Lover & Survivor
She is mostly known as ‘that other Boleyn Girl’ or ‘the Mistress of Kings’. But I see Mary Boleyn (1499/1500 – 1543) as a woman who dared to defy all the rules to follow her heart. In other words, a historical heroine in her own right.
Born in Norfolk into the wealthy, influential Boleyn family, Mary was sent to the French court at an early age to become a lady-in-waiting. After an affair with the king of France, who later called her ‘The Great Prostitute’ in a disturbing expression of ‘slut-shaming’ avant la lettre, she returned to England where soon, she would catch the eye of the flamboyant King Henry VIII. Another royal affair began. At this point, you may wonder: was Mary merely a pawn in an elaborate French and English court intrigue? Or was she a sexually liberated woman with a ‘scarlet’ reputation? We will never know, but some clue to her character may be found in something incredibly brave she did in 1534. After her sister, the infamous Anne Boleyn, took her place in King Henry’s heart, Mary married a penniless soldier named William Stafford, 10 years her junior. For this act of love, she got banned from the royal court. When barely 2 years later Anne Boleyn lost her head on the scaffold, her sister was safely ensconced in the country side with her new family. Mary Boleyn had found a place where finally, love could reign.
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Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
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More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
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Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
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Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
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