If Phillipa Gregory told me 2 + 2 = 4, I'd get my calculator out to check. An entire salt mine would not be enough to make me take her word for anything.

After watching the film The Other Boleyn Girl, I would take anything Phillipa Gregory said with a pinch of salt lol.

Witch, adulteress, sinner, liar, incest, etc and now a murderer.... next it's gonna be she was a vampire 🙄 Poor Anne can never catch a break even all these centuries later 🤦🏻‍♀️

Philipa Gregory makes my blood boil. 'Clearly guilty'? How does she get away with such judgement, without citing a single source, or even fully explaining who was murdered, or how Anne supposedly did the deed? Gah! 🤯😡

By all accounts, Anne was smart. I think she would have understood how high the stakes were and I believe she never cheated on Henry. Nor do I believe she was a murderer.

I must confess to be no fan of Philippa Gregory. To write historical fiction as fiction is one thing. But to state these thi ga as facts with no contemporary sources or proof is quite another. And sadly, she is so popular that many believe her works of fiction ro be very true. Another good video Claire!

I've been studying Anne Boleyn off and on for forty years. I'm no fan of Philippa Gregory. She plays fast and loose with the historical evidence, and then highlights things that are (and were even in the period) little better than conspiracy theories to increase shock value. I read several of her novels, and at some point in every one, I threw the book across the room in frustration and fury. Frustration is easy to understand, but why fury? Because I believe she knows better, but just doesn't care.

Thank you Claire 🌹 Wasn't familiar with the sad tale and fate of Bennett and Alice. Poor souls 🙏😔 Sounds like slander on Anne's memory by Gregory labelling Anne a murderer so matter of factly. Safe to say Anne was no murderer. Disappointing to see that in this modern day, Anne is still being unfairly labelled and blamed for situations that had nothing to do with her, not her fault and out of her control etc.

Murder sells books.

The only author of historical fiction I read is Sharon Kay Penman. Wasn't Chapue a bitter enemy of Anne, so I take his pov with a pinch of salt. I've hear Anne accused of poisoning Katherine of Aragon but the is total nonsense.

Another very informative video! I suspect many people don't remember that "The Other Boleyn Girl" and HBO's "The Tudors" etc., are fictional stories based on actual historical people and events. That's why I always come to YOU to discover the facts about our favorite people. Thank you, Claire! I've learned (and continue to learn) so much from you! ❤

I believe she was innocent and set up.

After reading The Other Boleyn Girl I was so angry I couldn't read another book written by Gregory. She has done such a grave disservice to history with her brash assertions and the demonization of Anne and George, that I fear she has unfortunately coloured the perceptions of those new to Tudor history. Even as fiction her writing is bad. The characters were poorly derived - there was no nuance to Anne and she practically beatified Mary. Alison's Weir's novel - while flawed - presents a more balanced point of view, delving into Anne's fascinating formative years at the courts in Europe and how they may have influenced her position on religion. I've also read many historical books about Anne with detailed footnotes sourcing the material (including yours) and all present her as an intelligent, religious woman - just not in the pious Catholic sense of the day. She definitely would have been concerned about her immortal soul and it is highly unlikely that she committed incest let alone murder. It is also well-known that Chapuys' accounts of the time are extremely biased due to his sympathies for Queen Catherine and the Princess Mary. Thank you Claire for your well-researched, balanced works on Anne and the devotion you pour into them.

Has anyone asked Phillipa Gregory what she meant by that statement?

Not a fan of Phillipa Gregory’s work. Nothing but garbage in her books in my opinion.

I LOVE Phillips Gregory’s novels & think they are wonderfully written “FICTION”. I don’t mind poetic license for good “story”. I credit them with the drive to learn the true history of the events. It is very disappointing, however, that she chose to put things down as fact that there is no solid evidence for. Rather like quoting tabloids or Hollywood movies for history. I enjoy hearing the contemporary accounts you & other historians provide to get an idea of what we on in Tudor (& other) time. I appreciate your thorough research.

Could Gregory be referring to Catherine of Aragon's death? Although Anne was in a safer position with Catherine alive, I think I remember reading that some were eager to accuse Anne of having Catherine killed.

Many thanks for this broadcast Claire. This is indeed a puzzling claim. As 'The Anne Boleyn Files' offers a welcoming platform for all discussions regarding Anne, perhaps Philippa Gregory could set out her case here, on the website?

IMHO, Ms. Gregory was being a little scandalous in order to boost sales.

