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    <Metadata name="Title">Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Princess Mary Tudor: Biography, Portrait, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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      &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;     &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;
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      &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;     &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;
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      &lt;blockquote&gt;                
        &lt;hr&gt;     &lt;/blockquote&gt;
             
      &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;     &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;
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      &lt;blockquote&gt;                
        &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;+1&quot; face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;Charles Brandon, duke 
of Suffolk, was Henry VIII's closest   friend.  Brandon's father was Henry 
VII's standard-bearer at the Battle of   Bosworth Field and died defending 
the future king.  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.  But their   friendship was sorely tested when 
Brandon secretly married Henry's favorite   sister, the beautiful Princess 
Mary Tudor.  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;blockquote&gt;      
  &lt;blockquote&gt;          
    &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
        
    &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.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    His father was William Brandon, Henry 
Tudor's standard   bearer at Bosworth Field in 1485.  He was reportedly killed 
there by   Richard III himself.  Around 1480 or so, William had married the 
daughter   and heiress of Sir Henry Bruyn of South Ockendon in Essex.  But 
unlike his   respectable, middle-class forebears who had led exemplary and 
cautious   lives, William had a tasste for politics.  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.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    When William fled England, his wife 
was already   pregnant.  Charles Brandon was born sometime in late 1483 or 
early   1484.  His mother died in childbirth and, upon his grandfather's death
in   1491, the orphaned boy went to the royal court.  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.  He had a claim on Henry
Tudor's affections   since his father had died in his service.  That demonstration
of loyalty at   Bosworth meant a great deal to the first Tudor king.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    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.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    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.)  During these adolescent
years, the two boys   laid the foundation for a lifelong friendship.  Arthur
died just months   after his wedding and, in 1509, the duke of York succeeded
to the throne.   This marked the real beginning of Charles Brandon's rise
to prominence and   privilege. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    But before 1509, young Charles had 
undergone an   embarrassing marital situation which revealed his ambition 
and   callousness.  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.'  Charles 
and   Anne were betrothed &lt;i&gt;per verba de praesenti&lt;/i&gt;, a binding contract 
under   canon law.  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.  Charles apparently did.  He and Anne slept together, as
  evidenced by the birth of a daughter in 1506, but he did not marry her.
  Instead, he married her aunt, a very wealthy widow named Margaret Neville 
  Mortimer.  The marriage was never taken seriously due to its mercenary 
 nature and, more importantly, legal action begun by Anne's angry family.
  Eventually, the Mortimer marriage was annulled due to the previous contract 
and   Charles married Anne in a well-attended public ceremony.  They had another
  daughter in 1510; Anne Browne died just two years later. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    By late 1512, Charles had recovered 
from his grief enough   to contemplate yet another union.  This was perhaps 
even more mercenary   since his betrothed was an eight-year-old orphan.  It
was common practice   for the Crown to assume guardianship of an orphaned 
minor child who had   inherited property.  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.   Charles had been given the wardship of Elizabeth Grey, the heiress
to Lord Lisle   of Sparsholt in Berkshire.  This, along with various offices,
grants &amp;amp;  pensions, was a mark of Henry's continued favor.  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.  Charles
Brandon finally   had a noble title and even more property.     &lt;/font&gt; 
    &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    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.   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.
 But over the   next few years, little mention had been made of the contract.
 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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Meanwhile, Lord Lisle made a fool 
of himself by flirting   with Margaret.  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.  Once again, Charles Brandon 
was demonstrating his heavy-handed   flair for the ladies.  In the end, he 
greatly offended Margaret by   encouraging gossip about their meeting.  In 
particular, it stressed her   attraction to him and a possible marriage.
 As a Hapsburg princess, she was   not amused and Henry VIII was forced to 
make a public apology.  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.  He also received   the majority of their confiscated 
estates.  This elevation was remarkable;   it meant that Suffolk was one of
only three dukes in the kingdom.  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. 
