# Anne Boleyn

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 1999, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010 "1999-07-16T22:00:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 1999, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010/1 "1999-07-17T05:05:00Z")

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My significant other and I are having a disagreement. He says that Anne Boleyn had a third breast. I say he’s crazy, but I heard somewhere (and, damn it, I can’t remember where) that she had an extra finger on one or both of her hands. Can anyone settle this disagreement?

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 1999, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010/2 "1999-07-17T05:08:00Z")

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According to Cecil, it’s doubtful.

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_053.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_053.html)  
Alphagene

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 1999, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010/3 "1999-07-17T05:14:00Z")

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Anne Boleyn did not have a third breast, but it was possible that she had a third nipple below one of her breasts. From what I’ve read, it wasn’t a regular sized nipple, but a small bump resembling one. As for her having extra fingers, that has been argued quite a bit. From my reading and general knowledge, it would seem that she had a small appendage next to her pinky, however, she was never without gloves.

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“Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true” -Albert Einstein

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 1999, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010/4 "1999-07-17T05:22:00Z")

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At the time, she also started a new fashion of long, flowing sleeves and large ornate choker necklaces to cover them.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 1999, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010/5 "1999-07-16T22:00:00Z")

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I used to date a man who had a third nipple. It was about six inches below his left nipple, and smaller than the “real” nipples.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 1999, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010/6 "1999-07-17T01:24:00Z")

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Alias has it right. Remember, in Anne’s day, an “extra nipple” could simply be a wart or other growth on the breast or anywhere else the witchfinder wants it.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 1999, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anne-boleyn/2010/7 "1999-07-17T16:20:00Z")

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Anne Boleyn’s gloves have a thicker than average pinky finger - about twice as thick as the others. This from my Mother, who saw several pairs while visiting some royal collection. Because of her work, mother got to see collections which are not open to the public, but you know how it is when your mother is talking - I forgot where she saw this one. Buckingham Palace maybe? I don’t know. I only know that she told me about the gloves.