Hi Claire! Good video as always. I agree with Stephanie's comment ~~ Anne will next be a vampire! On a serious note, I've never read The Other Boleyn Girl, but one of the executions ahead of Anne's has always bothered me. It's Henry Norris. From what I've read and heard, Norris had a normal relationship with H8 until a comment made by Anne about a dead man's shoes got H8 looking sideways at Norris. From there, it was downhill for Norris. In a way, you can say Anne got Henry Norris killed, but murdered by Anne? I can't stretch it that far. Thanks again for your interesting, thought-provoking videos! Take good care ~~

I wonder, could you contact Gregory and ask her to elucidate?

Claire do a video if Margaret Beaufort had lived to the age of 100. What would be the political ramifications?? How would she have helped Henry the 8th rule?? Think of all the things that Margaret would have witnessed if you would have added another 30 or 40 years to her life!!

Yeah... I'm skeptical, primarily because there's no explanation given, no context, just a statement like it's a fact that is hard to refute because it's so vague. Like a lot of the commenters here have said, Philippa Gregory hasn't really given me a reason to trust her writings about known events, why would I trust her thoughts about unknown?

Claire, no one I have ever run across knows more about Anne Boleyn than you. I think you would know if she was capable of, or had committed murder. Because of you, I know that Anne was a devout Christian (Don’t know if for Anne that would have been Catholic), and would have been concerned about the fate of her soul. I was raised Catholic myself and such things were drilled into us growing up. I don’t see how Anne would have even thought of murder, let alone committed the act.

Anne, her family, and her friends were too closely watched from the start to the end of her relationship with Henry for this to be feasible. That's not to say that she didn't engineer the deaths of her enemies, but that was through her political influence, role as Queen and crucially, with the blessing of Henry.

Maybe it suits her books? Because how else can that be explained, if she was speaking of Anne? We are told of the severe limitations on women in this time and for centuries afterwards, but also told that the women are the ones to be blamed for plots and actually having the power. It doesn't seem logical.

Didn't Philippa Gregory have Anne and her brother commit incest in attempt to get her pregnant? Yet don't historians agree that the adultery charges, including the incest charge, were a frame-up for Henry to get rid on Anne?

Could Gregory be referring to Katherine of Aragon? I've watched tons of videos, and there are a lot of references to Anne trying to convince Henry VIII to have Katherine of Aragon and Mary I executed. Could it be possible that Gregory thinks Anne Boleyn had a hand in the Queens' death? Not saying I agree but just wondering what she's referring to

I loved Katherine of Aragon, only thing I liked about her is the B necklace as that is the initial to my last name 😂😂😂I love your channel.

Anne Boleyn strikes me as a major, yet subtle, flirt, who knew how to get what she wanted from men, without giving much back. Even if only all in good fun in Anne's mind, this subtle flirtation is a powerful art, and one that would have made her a threat to women. If the King wanted Anne out of the way, and if he was supported by the wives at court, the husbands at court would have followed suit, and Anne's days would have been numbered. Women who make groups of women jealous - even just in good fun - play a dangerous game.

I just wish that Phillipa Gregory didn't play fast & loose with historical facts to twist it to her version of slanderous grossly underestimated inaccurate gossip mongering. Deplorable.

Anne was many things and most of these showed her in a negative light .(Not withstanding being one of Catherine of Aragons ladies in waiting ),she showed no loyalty to her mistress when Henry VIII made his move to woo her, knowing that what she was doing showed (her sense of herself)she was not above throwing her piety out of the window and consequently throwing her reputation into the dungheap of history.Like the men who tried to be King and failed, she was playing a dangerous game and consequently paid the price in the bearpit of Henry's court.She was maybe not a murderer in the personal sense but her own actions helped along by accidents of history/fate,led to her execution .The charges that condemned her were probably fake but a twist of fate cannot absolve her of the worst sin of all 'Betrayal of her mistress and everything that came from it.Boleyn seen in the light of 16th century morals has her reputation rightly castigated ,sympathy has to be with Catherine of Aragon and The Lady Mary.

One of the reasons I never watched The Tudors, far too Hollywoodesque for me. Too many heaving bosoms (obviously to boost viewing figures). I know Philippa Gregory's books are fiction but I agree with the general consensus here.

Could she have been referring to Thomas Moore? Then again there were others who also suffered for not signing the Oath.

