 During this time Mary is supposed to have embarked on sexual affairs, including one with King Francis himself.Although most historians believe that the reports of her sexual affairs are exaggerated, the French king referred to her as "The English Mare", "my hackney", and as ""una grandissima ribalda, infame sopra tutte"" ("a very great whore, the most infamous of all").She returned to England in 1519, where she was appointed a maid-of-honour to Catherine of Aragon, the queen consort of Henry VIII.