Sarah Bryson is a researcher, writer and educator who has a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with Honours. She currently works with children with disabilities. She is passionate about Tudor history and has a deep interest in Mary Tudor, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and the reign of Henry VIII and the people of his court.
She has run a website dedicated to Tudor history for many years.and has written for various websites including ‘On the Tudor Trail’ and “QueenAnneBoleyn’. She has been studying primary sources to tell the story of Mary Tudor for a decade. Sarah lives in Australia, enjoys reading, writing and Tudor costume enactment.
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Video Transcript:
Sarah Bryson
Charles Brandon
Hi, I’m Sara Bryson, I’m the author of La Reine Blanche, Mary Tudor, a life in letters, and tonight I’m actually going to be talking about Mary’s second husband Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. I’ve been researching Brandon for about 10 years now, and I’m currently writing a book about his family for generations of Brandon men. I’d like to share a little bit about my research, and Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk’s extraordinary life.
So Charles Brandon was an enigmatic charismatic man rising from a mere boyhood friend of a future king to flirting with the European Duchess to marrying a dowager Queen of France. He was created Duke of Suffolk, and not to mention he became one of the leading magnates in Lincolnshire by the end of his life. Now how did a man rise to such heights and manage to stay both loyal and close to the ever-changing, sometimes tyrannical King Henry VIII. Let’s find out.
There is little documented evidence regarding the early members of Brandon’s family. Sir William Brandon, Charles Brandon’s grandfather, was a member of Parliament for New Shoreham and Edward IV appointed him to the position of night marshal of the Marshal Court. In 1479 Sir William and Elizabeth Wingfield had three sons, William Brandon, Robert and the youngest Thomas, as well as seven daughters. After the death of Edward VI, William stayed in the service of Richard III. In 1483 the exiled Henry Tudor had attempted an unsuccessful invasion to take the English throne from Richard III and he had returned to Brittany. The following year in 1484 the younger William Brandon, also dissatisfied with Richard III participated in the Duke of Buckingham’s rebellion. When the rebellion failed William and his brother Thomas, and his pregnant wife left England, and set their lot in with the exiled Henry Tudor.
Elizabeth gave birth to Charles sometime in 1484 when they and the now exiled Henry Tudor were at the French Court. The following year in 1485 William Brandon followed the young Henry Tudor in the second and successful invasion to oust Richard III from the English throne, and Henry appointed William Brandon as his standard-bearer. We know Henry Tudor and his men were victorious against Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field on the 22nd of August 1485, however William Brandon was cut down and killed leaving his wife and infant son still in France. If it’s assumed that the widowed Elizabeth returned to England with her infant son, when exactly this was remains unknown. It has been suggested that she and her infant Charles were to live with his grandfather Sir William Brandon, and possibly also his uncle Sir Thomas Brandon, who was a trusted diplomat, and in 1503 was appointed to the position of Master of the Horse.
Charles Brandon was taught the skills necessary for someone expected to enter royal service, notwithstanding his father had been killed in action fighting for Henry VII at Bosworth, Charles received the typical education for the son of a noble. We know that Brandon was able to read and write, as he wrote many letters throughout his life, however his handwriting was a very poor quality. Brandon would have also learned how to ride a horse, how to joust, hunt, hawk, play tennis, and possibly wrestling. Brandon was a very physical and active young man, and greatly enjoyed sports and outdoor activities, which were also greatly favored by Prince Henry.
Charles Brandon was first recorded as participating in the celebration joust at the wedding of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon in 1501. Brandon was recorded as waiting upon Henry VII at his table, and when Brandon was in his early 20s he was appointed as a Physician of Esquire of the Body. Brandon was part of the king’s spears, a group of men active in participating in jousting and courtly displays. Now Charles Brandon formed a close bond with the future Henry VIII despite being some 7 or so years older than the future king. Brandon will become one of his best friends. With the death Arthur in 1502 Henry was moved to close proximity to the king, and kept under a close watch since he was now heir to the throne. Henry was able to watch the strong Charles Brandon joust, and participate at the lists. Henry was forbidden to participate due to sustaining an injury or even death.
He was also able to gossip about romantic interests, and women with Brandon since the young muscular, and very handsome Brandon was becoming quite a ladies man at court. Not having a great deal of personal freedom, it is quite possible that Prince Henry lived out many of his fantasies and desires through watching Charles Brandon. Now Charles Brandon had quite a marriage history. Anne Brown, the daughter of Sir Anthony Brown, first attracted his attention in 1505-06. Brandon proposed marriage to Anne, and the couple slept together conceiving a daughter who would be named Anne after her mother. However Brandon saw better prospects for himself with Anne’s aunt, and he broke off the marriage proposal, and made a proposal to Dame Margaret Mortimer, an older widow of some wealth. From the 7th of February 1507, Brandon had license of Dame Margaret’s lands, and began to sell them off in quick succession. However with the land sold and a wealthy profit made, Brandon was looking to annul his marriage to Dame Margaret due to his previous relationship with the Dame’s niece Anne Brown, and returned to Anne in 1508, and the couple married in secret at Stepney church.
They later repeated the marriage ceremony publicly at St. Michael Cornhill and Anne gave birth to the couple’s second daughter in 1510, and died shortly after and at the age of 27. Brandon was left a widower with two young daughters, after Henry VIII’s succeeded the throne Brandon remained an Esquire of the Body. This position meant that he was responsible for such activities as dressing Henry, and tending to his personal care, his personal needs. The early years of Henry VIII’s reign were filled with entertainment and celebrations. The young athletic King found it difficult to keep still, had little interest in politics, and council meetings, and left the running of his kingdom to his trusted advisors and Privy Council members. It was easy to imagine both Brandon and Henry spending their days hunting, playing card games, gambling, playing tennis, taking part in archery, participating in the tiltyard, observing beautiful women, or getting up to general antics that rich young men like to do. Both Henry VIII and Brandon were well-built, strong, and had a natural ability for all things athletic, so it is easy to see throughout these endless days of activity, close proximity, how Brandon formed a close bond with the king. Their relationship would last a lifetime.
