Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Has facial recognition identified Anne Boleyn in a Hans Holbein drawing by comparing it to pictures of her family members, including her daughter Elizabeth I and have the researchers also identified pictures of Anne Boleyn’s mother, Lady Elizabeth Howard and Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary Boleyn? In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling I look at the new journal article by Karen L. Davies, Hassan Ugail and David G. Stork to ask if their research holds water and if we have finally solved the mystery of what Anne Boleyn really looked like. Above all, is this a Hans Holbein drawing of Anne Boleyn?
The article claims that by comparing an image of an unknown woman with brown hair and eyes and a striking flat topped hat, drawn in the 1530s or early 1540s by Hans Holbein the Younger, to known images of some of Anne’s relatives, facial recognition software gives a high probability that this is the second wife of Henry VIII. What about the holes in the research though? How reliable is facial recognition software when used on drawings and paintings instead of photographs? How can we be confident this is Anne when we have no confirmed, contemporary images of her to compare it too and the team discounted a 1534 medal of her due to its damage? Why did they compare this image to NPG 668 of Anne Boleyn, but not the Hever Rose portrait of Anne Boleyn? Why did they opt to compare this drawing to only one image of Anne’s daughter and why didn’t they include the only image we have of her father, Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond, in their analysis? Are there other Tudor women who could be depicted in this drawing and what did they say about an image long labelled as Lady Vaux?
If you love Tudor art history, the history of Anne Boleyn or historical mysteries, then this is the video for you. Make sure to subscribe and switch on the bell icon for more.
#AnneBoleyn #AnneBoleynPortrait #HansHolbein
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IS THIS ANNE BOLEYN OR ELIZABETH I? NEW THEORY ABOUT FAMOUS ANNE BOLEYN PORTRAIT IN NGP
youtu.be/g2AFfzwSbzc
HAS A LOST PORTRAIT OF ANNE BOLEYN BEEN FOUND?
youtu.be/EsUGXO9wieA
DOES THIS HOLBEIN DRAWING SHOW ANNE BOLEYN?
youtu.be/4ZX3tMcLo7c
DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF ANNE BOLEYN’S ONLY AUTHENTIC IMAGE | WHAT IS THE MOOST HAPPI MEDAL OF 1534?
youtu.be/8x4W2gYrmHg
DOES THE CHEQUERS’ RING SHOW A PORTRAIT OF ANNE BOLEYN AND ELIZABETH I
youtu.be/hvgl1Wbjw1I
THE LIFE OF HANS HOLBEIN
youtu.be/HKwM-2GahTg
THE STORY BEHIND FAMOUS PORTRAIT OF ELIZABETH I
youtu.be/iGSgH3zgTdE
HIDDEN MEANINGS IN THE FAMILY OF HENRY VIII
youtu.be/Eiq5QomXJ5E
LEARN MORE:
[FREE] Karen L. Davies, Hassan Ugail and David G. Stork, ‘Reassessing Anne Boleyn and other Boleyn women in Holbein drawings using facial recognition’ in npj Heritage Science, xiv, article 175 (2026).
nature.com/articles/s40494-026-02456-0
Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey, Capturing a Queen: the image of Anne Boleyn (2026)
shop.hevercastle.co.uk/products/capturing-a-queen
Eric Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (Wiley-Blackwell, 2005)
amzn.to/3xLivgr
Susan Bordo, The Creation of Anne Boleyn: In Search of the Tudors' Most Notorious Queen (One World Publications, 2014)
amzn.to/3zznLY1
Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger, In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn (2013)
amzn.to/2W9oJct
Antonia Fraser, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (2nd edn, Phoenix, 2009)
amzn.to/36IqD5r
David Starkey, Six Wives: the Queens of Henry VIII (Vintage, 2004)
amzn.to/3wImKIh
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
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Open Street Map copyright information
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Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
Has facial recognition identified Anne Boleyn in a Hans Holbein drawing by comparing it to pictures of her family members, including her daughter Elizabeth I and have the researchers also identified pictures of Anne Boleyn’s mother, Lady Elizabeth Howard and Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary Boleyn? In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling I look at the new journal article by Karen L. Davies, Hassan Ugail and David G. Stork to ask if their research holds water and if we have finally solved the mystery of what Anne Boleyn really looked like. Above all, is this a Hans Holbein drawing of Anne Boleyn?
The article claims that by comparing an image of an unknown woman with brown hair and eyes and a striking flat topped hat, drawn in the 1530s or early 1540s by Hans Holbein the Younger, to known images of some of Anne’s relatives, facial recognition software gives a high probability that this is the second wife of Henry VIII. What about the holes in the research though? How reliable is facial recognition software when used on drawings and paintings instead of photographs? How can we be confident this is Anne when we have no confirmed, contemporary images of her to compare it too and the team discounted a 1534 medal of her due to its damage? Why did they compare this image to NPG 668 of Anne Boleyn, but not the Hever Rose portrait of Anne Boleyn? Why did they opt to compare this drawing to only one image of Anne’s daughter and why didn’t they include the only image we have of her father, Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond, in their analysis? Are there other Tudor women who could be depicted in this drawing and what did they say about an image long labelled as Lady Vaux?
If you love Tudor art history, the history of Anne Boleyn or historical mysteries, then this is the video for you. Make sure to subscribe and switch on the bell icon for more.
#AnneBoleyn #AnneBoleynPortrait #HansHolbein
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
IS THIS ANNE BOLEYN OR ELIZABETH I? NEW THEORY ABOUT FAMOUS ANNE BOLEYN PORTRAIT IN NGP
youtu.be/g2AFfzwSbzc
HAS A LOST PORTRAIT OF ANNE BOLEYN BEEN FOUND?
youtu.be/EsUGXO9wieA
DOES THIS HOLBEIN DRAWING SHOW ANNE BOLEYN?
youtu.be/4ZX3tMcLo7c
DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF ANNE BOLEYN’S ONLY AUTHENTIC IMAGE | WHAT IS THE MOOST HAPPI MEDAL OF 1534?
youtu.be/8x4W2gYrmHg
DOES THE CHEQUERS’ RING SHOW A PORTRAIT OF ANNE BOLEYN AND ELIZABETH I
youtu.be/hvgl1Wbjw1I
THE LIFE OF HANS HOLBEIN
youtu.be/HKwM-2GahTg
THE STORY BEHIND FAMOUS PORTRAIT OF ELIZABETH I
youtu.be/iGSgH3zgTdE
HIDDEN MEANINGS IN THE FAMILY OF HENRY VIII
youtu.be/Eiq5QomXJ5E
LEARN MORE:
[FREE] Karen L. Davies, Hassan Ugail and David G. Stork, ‘Reassessing Anne Boleyn and other Boleyn women in Holbein drawings using facial recognition’ in npj Heritage Science, xiv, article 175 (2026).
nature.com/articles/s40494-026-02456-0
Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey, Capturing a Queen: the image of Anne Boleyn (2026)
shop.hevercastle.co.uk/products/capturing-a-queen
Eric Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (Wiley-Blackwell, 2005)
amzn.to/3xLivgr
Susan Bordo, The Creation of Anne Boleyn: In Search of the Tudors' Most Notorious Queen (One World Publications, 2014)
amzn.to/3zznLY1
Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger, In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn (2013)
amzn.to/2W9oJct
Antonia Fraser, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (2nd edn, Phoenix, 2009)
amzn.to/36IqD5r
David Starkey, Six Wives: the Queens of Henry VIII (Vintage, 2004)
amzn.to/3wImKIh
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
