at her before finally getting his way.

Based on Philippa Gregory’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Other Boleyn Girl features an attractive cast and a familiar plot with some icky twists. Kieran McGuigan’s cinematography is breathtaking and is as crucial to setting the film’s tone as the dialogue. Actually, it fares better: Lines such as “Well? Did he have you?!” sound almost comical. But the sweeping shots of Henry’s kingdom and the carefully framed close-ups of Portman and Johansson are breathtaking in their beauty and say what words simply cannot. –Jae-Ha Kim

The Cast of The Other Boleyn Girl

Natalie Portman (Anne Boleyn)

Scarlett Johansson (Mary Boleyn)

Eric Bana (Henry Tudor)	Jim Sturgess (George Boleyn)	Kristin Scott Thomas (Lady Elizabeth Boleyn)

Beyond The Other Boleyn Girl

Paperback Book

On Blu-ray

The Soundtrack

Stills from The Other Boleyn Girl (click for larger image)

Movie Description

Based on the best-selling novel, The Other Boleyn Girl is a captivating tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Bana. Two sisters, Anne (Portman) and Mary (Johansson), are driven by their ambitious family to seduce the king of England (Bana) in order to advance their position in court. What starts as an opportunity for the girls to increase their family fortune becomes a deadly rivalry to capture the heart of a king to stay alive.