Did George Boleyn have an affair with “Lizzie” Elizabeth Browne? Fact checking Channel 5's drama

Anne's younger brother George Boleyn, played by Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) in the Anne Boleyn cast, is at the heart of his sister's circle at court.

In the Channel 5 series, filmed around the Yorkshire countryside, George has an extramarital affair with another courtier, Elizabeth Browne, Countess of Worcester, who is one of Anne Boleyn's ladies-in-waiting.

But did the affair really happen in real-life? And how did George Boleyn die?

Did George Boleyn have an affair with “Lizzie” Elizabeth Browne?

There's no evidence that George Boleyn had an affair with Elizabeth Browne, one of Anne Boleyn's ladies-in-waiting.

In the TV series, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Browne, Countess of Worcester (played by Isabella Laughland) falls pregnant with George Boleyn's child and is distraught when Anne tells her to keep the child's paternity a secret. Elizabeth is hurt - to the point that she's prepared to betray Anne on the witness stand.

However, that storyline was invented by series screenwriter Eve Hedderwick Turner.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, she revealed that the George/Lizzie storyline was an example of creative license and "dramatic manoeuvring" on her part, and was not based on real-life historical fact.

"The storyline between George Boleyn and Lizzie, one of Anne's ladies, that was a good example of some dramatic manoeuvring I did where I'd read that Lizzie was one of her closest ladies and waiting. And then she was also one of the key witnesses at the trial. And I wanted to figure out how she had got from being this close confidant and friend to betraying Anne on the stand," she said.

She continued, "Obviously, one of the main factors in that was the amount of danger everyone surrounding [Anne] was put in, as soon as she was a suspect of treason, and Lizzie would have been in a lot of danger herself... [But] I felt like it would be great to find another dramatic reason for that. I'd read that she was pregnant around that time, and that Anne had sent her money for her baby. And I also knew on the other side of the coin, that George Boleyn and Jane Boleyn, his wife, never had a very good relationship, and were always at odds with each other. And Jane Boleyn was also one of the key witnesses at trial.

"So I wondered what we would get from suggesting that Lizzie and George had this relationship blossoming on the side, and that Lizzie had felt betrayed by Anne when she said, 'You know, you can't pursue this, you have to put it to one side for the sake of us all and our reputations,' and that gave Jane Boleyn another spur in order to stab both George and Anne in the back at trial as well. So that was one where it felt like it was, you know, definitely a liberty on my part, but felt like it [fit] into the story pretty well."

How did George Boleyn die?

George Boleyn was beheaded on 17th May 1536, after he was accused of having an incestuous relationship with his sister the queen, Anne Boleyn.

The other four men accused of having affairs with Anne were: the king's friend Sir Henry Norris, the groom of the stool; court musician Mark Smeaton; and courtiers Sir Francis Weston and William Brereton. All five men (including George) were executed for treason.

However, modern historians now believe that Anne Boleyn and all five men - including George - were innocent, and were executed on trumped-up charges.

George was executed on Tower Hill two days before his sister, Anne Boleyn, was also killed.

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Hedderwick Turner said that she wanted to do Anne's story "justice".

The Anne Boleyn creator said she's feeling the "pressure" ahead of her reimagining of the ill-fated queen, who was beheaded on the orders of her husband Henry VIII.

Who was Elizabeth Browne, Countess of Worcester?

The real-life Elizabeth Browne (referred to as "Lizzie" in the Channel 5 series Anne Boleyn) was one of Anne Boleyn's ladies-in-waiting.

The pair were reportedly close, and, as screenwriter Eve Hedderwick Turner states, there's evidence that Anne Boleyn paid for Elizabeth's midwife.

However, Elizabeth went on to become the main informant against Anne when the latter was tried for treason. Elizabeth was also pregnant at the time.

Elizabeth Browne died in 1565, and gave birth to nine children during her lifetime. There's no evidence that one of those children was George Boleyn's illegitimate child.

Want more show content? Read our spoiler-free Anne Boleyn review, see our character profile for Madge Shelton, or check out our breakdown of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's marriage.

Anne Boleyn is set to air on Channel 5 from Tuesday 1st June at 9pm. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide. Visit our Drama hub for all the latest news.