George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford

Thys boke ys myne George Boleyn in 1526 (dt. This book is mine )
Signature George Boleyn in a book he later those executed with him Smeaton Mark and the poet Thomas Wyatt handed it

George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford , (* around 1504 in Blickling Hall , Aylsham ; †  May 17, 1536 on Tower Hill , London ) was an English diplomat and the brother of Queen Anne Boleyn . While his sister was queen, he enjoyed the favor of King Henry VIII , so he was knighted in 1529 and received the courtesy title Viscount Rochford . George Boleyn was known for his literacy and interest in the emerging Protestantism and served the king on several diplomatic trips to France.

In the spring of 1536 he was charged with incest with his sister Anne and executed along with her and several other alleged lovers.

Origin and early years

George Boleyn was born around 1504 as the only surviving son of Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Boleyn . His father came from the lower nobility, while his mother, as the eldest daughter of Thomas Howard , Earl of Surrey (later 2nd Duke of Norfolk), belonged to the high nobility. George was believed to be the youngest child in the family after sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn . Little is known about George Boleyn's childhood and adolescence. It is known that he must have received an excellent education, but it is far less well documented than that of his sister Anne. He is said to have studied at Oxford University , for which there is no documentary evidence. It is clear, however, that he was an intelligent, educated man who spoke Latin and French, was active as a poet and translator, and enjoyed religious and political debates. After his training he was sent to the court, where he is first mentioned in 1514 as a participant in the Christmas celebrations and in 1516 was royal page of Henry VIII.

Career and life at court

As a young man, George Boleyn belonged to the court of Henry VIII. A few years before his sister Anne's wedding to the king, he was sent to France in the diplomatic service in December 1529. Since he was still very young for the job, it was rumored that he was only given the post through the protection of his sister. In 1534 he was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports . In 1533 he received his subordinate hereditary title of Viscount Rochford by way of a Writ of Acceleration before the death of his father , which also included a seat in the House of Lords .

Sentencing and execution

He married Jane Parker , but the marriage was unhappy. This gave rise to rumors about George Boleyn's alleged homosexuality . It is possible that Jane made this claim out of jealousy and disappointment over the loveless marriage, because at court Boleyn had the reputation of a womanizer.

When his sister Anne fell out of favor with King Henry VIII, it had far-reaching consequences for George Boleyn as well. He was charged with adultery along with four other accused in early 1536 - he is said to have had an incestuous relationship with his sister . The father Thomas Boleyn participated in the allegations against his own children, probably in order not to fall into disgrace himself. Jane also incriminated the siblings and assumed they had a sexual relationship. From today's perspective, it seems proven that the alleged incest was invented in order to achieve a certain conviction.

George Boleyn was on trial on May 15, 1536, just hours after his sister was sentenced. His death sentence was carried out by beheading on Tower Hill in London on May 17th . His sister Anne Boleyn died two days after him. No images of George Boleyn have survived; it is believed that these were destroyed after his execution. His title of nobility reverted to his father.

The allegations against the Boleyn siblings were already questioned by contemporaries. But they also contained a religious component: since George Boleyn was an avowed Protestant , conservative Catholic circles continued to regard him as a criminal for a long time.

ancestors

literature

• Joseph S. Block: Boleyn, George, Viscount Rochford (c. 1504–1536) In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Volume 6: Blackmore-Bowyer. Oxford University Press 2004
• David Starkey : Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII , Harper Perennial, 2004, ISBN 0-06-000550-5
• Eric Ives : The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn . Blackwell Publishing Professional, 2005, ISBN 1-4051-3463-1

Web links

• Article about George Boleyn at theanneboleynfiles.com (English)
• George Boleyn in: Royal and Noble Genealogical Data on the Web (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Joseph S. Block: Boleyn, George, Viscount Rochford (c.1504-1536) In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Volume 6: Blackmore-Bowyer. Oxford University Press 2004
2. ↑ David Starkey : Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII , Harper Perennial, 2004, p. 110
3. ↑ David Starkey : Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII , Harper Perennial, 2004, p. 258

predecessor	Office	successor
Thomas Boleyn	Viscount Rochford 1533-1536	Thomas Boleyn