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    <Metadata name="Content">Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Princess Mary Tudor: Biography, Portrait, Primary Sources Mary Tudor sister of King Henry VIII grandmother of Lady Jane Grey</Metadata>
    <Metadata name="Page_topic">Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Princess Mary Tudor: Biography, Portrait, Primary Sources</Metadata>
    <Metadata name="Author">Marilee Mongello</Metadata>
    <Metadata name="Title">Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Princess Mary Tudor: Biography, Portrait, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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    &lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/brandon1.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Cloth of Gold and Cloth of Frieze&quot; width=&quot;492&quot; height=&quot;116&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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    &lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/brandon2.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Charles Brandon and Princess Mary Tudor&quot; width=&quot;494&quot; height=&quot;65&quot;&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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      &lt;hr&gt;
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    &lt;img border=&quot;2&quot; src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/brandonpage2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;The marriage portrait of Charles Brandon and Princess Mary Tudor&quot; width=&quot;324&quot; height=&quot;363&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;blockquote&gt;
      &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;FONT size=+1 face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, was Henry VIII's closest 

friend.&amp;nbsp; Brandon's father was Henry VII's standard-bearer at the Battle of 

Bosworth Field and died defending the future king.&amp;nbsp; Henry VII repaid his 

loyalty by educating young Charles with his own children, and from the beginning 

Charles and the future Henry VIII were devoted friends.&amp;nbsp; But their 

friendship was sorely tested when Brandon secretly married Henry's favorite 

sister, the beautiful Princess Mary Tudor.&amp;nbsp; At this page, you can learn 

more about their romantic story and its aftermath.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;Charles Brandon had an inauspicious beginning and his rise to wealth and 
prominence was due largely to two things: his father's death at Bosworth Field 
and his own personal magnetism.&amp;nbsp; Upon his death in 1545, Brandon was 
perhaps the only person in England who had successfully retained Henry VIII's 
affection for over forty turbulent years. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; His father was William Brandon, Henry Tudor's standard 
bearer at Bosworth Field in 1485.&amp;nbsp; He was reportedly killed there by 
Richard III himself.&amp;nbsp; Around 1480 or so, William had married the daughter 
and heiress of Sir Henry Bruyn of South Ockendon in Essex.&amp;nbsp; But unlike his 
respectable, middle-class forebears who had led exemplary and cautious 
lives, William had a tasste for politics.&amp;nbsp; When the Duke of Gloucester 
seized the throne in 1483 and declared himself Richard III, William and his 
younger brother Thomas decided to make a stand.&amp;nbsp; They joined the duke of 
Buckingham's rebellion; it failed and the brothers fled to Brittany where they 
joined other Lancastrian exiles who supported Henry Tudor, the earl of Richmond.
&lt;/font&gt; 

&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; When William fled England, his wife was already 
pregnant.&amp;nbsp; Charles Brandon was born sometime in late 1483 or early 
1484.&amp;nbsp; His mother died in childbirth and, upon his grandfather's death in 
1491, the orphaned boy went to the royal court.&amp;nbsp; This was the custom of the 
time but since Brandon was not heir to an important title or great wealth, his 
case was decided more on sentiment.&amp;nbsp; He had a claim on Henry Tudor's affections 
since his father had died in his service.&amp;nbsp; That demonstration of loyalty at 
Bosworth meant a great deal to the first Tudor king.&amp;nbsp; Since Charles was 
just two years older than Henry's first son, Prince Arthur, it is probable that 
they were playmates. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; When Arthur married the Spanish princess Katharine of 
Aragon in 1502, his court moved to Ludlow Castle in the Welsh Marches, the 
traditional seat of the Prince of Wales.&amp;nbsp; Charles did not accompany the 
royal couple but remained in London as companion to Arthur's younger 
brother, Henry duke of York. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Though seven years older than Henry, Charles shared his 
most prominent characteristics - natural athleticism, robust physical health 
(unlike the delicate Arthur), and a devotion to all sports (wrestling, hunting, 
tilting and jousting, etc.)&amp;nbsp; During these adolescent years, the two boys 
laid the foundation for a lifelong friendship.&amp;nbsp; Arthur died just months 
after his wedding and, in 1509, the duke of York succeeded to the throne.&amp;nbsp; 
This marked the real beginning of Charles Brandon's rise to prominence and 
