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Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen's Mother
Remembered only as a wife and mother, Elizabeth Boleyn has been overlooked for centuries. However, she had a long and illustrious court career before her daughters Mary and Anne ever caught the king's eye. Serving as Katherine of Aragon's lady-in-waiting for eleven years, Elizabeth was at the heart of Henry VIII's early reign, and she bore witness to the dramatic rise and downfall of her family.
In this first narrative biography of Elizabeth Boleyn, her story is finally told. Beginning with her family's dramatic flight from Norfolk to London after the Battle of Bosworth, this book charts Elizabeth's life at the early Henrician court, follows her as her family rise to the pinnacle of their power, and ends with her tragic death just a couple of years after two of her children were brutally executed. This is the story of the Boleyn family – and the dramatic events of Tudor England – from an entirely new perspective.
In this first narrative biography of Elizabeth Boleyn, her story is finally told. Beginning with her family's dramatic flight from Norfolk to London after the Battle of Bosworth, this book charts Elizabeth's life at the early Henrician court, follows her as her family rise to the pinnacle of their power, and ends with her tragic death just a couple of years after two of her children were brutally executed. This is the story of the Boleyn family – and the dramatic events of Tudor England – from an entirely new perspective.
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First published October 30, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 4, 2025
This study marks a major advance in our understanding of Elizabeth Boleyn. Drawing on an impressive range of sources - including newly uncovered documents - the author reconstructs a life that has too often been dismissed or simplified. The result is a work that not only restores Elizabeth to historical visibility but also compels a reassessment of the world she inhabited. Meticulously researched and elegantly argued, it challenges long-held assumptions and offers a richer, more complex portrait of both woman and family. Scholarly yet highly readable, this is a transformative contribution to Tudor studies and essential reading for historians and enthusiasts alike.
November 2, 2025
This was an interesting read which filled in some of the gaps about Anne Boleyns mother
October 27, 2025
A fascinating outlook on an individual not given the credit they deserve. Elizabeth Boleyn's life is encapsuled in these pages, and I think Sophie captures her likeness all but perfectly. A fantastic read!
October 25, 2025
Finally giving a spotlight on the hidden mother behind the infamous Anne Boleyn. A must read for any Tudor history boff. Fantastic first book from author Sophie Bacchus - Waterman, and can't wait for more of what this new and up and coming author and historian has to offer.
November 29, 2025
What a gem of a book! There has never been a full biography of Elizabeth Boleyn before, and this one is brilliantly done. It brings a person who is often in the shadows into the light and highlights the important role she would have played in her daughter, Anne Boleyn’s, life and queenship.
All of the surviving evidence we have about Elizabeth has been pulled together, and where there are gaps, supposition based on evidence for other women at the time, and what happens in a queen’s household has been used. It has, quite rightly, been made clear where it is educated supposition rather than source work. There is a huge variety of sources used from privy purse accounts and gift rolls, letters, chronicles, and other records, as well as quotes and references from historians.
A couple of tiny errors don’t take away from the overall work and feel of the book – the timeline at the beginning lists Anne Boleyn’s coronation date as 29 May 1533 when it was actually 1 June, and Thomas Boleyn is described at one point as being buried beside his infant son Henry Boleyn, and at another point beside Thomas Boleyn Jr. – it is Henry Boleyn who is buried alongside Thomas Boleyn. I always think it’s worth pointing these out, and I appreciate when errors are pointed out in my work.
There are very comprehensive references and a bibliography at the end, along with an index which I always appreciate. The image plates in the centre are lovely with a selection of places, engravings, stained glass, portraits and, thrillingly, documents signed by Elizabeth Boleyn! The chapters are chronologically structured through Elizabeth’s life to her death just a few years after her son and daughter’s executions.
The writing is engaging, and I just wish there was more that we knew about Elizabeth! Her portrayals in popular culture are hugely disappointing, and Bacchus-Waterman devotes a few paragraphs to why this might be, which I enjoyed, given my own interest in history in popular culture and how this informs perceptions of historical figures.
The book adds some much-needed narrative and scholarship to the history of the Boleyn family and to Anne Boleyn, as well as giving Elizabeth Boleyn a way to stand on her own two feet and step into the light of history.
All of the surviving evidence we have about Elizabeth has been pulled together, and where there are gaps, supposition based on evidence for other women at the time, and what happens in a queen’s household has been used. It has, quite rightly, been made clear where it is educated supposition rather than source work. There is a huge variety of sources used from privy purse accounts and gift rolls, letters, chronicles, and other records, as well as quotes and references from historians.
