Most Interesting Tudor Woman Survey

As part of Women’s History Month, I carried out a survey to find out who do you think is the most interesting woman linked to the Tudor period. The results are in! There were a few surprises too and some, not too much of a surprise…

1. Anne Boleyn – 37.5% of the overall vote:

Not too much of a surprise her and Anne has won this survey by a huge margin. Anne is still very much Queen of the Tudor women. Definitely “The Most Happy”!

2. Queen Elizabeth I – 14.58% of the overall vote:

The popularity must run in the family as Anne Boleyn’s famous daughter gets second place.

3. Mary Queen of Scots – 12.5% of the overall vote:

At one stage while the results were coming in, Mary and Elizabeth were sharing second place, but once again towards the end – as in life – Elizabeth has managed to just about get one over on Mary.

4. Elizabeth of York and Catherine of Aragon – 8.33% of the vote:

I found this very interesting. It does show how Elizabeth of York’s popularity has increased as I don’t think she is one of the most well-known women of this period. It definitely shows that there is a growing interest in Elizabeth, probably as a result of the growing interest in the Plantagenet period.

Catherine’s popularity doesn’t surprise me. Out of all of Henry VIII’s wives, Catherine definitely attracts the most interest, only second to Anne Boleyn.

5. Anne of Cleves – 6.25% of the overall vote:

This is another interesting result and a very positive one. I think people are gradually beginning to see past the “Flanders Mare” myth about Anne. I think that they are realising that there was a lot more to her story and that she was definitely one of the most unique women of this period.

6. Jane Boleyn – 4.17% of the overall vote:

This is definitely a positive result. There was a time where most people had not heard of Jane, got her confused with Anne, or just hated her full stop. However, at last there is a growing interest in hearing Jane’s side of the story for a change.

7. Mary Boleyn/Catherine Parr/Margaret Tudor/Princess Mary Tudor – 2.08% of the vote:

All four women shared seventh place. Considering that before “The Other Boleyn Girl” novel, TV drama and movie, most people didn’t know that Mary Boleyn existed, this is a good result – there is definitely still something about Mary!

There’s a growing interest in Catherine Parr’s story, which is very good considering that there was a time when she was considered to be the least-known wife of Henry VIII that just happen to survive him.

Margaret Tudor has always attracted interest due to her interesting love life and for her family connection to Mary Queen of Scots and Arbella Stuart. This interest will definitely grow what with Margaret being the subject of Philippa Gregory’s next novel.

When it comes to the Marys, it’s very easy for people to confuse Mary Tudor, Princess Mary Tudor and Mary Queen of Scots. So, it is a very positive result to see that people are recognising Henry VIII’s sister, Princess Mary Tudor – it’s a good start anyway!

And the ones that didn’t get even one vote….

• Mary Tudor – Probably not a complete surprise as “Bloody Mary” is one of the most controversial women of this period. I am a little bit surprised that she didn’t get at least one vote though – maybe people were getting her confused with one of the other Marys?

• Elizabeth Boleyn – Anne Boleyn’s mother. Not necessarily a negative result though I think – maybe most people just think that her daughter and granddaughter led a more exciting and scandalous life?

• Catherine Howard – This is another interesting result. Her life story does provoke mixed reactions, so this result could be a reflection on that.

• Jane Seymour – I’m not completely surprised by this, especially in a survey where Anne Boleyn, often perceived as a direct rival, gained the most votes. Like Catherine Howard, she too provokes a mixed reaction. From many observations I have made, I would even suggest that Jane Seymour is probably the least popular of Henry VIII’s wives. However, whether she deserves that negativity is another argument. One thing that is certain though is that Jane is one of the most controversial women of this period.

• Lady Jane Grey – Again like Catherine Howard, Jane’s life story does provoke mixed reactions, so this result could be a reflection on that also.

Overall, the results have been very enlightening! Many thanks for taking part in this survey!

Image – Anne Boleyn (played by Natalie Dormer in The Tudors), Queen of the Tudor women!