Mary Boleyn, the elder sister of Anne Boleyn, married William Carey (c.1496-1528), a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, in 1520, and shortly after became the Henry VIII's mistress. In 1534 Mary secretly married Sir William Stafford (1512?-1556) in 1534, and was subsequently banished from court. Although the present portrait was certainly produced in the seventeenth century, the sitter wears a costume which dates to c.1535. Formerly entitled ‘Portrait of a Woman’, it is very close in style to the work of van Leemput and belongs to a group of portraits of ladies in the Royal Collection attributed to the artist.  

Other versions are at Hever Castle, Warwick Castle and Longford Castle.