On the 30th of March 1512 Charles Brandon was knighted. Just over a year later on the 23rd of April 1513 Brandon was appointed a Knight of the Garter. On the 6th of October 1513 Brandon was created master of the Kings Horse, a post that had once been held by his uncle Thomas. This role gave him responsibility over all the king’s horses including the horses used for hunting and jousting. Meanwhile on the wider European stage, tensions were starting to mount. Towards the end of 1508 Pope Julius II had created the League of Cambrai, which was an alliance that included England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, and Spain. The papal intent was to curb the influence of the Vatican Republic, however the Pope and Louis XII of France fell out, and the alliance collapsed. As a result the Pope then allied with the Venetian Republic against the growing French threat in Northwest Italy, and the Pope had promised Henry the French crown when King Louie XII was defeated. The Pope also promised to bestow the title of the most Christian King which had been previously stripped from the other English Kings, in recognition of his loyal service to the papacy.
In the autumn of 1513 Henry VIII formed an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and invaded France with an army of 30,000 men. Brandon was appointed Higher Marshall and Lieutenant of the English Army. Brandon was responsible for discipline, including dispensing the death penalty, selecting campsites, and creating Knights. Brandon was a mere knight, yet he wielded power of the Duke of Buckingham. Various earl’s of the land, and were experienced knights, and soldiers. He also had the honor of leading the vanguard of the king’s army which consisted of around 3,000 men. Brandon then led the assault on the city and laid siege to the city of Tournay. The inhabitants of Tournay surrendered on the 24th of September 1513, when Henry VIII was handed the keys to Rournay he then handed them back to Brandon, who had led his men into the city as a reward for success. There were several weeks of celebration, and Brandon was to cause one of the greatest scandals of all time.
Henry VIII and his men commenced with Margaret of Austria the Duchess of Savoy, and daughter of Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor, twice widowed. During these lavish celebrations, Henry VIII suggested a marriage between his best friend Brandon, and Margaret of Austria, but Margaret deflected any suggestion, saying that it would deeply offend her father. Then during one of the many banquets, Brandon knelt before Margaret and boldly took a ring from her finger, and put it upon his own pocket, laughed, and Brandon kept the ring, refusing to give it back. Margaret spoke with Henry VIII, and asked him for the ring back saying that it was not for the love of the ring but that Brandon had stepped out of line and taken liberties far exceeding his social status. It would seem that Henry was willing to play along with his friend’s game and instead of getting Brandon to return the ring, he gave Margaret another more beautiful ring, set with diamonds and rubies. Then the whole incident caused quite a scandal, and there was outrage that Brandon a mere Knight, would even suggest marrying Margaret of Austria, who was the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII denied that he had ever had any desire to see Brandon married to Margaret, and the incident was quietly dropped. During the same year, Brandon was contracted to marry Elizabeth Grey Viscountess Lisle. Elizabeth Grey was the orphaned daughter of John Grey, 2nd Baron Lisle, when her stepfather Sir Thomas died in August 1512, she became Charles Brandon’s ward. Ever seeking to further his prospects, Brandon proposed marriage to the eight-year-old Elizabeth, which would take place when she came of age.
Now at this time a girl could come of age at 12 and could be married. on May the 15th Brandon was created Viscount Lisle, and received a number of grants to signify his new position. We won’t say it was clear to anyone who saw them that Brandon was the King’s favorite, even Margaret of Austria noted the Kings great love, and trust that the King bore, and had towards Brandon. As a final gesture of friendship, on the first of February 1514 Charles Brandon, Viscount Lisle, was formally invested as a Duke of Suffolk.
The ceremony conducted by the king took place at Lambeth Palace. Brandon now attained the same social level as the Dukes of Buckingham and Norfolk, the two most powerful men in all the kingdom under the king, Having been elevated in 1514, may have seemed like a huge rise in social status, but more was to come. In 1515 Brandon would cause another great scandal, causing such a stir throughout Europe that made his flirtation with Margaret of Austria look like a mere bloomer.
In February Brandon married Mary Tudor, younger sister of Henry VIII. The couple married without the King’s permission, and in doing so Brandon had committed treason. On the 13th of August 1514 Mary had been married by proxy to King Louis XII. But it was another two months before she would leave England, and become Louis XII’s wife in real life. On the second of October Mary left over for France. Before she departed Mary sought a concession from her brother on the dockside as she was boarding the ship for France. She made Henry promise that should her husband die before her, and if they were without issue, then she would be free to marry a man of her own choosing.
The 9th of October she was married to Louis XII at 9 o’clock in the morning. Brandon was sent to France in mid-October. His mission was twofold. First he was to organise the jobs as part of the celebrations of the coronation of Mary where he would also represent the English, but more importantly he was to begin negotiation for Henry VIII, and Louis XII to make sometime in the spring of 1515 to discuss a mutual offensive against King Ferdinand of Aragon. Brandon met with the French King at Bouvet on either the 25th or the 26th of October and would continue negotiations over the next few weeks. Initially Louis XII pretended to be interested in a joint attack against Ferdinand, but it was really only interested in recovering the Duchy of Milan. He welcome England’s support and Brandon managed to get the French King to agree to a meeting with Henry but Louis was vague about when it came to setting off firm dates. He was impressed with Brandon’s efforts, and stated that no Prince christened has her servant for peace and war, on the 5th of November Mary was crowned Queen of France in Paris. The whole court attended including Brandon and his entourage, and everyone enjoyed the banquet that followed shortly after this on the 9th of November.