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.  In
Europe, it was said that   &lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    In 1514 as well, the usual tangle 
of European diplomacy   had made Henry distrustful of the Hapsburgs.  Also, 
the deadline for   Charles of Castile's marriage to Princess Mary had come 
and passed with only   dismissive explanations from the emperor.  So when 
Louis XII of France   offered a peace treaty to England, Henry was eager to
accept it.  Louis   considerably sweetened the offer by offering to wed the
Princess Mary.  For   Henry, this was a diplomatic coup.  For his sister, 
of course, it was   considerably different. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary Tudor, born 18 March 1495, was 
the baby of the Tudor   family and widely considered the most beautiful princess 
of her time.  She   shared her brother Henry's exuberance for spectacle and 
was the star of his   court.  Like him, she loved dancing, masques, and parties; 
they were also   close emotionally.  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.  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.  Itt was an extraordinary
demand for any   woman of that time but Henry VIII loved his sister and he
agreed.   Why?  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.  It was none other than
his best friend, Charles   Brandon. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary had enjoyed unprecedented freedom 
at Henry VIII's   court.  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.  In 1514, she was nineteen
years old,   very beautiful, and very willful.  She had developed an attachment
to   Charles Brandon; she had known him all her life.  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.  But it had changed
into something   more and, by 1514, most of the king's inner circle knew
of her affection.   There was no scandal, however.  Mary believed her brother's
promise and   married the aged Louis XII at Greenwich Palace on 13 August
1514.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary enjoyed herself at her wedding 
festivities and its   attendant celebrations.  It would have been impossible 
to feel   otherwise.  She had a splendid trousseau, marvelous jewels sent 
over from   France, and all the honors due to the queen of France.  All contemporary 
  accounts remark on her great beauty, particularly her clear complexion and
long   red-gold hair, the Tudor trademark.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary eventually traveled from Dover 
to Boulogne on 2   October, after waiting weeks for stormy weather to end.
  She actually left in the   midst of more storms since Henry VIII had grown 
bored waiting for them to   end.  Upon her departure, she kissed her brother 
and reminded him of his   promise about her future.  Henry, eager to leave, 
committed her to God and   her husband and left.  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.  Poor 
Mary, suffering from seasickness   and constant rain, was carried ashore by
one of her gentlemen, Sir Christopher   Garnish.  She journeyed from Montreuil 
to Abbeville and contemporary   chroniclers recorded her outfit; they were 
much impressed with her beauty and   charm.  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.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    The marriage lasted for eighty-two 
days.  On 31   December 1514, Louis died quite abruptly.  Despite his ill 
health, he had   been notably active during his marriage.  This may have contributed
to   his demise; he boasted that on their wedding night, he had 'crossed
the river'   three times.  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.  This undoubtedly relieved both men; they had
perhaps wondered   how Mary would greet her true love.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    The King of France's death changed 
her world   considerably.  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.  This was French custom; after all, the widowed queen might 
be   pregnant and the child's paternity must be certain.  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.  The new king, Francois, had 
  appointed several Frenchwomen to attend her and dismissed her women.  May 
  was undoubtedly terrified.  She was closed off from the world, shut behind 
  heavy black drapes, and once more a pawn for her brother.  Would Henry 
 arrange another marriage or would he keep his promise?  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:  &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.