A couple of tiny errors don’t take away from the overall work and feel of the book – the timeline at the beginning lists Anne Boleyn’s coronation date as 29 May 1533 when it was actually 1 June, and Thomas Boleyn is described at one point as being buried beside his infant son Henry Boleyn, and at another point beside Thomas Boleyn Jr. – it is Henry Boleyn who is buried alongside Thomas Boleyn. I always think it’s worth pointing these out, and I appreciate when errors are pointed out in my work.
There are very comprehensive references and a bibliography at the end, along with an index which I always appreciate. The image plates in the centre are lovely with a selection of places, engravings, stained glass, portraits and, thrillingly, documents signed by Elizabeth Boleyn! The chapters are chronologically structured through Elizabeth’s life to her death just a few years after her son and daughter’s executions.
The writing is engaging, and I just wish there was more that we knew about Elizabeth! Her portrayals in popular culture are hugely disappointing, and Bacchus-Waterman devotes a few paragraphs to why this might be, which I enjoyed, given my own interest in history in popular culture and how this informs perceptions of historical figures.
The book adds some much-needed narrative and scholarship to the history of the Boleyn family and to Anne Boleyn, as well as giving Elizabeth Boleyn a way to stand on her own two feet and step into the light of history.
December 15, 2025
“All that changes is our perspective on the sources, … and the stories we want to go looking for.”
Too often the lives of women are reduced to the children they bore, their marriages, or their male relatives. This study offers a different perspective, and in its careful reconstruction of the life of Elizabeth Boleyn, demonstrates that the restoration of women to history is not only possible, it is vital. We cannot leave half the world’s population without visible representation, for in doing so we teach the next generation that only half the world’s actions are worth remembering.
This work is well-researched, splendidly argued, and where necessary it offers speculative glimpses into what might have happened at moments where the sources run out. Particularly touching and humanising is the author’s examination of the maternal bond between Elizabeth and her daughter Anne. The rich anecdotes offer us glimpses into the lives of both women from a perspective which has previously been entirely lost to us. The description of Anne’s churching ceremony, and the suggestion that it might have been Elizabeth who helped Anne to “stand and walked beside her … from the bedchamber to the door of the chapel, where Anne was sprinkled with holy water and then led into the church”, is just one example of the rich anecdotes which breathe life into Elizabeth, and the bond she had with Anne.
This work marks a significant contribution to the scholarship on women in the late Middle Ages, and aside from its discoveries, it also just so happens to be an incredibly enjoyable read.
Too often the lives of women are reduced to the children they bore, their marriages, or their male relatives. This study offers a different perspective, and in its careful reconstruction of the life of Elizabeth Boleyn, demonstrates that the restoration of women to history is not only possible, it is vital. We cannot leave half the world’s population without visible representation, for in doing so we teach the next generation that only half the world’s actions are worth remembering.
This work is well-researched, splendidly argued, and where necessary it offers speculative glimpses into what might have happened at moments where the sources run out. Particularly touching and humanising is the author’s examination of the maternal bond between Elizabeth and her daughter Anne. The rich anecdotes offer us glimpses into the lives of both women from a perspective which has previously been entirely lost to us. The description of Anne’s churching ceremony, and the suggestion that it might have been Elizabeth who helped Anne to “stand and walked beside her … from the bedchamber to the door of the chapel, where Anne was sprinkled with holy water and then led into the church”, is just one example of the rich anecdotes which breathe life into Elizabeth, and the bond she had with Anne.
This work marks a significant contribution to the scholarship on women in the late Middle Ages, and aside from its discoveries, it also just so happens to be an incredibly enjoyable read.
November 11, 2025
I would highly recommend this book. It acts both as an exploration of Elizabeth Boleyn and of the roles of a 15th century noblewoman - at home and at the court. It makes good use of extant source material, previously overlooked to tease out the prominence of Elizabeth in Catherine of Aragon's court and later the importance of her stewardship over hever and the rochford estates while her husband was absent at court and abroad.
It tries to pull on threads about the relationship between Elizabeth and her children - and despite the scans evidence builds this on existing scholarship about parent child dynamics.
as the author points out the two dominate narratives we see of Anne (an innocent pawn to powerful men or a scheming woman) leave no space for her mother. This points to a third more nuanced option. The author balances this suggestion while avoiding speculation.
It tries to pull on threads about the relationship between Elizabeth and her children - and despite the scans evidence builds this on existing scholarship about parent child dynamics.
as the author points out the two dominate narratives we see of Anne (an innocent pawn to powerful men or a scheming woman) leave no space for her mother. This points to a third more nuanced option. The author balances this suggestion while avoiding speculation.
November 11, 2025
This is brilliant and so interesting. Elisabeth Boleyn suffered terribly seeing her children destroyed by Henry VIII. It was so interesting seeing her brought to life. I descend from her half sister's line, so it was interesting catching glimpses of my ancestors and their lives as children.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews