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4 | <Section>
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6 | <Metadata name="gsdlsourcefilename">import/englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/brandon.html</Metadata>
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12 | <Metadata name="Language">en</Metadata>
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14 | <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>
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15 | <Metadata name="Page_topic">Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Princess Mary Tudor: Biography, Portrait, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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16 | <Metadata name="Author">Marilee Mongello</Metadata>
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17 | <Metadata name="Title">Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk and Princess Mary Tudor: Biography, Portrait, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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18 | <Metadata name="FileFormat">HTML</Metadata>
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19 | <Metadata name="URL">http://englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/brandon.html</Metadata>
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20 | <Metadata name="UTF8URL">http://englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/brandon.html</Metadata>
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21 | <Metadata name="dc.Subject">Tudor period|Relatives</Metadata>
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32 | </Description>
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33 | <Content>
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34 |
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35 | <table border="0" cellpadding="3" width="100%" height="667">
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36 | <tr>
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37 | <td width="25%" height="29"></td>
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38 | <td valign="top" width="50%" height="29">&nbsp;</td>
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39 | <td width="25%" height="29"></td>
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40 | </tr>
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41 | <tr>
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42 | <td width="25%" height="3"></td>
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43 | <td width="50%" height="3"><font size="3"></font></td>
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44 | <td width="25%" height="3"></td>
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45 | </tr>
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46 | <tr>
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47 | <td width="25%" height="610"></td>
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48 | <td valign="top" width="50%" height="610">
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49 | <p align="center">
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50 | <img border="0" src="_httpdocimg_/brandon1.gif" alt="Cloth of Gold and Cloth of Frieze" width="492" height="116"></p>
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51 | <p align="center">
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52 | <img border="0" src="_httpdocimg_/brandon2.gif" alt="Charles Brandon and Princess Mary Tudor" width="494" height="65"></p>
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53 | <blockquote>
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54 | <hr>
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55 | </blockquote>
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56 | <p align="center">
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57 | <img border="2" src="_httpdocimg_/brandonpage2.jpg" alt="The marriage portrait of Charles Brandon and Princess Mary Tudor" width="324" height="363"><br></p>
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58 | <blockquote>
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59 | <p align="left"><FONT size=+1 face="Arial">Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, was Henry VIII's closest
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60 |
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61 | friend.&nbsp; Brandon's father was Henry VII's standard-bearer at the Battle of
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62 |
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63 | Bosworth Field and died defending the future king.&nbsp; Henry VII repaid his
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64 |
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65 | loyalty by educating young Charles with his own children, and from the beginning
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66 |
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67 | Charles and the future Henry VIII were devoted friends.&nbsp; But their
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68 |
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69 | friendship was sorely tested when Brandon secretly married Henry's favorite
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70 |
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71 | sister, the beautiful Princess Mary Tudor.&nbsp; At this page, you can learn
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72 |
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73 | more about their romantic story and its aftermath.</FONT></p>
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74 | </blockquote>
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75 | </td>
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76 | <td width="25%" height="610"></td>
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77 | </tr>
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78 | </table>
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79 | <blockquote>
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80 | <blockquote>
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81 | <p>&nbsp;</p>
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82 |
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83 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">Charles Brandon had an inauspicious beginning and his rise to wealth and
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84 | prominence was due largely to two things: his father's death at Bosworth Field
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85 | and his own personal magnetism.&nbsp; Upon his death in 1545, Brandon was
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86 | perhaps the only person in England who had successfully retained Henry VIII's
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87 | affection for over forty turbulent years. </font>
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88 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; His father was William Brandon, Henry Tudor's standard
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89 | bearer at Bosworth Field in 1485.&nbsp; He was reportedly killed there by
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90 | Richard III himself.&nbsp; Around 1480 or so, William had married the daughter
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91 | and heiress of Sir Henry Bruyn of South Ockendon in Essex.&nbsp; But unlike his
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92 | respectable, middle-class forebears who had led exemplary and cautious
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93 | lives, William had a tasste for politics.&nbsp; When the Duke of Gloucester
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94 | seized the throne in 1483 and declared himself Richard III, William and his
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95 | younger brother Thomas decided to make a stand.&nbsp; They joined the duke of
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96 | Buckingham's rebellion; it failed and the brothers fled to Brittany where they
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97 | joined other Lancastrian exiles who supported Henry Tudor, the earl of Richmond.
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98 | </font>
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99 |
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100 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When William fled England, his wife was already
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101 | pregnant.&nbsp; Charles Brandon was born sometime in late 1483 or early
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102 | 1484.&nbsp; His mother died in childbirth and, upon his grandfather's death in
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103 | 1491, the orphaned boy went to the royal court.&nbsp; This was the custom of the
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104 | time but since Brandon was not heir to an important title or great wealth, his
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105 | case was decided more on sentiment.&nbsp; He had a claim on Henry Tudor's affections
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106 | since his father had died in his service.&nbsp; That demonstration of loyalty at
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107 | Bosworth meant a great deal to the first Tudor king.&nbsp; Since Charles was
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108 | just two years older than Henry's first son, Prince Arthur, it is probable that
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109 | they were playmates. </font>
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110 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When Arthur married the Spanish princess Katharine of
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111 | Aragon in 1502, his court moved to Ludlow Castle in the Welsh Marches, the
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112 | traditional seat of the Prince of Wales.&nbsp; Charles did not accompany the
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113 | royal couple but remained in London as companion to Arthur's younger
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114 | brother, Henry duke of York. </font>
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115 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Though seven years older than Henry, Charles shared his
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116 | most prominent characteristics - natural athleticism, robust physical health
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117 | (unlike the delicate Arthur), and a devotion to all sports (wrestling, hunting,
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118 | tilting and jousting, etc.)&nbsp; During these adolescent years, the two boys
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119 | laid the foundation for a lifelong friendship.&nbsp; Arthur died just months
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120 | after his wedding and, in 1509, the duke of York succeeded to the throne.&nbsp;
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121 | This marked the real beginning of Charles Brandon's rise to prominence and
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122 | privilege. </font>
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123 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But before 1509, young Charles had undergone an
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124 | embarrassing marital situation which revealed his ambition and
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125 | callousness.&nbsp; In 1505, he had become engaged to Anne Browne, a young woman
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126 | of impressive lineage; her father was Anthony Browne, Governor of Calais,
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127 | and her mother was Lucy Neville, niece of the 'Kingmaker.'&nbsp; Charles and
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128 | Anne were betrothed <I>per verba de praesenti</I>, a binding contract under
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129 | canon law.&nbsp; In such cases, there was no ceremony or witnesses; as one can
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130 | imagine, this led to several unpleasant cases of men and (more rarely) women
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131 | repudiating their betrothed <I>if</I> they lacked proper respect for church
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132 | law.&nbsp; Charles apparently did.&nbsp; He and Anne slept together, as
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133 | evidenced by the birth of a daughter in 1506, but he did not marry her.&nbsp;
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134 | Instead, he married her aunt, a very wealthy widow named Margaret Neville
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135 | Mortimer.&nbsp; The marriage was never taken seriously due to its mercenary
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136 | nature and, more importantly, legal action begun by Anne's angry family.&nbsp;
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137 | Eventually, the Mortimer marriage was annulled due to the previous contract and
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138 | Charles married Anne in a well-attended public ceremony.&nbsp; They had another
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139 | daughter in 1510; Anne Browne died just two years later. </font>
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140 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By late 1512, Charles had recovered from his grief enough
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141 | to contemplate yet another union.&nbsp; This was perhaps even more mercenary
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142 | since his betrothed was an eight-year-old orphan.&nbsp; It was common practice
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143 | for the Crown to assume guardianship of an orphaned minor child who had
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144 | inherited property.&nbsp; The Crown then sold the guardianship to the highest
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145 | bidder, often the child's own relatives who wanted to receive the property
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146 | revenues until the child came of age and decide whom they would marry.&nbsp;
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147 | Charles had been given the wardship of Elizabeth Grey, the heiress to Lord Lisle
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148 | of Sparsholt in Berkshire.&nbsp; This, along with various offices, grants &amp;
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149 | pensions, was a mark of Henry's continued favor.&nbsp; In early 1513, Charles
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150 | announced his engagement to the girl and, on 15 May 1513, the king created him
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151 | Viscount Lisle, in right of his betrothed wife.&nbsp; Charles Brandon finally
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152 | had a noble title and even more property. </font>
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153 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That same year, the new Lord Lisle accompanied the king to
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154 | France and also helped entertain the Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian and his
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155 | twice-widowed, 33-year-old daughter, Margaret, Regent of the Netherlands.&nbsp;
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156 | For Henry, the meeting was also a diplomatic necessity since, in 1508, his
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157 | father had entered into a formal contract of marriage between his youngest
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158 | daughter, Mary, and Maximilian's son, Charles of Castile.&nbsp; But over the
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159 | next few years, little mention had been made of the contract.&nbsp; Henry used
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160 | the visit to broach the subject; the end result was an agreement that Princess Mary and Charles
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161 | would wed in 1514, after Charles had reached his 14th birthday. </font>
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162 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Meanwhile, Lord Lisle made a fool of himself by flirting
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163 | with Margaret.&nbsp; There is little chance she truly favored him, and certainly
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164 | none that she planned to marry him, but they flirted, Henry translating for his
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165 | friend.&nbsp; Once again, Charles Brandon was demonstrating his heavy-handed
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166 | flair for the ladies.&nbsp; In the end, he greatly offended Margaret by
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167 | encouraging gossip about their meeting.&nbsp; In particular, it stressed her
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168 | attraction to him and a possible marriage.&nbsp; As a Hapsburg princess, she was
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169 | not amused and Henry VIII was forced to make a public apology.&nbsp; But he was
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170 | not angry with his friend; on 1 February 1514, he created Charles the duke of
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171 | Suffolk, the title once held by the Yorkist de la Poles.&nbsp; He also received
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172 | the majority of their confiscated estates.&nbsp; This elevation was remarkable;
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173 | it meant that Suffolk was one of only three dukes in the kingdom.&nbsp; The
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174 | other two were Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk (reinstated to the title after his
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175 | victory at Flodden in 1513), and Edward Stafford, duke of Buckingham and
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176 | descendant of Edward III.&nbsp; Of course, many were surprised that a yeoman's
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177 | son was now one of their greatest peers but Brandon's friendship with Henry
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178 | explained matters.&nbsp; In Europe, it was said that
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179 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fwolsey.html">Cardinal Wolsey</a> and Brandon truly
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180 | ruled England through influence upon Henry VIII. </font>
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181 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 1514 as well, the usual tangle of European diplomacy
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182 | had made Henry distrustful of the Hapsburgs.&nbsp; Also, the deadline for
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183 | Charles of Castile's marriage to Princess Mary had come and passed with only
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184 | dismissive explanations from the emperor.&nbsp; So when Louis XII of France
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185 | offered a peace treaty to England, Henry was eager to accept it.&nbsp; Louis
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186 | considerably sweetened the offer by offering to wed the Princess Mary.&nbsp; For
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187 | Henry, this was a diplomatic coup.&nbsp; For his sister, of course, it was
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188 | considerably different. </font>
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189 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary Tudor, born 18 March 1495, was the baby of the Tudor
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190 | family and widely considered the most beautiful princess of her time.&nbsp; She
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191 | shared her brother Henry's exuberance for spectacle and was the star of his
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192 | court.&nbsp; Like him, she loved dancing, masques, and parties; they were also
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193 | close emotionally.&nbsp; So when Henry told her that she would marry the widowed
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194 | King of France, a man in his fifties with gout and a pock-marked face, she
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195 | poured out her heart.&nbsp; Certainly she would do her duty as a Princess, she
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196 | told Henry, but when the marriage was over, she wanted to choose her next spouse
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197 | - and choose him for love alone.&nbsp; Itt was an extraordinary demand for any
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198 | woman of that time but Henry VIII loved his sister and he agreed.&nbsp;
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199 | Why?&nbsp; Partly because he loved her but also because he wanted her to leave
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200 | for France peacefully and willingly; and also, perhaps more troubling, because
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201 | she had confessed her secret love to him.&nbsp; It was none other than his best friend, Charles
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202 | Brandon. </font>
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203 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary had enjoyed unprecedented freedom at Henry VIII's
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204 | court.&nbsp; Just fourteen when her father died, she had spent the next five
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205 | years virtually unchaperoned in his hectic court, her brother openly encouraging
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206 | her participation in every event.&nbsp; In 1514, she was nineteen years old,
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207 | very beautiful, and very willful.&nbsp; She had developed an attachment to
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208 | Charles Brandon; she had known him all her life.&nbsp; It may have begun as a
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209 | child's awe of a robust, attractive man, successful in all sports (so important
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210 | at the Tudor court) and very charming.&nbsp; But it had changed into something
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211 | more and, by 1514, most of the king's inner circle knew of her affection.&nbsp;
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212 | There was no scandal, however.&nbsp; Mary believed her brother's promise and
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213 | married the aged Louis XII at Greenwich Palace on 13 August 1514.&nbsp; The Duc
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214 | de Longueville acted as the king's proxy in every respect; he even lay down on a
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215 | bed with Mary and touched her body with his naked leg, thus 'consummating' the
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216 | marriage.</font><P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary enjoyed herself at her wedding festivities and its
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217 | attendant celebrations.&nbsp; It would have been impossible to feel
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218 | otherwise.&nbsp; She had a splendid trousseau, marvelous jewels sent over from
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219 | France, and all the honors due to the queen of France.&nbsp; All contemporary
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220 | accounts remark on her great beauty, particularly her clear complexion and long
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221 | red-gold hair, the Tudor trademark.&nbsp; Her husband was eager to see her,
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222 | telling the English ambassador that he had many gifts for his bride and expected
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223 | a kiss for each one. </font>
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224 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary eventually traveled from Dover to Boulogne on 2
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225 | October, after waiting weeks for stormy weather to end.&nbsp; She actually left in the
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226 | midst of more storms since Henry VIII had grown bored waiting for them to
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227 | end.&nbsp; Upon her departure, she kissed her brother and reminded him of his
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228 | promise about her future.&nbsp; Henry, eager to leave, committed her to God and
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229 | her husband and left.&nbsp; There were fourteen ships in Mary's retinue but the
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230 | weather was so terrible that only four reached port on time; the rest docked at
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231 | various ports on the French coast.&nbsp; Poor Mary, suffering from seasickness
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232 | and constant rain, was carried ashore by one of her gentlemen, Sir Christopher
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233 | Garnish.&nbsp; She journeyed from Montreuil to Abbeville and contemporary
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234 | chroniclers recorded her outfit; they were much impressed with her beauty and
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235 | charm.&nbsp; She wore cloth of gold on crimson with tight sleeves in the English style and a
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236 | hat of crimson silk which she wore cocked over one eye.&nbsp; Her husband met
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237 | her at a carefully arranged 'accident' outside Abbeville and, on 9 October, they
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238 | married in that city. </font>
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239 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The marriage lasted for eighty-two days.&nbsp; On 31
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240 | December 1514, Louis died quite abruptly.&nbsp; Despite his ill health, he had
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241 | been notably active during his marriage.&nbsp; This may have contributed to
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242 | his demise; he boasted that on their wedding night, he had 'crossed the river'
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243 | three times.&nbsp; Before his death, he was visited by the duke of Suffolk on a
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244 | diplomatic trip and Charles wrote to Henry that his sister was discreet and
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245 | dignified.&nbsp; This undoubtedly relieved both men; they had perhaps wondered
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246 | how Mary would greet her true love.&nbsp; Mary, however, was aware of her
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247 | position as Queen of France and, during her brief marriage, conducted herself
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248 | with aplomb. </font>
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249 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The King of France's death changed her world
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250 | considerably.&nbsp; Now a queen dowager in a foreign country she had barely
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251 | begun to settle in, she was suddenly pushed into strict seclusion for 40
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252 | days.&nbsp; This was French custom; after all, the widowed queen might be
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253 | pregnant and the child's paternity must be certain.&nbsp; Mary was not pregnant
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254 | but she was sent to the Hotel de Cluny for her period of mourning, without even
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255 | the comfort of her English attendants.&nbsp; The new king, Francois, had
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256 | appointed several Frenchwomen to attend her and dismissed her women.&nbsp; May
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257 | was undoubtedly terrified.&nbsp; She was closed off from the world, shut behind
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258 | heavy black drapes, and once more a pawn for her brother.&nbsp; Would Henry
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259 | arrange another marriage or would he keep his promise?&nbsp; Frantic, Mary wrote
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260 | to him from Cluny in early January 1515, just two weeks after her husband's
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261 | death; she begged him to contact Francois and have her sent home to England and
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262 | reminded him:&nbsp; "Sir, I beseech your grace that you will keep all the
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263 | promises that you promised me when I took my leave of you by the
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264 | waterside.&nbsp; Sir, your grace knoweth well that I did marry for your pleasure
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265 | at this time and now I trust you will suffer me to marry as me liketh for to
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266 | do... wherefore I beseech your grace for to be a good lord and brother unto
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267 | me."&nbsp; If Henry did not keep his promise, Mary said she would enter a
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268 | nunnery and "never no man shall know joy of me." </font>
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269 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary also had to deal with visits from the new French
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270 | king, Francois I.&nbsp; He was twenty-one and knew the English-French alliance
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271 | was breaking down.&nbsp; He did not want Mary wed by Henry to some Hapsburg
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272 | prince.&nbsp; He suggested two of his own kinsmen as husbands and then hinted
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273 | that Henry was trying to marry her to Charles of Castile again.&nbsp; Alone and
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274 | in a fragile state, Mary was terribly frightened; Francois's words touched on
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275 | her greatest fears.&nbsp; She eventually confessed her love for Suffolk to
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276 | Francois.&nbsp; Surprisingly, she found him sympathetic and kind.&nbsp; He
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277 | promised to help secure her future happiness, a promise which Mary found
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278 | generous and Francois found opportunistic.&nbsp; For, by this time, he knew the
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279 | duke of Suffolk was on his way to France to bargain for Mary's return,
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280 | specifically the return of her jewels, plate, and dower rights.&nbsp; With the
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281 | dowager queen's confession, Francois had a powerful bargaining tool <i>and</i> peace
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282 | of mind - if Mary wed her English duke, she was no longer Henry's political
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283 | pawn. </font>
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284 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Charles had been sent to France by Henry, specifically
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285 | promising to keep his relations with the widow on a formal basis.&nbsp; Henry
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286 | had no reason to distrust him.&nbsp; Charles was his creation, dependent on him
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287 | for everything, and also ambitious.&nbsp; Why would he bite the hand that so
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288 | generously fed him?&nbsp; So Suffolk departed on his most important mission
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289 | ever; it was well-known that the matter would be complicated.&nbsp; The French
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290 | would not want to surrender any property to Mary and she would naturally want
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291 | her rightful share.&nbsp; Beyond that, perhaps Henry meant to keep his
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292 | promise.&nbsp; After all, he knew his sister's feelings - and now he sent her
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293 | true love to bring her home.&nbsp; But rattled by Francois's suggestions of a
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294 | Hapsburg marriage, Mary was set on a course which nearly ruined her and Suffolk.
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295 | </font>
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296 |
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297 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Suffolk arrived on 27 January; five days later, he met
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298 | Francois at Senlis.&nbsp; Francois summoned Suffolk to a private audience and
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299 | bluntly dropped his bombshell - the duke had come to marry the Dowager Queen,
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300 | had he not?&nbsp; Poor Suffolk was taken aback and protested vehemently.&nbsp;
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301 | Francois went on to share Mary's confession and reassure the duke.&nbsp; He was
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302 | their friend, Francois said, and he would write to the English king and explain
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303 | all.&nbsp; Suffolk took no chances; he dashed off his own account of the
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304 | interview to Wolsey and then went to see Mary.&nbsp; It was a most emotional
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305 | reunion.&nbsp; She accused him of taking her to England only to have her married
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306 | off again against her will.&nbsp; He protested but she would have none of
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307 | it.&nbsp; She issued an ultimatum - either marry me now or never marry me at
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308 | all.&nbsp; There would be no better time, she said, for he had jealous enemies
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309 | on the Privy Council who would prevent it in England.&nbsp; She had her
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310 | brother's explicit promise that she could follow her heart and Henry knew her
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311 | greatest desire.&nbsp; What was the risk for him, anyway?&nbsp; She was a
|
---|
312 | princess and queen, very beautiful, and imperious.&nbsp; Why would any man deny
|
---|
313 | her?&nbsp; Suffolk was understandably torn between his obedience to Henry and
|
---|
314 | his desire for Mary. </font>
|
---|
315 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But he was always ambitious and rarely foolish.&nbsp; He
|
---|
316 | knew that Mary would be a great prize; after all, he harbored no overt dynastic
|
---|
317 | ambitions but six years of marriage had produced no living child for Henry
|
---|
318 | VIII.&nbsp; Perhaps Suffolk and Mary would create a new royal line.&nbsp; And
|
---|
319 | she was a royal princess and queen, just twenty years old and madly in love with
|
---|
320 | him.&nbsp; Suffolk was swayed by tears and ambition and, sometime in February
|
---|
321 | 1515, they married secretly at the Cluny chapel. </font>
|
---|
322 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The consequences were rapid and hardly comforting.&nbsp;
|
---|
323 | Francois demanded Suffolk's acquiescence in several disputes over Mary's dowry
|
---|
324 | as payment for their 'secret.'&nbsp; Meanwhile, <A
|
---|
325 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fwolsey.html">Wolsey</A> and
|
---|
326 | Henry wanted the duke to be firm and reject all the French king's demands.&nbsp;
|
---|
327 | Furthermore, news of the wedding was circulating throughout Paris and Mary
|
---|
328 | suspected she might be pregnant.&nbsp; Suffolk knew he could no longer delay
|
---|
329 | confession and wrote to Wolsey, now Archbishop of York.&nbsp; He wanted to
|
---|
330 | arrange a more public wedding ceremony since he knew their secret wedding could
|
---|
331 | easily be invalidated; certainly he knew that better than most.&nbsp; And he
|
---|
332 | feared that the king's council was urging an annulment.&nbsp; Many didn't
|
---|
333 | consider Suffolk a fit match for a princess and others wanted to promote
|
---|
334 | pro-Hapsburg policy of which Mary's remarriage could play a part. </font>
|
---|
335 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But most important was Henry's reaction.&nbsp; How would
|
---|
336 | he consider the betrayal of his best friend and favorite sister?</font><P>&nbsp;<P>
|
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337 | <HR width="100%">
|
---|
338 |
|
---|
339 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">Henry's reaction was not favorable.&nbsp; Brandon had written to Wolsey for
|
---|
340 | support and he received a prompt reply but it hardly comforted him; the king
|
---|
341 | could not believe his most trusted friend had betrayed him but, if it were true,
|
---|
342 | the newlyweds had to pay a stiff penalty - literally.&nbsp; They must pay back
|
---|
343 | Mary's marriage portion in annual installments of 4000 pds, leaving her just
|
---|
344 | 6000 pds to live on.&nbsp; She must return all the plate and jewels she had
|
---|
345 | taken to France as her dowry as well as the many gifts King Louis had given her.
|
---|
346 | </font>
|
---|
347 |
|
---|
348 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Beyond that, they must hasten to beg the king for
|
---|
349 | forgiveness.&nbsp; Suffolk and Mary did just that, both blaming her for the
|
---|
350 | hasty marriage.&nbsp; Suffolk wrote:&nbsp; "Sir, for the passion of God, let it
|
---|
351 | not be in your heart against me, and rather than you should hold me in mistrust,
|
---|
352 | strike off my head and let me not live."&nbsp; Mary knew her brother well so,
|
---|
353 | along with her letter, she sent him the most sumptuous jewel Louis had given her
|
---|
354 | - a diamond called the Mirror of Naples wwhich formed part of the French crown
|
---|
355 | jewels.&nbsp; She assured her brother that she had not acted out of 'sensual
|
---|
356 | appetite'; instead, she had been subject to 'consternation, fear and doubt'
|
---|
357 | which made her force Suffolk's hand.&nbsp; Henry did not reply.&nbsp; Francois
|
---|
358 | eventually allowed her to keep some of Louis's gifts and, on 16 April, they set
|
---|
359 | out for the French coast.&nbsp; Mary wrote to Henry again at Calais, telling him
|
---|
360 | that she was now under his jurisdiction since Calais was an English possession
|
---|
361 | and that she would not sail for England until he gave permission.&nbsp; She
|
---|
362 | reminded him of 'the great and tender love' they had always shared and promised
|
---|
363 | to remain in Calais if that is what he wished. </font>
|
---|
364 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It was not.&nbsp; Henry sent permission for them to cross the
|
---|
365 | Channel in early May and met them privately at the manor of Barking outside
|
---|
366 | London.&nbsp; There is no record of that meeting, of course, and one must assume
|
---|
367 | that Wolsey had perhaps exaggerated Henry's displeasure since he wanted
|
---|
368 | Suffolk's gratitude.&nbsp; Henry was willing enough to forgive his best friend
|
---|
369 | and favorite sister, <i>after</i> she turned over all her jewels and plate from France
|
---|
370 | and signed a contract to repay the 24000 pds spent on her first marriage in the
|
---|
371 | annual installments of 4000 pds.&nbsp; It was obvious that Henry was not
|
---|
372 | surprised by the marriage; he was mostly angry at Suffolk for breaking his word.</font><P>
|
---|
373 | <img border="2" src="_httpdocimg_/brandonpage1.jpg" alt="another version of the Brandon marriage portrait" align="left" width="300" height="363"><P>
|
---|
374 | <font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Suffolk and Mary were wed again at Greenwich Palace on 13
|
---|
375 | May with Henry and
|
---|
376 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2faragon.html">Katharine of Aragon</a>
|
---|
377 | in attendance.&nbsp; There was feasting and celebration but it was strictly a
|
---|
378 | family affair and foreign ambassadors wondered if they should congratulate the
|
---|
379 | couple.&nbsp; After all, the situation was odd and there were some (mostly on
|
---|
380 | the king's council) who disapproved of the match.&nbsp; But, for the most part,
|
---|
381 | there were no hard feelings or grudges.&nbsp; Suffolk was a popular man,
|
---|
382 | good-looking and charming, and few - even in Tudor England - could resist such a
|
---|
383 | grand love story.&nbsp; After all, they had risked everything to be
|
---|
384 | together.&nbsp; Before long, the Suffolks were back in the king's good
|
---|
385 | graces.&nbsp; They are recorded as extending all the great court celebrations of
|
---|
386 | the next few years.&nbsp; Mary's pregnancy in France had been a false alarm but
|
---|
387 | she did become pregnant a few months later.&nbsp; In fact, she was now pregnant
|
---|
388 | along with her sister-in-law Katharine.&nbsp; Due to the queen's history of
|
---|
389 | miscarriages and stillbirths, few were hopeful of the outcome; but, on 18
|
---|
390 | February 1516, she gave birth to her only surviving child, a princess called
|
---|
391 | Mary after her aunt.&nbsp; The new duchess of Suffolk, however, was more
|
---|
392 | fortunate - on 11 March 1516, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy called Henry
|
---|
393 | after the king.&nbsp; Henry and Wolsey stood as the child's godfathers. </font>
|
---|
394 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary and Henry's older sister Margaret of Scotland visited
|
---|
395 | that summer, bringing her six-month-old daughter, Lady Margaret Douglas.&nbsp;
|
---|
396 | She had been in Scotland for thirteen years but her visit was pleasant
|
---|
397 | enough.&nbsp; Henry had never tired of lecturing Margaret on morality (she had
|
---|
398 | married the Earl of Angus after James of Scotland's death at Flodden); this, of
|
---|
399 | course, is laughable when one considers his own matrimonial career.&nbsp; But
|
---|
400 | Margaret's visit was some ten years before Anne Boleyn entered Henry's
|
---|
401 | life.&nbsp; In 1516, the king was just seven years into his reign, still
|
---|
402 | handsome and bluff.&nbsp; Still, Margaret had little in common with her siblings
|
---|
403 | after her years away; also, her first husband had been killed by the English at
|
---|
404 | Flodden Field. </font>
|
---|
405 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary Tudor was far closer to her foreign sister-in-law
|
---|
406 | than to Margaret.&nbsp; After all, she and Katharine had spent their formative
|
---|
407 | years together.&nbsp; When, in 1517, Katharine went on a pilgrimage to pray for
|
---|
408 | a son, Mary accompanied her.&nbsp; Both Mary and Brandon understood the queen's
|
---|
409 |
|
---|
410 | heartfelt desire to bear her husband a prince and successor and were
|
---|
411 | sympathetic supporters.&nbsp; There was a passing cloud in 1516 - Mary's revenues
|
---|
412 | from France had fallen off and she was behind in payment of her debt - but the
|
---|
413 | cloud passed quickly.&nbsp; In early summer 1517, they were at Richmond Palace
|
---|
414 | again.&nbsp; Mary was once more pregnant and, on 16 July 1517, she went into
|
---|
415 | labor on her way home.&nbsp; A daughter was born, called Frances after the
|
---|
416 | French king; the Suffolks
|
---|
417 | had another daughter, Eleanor, in 1519. </font>
|
---|
418 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 1518, Mary and Suffolk were at court again, attending
|
---|
419 | the betrothal of the infant Princess Mary to the infant dauphin of France.&nbsp;
|
---|
420 | And they attended the famous Field of Cloth of Gold at Guines, near
|
---|
421 | Calais in 1520.&nbsp; Mary was widely considered the most beautiful woman there.&nbsp;
|
---|
422 | A French admiral commented, "Madame, you are the rose of Christendom.&nbsp; You
|
---|
423 | should have stayed in France.&nbsp; We would have appreciated you."&nbsp; Mary
|
---|
424 | was now in her mid-twenties and, when Katharine of Aragon was pregnant or ill, acted
|
---|
425 | as her brother's hostess. </font>
|
---|
426 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Back in England, however, things began to change.&nbsp; In
|
---|
427 | the new year of 1522, Mary first met
|
---|
428 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html">Anne Boleyn</a>.&nbsp;
|
---|
429 | She knew Anne's older sister Mary quite well for she had been one of her
|
---|
430 | ladies-in-waiting when Mary Tudor wed Louis XII in France.&nbsp; She had also remained
|
---|
431 | in France until dismissed by Francois.&nbsp; Anne wanted to join Queen
|
---|
432 | Katharine's household as a lady-in-waiting, a much-sought-after position.&nbsp;
|
---|
433 | It is likely that Mary repaid Mary Boleyn's service by helping Anne.&nbsp;
|
---|
434 | Certainly she may have liked the girl; Anne had spent time at the French court
|
---|
435 | and was fashionable and high-spirited, much like Mary. </font>
|
---|
436 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Anne entered Katharine's service but was sent home in
|
---|
437 | disgrace for three years.&nbsp; In just a matter of months, she had managed to
|
---|
438 | attract the attention of Henry Percy, heir to the powerful Earl of
|
---|
439 | Northmberland.&nbsp; The young couple entered into an understanding but Percy was under the guardianship of Wolsey.&nbsp; The king's most trusted
|
---|
440 | advisor and Percy's powerful father were understandably angry at the secret
|
---|
441 | romance.&nbsp; <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fab-percy.html">Anne and Percy were brought to heel</a>;
|
---|
442 | there were better matches for him and she had overstepped her bounds.&nbsp; Anne
|
---|
443 | was openly furious, so much that she was banished from court.&nbsp; However, she
|
---|
444 | was allowed back in late 1525, around the time that Henry VIII was first
|
---|
445 | beginning to contemplate his lack of heirs. </font>
|
---|
446 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Katharine of Aragon had delivered the Princess Mary in
|
---|
447 | 1516, when she was thirty-one years old.&nbsp; Since then, there had been no other
|
---|
448 | surviving children.&nbsp; In 1525, she was forty and it was obvious she would
|
---|
449 | have no further children.&nbsp; Her husband was nervous; his dynasty was just forty
|
---|
450 | years old.&nbsp; It would not survive with just one princess as heir.&nbsp; He
|
---|
451 | knew the problem was not his fault - after all, in 1519, a mistress called
|
---|
452 | Bessie Blount had born a son.&nbsp; In summer 1525, this child, called Henry
|
---|
453 | Fitzroy, was made the duke of Richmond and Somerset.&nbsp; Suffolk was present
|
---|
454 | at the grand ceremony.&nbsp; Katharine was normally a patient, dignified wife
|
---|
455 | but the lavish ceremony, involving all the important nobility, offended
|
---|
456 | her.&nbsp; She argued with Henry, telling him it insulted her and their daughter
|
---|
457 | Mary.&nbsp; Henry was unused to such criticism and responded by dismissing three
|
---|
458 | of her favorite ladies.&nbsp; The Suffolks were not critical of their benefactor
|
---|
459 | since Henry had created his nephew the Earl of Lincoln at the same
|
---|
460 | ceremony.&nbsp; Also, Mary's repayment of her debt was still in limbo. </font>
|
---|
461 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She was also in failing health.&nbsp; She had suffered
|
---|
462 | through the sweating sickness in 1518 and never completely recovered.&nbsp; She may also have been exhibiting the first signs of the
|
---|
463 | disease which eventually killed her; most historians believe it was
|
---|
464 | cancer.&nbsp; She was present at several court functions over the next few years
|
---|
465 | (a summer 1526 party for European ambassadors, for example) but came to court
|
---|
466 | with less and less frequency.&nbsp; Her physical condition was deteriorating but
|
---|
467 | she was also uncomfortable with her brother's course of action. </font>
|
---|
468 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 1527, Henry's infatuation with Anne Boleyn had
|
---|
469 | begun.&nbsp; He was determined to annul his marriage to Katharine, arguing that
|
---|
470 | it had never been legal in the first place.&nbsp; He asserted that Katharine and
|
---|
471 | Arthur had consummated their marriage and, once again, his old friend Suffolk
|
---|
472 | acted in the king's interest.&nbsp; He dug out some heretofore-lost memories
|
---|
473 | that hinted at consummation.&nbsp; Meanwhile, Wolsey had lost Henry's trust
|
---|
474 | because of the many delays in the annulment; the king used Suffolk to openly
|
---|
475 | attack his once powerful advisor.&nbsp; At a public hearing on the case, Suffolk banged his fist on
|
---|
476 | the table and shouted "It was never merry in England whilst we had cardinals
|
---|
477 | among us."&nbsp; Of course, Suffolk would not have dared to attack Wolsey
|
---|
478 | without Henry's implicit support.&nbsp; It was the downfall of the Cardinal.
|
---|
479 | </font>
|
---|
480 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 1531, Henry banished Katharine of Aragon from
|
---|
481 | court.&nbsp; He and Anne were constantly together and he made no secret of his
|
---|
482 | intention to marry her.&nbsp; The Suffolks were not happy about this but what
|
---|
483 | could they do?&nbsp; They depended on Henry for everything.&nbsp; Mary made a
|
---|
484 | cutting remark about Anne sometime in early 1532 and refused to accompany Henry
|
---|
485 | and Anne on a state visit to France.&nbsp; Her husband warned Henry that Anne
|
---|
486 | may have slept with Sir Thomas Wyatt.&nbsp; But that is all they dared.&nbsp;
|
---|
487 | They were concerned about their own family. </font>
|
---|
488 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By this time, Suffolk's daughters with Anne Browne were
|
---|
489 | wed to titled men.&nbsp; His eldest daughter with Mary, the lady Frances, was
|
---|
490 | engaged to Henry Grey third Marquess of Dorset, descendent of the famous <A
|
---|
491 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2fplant%2fqueens%2felizwood.html">Elizabeth
|
---|
492 | Woodville</A>; before Edward IV, she had been married to a Grey and had two sons
|
---|
493 | by him.&nbsp; It was from the elder son that Henry Grey was descended.&nbsp; Frances and Henry were the parents of
|
---|
494 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Lady Jane
|
---|
495 | Grey</a>.&nbsp; The celebration of Frances's wedding to Henry Grey was held at
|
---|
496 | the Suffolk home in London.&nbsp; It was Mary's last visit to the city.&nbsp;
|
---|
497 | She was increasingly ill and also uncomfortable with her brother.&nbsp; His
|
---|
498 | favor was no longer certain.&nbsp; He had married the pregnant Anne Boleyn in a
|
---|
499 | secret ceremony.&nbsp; Suffolk was put in charge of the new queen's <A
|
---|
500 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html">coronation</A>.&nbsp;
|
---|
501 | Therefore, he was not with his wife when she passed away quietly at their home
|
---|
502 | in Westhorpe on 26 June 1533.&nbsp; She was thirty-eight years old.&nbsp; Her
|
---|
503 | death was not considered important news since most people were concerned with
|
---|
504 | the impending birth of Anne Boleyn's child, destined to be
|
---|
505 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz1.html">Elizabeth I</a>.&nbsp;
|
---|
506 | Mary had seen her husband in early May but his duties kept him busy; it was a
|
---|
507 | hurried visit and she simply wasted away in the next few weeks. </font>
|
---|
508 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Her brother ordered requiem masses to be sung at
|
---|
509 | Westminster Abbey but showed no other sign of mourning.&nbsp; He was, after all,
|
---|
510 | in the midst of the Reformation.&nbsp; Charles Brandon did not attend the
|
---|
511 | funeral but it was a marvelous affair.&nbsp; The coffin lay in state for a month
|
---|
512 | at Westhorpe and was interred at the church of Bury St Edmunds on 22 July.&nbsp;
|
---|
513 | The abbey church and her monument were destroyed during the dissolution of the
|
---|
514 | monasteries.&nbsp; Her coffin was saved, however, and moved to a nearby church
|
---|
515 | called St Mary.&nbsp; In 1784, it was moved yet again within that church.&nbsp;
|
---|
516 | The movers ghoulishly opened the coffin; they found a good set of teeth and two
|
---|
517 | feet of hair which was still red-gold.&nbsp; Souvenir hunters cut off pieces of
|
---|
518 | the hair. </font>
|
---|
519 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mary's death was perhaps most mourned in Suffolk county
|
---|
520 | where she had been a popular and respected figure.&nbsp; Her husband replaced
|
---|
521 | her quickly enough - and, as was typical of Brandon, with aplomb.&nbsp; He
|
---|
522 | decided to marry his son's betrothed.&nbsp; The girl was called Catherine
|
---|
523 | Willoughby and she as a baroness in her own right, heiress to 15000 ducats a
|
---|
524 | year.&nbsp; She was also just fourteen-years-old, the same age as his youngest
|
---|
525 | child.&nbsp; Brandon himself was almost fifty.&nbsp; But he needed money badly
|
---|
526 | and she was very rich; he married her quite rapidly.&nbsp; The exact date is unknown.&nbsp;
|
---|
527 | His and Mary's son, the eighteen-year-old Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln, would
|
---|
528 | be betrothed elsewhere easily enough.&nbsp; But that was not to be.&nbsp; After
|
---|
529 | his father's wedding, the young earl died, probably of the Tudor scourge,
|
---|
530 | tuberculosis.&nbsp; Brandon was not particularly grieved; six months after his