The official ceremony tournaments began on Monday the 13th of November. Naturally as England’s best jouster, and the King, of course Brandon led the English. Records show that Brandon performed exceedingly well at the joust and at the hand-to-hand combat. In fact he did so well there were few French men that could come near to his skills at the tilt. On the first day Brandon ran 15 courses 13 of them as the Challenger. On the second day Brandon unhorsed three of his opponents in quick succession. To try and defeat Brandon the French brought in an enormous German man of great strength and skill, but Brandon was not to be beaten. after unhorsing his German opponent Brandon struck him with the butt-end of his spear causing the German to stagger, but the fighting continued after lifting their visors to draw breath. Brandon and the German continued to fight on foot with blunt edge swords. Despite such a fierce and large opponent, Brandon was able to out skill the German, and beat him about the head until blood came out of his nose. His only injury it seems to have been a sore hand.
Now less than three months after the royal marriage on the 1st of January 1515 at the Hotel de Tournay King Louis XII died. He’d been sick for several months, several weeks, and his death came as no surprise, although it was recorded that when Mary was told she fainted. Mary went into seclusion at the Hotel de Cluny where she wore white, the French color of mourning. She stayed in seclusion for 40 days in order to ascertain if she was pregnant. If she was pregnant and gave birth to her son he would be the next king of France, however no one really believed this, and Francis, the husband of Louis XII’s eldest daughter Claude, and heir to the French throne because of his wife, was quickly accepted as the new King on the 14th of January.
Henry VIII wrote to the French King sending his condolences and informing Francis that he would be sending three of his men to acknowledge the accession, and to begin negotiation for his sister Mary’s return to England. These three men were Sir Richard Winfield, Nicolas West, and Charles Brandon. Brandon was tasked with escorting Mary, now the Dowager Queen of France, back to England. He was instructed to acquire as much of Mary’s jewel and plate and coin of her dowry as he could. It was rumoured that just before Brandon left England, Henry instructed him not to act foolishly and even think of marrying Mary while in France, that both had to wait until they were in England. In addition, shortly before Brandon arrived in Paris two friars had travelled from England to meet with Mary. Their mission was to turn her mind against Brandon.
They said the council would never consent to her marrying the Duke of Suffolk. In addition they told her that both Brandon and Cardinal Wolsey had performed witchcraft in order to manipulate the English King to their will. The Friars told Mary very specifically that the council would not consent to a marriage between her and Brandon. Now this shows clearly that it was known that Brandon had feelings for Mary. Brandon finally arrived in Paris on the 31st of January 1515, and met with Mary on the same day. He reported that Mary was eager to return home so that she may see her brother. Brandon was to face two major difficulties in regards to the negotiations. The first was regarding Mary’s jewelry. If the late King had given the jewels to Mary as Queen then the jewels belonged to France, however if they were given as personal presents, then she would be entitled to take them back. The second difficulty, one which was much greater, was that King Francis was reluctant to let Mary leave. An 18 years of age young and beautiful, and now a widow, Mary was a useful political pawn while she stayed in France. King Francis could exploit Mary for his own purposes. He could marry her off to a French nobleman, or even arrange a marriage of the senior member of the aristocracy of another country, in order to secure an alliance against England.
There were no lack of eligible men in many European countries who would wish to have the hand in marriage of Mary in order to make an alliance with France. Faced with such uncertainty about her future, Mary Tudor took matters into her own hands. Shortly after Brandon’s arrival in Paris, Mary proposed to him, and the Duke accepted. Although the exact date of the marriage is unknown, it can be determined that the couple married before approximately 10 witnesses between the 31st of January, when Brandon arrived in Paris, and the 3rd of February, the date of a letter when Brandon wrote to Cardinal Wolsey describing his meeting with the French.
During the meeting Francis told Brandon that the he knew of the secret wedding because Mary had already informed him. Mary wrote to her brother after her clandestine marriage to remind him that she had only agreed to know the sickly and aging Louis XII because he had promised that for her second marriage she could choose a man of her own choosing. She also sought his forgiveness, and promised to give him the plate coin and jewelry of her dowry.
Brandon decided to write directly to Henry begging his forgiveness, and stated that Henry VIII was his king and master above all others. Brandon threw himself on Henry’s mercy, acknowledging that he was nothing without Henry, and he also acknowledged everything that the King had done for him. Brandon also acknowledged that he had committed a great sin by breaking his promise not to marry Mary, by marrying the sister of a great King. Brandon put himself into a very precarious position, not just because he had committed treason, but because such actions could be perceived as trying to set him up himself up as the next king. At this time Henry VIII had no living male heir, and if Brandon could produce a son with Mary then their child could be next in line for the throne.
Brandon was in a dangerous position, but professing his loyalty to Henry he placed himself in a position of weakness, and shows that he had no intention of ever betraying Henry or the trust the King held in him. Henry VIII was always, and had had always been his king and master. The letters worked, and soon Brandon and Mary were married in a more public wedding in France. On the 31st of March the couple then traveled to the English port of Calais, where they had to await permission to return home. Permission granted they landed in Dover on the second of May where they were met by Henry VIII and a great retinue. The king warmly welcomed the couple, and accepted his younger sisters explanation that it was she who was responsible for the marriage and not Brandon. Now in return for the blessing Brandon and Mary were ordered not only to return Mary’s full dowry, as well as plate jewels, but to also pay twenty four thousand pounds in yearly installments of one thousand pounds.
Brandon was also required to give up the wardship of Lady Lisle with whom he had previously been contracted to marry. Well this was a staggering sum that would certainly have seen Brandon close to poverty. Records show that six years after their marriage the couple had only repaid one thousand three hundred and twenty four pounds. Brandon and Mary were formerly married at Greenwich palace on the 13th of May in front of Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon. The following year on the 11th of March 1516, Mary gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The infant was christened Henry after his Godfather, the other Godfather being Cardinal Wolsey. Catherine Courtenay, Dowager Countess of Devon, a daughter of the late King Edward IV stood there as godmother.
After the birth of his son in 1516 Brandon was away from court until the following February. When he returned, Brandon resumed his normal position with the king and attended council meetings, although somewhat sporadically, and participated in regular jousting events. Now he played the role of the Kings leading opponent rather than his teammate. The following year Mary was pregnant again, and in July 1517 she had set out on a pilgrimage to Walsingham, most likely to pray for the safe delivery of her child, when her labor came upon her suddenly. She was forced to stop and stay with the Bishop of Ely at Hatfield, and on the 16th of July between 2 and 3 o’clock in the morning, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The little girl was named Frances as she was born on St. Francis day, yet her name also allowed Mary and Brandon to pay tribute to King Francis of France who had supported them in their secret marriage several years earlier.
Now in addition, the birth of Brandon’s next child a daughter named Eleanor who quite possibly may have been named to honor Charles I’s sister Eleanor was born sometime in 1518 to 1521. Although there are no records surrounding the circumstances of her birth location or christening it can be assumed that she was christened as all babies were at the time and that godparents were appointed to the little baby.
In 1518 the Treaty of London was signed between France and England. To solidify the treaty a magnificent event was organised between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I. The event was the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and was to be held between the 7th and 24th of June 1520. The meeting was held between the English stronghold of Calais, and the French town of Adele. In the 31st of May 15 20 Henry’s entourage including Brandon and his wife set sail for Dover accompanied by approximately 5,000 men and women. They landed in Calais, and the French and English kings finally met in a valley over the course of the next 17 days. Various events and entertainments were held to display the skill and splendour of each country. These events included jousting, archery, wrestling displays, and the exchanging of lavish and extravagant gifts.
Brandon participated in multiple jousting events which he represented with his king and his country. On Thursday the 14th of June, Brandon ran a staggering 24 courses, and in the process broke 18 stoves and scored 3 hits. This was a remarkable result, and records state that Brandon did marvelously well, and was deserving of the prizes he received.
On June 24th the grand meeting came to an end and both Kings departed, however before Henry VIII’s returned home to England he went to meet with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to discuss a possible alliance. At the end of May, only a few weeks before the Field of the Cloth of Gold, Charles V had traveled to England, and met and his aunt Catherine of Aragon. Henry and Charles V rode to Canterbury where they feasted, and most likely discussed the possibility of a treaty. Brandon was appointed to tend to the king with several other members of nobility. More discussions were held, but no firm treaty was made.
Tragedy was to hit the Brandons. Sometime during 1522 their first son Henry died. There are no details surrounding the boy’s death, or the reasons why. At just five or six years of age the little boy could have died from a number of illnesses or accidents. One can only imagine how devastated the Brandons must have been at the loss of their son, and now however at this time Mary was pregnant for a fourth time, and during 1522 she gave birth to another son. He too was named Henry once more for the king although no further information about his birth location or christening survives, one can suggest that just as the first Henry the newborn was christened with some pomp, and it could even be suggested that once more the king stood his godfather once more.
Brandon had a son and a now on the 18th of June 1525 at Bridewell Palace Henry Brandon, now only two or three years old, was created Earl of Lincoln. The title was prestigious, it was prestigious for a young boy who was not even old enough to read or write. On the 25th of August 1521 the secret treaty was signed between Emperor Charles V and Cardinal Wolsey on behalf of Henry VIII, declaring that Henry would support Charles V in the war against France. Then in May 1523 England declared war on France. This was a difficult situation for Brandon. He and his wife, the Dowager Queen of France, was receiving a pension of 4,000 pounds a year. Brandon himself was receiving a pension from France. Both Brandon and Mary owed a great deal to the French King for supporting their marriage, yet Brandon was ever the opportunist, and when Charles V visited England in 1522, he had the honour of hosting Henry and Charles at Suffolk place where the men dined and hunted when war with France was declared. And his French pension stopped.
Brandon was able to secure an imperial pension now at the end of August, Brandon was appointed lieutenant general and was sent to Calais at the head of an army of 10,000 men. However there were difficulties with supplies, and sickness quickly affected some of his men. The campaign finally started then on the 1st of October. On the 26th of September Henry VIII, with the support of Thomas Wolsey decided to order Brandon to March straight to Paris. The aim was for a triple attack upon the capital, the Duke of Bourbon was rebelling against the French King and would attack from the south, and his army would attack from the east, and Brandon and his men from the north, after receiving enforcements. Brandon’s army took the French stronghold of Belcastle, and utterly destroyed it. Then from the 18th to the 20th of October they went on to destroy the riverside crossing at Bray, and in the 28th of October Brandon’s army captured ones along the way. Other towns surrendered, and despite marching such a huge number of men an even larger number of suppliers, soon Brandon was within 80 kilometers of Paris.
Unfortunately events would not go to plan. It seemed that Charles V was more interested in securing his northern Pyrenean frontier, and focused much of his time and supplies upon the war in northern Italy. In addition to this, once Charles V had captured for an area right at the border of France, he stopped his army. The Duke of Bourbons revolt fell apart, Brandon was left at the head of 10,000 men with no reinforcements or extra supplies. By November winter was setting in, there was heavy rain followed by an intense frost. Many of the English men were dying from the cold or sickness, and Brandon had a choice to make. He could either dig in for the winter just outside of Paris, or return to Calais. He chose the latter. By mid-December Brandon and his men were back in Calais waiting to sail back to England.
Brandon and the army returned to England in the new year of 1523. Sadly of the 10,000 men that left England in August less than half returned. Henry VIII openly blamed Charles Duke of Bourbon for the failure of the attack and no blame was ever laid upon Brandon. Despite the setback and failed attempt to take Paris, Brandon had proved himself to be a clean military expert. His military efforts both early in 1513 and again in 1523 had demonstrated that Brandon was an effective, skilled, and trustworthy military commander.
The following year in 1524 Henry was to receive a life-threatening jousting accident, one caused by Brandon himself. Brandon and Henry VIII, the two best jesters in all of England, their skills and abilities were well known, and both men shared a mutual love for the sport, and he been jousting together, and against one another for many years. On the 10th of March Brandon was set to joust against the king with one man at each end of the tilt. The signal was given to start and both men surged their horses forward. Brandon was wearing a helmet that gave him very little visible vision, and alarmingly the king had forgotten to lower his headpiece. People cried for Brandon to halt, but with limited vision and unable to hear the warnings he surged forward and struck the side of the King’s helmet sending splinters exploding over the face. Luckily Henry was not badly hurt, and no blame was laid upon Brandon, and their friendship remained intact, however Brandon swore that he would never joust against the king again. But this decision did not last, and in December of the same year the pair once again challenged each other to another joust.
Now the next 10 years of Brandan’s life was greatly taken up with Henry VIII’s Great Matter, that is the king’s quest to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled in order so he could marry Anne Boleyn. While the story of Henry and Catherine of Aragon’s divorce is far too long to tell here, it is important to outline as it does frame much of Brandon’s life. By 1527 the royal couple had been married for 18 years, and had only one surviving daughter. Henry wanted a secure future for the Tudors, and that meant having a male heir. Catherine had suffered multiple pregnancies, and all but one had resulted in miscarriage, stillbirth, or death of the infant only weeks after birth. Henry was desperate for his son. He began to believe that by taking his brother’s widow as his wife he had broken the Word of God. Catherine, her part argued that she was the true queen of England, though she had never had sexual intercourse with her first husband Prince Arthur, and she had been a true maid when she had come to her marriage bed with Henry. Therefore they had not broken any law, and God had chosen to bless them with a daughter.
But Julius II had granted a dispensation for Henry and Catherine to marry, yet Henry now argued that Julius II had exceeded his power and had no authority to to grant this dispensation. However everyone knew that Henry VIII eye had fallen upon Anne Boleyn in 1530. Mary Tudor, Brandon’s wife, spoke publicly about her position to the marriage, and it was clear where her loyalties lay. This resulted in a quarrel between Brandon’s men and some of the Duke of Norfolk’s men. The Duke of Norfolk was Anne Boleyn’s uncle. During the quarrel one of Brandon’s men was killed. When he heard what had happened, Brandon went to confront Norfolk’s men but Henry VIII sent Thomas Wolsey to stop him. The murders were pardoned and Henry VIII turned to his own Parliament.
The Reformation Parliament debated the idea that all matters of church and state needed to be referred to the monarch, and not the Pope. The various laws passed enforced the idea that no foreign power, the Pope, could dictate law in England, and that any law enforced by the monarch was binding. In brief the end result was at the England broke from the Church of Rome. Henry VIII became the head of the English church, and Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was declared annulled on the 25th of January 1533. Just before dawn Henry VIII made his second wife Anne Boleyn at Whitehall palace. If Brandon attended the wedding no records survived.
It was left to the Duke of Norfolk and Suffolk to carry the news to Catherine of Aragon. They met with the Queen at her residence and informed Catherine that she was no longer Queen of England, and now she had to style herself as Dowager Princess of Wales. Catherine took the news with grace, but refused neither to use the new title or to accept the validity of Henry’s marriage. And in December Brandon was once more sent to convince Catherine that she was no longer to style herself as Queen of England, and in addition she must move from her present lodgings. It was reported that Brandon stated he wished that some mischief would happen to him so that he did not have to go. When Brandon arrived and informed Catherine of her forthcoming move, Catherine stated that she would rather be hewn to pieces than be called Dowager Princess and she absolutely refused to go, slamming the door in Brandon’s face.
The Duke was left standing outside of the door imploring Catherine to see reason, and accept her new position. Brandon then went on to question Catherine’s servants, and they too refused to refer to her as Dowager Princess and insisted that Catherine was Queen. Five days passed during which time Brandon’s men removed the furniture and hangings from the house, as well as dismissing most of Catherine’s servants. During this time he continued to try and persuade Catherine to leave, but she insisted that the only way she would go is if he broke down the door, an action Brandon was reluctant to do. Brandon was at a complete loss, and wrote to Henry explaining the situation, even going so far as to say that he thought the only way they could transport Catherine was was if they bound her with ropes as requested, and he requested the Kings guidance. But Brandon had to wait until the 31st of December before instructions arrived from the king that Brandon should leave Catherine where she was, and return to court. The whole situation was uneasy and uncomfortable for Brandon, and while he thought Catherine was being stubborn, he was also well aware of her failing health, and the ever decreasing standard of living conditions that she was enforced to endure.
