Anne Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon
Encyclopedia
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
and his wife Catherine Woodville. In 1510, her affair with King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
was the subject of a scandal
Sex scandal
A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...
at court.
Background
Anne Stafford was born around 1483 in Ashby, LeicestershireLeicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In the year of her birth, her father was executed for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
by order of King Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
. Her mother Catherine, a younger sister of Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
, queen consort of King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, cared for Anne until her marriage in 1503.
Anne's siblings were: Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, KG was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and the former Lady Catherine Woodville, daughter of the 1st Earl Rivers and sister-in-law of King Edward IV.-Early life:Stafford was born at Brecknock Castle in Wales...
; Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire was an English nobleman.Henry, born in Brecknock Castle, Wales, was the younger son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and of Catherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham and Bedford, and thus a nephew of King Edward IV of England...
; and Elizabeth Stafford, Countess of Sussex
Elizabeth Stafford, Countess of Sussex
Elizabeth Stafford was a daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and his wife Catherine Woodville. She was a sister of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire....
.
Her first cousins included (among others) John Tuchet, 8th Baron Audley
John Tuchet, 8th Baron Audley
John Tuchet, 8th Baron Audley, 5th Baron Tuchet was an English peer.John Tuchet was the son of Sir James Tuchet, 7th Baron Audley . He married Mary Griffin, daughter of John Griffin, 9th Baron Latimer...
, Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and 1st Marquess of Dorset, KG , was an English nobleman, courtier and a man of mediocre abilities pushed into prominence by his mother Elizabeth Woodville's second marriage to the king, Edward IV.-Family:Thomas was born about 1455,...
, Richard Grey
Richard Grey
Sir Richard Grey was an English knight and the half-brother of King Edward V of England.Grey was the younger son of Sir John Grey of Groby and Elizabeth Woodville, later Queen Consort of King Edward IV...
, Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, and mother of King Henry VIII of England....
, Mary of York
Mary of York
Mary of York was the second daughter of Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville.-Family:...
, Cecily of York
Cecily of York
Cecily of York, Viscountess Welles was an English Princess and the third, but eventual second surviving, daughter of Edward IV, King of England and his queen consort, née Lady Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers.-Birth and Family:Cecily was born in Westminster Palace...
, Edward V of England
Edward V of England
Edward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...
, Margaret of York
Margaret of York
Margaret of York – also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy – was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Duchy after his death. She was a daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the sister of...
, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York
Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York
Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, 1st Duke of Norfolk, 1st Earl of Norfolk, Earl Marshal was the sixth child and second son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. He was born in Shrewsbury....
, Anne of York
Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter
-External links:* A Medieval Re-enactment Society based in London, featuring members of the Neville/Plantagenet family....
, George Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford
George Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford was the eighth child and third son of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville....
, Catherine of York
Catherine of York
Catherine or Katherine of York was the ninth child and sixth daughter of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. From birth to death, she was daughter to Edward IV, sister to Edward V, niece to Richard III, sister-in-law to Henry VII and aunt to Henry VIII.-Early life:She was born in Eltham...
, Bridget of York
Bridget of York
Bridget of York was the tenth child and seventh daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.-Family and life:She was a younger sister of Elizabeth of York, Mary of York, Cecily of York, Edward V, Margaret of York, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, Anne of York, Countess of Surrey and...
and Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert
Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert
Elizabeth Somerset, 3rd Baroness Herbert was the sole heir and daughter of William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, and his first wife, Mary Woodville....
.
Marriages and children
Anne married twice, first in 1503 to Sir Walter Herbert, a son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of PembrokeWilliam Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469)
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke KG , known as "Black William", was the son of William ap Thomas founder of Raglan Castle and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam, and grandson of Dafydd Gam, an adherent of King Henry V of England....
and Anne Deveureux. The marriage was childless. Her husband died on 16 September 1507.
Her second husband was George Hastings
George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon
George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, the son of Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings and Mary Hungerford. George Hastings was created the first Earl of Huntingdon by Henry VIII of England on 3 November 1529. On the same day his son Francis gained a seat at the...
, whom she married in December 1509. He became Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
on 8 December 1529. They had eight children:
- Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of HuntingdonFrancis Hastings, 2nd Earl of HuntingdonFrancis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, KG was the eldest son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon, the ex-mistress of Henry VIII....
(1514 - 25 January 1569). Father of both Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of HuntingdonHenry Hastings, 3rd Earl of HuntingdonSir Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, KG KB was the eldest son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole.-Ancestry:...
and George Hastings, 4th Earl of HuntingdonGeorge Hastings, 4th Earl of HuntingdonSir George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon was an English nobleman.He was a son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole. He was a younger brother of Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon and older brother of Francis Hastings...
. - William Hastings.
- Catherine Hastings.
- Sir Thomas Hastings. Married Winifred Pole, daughter of Henry Pole, 1st Baron MontaguHenry Pole, 1st Baron MontaguHenry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu , the only holder of the title Baron Montagu under its 1514 creation, was most famous as one of the peers in the trial of Anne Boleyn.-Life:...
and Jane Neville. Jane was a daughter of George Nevill, 4th Baron BergavennyGeorge Nevill, 4th Baron BergavennySir George Nevill, 4th and de jure 2nd Baron Bergavenny was an English nobleman.George was the son of Edward Nevill, 3rd Baron Bergavenny and Elizabeth de Beauchamp, Lady of Abergavenny. He was knighted by Edward IV on 9 May 1471, after fighting for the King at the Battle of Tewkesbury...
and Margaret Fenne. - Edward Hastings, Baron Hastings of LoughboroughEdward Hastings, Baron Hastings of LoughboroughSir Edward Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings of Loughborough, KG was born, the son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, circa 1521 in Loughborough, Leicestershire. He married Joane Harrington daughter of John Harrington of Bagworth, Leicestershire circa 1544....
. - Henry Hastings.
- Mary Hastings. Married Thomas Berkeley, 6th Baron Berkeley.
- Dorothy Hastings. Married Sir Richard Devereux, a son of Walter Devereux, 1st Viscount HerefordWalter Devereux, 1st Viscount HerefordWalter Devereux, 9th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, created 1st Viscount Hereford was an English Peer.-Family:...
. They were parents of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of EssexWalter Devereux, 1st Earl of EssexWalter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, KG , an English nobleman and general. From 1573 until his death he fought in Ireland in connection with the Plantation of Ulster, where he ordered the massacre of Rathlin Island...
who married Lettice KnollysLettice KnollysLettice Knollys , Countess of Essex and Countess of Leicester , was an English noblewoman and mother to the courtiers Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Lady Penelope Rich; through her marriage to Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, she incurred the Queen's undying...
by whom he had five children.
Notoriety
Anne entered into an affair with King Henry VIII around 1510, only one year after Henry wed Catherine of AragonCatherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, and one year after Anne married Lord Hastings. Their adultery became a scandal when made public. Her brother, the Duke of Buckingham, was enraged. Her husband, Lord George Hastings, sent her to a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
. There are suggestions that her relationship with the King continued until 1513, however.
Afterward, Anne was involved with the man who had been the go-between during her relationship with the king – Sir William Compton
William Compton (courtier)
Sir William Compton was one of the most prominent courtiers during the reign of Henry VIII of England. Born around 1482, Compton was about nine years older than his king, but the two became close friends. Compton was the eldest son of Edmund Compton of Warwickshire and became an attendant on young...
. He included her in his will in 1522, leaving her many lands. He died in 1528 of the sweating sickness
Sweating sickness
Sweating sickness, also known as "English sweating sickness" or "English sweate" , was a mysterious and highly virulent disease that struck England, and later continental Europe, in a series of epidemics beginning in 1485. The last outbreak occurred in 1551, after which the disease apparently...
.
Fictional portrayals
Anna BrewsterAnna Brewster
-Acting career:Anna has appeared in the films Anita and Me, Mrs Henderson Presents, Hippie Hippie Shake with Sienna Miller and Cillian Murphy and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People...
portrayed Anne Stafford in two 2007 episodes of the Showtime television series The Tudors
The Tudors
The Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
. In the series, however, Anne is presented as the 3rd Duke of Buckingham's daughter (she was his sister), and is involved not with Henry VIII but with a fictionalized version of the King's future brother-in-law Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG was the son of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Through his third wife Mary Tudor he was brother-in-law to Henry VIII. His father was the standard-bearer of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and was slain by Richard III in person at...
. She is also shown as dying of the same sweating sickness that killed Compton.
Anne is also a character in the Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
novel, The Constant Princess
The Constant Princess
The Constant Princess is a historical novel by Philippa Gregory, published in 2005. The novel depicts a fictionalized version of the life of Catherine of Aragon.-Plot summary:Childhood:The book starts at Alhambra Palace, when Catalina is five years old...
.