The fictionalized story of Mary Boleyn is told in the recent Hollywood blockbuster The Other Boleyn Girl (based on Philippa Gregory's bestseller) starring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman which has generated huge interest in Mary as a historical figure.The only biography of Mary Boleyn available. Mary Boleyn, 'the infamous other Boleyn girl', began her court career as the mistress of the king of France. Franois I of France would later call her 'The Great Prostitute' and the slur stuck. The bete-noir of her family, Mary was married her off to a minor courtier but it was not long before she caught the eye of Henry VIII and a new affair began. Although a bright star at Henry's court, she was soon eclipsed by her highly spirited and more accomplished sister, Anne, who rapidly took her place in the king's heart.