privilege. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; But before 1509, young Charles had undergone an 
embarrassing marital situation which revealed his ambition and 
callousness.&amp;nbsp; In 1505, he had become engaged to Anne Browne, a young woman 
of impressive lineage; her father was  Anthony Browne, Governor of Calais, 
and her mother was Lucy Neville, niece of the 'Kingmaker.'&amp;nbsp; Charles and 
Anne were betrothed &lt;I&gt;per verba de praesenti&lt;/I&gt;, a binding contract under 
canon law.&amp;nbsp; In such cases, there was no ceremony or witnesses; as one can 
imagine, this led to several unpleasant cases of men and (more rarely) women 
repudiating their betrothed &lt;I&gt;if&lt;/I&gt; they lacked proper respect for church 
law.&amp;nbsp; Charles apparently did.&amp;nbsp; He and Anne slept together, as 
evidenced by the birth of a daughter in 1506, but he did not marry her.&amp;nbsp; 
Instead, he married her aunt, a very wealthy widow named Margaret Neville 
Mortimer.&amp;nbsp; The marriage was never taken seriously due to its mercenary 
nature and, more importantly, legal action begun by Anne's angry family.&amp;nbsp; 
Eventually, the Mortimer marriage was annulled due to the previous contract and 
Charles married Anne in a well-attended public ceremony.&amp;nbsp; They had another 
daughter in 1510; Anne Browne died just two years later. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; By late 1512, Charles had recovered from his grief enough 
to contemplate yet another union.&amp;nbsp; This was perhaps even more mercenary 
since his betrothed was an eight-year-old orphan.&amp;nbsp; It was common practice 
for the Crown to assume guardianship of an orphaned minor child who had 
inherited property.&amp;nbsp; The Crown then sold the guardianship to the highest 
bidder, often the child's own relatives who wanted to receive the property 
revenues until the child came of age and decide whom they would marry.&amp;nbsp; 
Charles had been given the wardship of Elizabeth Grey, the heiress to Lord Lisle 
of Sparsholt in Berkshire.&amp;nbsp; This, along with various offices, grants &amp;amp; 
pensions, was a mark of Henry's continued favor.&amp;nbsp; In early 1513, Charles 
announced his engagement to the girl and, on 15 May 1513, the king created him 
Viscount Lisle, in right of his betrothed wife.&amp;nbsp; Charles Brandon finally 
had a noble title and even more property. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; That same year, the new Lord Lisle accompanied the king to 
France and also helped entertain the Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian and his 
twice-widowed, 33-year-old daughter, Margaret, Regent of the Netherlands.&amp;nbsp; 
For Henry, the meeting was also a diplomatic necessity since, in 1508, his 
father had entered into a formal contract of marriage between his youngest 
daughter, Mary, and Maximilian's son, Charles of Castile.&amp;nbsp; But over the 
next few years, little mention had been made of the contract.&amp;nbsp; Henry used 
the visit to broach the subject; the end result was an agreement that Princess Mary and Charles 
would wed in 1514, after Charles had reached his 14th birthday. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Meanwhile, Lord Lisle made a fool of himself by flirting 
with Margaret.&amp;nbsp; There is little chance she truly favored him, and certainly 
none that she planned to marry him, but they flirted, Henry translating for his 
friend.&amp;nbsp; Once again, Charles Brandon was demonstrating his heavy-handed 
flair for the ladies.&amp;nbsp; In the end, he greatly offended Margaret by 
encouraging gossip about their meeting.&amp;nbsp; In particular, it stressed her 
attraction to him and a possible marriage.&amp;nbsp; As a Hapsburg princess, she was 
not amused and Henry VIII was forced to make a public apology.&amp;nbsp; But he was 
not angry with his friend; on 1 February 1514, he created Charles the duke of 
Suffolk, the title once held by the Yorkist de la Poles.&amp;nbsp; He also received 
the majority of their confiscated estates.&amp;nbsp; This elevation was remarkable; 
it meant that Suffolk was one of only three dukes in the kingdom.&amp;nbsp; The 
other two were Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk (reinstated to the title after his 
victory at Flodden in 1513), and Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham and 
descendant of Edward III.&amp;nbsp; Of course, many were surprised that a yeoman's 
son was now one of their greatest peers but Brandon's friendship with Henry 
explained matters.&amp;nbsp; In Europe, it was said that 
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fwolsey.html&quot;&gt;Cardinal Wolsey&lt;/a&gt; and Brandon truly 
ruled England through influence upon Henry VIII. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In 1514 as well, the usual tangle of European diplomacy 
had made Henry distrustful of the Hapsburgs.&amp;nbsp; Also, the deadline for 
Charles of Castile's marriage to Princess Mary had come and passed with only 
dismissive explanations from the emperor.&amp;nbsp; So when Louis XII of France 
offered a peace treaty to England, Henry was eager to accept it.&amp;nbsp; Louis 
considerably sweetened the offer by offering to wed the Princess Mary.&amp;nbsp; For 
Henry, this was a diplomatic coup.&amp;nbsp; For his sister, of course, it was 