He was not unsympathetic to her cause, and when he returned to court Brandon conveyed to the king that Catherine was suffering from poor health. This information had no effect upon the king and Brandon was left once more in the difficult situation of having to harass the former Queen, or secretly being sympathetic to her cause. Catherine continued to style herself as Queen until her death almost three years later, and Boleyn’s magnificent coronation was set for Sunday the first of June 1533.
Wearing crimson velvet edged in ermine, and a purple velvet mantle, with her hair loose and hanging down about her waist Anne Boleyn made the journey barefoot from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey under a canopy of cloth of gold. Brandon’s duty was to walk before the future Queen carrying her crown, and during the coronation to stand close to the Queen holding a white staff of office. Afterward a great banquet was held at Westminster Hall where Brandon acted as Lord High Steward and constable. It had been his responsibility to organize all the details of the coronation, including Anne’s procession through London the previous day.
Wearing a doublet covered in pearls, and riding a charger covered in crimson velvet Brandon rode through the banquet consisting of some 32 courses that were consumed by 800 guests. Whatever Brandon’s private thoughts on the legality or otherwise of the marriage, he performed his duties to the fullest. Despite the triumph and majesty of Anne Boleyn’s coronation, Mary Tudor was caught conspicuous by her absence. Some suggested that Mary’s absence was a firm statement against a new queen. It was common knowledge that Mary openly opposed her brother’s desire to seek an annulment from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, however it was more likely that Mary was not fit enough in enough state to attend the magnificent event.
The Dowager French Queen had been ill for some time, and in May 1533 Brandon had returned to visit his wife. Sadly it would be the last time he would see her alive. Brandon was recalled to London to continue the organization of Anne’s coronation, and he was there when Mary died in the morning of the 25th of June 1533. Mary’s cause of death is unknown. It has been suggested that she may have suffered from angina. Mary had been ill for some time, and several years earlier had complained of a constant pain in her side. Mary had continued to style herself Dowager Queen of France to the day that she died. A delegation arrived from France to pay the nation’s respect to the funeral. Mary’s funeral was held in the 21st of July 1533. Her daughter Frances was a chief mourner accompanied by her husband. Mary was interned in the abbey of Bury St. Edmund until 1539 when her coffin was moved to the chancel of St. Mary’s Church during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
There’s some three months after Mary’s death Brandon remarried on the 7th of September 1533. He had turned his attention to Katherine Willoughby born on the 22nd of March 1519. Katherine Willoughby was the daughter of William 11th Baron Willoughby, and his wife Maria de Salinas, one of Queen Catherine of Aragon’s ladies-in-waiting who had come from Spain with her in 1501 at the tender age of just just seven. Katherine’s father had died and with no male son Catherine became his heir. In March 1528 Brandon had bought the wardship of Katherine from the king. There had been some debate over Brandon’s actions in such a rush marriage. Originally his intent was to have Katherine marry his son Henry, who at the time was 11. Brandon however needed cash and quickly, and ever the opportunist, the best way Brandon could achieve this was to marry Katherine himself.
At the time of this marriage Brandon was 49 and Catherine a mere 14. Looking back with a modern perspective, Brandon was old enough to be Catherine’s father, and this is quite horrifying, but for the age it was not unusual for an older man to marry a much younger woman. Margaret Beaufort, Henry VIII’s grandmother, had been married to Edmund Tudor at the age of twelve when he was 25, however despite many men being married to considerably younger women there were still some mutterings surrounding Brandon’s actions, and people were well aware that Brandon had only married Katherine for her money.
Tragically Brandon’s son Henry Earl of Lincoln died in the morning of the 1st of March 1534, 6 months after his father’s marriage. Brandon now had four daughters and no male heir. Eighteen months later Katherine Willoughby gave birth to a boy on the 18th of September 1535. A short time later the little boy named Henry, once again named after the king, was christened. Henry stood as one of the godfathers and even gave the midwife and wet nurse 4 pounds for their efforts.
Now 1536 was to be one of the busiest and most important years of Brandon’s life. Anne Boleyn was arrested on the 2nd of May 1536, and taken to the Tower in the Queens apartments. From here events for her began to unfold rapidly. Henry VIII was growing frustrated that his second wife could not provide him with her son, and in addition his tension had already turned to Jane Seymour. On the 11th Anne was arrested on charges of committing incest with her brother George, and adultery on multiple occasions, in addition to plotting the king’s death. The next day, May the 12th, Sir Henry Norris, Sir William Brereton, Sir Francis Weston, and Mark Smeaton were bought from the Tower of London to Westminster Hall to stand trial for their alleged crimes.
Brandon was a member of the jury that judged all four men of having illicit affairs with the Queen of England, and plotting the downfall of the King. All four men were found guilty and sentenced to death. Three days later Brandon was again amongst the jurors selected for the trial of Anne’s brother George, and Anne herself. Both were found guilty of incest and treason. Anne was additionally charged with adultery. Again both were found guilty of all charges and sentenced to death on the 19th of May 1536. Anne Boleyn was beheaded on Tower green within the Tower of London. Brandon, who had long held a great dislike of Anne was present in the crowd to witness the death of his longtime rival for the Kings affection.
In addition to Anne’s downfall, the Pilgrimage of Grace demanded a great deal of Brandon’s time and effort over the next year. The rebellion, initially formed as a series of revolts originating as the people were unhappy with the dissolution of their monasteries, as well as those upset with many of the government commissions being conducted to look at the resources that the smaller monasteries had, as well as examining the conduct of the clergy. There were also widespread rumours that the government would confiscate the jewels, plate in wealth of the monasteries, and also imposed new taxes upon the people. The king was furious. The people of his realm would dare rebel against decisions made by him and his government. In response he sent Brandon to take action.
