The aristocratic daughter of earls and dukes; the polished, intelligent courtesan; the dark-haired temptress and the spurned wife, persecuted by enemies and condemned by her husband. Anne Boleyn was all of these things. Her maternal lineage, extensive education and courtly charm are undisputed, but behind her name lay a not-so-secret truth. Her great-grandfather, Geoffrey Boleyn, was a London merchant, whose successful career had made the family astonishingly rich. This was alarming enough to the royal court, but a short ascent into the older branches of the Boleyn family tree revealed forebears even further removed from the glitter and gold of aristocracy. Geoffrey's ancestors were little more than Norfolk farmers and craftsmen, and despite countless generations between the plough and the palace, it was a heritage that Anne found difficult to leave behind. Medieval England is often portrayed as a land polarised by wealth and status. In this England, a peasant could never dream of changing his class and a descendant of his could never sit upon the throne. Except, he could. This is the story of the Boleyn family, who did just that, and the age which made it possible. AUTHOR: Dr Claire Martin is an expert in the history of late-medieval England. She has a BA in History from St Peter's College, Oxford and a MA in Medieval Studies from Royal Holloway, University of London. She has previously taught at Royal Holloway, University of London and Queen Mary, University of London. 20 colour illustrations