considerably different. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary Tudor, born 18 March 1495, was the baby of the Tudor 
family and widely considered the most beautiful princess of her time.&amp;nbsp; She 
shared her brother Henry's exuberance for spectacle and was the star of his 
court.&amp;nbsp; Like him, she loved dancing, masques, and parties; they were also 
close emotionally.&amp;nbsp; So when Henry told her that she would marry the widowed 
King of France, a man in his fifties with gout and a pock-marked face, she 
poured out her heart.&amp;nbsp; Certainly she would do her duty as a Princess, she 
told Henry, but when the marriage was over, she wanted to choose her next spouse 
- and choose him for love alone.&amp;nbsp; Itt was an extraordinary demand for any 
woman of that time but Henry VIII loved his sister and he agreed.&amp;nbsp; 
Why?&amp;nbsp; Partly because he loved her but also because he wanted her to leave 
for France peacefully and willingly; and also, perhaps more troubling, because 
she had confessed her secret love to him.&amp;nbsp; It was none other than his best friend, Charles 
Brandon. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary had enjoyed unprecedented freedom at Henry VIII's 
court.&amp;nbsp; Just fourteen when her father died, she had spent the next five 
years virtually unchaperoned in his hectic court, her brother openly encouraging 
her participation in every event.&amp;nbsp; In 1514, she was nineteen years old, 
very beautiful, and very willful.&amp;nbsp; She had developed an attachment to 
Charles Brandon; she had known him all her life.&amp;nbsp; It may have begun as a 
child's awe of a robust, attractive man, successful in all sports (so important 
at the Tudor court) and very charming.&amp;nbsp; But it had changed into something 
more and, by 1514, most of the king's inner circle knew of her affection.&amp;nbsp; 
There was no scandal, however.&amp;nbsp; Mary believed her brother's promise and 
married the aged Louis XII at Greenwich Palace on 13 August 1514.&amp;nbsp; The Duc 
de Longueville acted as the king's proxy in every respect; he even lay down on a 
bed with Mary and touched her body with his naked leg, thus 'consummating' the 
marriage.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary enjoyed herself at her wedding festivities and its 
attendant celebrations.&amp;nbsp; It would have been impossible to feel 
otherwise.&amp;nbsp; She had a splendid trousseau, marvelous jewels sent over from 
France, and all the honors due to the queen of France.&amp;nbsp; All contemporary 
accounts remark on her great beauty, particularly her clear complexion and long 
red-gold hair, the Tudor trademark.&amp;nbsp; Her husband was eager to see her, 
telling the English ambassador that he had many gifts for his bride and expected 
a kiss for each one. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary eventually traveled from Dover to Boulogne on 2 
October, after waiting weeks for stormy weather to end.&amp;nbsp;  She actually left in the 
midst of more storms since Henry VIII had grown bored waiting for them to 
end.&amp;nbsp; Upon her departure, she kissed her brother and reminded him of his 
promise about her future.&amp;nbsp; Henry, eager to leave, committed her to God and 
her husband and left.&amp;nbsp; There were fourteen ships in Mary's retinue but the 
weather was so terrible that only four reached port on time; the rest docked at 
various ports on the French coast.&amp;nbsp; Poor Mary, suffering from seasickness 
and constant rain, was carried ashore by one of her gentlemen, Sir Christopher 
Garnish.&amp;nbsp; She journeyed from Montreuil to Abbeville and contemporary 
chroniclers recorded her outfit; they were much impressed with her beauty and 
charm.&amp;nbsp; She wore cloth of gold on crimson with tight sleeves in the English style and a 
hat of crimson silk which she wore cocked over one eye.&amp;nbsp; Her husband met 
her at a carefully arranged 'accident' outside Abbeville and, on 9 October, they 
married in that city. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The marriage lasted for eighty-two days.&amp;nbsp; On 31 
December 1514, Louis died quite abruptly.&amp;nbsp; Despite his ill health, he had 
been notably active during his marriage.&amp;nbsp; This may have contributed to 
his demise; he boasted that on their wedding night, he had 'crossed the river' 
three times.&amp;nbsp; Before his death, he was visited by the duke of Suffolk on a 
diplomatic trip and Charles wrote to Henry that his sister was discreet and 
dignified.&amp;nbsp; This undoubtedly relieved both men; they had perhaps wondered 
how Mary would greet her true love.&amp;nbsp; Mary, however, was aware of her 
position as Queen of France and, during her brief marriage, conducted herself 
with aplomb. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The King of France's death changed her world 
considerably.&amp;nbsp; Now a queen dowager in a foreign country she had barely 
begun to settle in, she was suddenly pushed into strict seclusion for 40 
days.&amp;nbsp; This was French custom; after all, the widowed queen might be 
pregnant and the child's paternity must be certain.&amp;nbsp; Mary was not pregnant 
but she was sent to the Hotel de Cluny for her period of mourning, without even 
the comfort of her English attendants.&amp;nbsp; The new king, Francois, had 
appointed several Frenchwomen to attend her and dismissed her women.&amp;nbsp; May 