 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;
 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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary also had to deal with visits 
from the new French   king, Francois I.  He was twenty-one and knew the English-French 
alliance   was breaking down.  He did not want Mary wed by Henry to some Hapsburg
  prince.  He suggested two of his own kinsmen as husbands and then hinted
  that Henry was trying to marry her to Charles of Castile again.  Alone
and   in a fragile state, Mary was terribly frightened; Francois's words
touched on   her greatest fears.  She eventually confessed her love for Suffolk
to   Francois.  Surprisingly, she found him sympathetic and kind.  He   promised
to help secure her future happiness, a promise which Mary found   generous
and Francois found opportunistic.  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.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Charles had been sent to France by 
Henry, specifically   promising to keep his relations with the widow on a 
formal basis.  Henry   had no reason to distrust him.  Charles was his creation, 
dependent on him   for everything, and also ambitious.  Why would he bite 
the hand that so   generously fed him?  So Suffolk departed on his most important 
mission   ever; it was well-known that the matter would be complicated.  The
French   would not want to surrender any property to Mary and she would naturally
want   her rightful share.  Beyond that, perhaps Henry meant to keep his
  promise.  After all, he knew his sister's feelings - and now he sent her
  true love to bring her home.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Suffolk arrived on 27 January; five 
days later, he met   Francois at Senlis.  Francois summoned Suffolk to a private
audience and   bluntly dropped his bombshell - the duke had come to marry
the Dowager Queen,   had he not?  Poor Suffolk was taken aback and protested
vehemently.   Francois went on to share Mary's confession and reassure the
duke.  He was   their friend, Francois said, and he would write to the English
king and explain   all.  Suffolk took no chances; he dashed off his own account
of the   interview to Wolsey and then went to see Mary.  It was a most emotional
  reunion.  She accused him of taking her to England only to have her married
  off again against her will.  He protested but she would have none of  
it.  She issued an ultimatum - either marry me now or never marry me at 
 all.  There would be no better time, she said, for he had jealous enemies
  on the Privy Council who would prevent it in England.  She had her   brother's
explicit promise that she could follow her heart and Henry knew her   greatest
desire.  What was the risk for him, anyway?  She was a   princess and queen,
very beautiful, and imperious.  Why would any man deny   her?  Suffolk was
understandably torn between his obedience to Henry and   his desire for Mary.
    &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    But he was always ambitious and rarely 
foolish.  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.  Perhaps Suffolk and Mary would create a new royal 
line.  And   she was a royal princess and queen, just twenty years old and 
madly in love with   him.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    The consequences were rapid and hardly 
comforting.   Francois demanded Suffolk's acquiescence in several disputes 
over Mary's dowry   as payment for their 'secret.'  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.
  Furthermore, news of the wedding was circulating throughout Paris and Mary 
  suspected she might be pregnant.  Suffolk knew he could no longer delay 
  confession and wrote to Wolsey, now Archbishop of York.  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.  And
he   feared that the king's council was urging an annulment.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    But most important was Henry's reaction.
 How would   he consider the betrayal of his best friend and favorite sister?&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;  &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.  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.  They must pay back   Mary's marriage portion in annual
installments of 4000 pds, leaving her just   6000 pds to live on.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Beyond that, they must hasten to beg
the king for   forgiveness.  Suffolk and Mary did just that, both blaming 
her for the   hasty marriage.  Suffolk wrote:  &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;  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.  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.  Henry
did not reply.  Francois   eventually allowed her to keep some of Louis's 
gifts and, on 16 April, they set   out for the French coast.  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.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    It was not.  Henry sent permission 
for them to cross the   Channel in early May and met them privately at the 
manor of Barking outside   London.  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.  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.  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;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;p&gt;     &lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Suffolk and Mary were wed again 
at Greenwich Palace on 13   May with Henry and  &lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2faragon.html&quot;&gt;Katharine of 
Aragon&lt;/a&gt;  in attendance.  There was feasting and celebration but it was 
strictly a   family affair and foreign ambassadors wondered if they should 
congratulate the   couple.  After all, the situation was odd and there were 
some (mostly on   the king's council) who disapproved of the match.  But, 
for the most part,   there were no hard feelings or grudges.  Suffolk was 
a popular man,   good-looking and charming, and few - even in Tudor England 
- could resist such a   grand love story.  After all, they had risked everything 
to be   together.  Before long, the Suffolks were back in the king's good 
  graces.  They are recorded as extending all the great court celebrations 
of   the next few years.  Mary's pregnancy in France had been a false alarm 
but   she did become pregnant a few months later.  In fact, she was now pregnant 
  along with her sister-in-law Katharine.  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.  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.  Henry and Wolsey stood as the child's godfathers.     &lt;/font&gt;
 &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary and Henry's older sister Margaret 
of Scotland visited   that summer, bringing her six-month-old daughter, Lady 
Margaret Douglas.   She had been in Scotland for thirteen years but her visit 
was pleasant   enough.  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.