|
---|
531 | death, he and Catherine had a son and named him Henry Brandon.&nbsp; This usage
|
---|
532 | of a dead child's name was common practice in England. </font>
|
---|
533 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Suffolk remained in Henry's favor.&nbsp; The king gave his
|
---|
534 | old friend the unpleasant task of persuading Katharine of Aragon to accept the
|
---|
535 | break with Rome and the new title Princess Dowager.&nbsp; He was also to move
|
---|
536 | her to Somersham near Cambridge, a manor known for its dank and unhealthy
|
---|
537 | atmosphere.&nbsp; Katharine would not be bullied; she told Suffolk that he would
|
---|
538 | have to bind her in ropes if he wanted to move her anywhere.&nbsp; After a week
|
---|
539 | of such talks, Suffolk left, having accomplished precious little. </font>
|
---|
540 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He never saw Katharine again.&nbsp; He did attend all the
|
---|
541 | momentous events of the 1530s - he sat at the trials of
|
---|
542 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens%2fmore.html">Thomas More</a>
|
---|
543 | and Anne Boleyn, he was even present at the scaffold when <A
|
---|
544 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html">she was
|
---|
545 | beheaded</A>.&nbsp; He also helped lead forces to end the <A
|
---|
546 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html">Pilgrimage of Grace</A>,
|
---|
547 | one of the most serious problems of Henry's reign.&nbsp; Meanwhile, his wife
|
---|
548 | gave birth to a second son called Charles and his daughter Frances, after two
|
---|
549 | still-births, gave birth to a healthy baby girl, named <A
|
---|
550 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Jane Grey</A>,
|
---|
551 | probably after Queen Jane Seymour.&nbsp; The exact date of birth is not known,
|
---|
552 | but it was probably October and eclipsed by the birth - finally! - of Henry's
|
---|
553 | son, <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fedward6.html">Prince Edward</a>.&nbsp; Suffolk acted as godfather to the new prince.
|
---|
554 | </font>
|
---|
555 | <P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The last years of his life were quite happy.&nbsp; He and
|
---|
556 | Catherine Willoughby were affectionate, they had two healthy sons, and the
|
---|
557 | dissolution of the monasteries allowed the king to grant him more lands and
|
---|
558 | pensions.&nbsp; He and his wife entertained the king and his new wife
|
---|
559 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fhoward.html">Catherine
|
---|
560 | Howard</a>; and, of course, Suffolk was one the men who arrested and extracted a
|
---|
561 | confession from that queen.&nbsp; He died quite suddenly on 22 August 1545, his
|
---|
562 | last official business being plans for an invasion of France.&nbsp; But he was
|
---|
563 | sixty years old, a good age at the time, and - once the news was known - it was
|
---|
564 | not suurprising.</font><P><font face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Suffolk requested a quiet funeral but the king would have
|
---|
565 | none of it - he ordered a lavish ceremony at St George's Chapel in
|
---|
566 | Windsor.&nbsp; Henry planned and paid for the service.&nbsp; It was undoubtedly
|
---|
567 | an emotional occasion for him; after all, Charles Brandon had been his companion
|
---|
568 | for virtually his entire life.&nbsp; In fact, Suffolk was one of the few men who
|
---|
569 | could still remember the Bluff King Hal of legend.&nbsp; Henry was now
|
---|
570 | overweight, bald, and suffering from a variety of physical ailments.&nbsp; He
|
---|
571 | would only outlive his friend by about eighteen months.&nbsp; In that time, he
|
---|
572 | had good cause to regret the death of his one true friend.</font><CENTER>
|
---|
573 | <P>&nbsp;<P><font face="Times New Roman">
|
---|
574 | <a href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html">Learn about
|
---|
575 | Charles and Mary's granddaughter, Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for
|
---|
576 | nine days in 1553</a>.</font><P><font face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=-1><A href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelatives.html">to
|
---|
577 | Tudor Relatives</A></FONT><BR><FONT size=-1><A
|
---|
578 | href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fcitizens.html">to Tudor
|
---|
579 | Citizens</A></FONT></font><P><FONT size=-1 face="Times New Roman"><A href="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=1&amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor.html">
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580 | to Tudor England</A></FONT></CENTER>
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581 | </blockquote>
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582 | </blockquote>
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583 |
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584 |
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585 |
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587 | <IMG SRC="_httpextlink_&amp;rl=0&amp;el=direct&amp;href=http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=76001524&t=1108082575" ALT=1 WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1>
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588 | </Content>
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589 | </Section>
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590 | </Archive>
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