was undoubtedly terrified.&amp;nbsp; She was closed off from the world, shut behind 
heavy black drapes, and once more a pawn for her brother.&amp;nbsp; Would Henry 
arrange another marriage or would he keep his promise?&amp;nbsp; Frantic, Mary wrote 
to him from Cluny in early January 1515, just two weeks after her husband's 
death; she begged him to contact Francois and have her sent home to England and 
reminded him:&amp;nbsp; &quot;Sir, I beseech your grace that you will keep all the 
promises that you promised me when I took my leave of you by the 
waterside.&amp;nbsp; Sir, your grace knoweth well that I did marry for your pleasure 
at this time and now I trust you will suffer me to marry as me liketh for to 
do... wherefore I beseech your grace for to be a good lord and brother unto 
me.&quot;&amp;nbsp; If Henry did not keep his promise, Mary said she would enter a 
nunnery and &quot;never no man shall know joy of me.&quot; &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary also had to deal with visits from the new French 
king, Francois I.&amp;nbsp; He was twenty-one and knew the English-French alliance 
was breaking down.&amp;nbsp; He did not want Mary wed by Henry to some Hapsburg 
prince.&amp;nbsp; He suggested two of his own kinsmen as husbands and then hinted 
that Henry was trying to marry her to Charles of Castile again.&amp;nbsp; Alone and 
in a fragile state, Mary was terribly frightened; Francois's words touched on 
her greatest fears.&amp;nbsp; She eventually confessed her love for Suffolk to 
Francois.&amp;nbsp; Surprisingly, she found him sympathetic and kind.&amp;nbsp; He 
promised to help secure her future happiness, a promise which Mary found 
generous and Francois found opportunistic.&amp;nbsp; For, by this time, he knew the 
duke of Suffolk was on his way to France to bargain for Mary's return, 
specifically the return of her jewels, plate, and dower rights.&amp;nbsp; With the 
dowager queen's confession, Francois had a powerful bargaining tool &lt;i&gt;and&lt;/i&gt; peace 
of mind - if Mary wed her English duke, she was no longer Henry's political 
pawn. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Charles had been sent to France by Henry, specifically 
promising to keep his relations with the widow on a formal basis.&amp;nbsp; Henry 
had no reason to distrust him.&amp;nbsp; Charles was his creation, dependent on him 
for everything, and also ambitious.&amp;nbsp; Why would he bite the hand that so 
generously fed him?&amp;nbsp; So Suffolk departed on his most important mission 
ever; it was well-known that the matter would be complicated.&amp;nbsp; The French 
would not want to surrender any property to Mary and she would naturally want 
her rightful share.&amp;nbsp; Beyond that, perhaps Henry meant to keep his 
promise.&amp;nbsp; After all, he knew his sister's feelings - and now he sent her 
true love to bring her home.&amp;nbsp; But rattled by Francois's suggestions of a 
Hapsburg marriage, Mary was set on a course which nearly ruined her and Suffolk.
&lt;/font&gt; 

&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Suffolk arrived on 27 January; five days later, he met 
Francois at Senlis.&amp;nbsp; Francois summoned Suffolk to a private audience and 
bluntly dropped his bombshell - the duke had come to marry the Dowager Queen, 
had he not?&amp;nbsp; Poor Suffolk was taken aback and protested vehemently.&amp;nbsp; 
Francois went on to share Mary's confession and reassure the duke.&amp;nbsp; He was 
their friend, Francois said, and he would write to the English king and explain 
all.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk took no chances; he dashed off his own account of the 
interview to Wolsey and then went to see Mary.&amp;nbsp; It was a most emotional 
reunion.&amp;nbsp; She accused him of taking her to England only to have her married 
off again against her will.&amp;nbsp; He protested but she would have none of 
it.&amp;nbsp; She issued an ultimatum - either marry me now or never marry me at 
all.&amp;nbsp; There would be no better time, she said, for he had jealous enemies 
on the Privy Council who would prevent it in England.&amp;nbsp; She had her 
brother's explicit promise that she could follow her heart and Henry knew her 
greatest desire.&amp;nbsp; What was the risk for him, anyway?&amp;nbsp; She was a 
princess and queen, very beautiful, and imperious.&amp;nbsp; Why would any man deny 
her?&amp;nbsp; Suffolk was understandably torn between his obedience to Henry and 
his desire for Mary. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; But he was always ambitious and rarely foolish.&amp;nbsp; He 
knew that Mary would be a great prize; after all, he harbored no overt dynastic 
ambitions but six years of marriage had produced no living child for Henry 
VIII.&amp;nbsp; Perhaps Suffolk and Mary would create a new royal line.&amp;nbsp; And 
she was a royal princess and queen, just twenty years old and madly in love with 
him.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk was swayed by tears and ambition and, sometime in February 
1515, they married secretly at the Cluny chapel. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The consequences were rapid and hardly comforting.&amp;nbsp; 
Francois demanded Suffolk's acquiescence in several disputes over Mary's dowry 
as payment for their 'secret.'&amp;nbsp; Meanwhile, &lt;A 
