Elizabeth Brooke, Lady Wyatt
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Brooke was the wife of Thomas Wyatt
, the poet, and the mother of Thomas Wyatt the younger
who led Wyatt's Rebellion
against Mary I
. She was the sister of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham
and was considered a possible candidate for the sixth wife of Henry VIII of England
.
Elizabeth separated from Thomas Wyatt and openly lived in adultery. He refused to financially support her, and after pursuing Anne Boleyn
before her relationship with the King, he started a long-term affair with Elizabeth Darrell
. The story that in 1540, Wyatt and Elizabeth were forced by Henry VIII
to reconcile is based on the testimony of a single unreliable source and improbable. She should not be confused with her beautiful niece, Elisabeth Brooke
, who married William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
and was close to Edward VI of England, Jane Grey
and Elizabeth I of England.
On February 14, 1542 the night after Catherine Howard had been condemned to death for adultery, Henry VIII held a dinner for many men and women. He was said to pay great attention to Elizabeth and to Anne Bassett
. Both were thought to be possible choices for wife number six.
Thomas Wyatt (poet)
Sir Thomas Wyatt was a 16th-century English lyrical poet credited with introducing the sonnet into English. He was born at Allington Castle, near Maidstone in Kent – though his family was originally from Yorkshire...
, the poet, and the mother of Thomas Wyatt the younger
Thomas Wyatt the younger
Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger was a rebel leader during the reign of Queen Mary I of England; his rising is traditionally called "Wyatt's rebellion".-Birth and career:...
who led Wyatt's Rebellion
Wyatt's rebellion
Wyatt's Rebellion was a popular uprising in England in 1554, named after Thomas Wyatt the younger, one of its leaders. The rebellion arose out of concern over Queen Mary I's determination to marry Philip II of Spain, which was an unpopular policy with the English...
against Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. She was the sister of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham
George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham
George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham was an aristocrat during the early Tudor dynasty in England. A soldier and magnate, he participated in the English wars of his days and in the political turmoil following the death of Henry VIII....
and was considered a possible candidate for the sixth wife of Henry VIII of England
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...
.
Elizabeth separated from Thomas Wyatt and openly lived in adultery. He refused to financially support her, and after pursuing Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
before her relationship with the King, he started a long-term affair with Elizabeth Darrell
Elizabeth Darrell (maid-of-honour)
Elizabeth Darrell was the long-term mistress and muse of Sir Thomas Wyatt. They had at least one child, Francis. Wyatt was married to Elizabeth Brooke, Lady Wyatt who had committed adultery, resulting in their separation...
. The story that in 1540, Wyatt and Elizabeth were forced by 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...
to reconcile is based on the testimony of a single unreliable source and improbable. She should not be confused with her beautiful niece, Elisabeth Brooke
Elisabeth Brooke, Marchioness of Northampton
Elisabeth Brooke was the eldest daughter of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham of Kent and Anne, his wife. She was the niece of Sir Thomas Wyatt the elder, the courtier-poet credited with bringing the sonnet form into the English language, and Elizabeth Brooke who was associated with Henry VIII of...
, who married William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton
William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton, 1st Earl of Essex and 1st Baron Parr, KG was the son of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green, daughter of Sir Thomas Green, of Broughton and Greens Norton...
and was close to Edward VI of England, Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
and Elizabeth I of England.
On February 14, 1542 the night after Catherine Howard had been condemned to death for adultery, Henry VIII held a dinner for many men and women. He was said to pay great attention to Elizabeth and to Anne Bassett
Anne Bassett
Anne Bassett was an English courtier of the Tudor period, whose charms attracted the attention of King Henry VIII.-Family background:Anne was born in 1521, the fourth child of Sir John Bassett and Honor...
. Both were thought to be possible choices for wife number six.
Further reading
- The Mistresses of Henry VIII by Kelly Hart
- The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics) by Sir Thomas Wyatt
- The Life and Letters of Sir Thomas Wyatt (English Texts & Studies) by Kenneth Muir