 But   Margaret's visit was some ten years before Anne Boleyn entered Henry's 
  life.  In 1516, the king was just seven years into his reign, still   handsome 
and bluff.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary Tudor was far closer to her foreign
sister-in-law   than to Margaret.  After all, she and Katharine had spent
their formative   years together.  When, in 1517, Katharine went on a pilgrimage
to pray for   a son, Mary accompanied her.  Both Mary and Brandon understood
the queen's      heartfelt desire to bear her husband a prince and successor
and were   sympathetic supporters.  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.  In early summer 1517, they were at
Richmond Palace   again.  Mary was once more pregnant and, on 16 July 1517,
she went into   labor on her way home.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    In 1518, Mary and Suffolk were at 
court again, attending   the betrothal of the infant Princess Mary to the 
infant dauphin of France.   And they attended the famous Field of Cloth of 
Gold at Guines, near   Calais in 1520.  Mary was widely considered the most 
beautiful woman there.   A French admiral commented, &quot;Madame, you are the 
rose of Christendom.  You   should have stayed in France.  We would have appreciated
you.&quot;  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Back in England, however, things began
to change.  In   the new year of 1522, Mary first met  &lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html&quot;&gt;Anne Boleyn&lt;/a&gt;.
  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.  She had also 
remained   in France until dismissed by Francois.  Anne wanted to join Queen 
  Katharine's household as a lady-in-waiting, a much-sought-after position.
  It is likely that Mary repaid Mary Boleyn's service by helping Anne.  
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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Anne entered Katharine's service but
was sent home in   disgrace for three years.  In just a matter of months, 
she had managed to   attract the attention of Henry Percy, heir to the powerful 
Earl of   Northmberland.  The young couple entered into an understanding but
Percy was under the guardianship of Wolsey.  The king's most trusted   advisor
and Percy's powerful father were understandably angry at the secret   romance.
 &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&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.  Anne   was openly furious, so much that she was banished from
court.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Katharine of Aragon had delivered 
the Princess Mary in   1516, when she was thirty-one years old.  Since then, 
there had been no other   surviving children.  In 1525, she was forty and 
it was obvious she would   have no further children.  Her husband was nervous; 
his dynasty was just forty   years old.  It would not survive with just one 
princess as heir.  He   knew the problem was not his fault - after all, in 
1519, a mistress called   Bessie Blount had born a son.  In summer 1525, this
child, called Henry   Fitzroy, was made the duke of Richmond and Somerset.
 Suffolk was present   at the grand ceremony.  Katharine was normally a patient, 
dignified wife   but the lavish ceremony, involving all the important nobility, 
offended   her.  She argued with Henry, telling him it insulted her and their 
daughter   Mary.  Henry was unused to such criticism and responded by dismissing 
three   of her favorite ladies.  The Suffolks were not critical of their benefactor
  since Henry had created his nephew the Earl of Lincoln at the same   ceremony.
 Also, Mary's repayment of her debt was still in limbo.     &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    She was also in failing health.  She
had suffered   through the sweating sickness in 1518 and never completely 
recovered.  She may also have been exhibiting the first signs of the   disease 
which eventually killed her; most historians believe it was   cancer.  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.  Her physical condition was deteriorating but  
she was also uncomfortable with her brother's course of action. &lt;/font&gt; 
    &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    In 1527, Henry's infatuation with 
Anne Boleyn had   begun.  He was determined to annul his marriage to Katharine, 
arguing that   it had never been legal in the first place.  He asserted that 
Katharine and   Arthur had consummated their marriage and, once again, his 
old friend Suffolk   acted in the king's interest.  He dug out some heretofore-lost 
memories   that hinted at consummation.  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.  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;  Of course, Suffolk would 
not have dared to attack Wolsey   without Henry's implicit support.  It was 
the downfall of the Cardinal. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    In 1531, Henry banished Katharine 
of Aragon from   court.  He and Anne were constantly together and he made 
no secret of his   intention to marry her.  The Suffolks were not happy about 
this but what   could they do?  They depended on Henry for everything.  Mary 
made a   cutting remark about Anne sometime in early 1532 and refused to accompany
Henry   and Anne on a state visit to France.  Her husband warned Henry that
Anne   may have slept with Sir Thomas Wyatt.  But that is all they dared.
  They were concerned about their own family. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    By this time, Suffolk's daughters 
with Anne Browne were   wed to titled men.  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.  It was from the elder son that Henry Grey was descended.