href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fwolsey.html&quot;&gt;Wolsey&lt;/A&gt; and 
Henry wanted the duke to be firm and reject all the French king's demands.&amp;nbsp; 
Furthermore, news of the wedding was circulating throughout Paris and Mary 
suspected she might be pregnant.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk knew he could no longer delay 
confession and wrote to Wolsey, now Archbishop of York.&amp;nbsp; He wanted to 
arrange a more public wedding ceremony since he knew their secret wedding could 
easily be invalidated; certainly he knew that better than most.&amp;nbsp; And he 
feared that the king's council was urging an annulment.&amp;nbsp; Many didn't 
consider Suffolk a fit match for a princess and others wanted to promote 
pro-Hapsburg policy of which Mary's remarriage could play a part. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; But most important was Henry's reaction.&amp;nbsp; How would 
he consider the betrayal of his best friend and favorite sister?&lt;/font&gt;&lt;P&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;P&gt;
&lt;HR width=&quot;100%&quot;&gt;

&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;Henry's reaction was not favorable.&amp;nbsp; Brandon had written to Wolsey for 
support and he received a prompt reply but it hardly comforted him; the king 
could not believe his most trusted friend had betrayed him but, if it were true, 
the newlyweds had to pay a stiff penalty - literally.&amp;nbsp; They must pay back 
Mary's marriage portion in annual installments of 4000 pds, leaving her just 
6000 pds to live on.&amp;nbsp; She must return all the plate and jewels she had 
taken to France as her dowry as well as the many gifts King Louis had given her.
&lt;/font&gt; 

&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Beyond that, they must hasten to beg the king for 
forgiveness.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk and Mary did just that, both blaming her for the 
hasty marriage.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk wrote:&amp;nbsp; &quot;Sir, for the passion of God, let it 
not be in your heart against me, and rather than you should hold me in mistrust, 
strike off my head and let me not live.&quot;&amp;nbsp; Mary knew her brother well so, 
along with her letter, she sent him the most sumptuous jewel Louis had given her 
- a diamond called the Mirror of Naples wwhich formed part of the French crown 
jewels.&amp;nbsp; She assured her brother that she had not acted out of 'sensual 
appetite'; instead, she had been subject to 'consternation, fear and doubt' 
which made her force Suffolk's hand.&amp;nbsp; Henry did not reply.&amp;nbsp; Francois 
eventually allowed her to keep some of Louis's gifts and, on 16 April, they set 
out for the French coast.&amp;nbsp; Mary wrote to Henry again at Calais, telling him 
that she was now under his jurisdiction since Calais was an English possession 
and that she would not sail for England until he gave permission.&amp;nbsp; She 
reminded him of 'the great and tender love' they had always shared and promised 
to remain in Calais if that is what he wished. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; It was not.&amp;nbsp; Henry sent permission for them to cross the 
Channel in early May and met them privately at the manor of Barking outside 
London.&amp;nbsp; There is no record of that meeting, of course, and one must assume 
that Wolsey had perhaps exaggerated Henry's displeasure since he wanted 
Suffolk's gratitude.&amp;nbsp; Henry was willing enough to forgive his best friend 
and favorite sister, &lt;i&gt;after&lt;/i&gt; she turned over all her jewels and plate from France 
and signed a contract to repay the 24000 pds spent on her first marriage in the 
annual installments of 4000 pds.&amp;nbsp; It was obvious that Henry was not 
surprised by the marriage; he was mostly angry at Suffolk for breaking his word.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;P&gt;
    &lt;img border=&quot;2&quot; src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/brandonpage1.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;another version of the Brandon marriage portrait&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;363&quot;&gt;&lt;P&gt;
    &lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Suffolk and Mary were wed again at Greenwich Palace on 13 
May with Henry and
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2faragon.html&quot;&gt;Katharine of Aragon&lt;/a&gt; 
in attendance.&amp;nbsp; There was feasting and celebration but it was strictly a 
family affair and foreign ambassadors wondered if they should congratulate the 
couple.&amp;nbsp; After all, the situation was odd and there were some (mostly on 
the king's council) who disapproved of the match.&amp;nbsp; But, for the most part, 
there were no hard feelings or grudges.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk was a popular man, 
good-looking and charming, and few - even in Tudor England - could resist such a 
grand love story.&amp;nbsp; After all, they had risked everything to be 
together.&amp;nbsp; Before long, the Suffolks were back in the king's good 
graces.&amp;nbsp; They are recorded as extending all the great court celebrations of 
the next few years.&amp;nbsp; Mary's pregnancy in France had been a false alarm but 
she did become pregnant a few months later.&amp;nbsp; In fact, she was now pregnant 
