Mary Boleyn faded from the historical record after her secret remarriage and ended her life in relative obscurity. The most commonly cited date for her death is 19 July 1543, though the exact cause, place, and burial site are not firmly documented.

What happened

Mary was the sister of Anne Boleyn and a former mistress of Henry VIII. After her second marriage to William Stafford, she was banished from court and lived quietly afterward. By the time Anne and George Boleyn were executed in 1536, Mary was the only surviving Boleyn child, but records of her later life are sparse.

Her death

Most sources place her death in July 1543, with one inquisition post mortem specifically giving 19 July 1543. There is no solid evidence for a definite cause of death, and historians generally describe it as unknown. Some accounts suggest she may have died at Rochford Hall, but that is not confirmed.

Why she is remembered

Mary is often remembered less for a dramatic ending and more for the mystery around her life after court. Compared with Anne Boleyn, she left behind far fewer records, which is why her later years remain so hard to trace.