I think back then, if anyone was a threat to your power or position, they would of dispatched of them. Maybe not by their own hand, but by someone willing to do it. Look what happened to Anne. Evidence set up for a guilty verdict. I don't think Anne would need to have poisoned Katherine, she got the prize and Katherine was discarded. However, I am sure, like many people back then in a position of power, they could easily rid themselves of any threat regardless if you were the King or Queen.

I don't know how Phillipa Gregory gets away with it. I suppose it is because the people who read her books or watch the movies based on them are very stupid and ignorant. It's fortunate for her that a dead person can't sue for libel. I feel very sorry for that poor cook and the people who died as a result of eating the food given as alms. My bet is that the food had gone bad. It was probably served first to Fisher and the High Table, the next few days to lower and lower tables until finally it was given out the back door as alms. By that time it probably WAS poisonous, but not intentionally poisoned.

Cool story

She may have been talking about Catherine of Aragon as there are rumours she was poisoned.

its a novel, a story- a web of interest, some of it based on the truth, but in the end fiction. fiction by nature is a kind of lying, as it is not the truth it is a story. i like her work, but remember its vaguely based on truth

I believe Ann was a terrible person and a horrible stepmother, but I seriously doubt she was a murderer. If she wanted someone dead, all she had to do was put him in Henry's path. He'd find some offense to justify execution.

Maybe Philipa Gregory thinks she can get away with fiction since it's in the Q&A section.

A murderess? Hell, no! 🤬

Why would Anne halm anyone she was known to have a very generous nature

Gregory seems to have an extremely negative opinion of Anne Boleyn, but it’s unclear why. Why put so much effort into using fiction and rumors to damage the reputation of a historic figure? Most people find Anne to be a sympathetic and even inspiring personality, but if you don’t like her, at least keep arguments in support of your position based in fact. Unfortunately, not everyone is adept at determining whether a source is reliable or not, so anyone writing historic fiction has a responsibility to make it clear when their works are not factual, and I get the sense Gregory prefers to blur those lines whenever possible.

I'm probably going to muddy the waters even more here, especially because I don't remember the source. However, I do remember reading a book,( I don't think it was fiction, but I may be wrong) In said book Anne is very concerned about a letter and it's contents and wants to ensure that said letter and contents don't become public. Lol...Sounds so convoluted I think it must have been fiction Probably written by Philippa Gregory! Nonetheless I definitely remember something about something like that and I don't usually read fiction. Having said that there are quite a few none fiction writers out there who might as well be writing fiction ❤❤

Gregory is a terrible writer. Years ago I started reading the Other Boleyn Girl and threw it it down in frustration. I never finished it and I’ve certainly not watched the film.

Anne Boleyn was smarter than everyone around her. Henry found out how smart she was, and had her murdered. Anne was much smarter than Henry, and he found that out. Anne could not live, once Henry realized he was a tool to Anne. Still, after all this time, Anne is still being treated poorly. Sadly, we still have to deal with the sexist issues that Anne dealt with. But no, Anne was not a murderer. Anne was just too smart and unfortunately, arrogant for her own good.

❤️

How sad a thought, you have to sleep with your brother to save your life. You have to sleep with your sister in order to save her life .... horrific

Yes, Anne was guilty of murder several times over. I had a letter written in her own hand confessing her crimes and detailing her motivations, but I lost it.

She rose from the grave & gave already unwell Amy Robsart a shove? Maybe trying to help her daughter have (or prevent) a politically disastrous love match? No one ever talks about how close it was to Elizabeth’s birthday. Maybe a gift from the grave?

Sounds like a way to elicit reactions, stirring the pot in a rather unscrupulous way. I’d say she’s done her job.

I would believe it from her father but Anne herself, no. Not a big fan of Thomas Boylen, myself, but he probably didn't do it either.

Ms Gregory is a novelist who takes historical figures to write her tripe because she can't come up with her own plots.

Was there 2 films made? I saw the one with Natalie Portman.

Well, my opinion of Ann is in the middle.

...'effin Philippa Gregory... Sigh.... 😂😁

No, she wasn’t. But she was murdered by a despot lunatic.

Not a fan of Philippa Gregory. I read the White Queen and thought what a load of rubbish, so would not take anything she says as fact/possible

Philipa Gregory is not a legitimate historical source for anything.

6:06 Wolsey did not die of dysentery, but he did die of natural causes.

Philippa Gregory needs to go to school and learn her history, she's talking rubbish

I wonder if the guilty party thought they were doing Ann or the King a favor? I enjoy Philipa Gregory's books. A good read of historical FICTION! I think she is a good writer and story teller.