along with her sister-in-law Katharine.&amp;nbsp; Due to the queen's history of 
miscarriages and stillbirths, few were hopeful of the outcome; but, on 18 
February 1516, she gave birth to her only surviving child, a princess called 
Mary after her aunt.&amp;nbsp; The new duchess of Suffolk, however, was more 
fortunate - on 11 March 1516, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy called Henry 
after the king.&amp;nbsp; Henry and Wolsey stood as the child's godfathers. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary and Henry's older sister Margaret of Scotland visited 
that summer, bringing her six-month-old daughter, Lady Margaret Douglas.&amp;nbsp; 
She had been in Scotland for thirteen years but her visit was pleasant 
enough.&amp;nbsp; Henry had never tired of lecturing Margaret on morality (she had 
married the Earl of Angus after James of Scotland's death at Flodden); this, of 
course, is laughable when one considers his own matrimonial career.&amp;nbsp; But 
Margaret's visit was some ten years before Anne Boleyn entered Henry's 
life.&amp;nbsp; In 1516, the king was just seven years into his reign, still 
handsome and bluff.&amp;nbsp; Still, Margaret had little in common with her siblings 
after her years away; also, her first husband had been killed by the English at 
Flodden Field. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary Tudor was far closer to her foreign sister-in-law 
than to Margaret.&amp;nbsp; After all, she and Katharine had spent their formative 
years together.&amp;nbsp; When, in 1517, Katharine went on a pilgrimage to pray for 
a son, Mary accompanied her.&amp;nbsp; Both Mary and Brandon understood the queen's 
 
heartfelt desire to bear her husband a prince and successor and were 
sympathetic supporters.&amp;nbsp; There was a passing cloud in 1516 - Mary's revenues 
from France had fallen off and she was behind in payment of her debt - but the 
cloud passed quickly.&amp;nbsp; In early summer 1517, they were at Richmond Palace 
again.&amp;nbsp; Mary was once more pregnant and, on 16 July 1517, she went into 
labor on her way home.&amp;nbsp; A daughter was born, called Frances after the 
French king; the Suffolks 
had another daughter, Eleanor, in 1519. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In 1518, Mary and Suffolk were at court again, attending 
the betrothal of the infant Princess Mary to the infant dauphin of France.&amp;nbsp; 
And they attended the famous Field of Cloth of Gold at Guines, near 
Calais in 1520.&amp;nbsp; Mary was widely considered the most beautiful woman there.&amp;nbsp; 
A French admiral commented, &quot;Madame, you are the rose of Christendom.&amp;nbsp; You 
should have stayed in France.&amp;nbsp; We would have appreciated you.&quot;&amp;nbsp; Mary 
was now in her mid-twenties and, when Katharine of Aragon was pregnant or ill, acted 
as her brother's hostess. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Back in England, however, things began to change.&amp;nbsp; In 
the new year of 1522, Mary first met
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html&quot;&gt;Anne Boleyn&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; 
She knew Anne's older sister Mary quite well for she had been one of her 
ladies-in-waiting when Mary Tudor wed Louis XII in France.&amp;nbsp; She had also remained 
in France until dismissed by Francois.&amp;nbsp; Anne wanted to join Queen 
Katharine's household as a lady-in-waiting, a much-sought-after position.&amp;nbsp; 
It is likely that Mary repaid Mary Boleyn's service by helping Anne.&amp;nbsp; 
Certainly she may have liked the girl; Anne had spent time at the French court 
and was fashionable and high-spirited, much like Mary. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Anne entered Katharine's service but was sent home in 
disgrace for three years.&amp;nbsp; In just a matter of months, she had managed to 
attract the attention of Henry Percy, heir to the powerful Earl of 
Northmberland.&amp;nbsp; The young couple entered into an understanding but Percy was under the guardianship of Wolsey.&amp;nbsp; The king's most trusted 
advisor and Percy's powerful father were understandably angry at the secret 
romance.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fab-percy.html&quot;&gt;Anne and Percy were brought to heel&lt;/a&gt;; 
there were better matches for him and she had overstepped her bounds.&amp;nbsp; Anne 
was openly furious, so much that she was banished from court.&amp;nbsp; However, she 
was allowed back in late 1525, around the time that Henry VIII was first 
beginning to contemplate his lack of heirs. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Katharine of Aragon had delivered the Princess Mary in 
1516, when she was thirty-one years old.&amp;nbsp; Since then, there had been no other 
surviving children.&amp;nbsp; In 1525, she was forty and it was obvious she would 
have no further children.&amp;nbsp; Her husband was nervous; his dynasty was just forty 
years old.&amp;nbsp; It would not survive with just one princess as heir.&amp;nbsp; He 
knew the problem was not his fault - after all, in 1519, a mistress called 
Bessie Blount had born a son.&amp;nbsp; In summer 1525, this child, called Henry 
Fitzroy, was made the duke of Richmond and Somerset.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk was present 
at the grand ceremony.&amp;nbsp; Katharine was normally a patient, dignified wife 