 Frances and Henry were the parents of  &lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html&quot;&gt;Lady Jane 
 Grey&lt;/a&gt;.  The celebration of Frances's wedding to Henry Grey was held at
  the Suffolk home in London.  It was Mary's last visit to the city.   She
was increasingly ill and also uncomfortable with her brother.  His    favor
was no longer certain.  He had married the pregnant Anne Boleyn in a   secret
ceremony.  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;.
  Therefore, he was not with his wife when she passed away quietly at their 
home   in Westhorpe on 26 June 1533.  She was thirty-eight years old.  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=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz1.html&quot;&gt;Elizabeth I&lt;/a&gt;.
  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Her brother ordered requiem masses 
to be sung at   Westminster Abbey but showed no other sign of mourning.  He
was, after all,   in the midst of the Reformation.  Charles Brandon did not
attend the   funeral but it was a marvelous affair.  The coffin lay in state
for a month   at Westhorpe and was interred at the church of Bury St Edmunds
on 22 July.   The abbey church and her monument were destroyed during the
dissolution of the   monasteries.  Her coffin was saved, however, and moved
to a nearby church   called St Mary.  In 1784, it was moved yet again within
that church.   The movers ghoulishly opened the coffin; they found a good
set of teeth and two   feet of hair which was still red-gold.  Souvenir hunters
cut off pieces of   the hair. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Mary's death was perhaps most mourned 
in Suffolk county   where she had been a popular and respected figure.  Her 
husband replaced   her quickly enough - and, as was typical of Brandon, with 
aplomb.  He   decided to marry his son's betrothed.  The girl was called Catherine
  Willoughby and she as a baroness in her own right, heiress to 15000 ducats
a   year.  She was also just fourteen-years-old, the same age as his youngest
  child.  Brandon himself was almost fifty.  But he needed money badly  
and she was very rich; he married her quite rapidly.  The exact date is unknown.
  His and Mary's son, the eighteen-year-old Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln,
would   be betrothed elsewhere easily enough.  But that was not to be.  After
  his father's wedding, the young earl died, probably of the Tudor scourge,
  tuberculosis.  Brandon was not particularly grieved; six months after his
  death, he and Catherine had a son and named him Henry Brandon.  This usage
  of a dead child's name was common practice in England.     &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    Suffolk remained in Henry's favor.
 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.
 He was also to move   her to Somersham near Cambridge, a manor known for 
its dank and unhealthy   atmosphere.  Katharine would not be bullied; she 
told Suffolk that he would   have to bind her in ropes if he wanted to move 
her anywhere.  After a week   of such talks, Suffolk left, having accomplished 
precious little. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    He never saw Katharine again.  He 
did attend all the   momentous events of the 1530s - he sat at the trials 
of  &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&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;.
 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.  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.  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=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fedward6.html&quot;&gt;Prince 
Edward&lt;/a&gt;.  Suffolk acted as godfather to the new prince. &lt;/font&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    The last years of his life were quite 
happy.  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.  He and his wife entertained the king and his
new wife   &lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&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.  He died quite suddenly on 22 August 1545,
his   last official business being plans for an invasion of France.  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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;    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.  Henry planned and paid for the service.  It 
was undoubtedly   an emotional occasion for him; after all, Charles Brandon 
had been his companion   for virtually his entire life.  In fact, Suffolk 
was one of the few men who   could still remember the Bluff King Hal of legend.
 Henry was now   overweight, bald, and suffering from a variety of physical 
ailments.  He   would only outlive his friend by about eighteen months.  In
that time, he   had good cause to regret the death of his one true friend.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;center&gt;       
    &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt; &lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&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;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;-1&quot;&gt;&lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&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=&quot;-1&quot;&gt;&lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&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;p&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;-1&quot; face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor.html&quot;&gt; to Tudor England&lt;br&gt;
     &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
     
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;-1&quot; face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&lt;a
 href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor.html&quot;&gt;&lt;br&gt;
     &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
     &lt;/center&gt;
     &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  &lt;/blockquote&gt;
   &lt;br&gt;
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