Lady Margaret Butler
Encyclopedia
Lady Margaret Butler was an Irish noblewoman, the daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond. She married Sir William Boleyn
and through her eldest son Sir Thomas Boleyn, was the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn
, second wife of King Henry VIII of England
.
in County Kilkenny
, Ireland, the daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond and Anne Hankford
. Her paternal grandparents were James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond and Joan de Beauchamp
. Her maternal grandparents were Sir Richard Hankeford and Anne de Montagu.
She had one younger sister, Anne who married Sir James de St. Leger, by whom she had issue. Anne was also co-heiress to their father's estates.
In 1465 Margaret married Sir William Boleyn
, and in total they had ten children. Her son, the ambitious courtier Sir Thomas Boleyn, became the first Earl of Wiltshire
and by his marriage to Elizabeth Howard, the Duke of Norfolk's daughter, was the father of Anne Boleyn
, Queen consort
of England. Thus, Margaret was great-grandmother to Queen Elizabeth I of England
.
Margaret's role in the rise and fall of the Boleyn
clan is unknown, although there has been much speculation and theorizing.
She was the last of the Boleyns to live in Hever Castle
as it was given to Anne of Cleves
in 1540 sometime after her death.
novel The Other Boleyn Girl
. She is portrayed as a critical and insubordinate woman who is shrewd and uncaring toward her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She does seem to inquire about life in the English court. Margaret lived in the Boleyn estate in Hever Castle
, and plays a supporting role in the novel.
William Boleyn
Sir William Boleyn was the son of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, a wealthy mercer and Lord Mayor of London, and his wife, Anne Hoo...
and through her eldest son Sir Thomas Boleyn, was the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, second wife of King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Family and marriage
She was born at Kilkenny CastleKilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...
in County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
, Ireland, the daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond and Anne Hankford
Anne Hankford
Anne Hankford was the first wife of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond . She was the great- grandmother of Queen consort Anne Boleyn- Family and lineage :...
. Her paternal grandparents were James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond and Joan de Beauchamp
Joan Butler, Countess of Ormond
Joan Butler , 4th Countess of Ormond was a Cambro-Norman noblewoman, the first wife of Irish peer, James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond, and the mother of his five children...
. Her maternal grandparents were Sir Richard Hankeford and Anne de Montagu.
She had one younger sister, Anne who married Sir James de St. Leger, by whom she had issue. Anne was also co-heiress to their father's estates.
In 1465 Margaret married Sir William Boleyn
William Boleyn
Sir William Boleyn was the son of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, a wealthy mercer and Lord Mayor of London, and his wife, Anne Hoo...
, and in total they had ten children. Her son, the ambitious courtier Sir Thomas Boleyn, became the first Earl of Wiltshire
Earl of Wiltshire
The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess....
and by his marriage to Elizabeth Howard, the Duke of Norfolk's daughter, was the father of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of England. Thus, Margaret was great-grandmother to Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
Margaret's role in the rise and fall of the Boleyn
Boleyn
Francization of traditional english "Bullen", Boleyn is the surname of a noble English family particularly prominent in the Tudor period, members of which include:*Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII...
clan is unknown, although there has been much speculation and theorizing.
She was the last of the Boleyns to live in Hever Castle
Hever Castle
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century...
as it was given to Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
in 1540 sometime after her death.
Fictional portrayals
Margaret Butler as Grandmother Boleyn appears in the 2002 Philippa GregoryPhilippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
novel The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical fiction novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others have consistently...
. She is portrayed as a critical and insubordinate woman who is shrewd and uncaring toward her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She does seem to inquire about life in the English court. Margaret lived in the Boleyn estate in Hever Castle
Hever Castle
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century...
, and plays a supporting role in the novel.