Princess Diana, the beloved “People’s Princess”, was known for her humanitarian work, her style, and her tragic death. But did you know that she also had a surprising connection to one of the most famous figures in English history, Mary Boleyn?
Mary Boleyn was the sister of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Mary was also the king’s mistress for several years before he married Anne, and she bore him two children, Catherine and Henry Carey.
In this article, we will explore how Princess Diana was related to Mary Boleyn, and what this means for her royal lineage.
The Spencer Family and the Boleyns
Princess Diana was born into the Spencer family, one of the most prominent aristocratic families in England. Her father, John Spencer, was the 8th Earl Spencer, and her mother, Frances Roche, was the daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy.
The Spencer family can trace their ancestry back to several noble and royal houses, including the Stuarts, the Tudors, and the Plantagenets. They are also related to Winston Churchill, George Washington, and Madonna.
The connection comes through Diana’s paternal grandmother, Cynthia Hamilton. Cynthia was the daughter of James Hamilton, the 3rd Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Rosalind Cecilia Bingham. Lady Rosalind was the daughter of Charles Bingham, the 4th Earl of Lucan, and Lady Cecilia Catherine Gordon-Lennox.
Lady Cecilia was the daughter of Charles Gordon-Lennox, the 5th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, and Lady Caroline Paget. Lady Caroline was the daughter of Henry Paget, the 1st Marquess of Anglesey, and Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers.
Lady Caroline Villiers was the daughter of George Villiers, the 4th Earl of Jersey, and Frances Twysden. Frances Twysden was the daughter of Sir William Twysden, 5th Baronet, and Lady Frances Finch.
Lady Frances Finch was the daughter of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, and Elizabeth Harvey. Elizabeth Harvey was the daughter of Sir Daniel Harvey and Elizabeth Knyvett.
Elizabeth Knyvett was the daughter of Sir Henry Knyvett and Anne Pickering. Anne Pickering was the daughter of Sir Christopher Pickering and Anne Lewknor.
Anne Lewknor was the daughter of Roger Lewknor and Mary Carew. Mary Carew was the daughter of Sir Nicholas Carew and Elizabeth Bryan.
Elizabeth Bryan was the daughter of Sir Thomas Bryan and Margaret Bourchier. Margaret Bourchier was the daughter of Humphrey Bourchier and Elizabeth Tilney.
Elizabeth Tilney was the daughter of Frederick Tilney and Elizabeth Cheney. Elizabeth Cheney was the daughter of Lawrence Cheney and Elizabeth Cokayne.
Elizabeth Cokayne was the daughter of John Cokayne and Cecily Vernon. Cecily Vernon was the daughter of Richard Vernon and Benedicta Ludlow.
Benedicta Ludlow was the daughter of John Ludlow and Sybil Verch Rhys. Sybil Verch Rhys was the daughter of Rhys ap Thomas FitzUryan and Joan Bawdrip.
Joan Bawdrip was the daughter of John Bawdrip and Alice Stourton. Alice Stourton was the daughter of William Stourton, 2nd Baron Stourton, and Margaret Chidiock.
Margaret Chidiock was the daughter of John Chidiock, 2nd Baron Chidiock, and Katherine Lumley. Katherine Lumley was the daughter of Ralph Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, and Eleanor Neville.
Eleanor Neville was the daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, and Joan Beaufort. Joan Beaufort was the daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and Katherine Swynford.
John of Gaunt was a son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He was also a half-brother of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence.
Lionel of Antwerp had a daughter named Philippa Plantagenet who married Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March. They had a son named Roger Mortimer who married Eleanor Holland.
Eleanor Holland had a son named Edmund Mortimer who married Anne Stafford. They had a son named Edmund Mortimer who married Anne Percy.
Anne Percy had a son named Henry Percy who married Eleanor Poynings. They had a son named Henry Percy who married Catherine Spencer.
Catherine Spencer had a daughter named Margaret Percy who married Henry Algernon Percy. They had a son named Thomas Percy who married Eleanor Harbottle.
Eleanor Harbottle had a daughter named Elizabeth Percy who married Thomas Wriothesley. They had a son named Henry Wriothesley who married Mary Browne.
Mary Browne had a daughter named Elizabeth Wriothesley who married Thomas Howard. They had a son named Henry Howard who married Elizabeth Dacre.
Elizabeth Dacre had a daughter named Frances Howard who married Robert Devereux. They had a son named Robert Devereux who married Frances Walsingham.
Frances Walsingham had a daughter named Dorothy Devereux who married Henry Shirley. They had a son named Robert Shirley who married Catherine Okeover.
Catherine Okeover had a daughter named Dorothy Shirley who married Washington Shirley. They had a son named Robert Shirley who married Elizabeth Smyth.
Elizabeth Smyth had a daughter named Elizabeth Shirley who married John Byron. They had a son named William Byron who married Elizabeth Chaworth.
Elizabeth Chaworth had a daughter named Frances Byron who married William Cavendish. They had a son named William Cavendish who married Rachel Russell.
Rachel Russell had a daughter named Catherine Cavendish who married John Hoskins. They had a son named John Hoskins who married Anne Fitzroy.
Anne Fitzroy was the illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England and Barbara Villiers. King Charles II was the son of King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France.
King Charles I was the son of King James I of England and Anne of Denmark. King James I was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.
Mary, Queen of Scots, was the daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise. James V was the son of James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor.
Margaret Tudor was the daughter of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. King Henry VII was the son of Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, and Margaret Beaufort.
Margaret Beaufort was the daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, and Margaret Beauchamp. John Beaufort was the son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, and Margaret Holland.
John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, was the son of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and Katherine Swynford. He was also a half-brother of Joan Beaufort, as mentioned above.
Joan Beaufort’s granddaughter Alice Stourton’s great-granddaughter Elizabeth Bryan’s sister Anne Bryan married Sir Francis Weston. Sir Francis Weston was executed for allegedly committing adultery with Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and the sister of Mary Boleyn.
Mary Boleyn married Sir William Carey in 1520 and gave birth to two children, Catherine and Henry Carey. It is widely believed that King Henry VIII was the biological father of both children, although this has never been proven conclusively.
Catherine Carey married Sir Francis Knollys and had several children, including Lettice Knollys. Lettice Knollys married Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, and had several children, including Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, married Frances Walsingham, as mentioned above. Their granddaughter Dorothy Devereux was an ancestor of Princess Diana through her paternal grandmother Cynthia Hamilton.
Henry Carey married Anne Morgan and had several children, including Katherine Carey. Katherine Carey married Sir Charles Howard and had several children, including Frances Howard.
Frances Howard married Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, and had several children, including William Seymour. William Seymour married Lady Frances Devereux and had several children, including Lady Jane Seymour.
Lady Jane Seymour married Charles Boyle, 3rd Earl of Cork, and had several children, including Henrietta Boyle. Henrietta Boyle married Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester, and had several children, including Henrietta Hyde.
Henrietta Hyde married Edward Villiers and had several children, including Elizabeth Villiers. Elizabeth Villiers was the mistress of King William III of England and Ireland (also known as William II of Scotland).
King William III was the son of William II, Prince of Orange, and Mary Stuart. Mary Stuart was the daughter of King Charles I
of England and Henrietta Maria
of France,
as mentioned above.
