Mary Boleyn

Mary Boleyn is the main character in The Other Boleyn Girl, and her voice serves as narrator of the story. Mary is younger sister to Anne and George Boleyn, and is, through her mother, related to the powerful Howard family. Raised in the English court from the age of four, Mary is married to her first husband, William Carey, by the time she is thirteen in a marriage arranged by her family. Mary is somewhat naive, but has the ingrained manners, reserve, and attitude of a true courtier.

Mary is fiercely competitive with her sister Anne, both vying for attention and love, but they are also bound to each other by their shared blood and family ties. They adore their brother, George, and the three siblings often act as a unit in the story.

Mary's beauty catches the eye of King Henry when she is still a...