Brandon arrived in Huntington on the 9th of October at 6:00 a.m. only to find there were no men, artillery, or resources for him to achieve anything. From Huntington Brandon moved on to Stafford, arriving on the 11th. Meanwhile the rebellion was spreading, and it was reported that all the people of Yorkshire were up in arms, as well as men coming in from east, riding and marching to join the rebellion. It was around this time that Robert Aske began to refer to the rebellion as the Pilgrimage seeking the King’s support in preserving the church, and calling for the punishment of those subvert in the law. On the 15th of October Henry VIII wrote to Brandon detailing that he should instruct the rebels to surrender their weapons, and give all the information they can about how the rebellion started, and if they did so they would be dismissed without any further penalties.
By now the two sides were vastly different in numbers. Brandon and his men numbered around 3200. The combined forces of Shrewsbury and the Duke of Norfolk only added a further six thousand. All the rebels were reported to a number above 40,000. On the 18th of October Henry wrote again to Brandon making it clear to the Duke that he was to stop the rebellion by any means of negotiation, or if that did not work, then he was to make the King’s presence known and to show no mercy upon all those that opposed the King. Finally on the 26th of October the rebels paused near Doncaster where they met the Duke of Norfolk.
Norfolk was not a foolish man and he knew that fighting the rebels are simply not an option and offered to negotiate. Despite vastly outnumbering Norfolk and his men, Robert Aske agreed to negotiate with the Duke, and it was decided that a petition would be taken to the king and a general truce was proclaimed. Robert Aske ordered the disbanding of the Pilgrimage, and promised no further rioting. Brandon was to remain in Lincolnshire to keep the peace, and to keep an eye out for any further signs of rebellion. He and his troop of 3600 men were spread throughout Lincolnshire. Brandon specifically located in Lincoln with a large store of weapons and corn. He was also charged with seeking out any further dissidents and gaining information from them if needed. He was instructed to execute any of those who rebelled against the king, yet despite the Kings talk there was no meeting held to discuss the rebels’ complaints. This lack of action caused frustration and anger amongst some of the rebels, and in January 1537 fresh rebellions broke out in East Riding. West Riding, Lancashire, Cumberland, and Westmorland.
Although the riots were smaller than that of the previous year, the rebels had broken their promise not to riot against the king. This time the king acted swiftly and commanded Brandon to try and punish those responsible for this rebellion. With all sides of rebellion now squashed Brandon’s duty was to maintain peace. From Christmas of 1536 between April 1537 records showed that he received a number of grants, noticeably several of them in Lancashire.
Now in 1539 the aging Brandon was receive one of the greatest honors, and found himself positioned in one of the most important offices of the King’s household. During 1539 Thomas Cromwell sought to reform the council and the court, and in December these reforms came to effect in the form of the Greenwich Ordinances. As part of these ordinances Brandon was appointed the grand master or Lord Stewart of the King’s most honorable household. This appointment was granted directly by the King, and it declared that Brandon was the first dignitary of court, and it was responsible for the household of the court below stairs. This included overseeing such things as the running of the kitchens, the provisions of fuel for the household, drinks and other domestic responsibilities, as well as the maintenance of the grounds and gardens of the household.
Brandon was now also responsible for felonies or offenses committed by the king’s servants including treason, murder, or the shedding of blood. Shortly after this Brandon returned to the north of England as in the early 1540s relations between England and Scotland were breaking down. The King needed someone he could trust to guard the English Scottish Borders, and so Brandon was appointed royal a tenant of the north and sent to the border in January 1543, staying there overseeing the defenses in the north until March 1544.
His duties did not just include protecting the Scottish border from invasion, piracy, or insurrection, whether local Scots, he was also entrusted with overseeing trials, administering punishments to the locals, as well as following the directions given to him by the king and council. Brandon was one of the men responsible for brokering the treaty between England and Scotland throughout the early months of 1543. He was one of several men who wrote directly to Sir George Douglas and the Earl of Angus in the hopes of organizing a peace treaty that would see the infant Mary Queen of Scots married to Henry VIII’s young Prince Edward, a tentative peace treaty with Scotland was signed on the 1st of July 1543 at Greenwich, however 7 days later the peace treaty was broken by the Scots. Brandon was furious at the breakdown of the treaty that he had worked so hard to broker, and was eager for war against Scotland.
Soon an invasion was being planned, however it was not Brandon but the Earl of Hertford that would lead the invasion. The king was turning his sights against his old enemy France, and for this he required his trusted military advisor an old friend by his side. The Earl of Hertford was sent to deal with the Scotland and on the 4th of May the English forces landed near the port of Leith, after blasting opened the gates of Edinburgh they entered the city three days later, successfully burning much of the city to the grounds.
With Scotland successfully subdued, the king turned his full attention to a war against France. This would be Henry VIII’s final hurrah against his old enemy, and he sought to align himself with Charles V in attempt to capture Paris. Brandon was called to action at the and at the age of 59 or 60 he went to war once more. While Henry VIII’s initial plan was to take Paris, he abandoned this idea and decided a more strategic to capture was Boulogne, because it could be used as ransom. Brandon was appointed lieutenant and Captain General of the army. Now Brandon wrote his will on the 20th of June 1544, only days before he traveled across the channel to wage war with France. In his will Brandon first and foremost bequests his soul to God and requested that his soul be buried without any pomp or outward pride of the world at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity.
