Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory

December 1, 2025

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory

Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, served at the court of King Henry VIII. Sister-in-law to Queen Anne Boleyn, Jane grew up at court and earned to play the many roles of a courtier: attendant, confidante, wife, spy, entertainer. Serving five of Henry's queens, Jane walked a fine line where a wrong move or remark could cost you your head.

Historians usually describe Jane Boleyn as a mean-spirited jealous self-serving woman, interested only in advancing herself (much in the same way they describe Anne of Cleves as fat, ugly, ill-mannered and disgusting, which is completely false - courtiers kept up the fiction as a way to flatter Henry). Gregory portrays Jane as a real person, well-educated, quick-witted, and attractive, sent to court as a child by her ambitious family and caught up in the machinations of her unloving husband George Boleyn and his devotion to his sister Anne. The author gives a detailed portrait of the life of a courtier as well as the realities of living as the widow of a convicted traitor, with the loss of her husband's properties and income, and dependent on her salary as a lady-in-waiting to survive (even Jane's not unkind father points this out to her). Jane was no dummy, coming to the notice of Thomas Cromwell and surviving to serve five of Henry's queens before being caught up in a final intrigue. Recommended to readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in the politics of the Tudor dynasty. One of the best books I've read recently. Really interesting cover art.

This is believed to be a drawing of Jane Boleyn, nee Parker, as a young woman - portraits from this time period were somewhat stylized and were frequently mislabeled, for example, there is a painting that has been identified as both Anne Boleyn and Jane Boleyn.