but the lavish ceremony, involving all the important nobility, offended 
her.&amp;nbsp; She argued with Henry, telling him it insulted her and their daughter 
Mary.&amp;nbsp; Henry was unused to such criticism and responded by dismissing three 
of her favorite ladies.&amp;nbsp; The Suffolks were not critical of their benefactor 
since Henry had created his nephew the Earl of Lincoln at the same 
ceremony.&amp;nbsp; Also, Mary's repayment of her debt was still in limbo. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; She was also in failing health.&amp;nbsp; She had suffered 
through the sweating sickness in 1518 and never completely recovered.&amp;nbsp; She may also have been exhibiting the first signs of the 
disease which eventually killed her; most historians believe it was 
cancer.&amp;nbsp; She was present at several court functions over the next few years 
(a summer 1526 party for European ambassadors, for example) but came to court 
with less and less frequency.&amp;nbsp; Her physical condition was deteriorating but 
she was also uncomfortable with her brother's course of action. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In 1527, Henry's infatuation with Anne Boleyn had 
begun.&amp;nbsp; He was determined to annul his marriage to Katharine, arguing that 
it had never been legal in the first place.&amp;nbsp; He asserted that Katharine and 
Arthur had consummated their marriage and, once again, his old friend Suffolk 
acted in the king's interest.&amp;nbsp; He dug out some heretofore-lost memories 
that hinted at consummation.&amp;nbsp; Meanwhile, Wolsey had lost Henry's trust 
because of the many delays in the annulment; the king used Suffolk to openly 
attack his once powerful advisor.&amp;nbsp; At a public hearing on the case, Suffolk banged his fist on 
the table and shouted &quot;It was never merry in England whilst we had cardinals 
among us.&quot;&amp;nbsp; Of course, Suffolk would not have dared to attack Wolsey 
without Henry's implicit support.&amp;nbsp; It was the downfall of the Cardinal.
&lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In 1531, Henry banished Katharine of Aragon from 
court.&amp;nbsp; He and Anne were constantly together and he made no secret of his 
intention to marry her.&amp;nbsp; The Suffolks were not happy about this but what 
could they do?&amp;nbsp; They depended on Henry for everything.&amp;nbsp; Mary made a 
cutting remark about Anne sometime in early 1532 and refused to accompany Henry 
and Anne on a state visit to France.&amp;nbsp; Her husband warned Henry that Anne 
may have slept with Sir Thomas Wyatt.&amp;nbsp; But that is all they dared.&amp;nbsp; 
They were concerned about their own family. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; By this time, Suffolk's daughters with Anne Browne were 
wed to titled men.&amp;nbsp; His eldest daughter with Mary, the lady Frances, was 
engaged to Henry Grey third Marquess of Dorset, descendent of the famous &lt;A 
href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2fplant%2fqueens%2felizwood.html&quot;&gt;Elizabeth 
Woodville&lt;/A&gt;; before Edward IV, she had been married to a Grey and had two sons 
by him.&amp;nbsp; It was from the elder son that Henry Grey was descended.&amp;nbsp; Frances and Henry were the parents of
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html&quot;&gt;Lady Jane 
Grey&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; The celebration of Frances's wedding to Henry Grey was held at 
the Suffolk home in London.&amp;nbsp; It was Mary's last visit to the city.&amp;nbsp; 
She was increasingly ill and also uncomfortable with her brother.&amp;nbsp; His 
favor was no longer certain.&amp;nbsp; He had married the pregnant Anne Boleyn in a 
secret ceremony.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk was put in charge of the new queen's &lt;A 
href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html&quot;&gt;coronation&lt;/A&gt;.&amp;nbsp; 
Therefore, he was not with his wife when she passed away quietly at their home 
in Westhorpe on 26 June 1533.&amp;nbsp; She was thirty-eight years old.&amp;nbsp; Her 
death was not considered important news since most people were concerned with 
the impending birth of Anne Boleyn's child, destined to be 
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz1.html&quot;&gt;Elizabeth I&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; 
Mary had seen her husband in early May but his duties kept him busy; it was a 
hurried visit and she simply wasted away in the next few weeks. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Her brother ordered requiem masses to be sung at 
Westminster Abbey but showed no other sign of mourning.&amp;nbsp; He was, after all, 
in the midst of the Reformation.&amp;nbsp; Charles Brandon did not attend the 
funeral but it was a marvelous affair.&amp;nbsp; The coffin lay in state for a month 
at Westhorpe and was interred at the church of Bury St Edmunds on 22 July.&amp;nbsp; 
The abbey church and her monument were destroyed during the dissolution of the 
monasteries.&amp;nbsp; Her coffin was saved, however, and moved to a nearby church 
called St Mary.&amp;nbsp; In 1784, it was moved yet again within that church.&amp;nbsp; 
The movers ghoulishly opened the coffin; they found a good set of teeth and two 
feet of hair which was still red-gold.&amp;nbsp; Souvenir hunters cut off pieces of 