Brandon had also requested that masses were said for his soul according to the churches of England. His first bequest is a cup of gold valued at one hundred pounds to Henry VIII. Interestingly he requested the cup be made from chain that carried his Order of the Garter insignia. This signified that Brandon had great value in the post that he had as a member of the Order of the Garter, the honor awarded to him by his King, and lifetime friends. He also asked that a gold cup worth 100 marks be given to Prince Edward. Brandon also asked the King to bring up his sons. For his wife Katherine he bequeathed five hundred marks plate worth the same amount, or her own plate to be returned to her.
Brandon’s jewels and pearls to the value of five hundred marks, household goods valued at the same, and all the sheep and land held by him in Lincoln to his son and heir Henry Brandon. He provided the largest portion of his lands, money, and property he bequeathed to his oldest son. All his horses,of which Brandon had many, all his remaining gold, silver, his remaining jewels, clothing, and household belongings. He does make a note that all these belongings are to be given to Henry Brandon only when he reaches the age of eighteen or 21 depending on what Brandon’s executors decide. Brandon then states that if Henry should die before he reaches 18, all the above-mentioned should go to Charles, his second son.
At the end of June 1544 Brandon and his men were in France, and shortly afterward they began their siege upon Boulogne. Brandon was firmly in control of his men in the campaign, working with his council to ensure that not only his men but also the horses had enough food and water for the campaign. Brandon saw that no mercy was shown to the besieged people of Boulogne, and over a period of six weeks he oversaw around a hundred thousand guns fired into the town. In addition to this bombardment, they dug tunnels and trenches in order to assault the outer walls of the city. Even when the King arrived at the battlefront, albeit at a safe distance, much of the organization and operations of the siege were still left at Brandon below, and Boulogne finally surrendered on the 14th of September 1544 at 10:00 a.m. And the treaty was organized between Brandon. Satisfied with this victory the King returned home, but not before ordering Brandon to provide aid to Norfolk, however before Brandon could provide aid to Norfolk Francis I and Charles V secretly signed a peace treaty, leaving England without the support of the Holy Roman Emperor.
Poor weather and lack of supply saw Brandon, Norfolk and their men in a desperate situation, and they retreated at the port of Calais from where they could depart for England and safety. On return to England, Brandon was granted the honour of retaining 100 men as part of his personal guard. This was a huge reward considering how suspicious the king had grown regarding his personal threats to himself and his sons claim to the throne. Unfortunately there are few surviving records mentioning Brandon’s health over the last few years of his life, so it is extremely difficult to piece together what may have caused his death in January 1545.
Brandon had to sit during the opening of Parliament, and in October of the same year he complained of a sore leg which immobilized him for a short period of time. Now writing in 1547, two years after Brandon’s death, we read of an incident that happened in March 1545. Brandon had been tricked by a man named into purchasing a ring that should bring him money and fortune. They caught the man and brought him to Brandon’s home at the Barbican hoping to bring the matter before the duke but were unable to see Brandon as he had been ill the night before and had only just fallen asleep.
In August 1545 Brandon took part in the meeting of the Privy Council when it was convened in Guildford. The Privy Council met daily from the 15th to the 21st, however on the 19th of August the Imperial ambassador to the English Court arrived at Guildford to see the king. He wrote that Brandon was ill on the 21st of August. Henry VIII moved to Woking, and the Privy Council meeting was held the same day, but Brandon is not recorded as attending. His absence suggests that Brandon was seriously ill, unable to travel, and thus remained at Guildford.
Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk died on the 22nd of August at 4 o’clock in the afternoon at 61 years of age. Despite wishing to be buried at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity in Lincolnshire without any pomp or display, Brandon was buried at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor near the South door of the choir, at the Kings expense. On the 8th of September 1545 Brandon’s coffin was taken to the great chamber at Guildford where it was laid upon a trestle. The coffin was then covered in a rich pall of cloth gold tissue bearing images of his coats of arms, a cross was laid on top, and on the trestle were two silver candlesticks with two burning vigil candles. The great chamber was hung with black cloth, and standards bearing Brandon’s coats of arms. The room is reported to have been full of people mourning the loss of the duke. The next day the 9th of September at 7 a.m. Brandon’s body was removed from Guildford and taken to Windsor Castle. Brandon’s coffin was covered in cloth of gold, and the chariot itself was covered in black cloth with white crosses, and drawn by five horses. At three pm the procession rode in to the town of Windsor, where the procession then entered the gates at Windsor Castle before Brandon’s coffin was carried into St. George’s Chapel, still covered in the rich canopy of cloth of gold. The inside of St. George’s Chapel was hung with black cloth, and Brandon’s coat of arms. The coffin was then placed on a trestle near the altar of the chapel. The funeral service was conducted jointly by Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, and the Bishop of Rochester, Brandon was interred close to the choir near the south door.
A handful of dirt was thrown into the grave, and then the offices of Brandon’s household broke their staffs, and threw them into the grave as a sign of respect that their duty to their master was at an end. The next morning, the 10th of September, another mass was held, and a sermon was conducted by Stephen Gardiner before the Requiem Mass was sung. On hearing the news of Brandon’s death the king had declared that Brandon had been one of his best friends. He went on to say that Brandon had always been loyal and generous, and then had never taken unfair advantage of a friend or enemy, and was truly fair towards all his political enemies. Now Brandon’s greatest quality were not his skills and jousting, although he was arguably one of the best jousters in England, nor was it is success in military campaigns. It was his ability to read the moods of the king, and knowing how to respond appropriately through a friendship that lasted almost from childhood. Charles Brandon came to know his King and friends better than anyone else at court. Brandon’s greatest legacy was his unwavering loyalty and dedication to his king and friend.
Thank you for listening to my talk on Charles Brandon. He’s a fascinating man and I have a great passion for him. I hope you have a wonderful day.