The Other Boleyn Girl

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination and death. 

According to All the Queen’s Jewels 1445-1548 by historian Nicola Tallis, necklaces with a pendant in the shape of an initial were popular in early modern Europe, particularly in the 1520s. The surviving portrait of Anne Boleyn held in the National Portrait Gallery of England shows her wearing a pearl necklace with a pendant initial B and three pearls attached. The portrait is thought to be a copy of a royal portrait of Anne Hans Holbein made in her lifetime. It has long been assumed that the B stands for Boleyn, Anne’s family name.

Gregory works this necklace into The Other Boleyn Girl. She shows Anne wearing it when she begins to catch the king’s eye after Mary’s second pregnancy. The necklace is not just a sign of wealth. It also hints at Anne’s status as a Boleyn girl and the fact that Anne shares in the Boleyn’s ambition. Over time, the necklace becomes a symbol of The Price of Personal Ambition for Anne and evidence of her independence and focus on her advancement. Anne’s flaunting of the necklace indicates that she prioritizes her interests and concerns.