the hair. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Mary's death was perhaps most mourned in Suffolk county 
where she had been a popular and respected figure.&amp;nbsp; Her husband replaced 
her quickly enough - and, as was typical of Brandon, with aplomb.&amp;nbsp; He 
decided to marry his son's betrothed.&amp;nbsp; The girl was called Catherine 
Willoughby and she as a baroness in her own right, heiress to 15000 ducats a 
year.&amp;nbsp; She was also just fourteen-years-old, the same age as his youngest 
child.&amp;nbsp; Brandon himself was almost fifty.&amp;nbsp; But he needed money badly 
and she was very rich; he married her quite rapidly.&amp;nbsp; The exact date is unknown.&amp;nbsp; 
His and Mary's son, the eighteen-year-old Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln, would 
be betrothed elsewhere easily enough.&amp;nbsp; But that was not to be.&amp;nbsp; After 
his father's wedding, the young earl died, probably of the Tudor scourge, 
tuberculosis.&amp;nbsp; Brandon was not particularly grieved; six months after his 
death, he and Catherine had a son and named him Henry Brandon.&amp;nbsp; This usage 
of a dead child's name was common practice in England. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Suffolk remained in Henry's favor.&amp;nbsp; The king gave his 
old friend the unpleasant task of persuading Katharine of Aragon to accept the 
break with Rome and the new title Princess Dowager.&amp;nbsp; He was also to move 
her to Somersham near Cambridge, a manor known for its dank and unhealthy 
atmosphere.&amp;nbsp; Katharine would not be bullied; she told Suffolk that he would 
have to bind her in ropes if he wanted to move her anywhere.&amp;nbsp; After a week 
of such talks, Suffolk left, having accomplished precious little. &lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; He never saw Katharine again.&amp;nbsp; He did attend all the 
momentous events of the 1530s - he sat at the trials of
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fmore.html&quot;&gt;Thomas More&lt;/a&gt; 
and Anne Boleyn, he was even present at the scaffold when &lt;A 
href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html&quot;&gt;she was 
beheaded&lt;/A&gt;.&amp;nbsp; He also helped lead forces to end the &lt;A 
href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html&quot;&gt;Pilgrimage of Grace&lt;/A&gt;, 
one of the most serious problems of Henry's reign.&amp;nbsp; Meanwhile, his wife 
gave birth to a second son called Charles and his daughter Frances, after two 
still-births, gave birth to a healthy baby girl, named &lt;A 
href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html&quot;&gt;Jane Grey&lt;/A&gt;, 
probably after Queen Jane Seymour.&amp;nbsp; The exact date of birth is not known, 
but it was probably October and eclipsed by the birth - finally! - of Henry's 
son, &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fedward6.html&quot;&gt;Prince Edward&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Suffolk acted as godfather to the new prince.
&lt;/font&gt; 
&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The last years of his life were quite happy.&amp;nbsp; He and 
Catherine Willoughby were affectionate, they had two healthy sons, and the 
dissolution of the monasteries allowed the king to grant him more lands and 
pensions.&amp;nbsp; He and his wife entertained the king and his new wife 
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fhoward.html&quot;&gt;Catherine 
Howard&lt;/a&gt;; and, of course, Suffolk was one the men who arrested and extracted a 
confession from that queen.&amp;nbsp; He died quite suddenly on 22 August 1545, his 
last official business being plans for an invasion of France.&amp;nbsp; But he was 
sixty years old, a good age at the time, and - once the news was known - it was 
not suurprising.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Suffolk requested a quiet funeral but the king would have 
none of it - he ordered a lavish ceremony at St George's Chapel in 
Windsor.&amp;nbsp; Henry planned and paid for the service.&amp;nbsp; It was undoubtedly 
an emotional occasion for him; after all, Charles Brandon had been his companion 
for virtually his entire life.&amp;nbsp; In fact, Suffolk was one of the few men who 
could still remember the Bluff King Hal of legend.&amp;nbsp; Henry was now 
overweight, bald, and suffering from a variety of physical ailments.&amp;nbsp; He 
would only outlive his friend by about eighteen months.&amp;nbsp; In that time, he 
had good cause to regret the death of his one true friend.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;CENTER&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html&quot;&gt;Learn about 
Charles and Mary's granddaughter, Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for 
nine days in 1553&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&lt;FONT size=-1&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelatives.html&quot;&gt;to 
Tudor Relatives&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT size=-1&gt;&lt;A 
href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens.html&quot;&gt;to Tudor 
Citizens&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=-1 face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor.html&quot;&gt;
to Tudor England&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/CENTER&gt;
  &lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;



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