Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Encyclopedia
Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (ca. 1523 – 1 March 1534 Southwark
) was the youngest child and second son born to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
and Mary Tudor, Queen of France, who was a daughter of Henry VII of England
. Thus Henry Brandon was nephew to Henry VIII
of England. His older sisters were Lady Frances Brandon and Lady Eleanor Brandon.
He and his older brother (1516-1522) are often mistakenly thought to be the same person, because both died as children and bore the same name. It was not unusual in Tudor times to name a child after a deceased sibling.
His paternal grandparents were Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. His maternal grandparents were Henry VII of England
and his queen consort
Elizabeth of York
.
His maternal uncles were Arthur, Prince of Wales
, Henry VIII of England
, Edward Tudor
and Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset
. His maternal aunts were Margaret, queen consort of Scotland
, Elizabeth Tudor and Katherine Tudor
.
Brandon was created Earl of Lincoln
by Henry VIII on 18 June 1525 at the age of only two. He was "so young that Sir John Vere was appointed to carry him" during the elaborate ceremony. His father planned a marriage for him with Catherine Willoughby
, a peeress in her own right and daughter of Maria de Salinas
, who had been one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting.
was already past the age of thirty and had little prospect of having any more children. Next in line after the king's children was his sister Margaret Tudor
, and her children, but their place in the succession was not secure - Henry would later exclude them by the Second Succession Act
(1536), and by his will. Next in line after that came the Duchess of Suffolk and her son Henry Brandon, who during his own lifetime (he died before Henry's son Edward
was born), was the only person in the line of succession who had the twin qualifications of being male, and English. However he died at the age of ten or eleven.
Brandon's mother predeceased him, and his own death created royal ambitions in his sister Frances. After the death of the Duchess of Suffolk, the Duke married Catherine Willoughby himself. Though his son was betrothed to her, at ten he was too young for marriage and also sickly. Henry Brandon's niece Lady Jane Grey
eventually, and briefly, succeeded to the throne on 10 July 1553.
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
) was the youngest child and second son born to 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...
and Mary Tudor, Queen of France, who was a daughter of Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. Thus Henry Brandon was nephew to 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...
of England. His older sisters were Lady Frances Brandon and Lady Eleanor Brandon.
He and his older brother (1516-1522) are often mistakenly thought to be the same person, because both died as children and bore the same name. It was not unusual in Tudor times to name a child after a deceased sibling.
His paternal grandparents were Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. His maternal grandparents were Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and his queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
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....
.
His maternal uncles were Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England. As he predeceased his father, Arthur never became king...
, 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...
, Edward Tudor
Edward Tudor
Edward Tudor was the supposed son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. It is most likely that he was born towards the beginning of the marriage or towards the end of it ....
and Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset
Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset
Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset was the sixth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York.Edmund's elder siblings were Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret, queen consort of Scotland, Henry VIII of England, Elizabeth and Mary, Queen consort of France...
. His maternal aunts were Margaret, queen consort of Scotland
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
, Elizabeth Tudor and Katherine Tudor
Katherine Tudor
Katherine Tudor was the eighth and last child of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. She was born at the Tower of London and died shortly after her birth....
.
Brandon was created Earl of Lincoln
Earl of Lincoln
Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England.-Earls of Lincoln, First Creation :*William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Lincoln and 1st Earl of Arundel Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the Peerage of England.-Earls of Lincoln, First...
by Henry VIII on 18 June 1525 at the age of only two. He was "so young that Sir John Vere was appointed to carry him" during the elaborate ceremony. His father planned a marriage for him with Catherine Willoughby
Catherine Willoughby
Catherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk, suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby , was an English noblewoman living at the royal courts of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and later, Queen Elizabeth I...
, a peeress in her own right and daughter of Maria de Salinas
Maria de Salinas
María de Salinas, Lady Willoughby was a noblewoman from Spain, she served as confidante and lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England.-Family background:Maria was the daughter of Martín de Salinas María de Salinas, Lady Willoughby (ca 1490 - 1539) was a noblewoman from Spain, she...
, who had been one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting.
Role in the line of succession
Throughout Brandon's life, there was a small but real possibility that he would one day become king of England. At the time of his birth, Princess Mary was Henry VIII's only child, and his Queen consort 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...
was already past the age of thirty and had little prospect of having any more children. Next in line after the king's children was his sister Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor
Margaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots. James died in 1513, and their son became King James V. She married secondly Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of...
, and her children, but their place in the succession was not secure - Henry would later exclude them by the Second Succession Act
Second Succession Act
The Second Succession Act of Henry VIII's reign was passed by the Parliament of England in June 1536, removing both Mary and Elizabeth from the line of the succession. The Act was formally titled "An Act concerning the Succession of the Crown"...
(1536), and by his will. Next in line after that came the Duchess of Suffolk and her son Henry Brandon, who during his own lifetime (he died before Henry's son Edward
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
was born), was the only person in the line of succession who had the twin qualifications of being male, and English. However he died at the age of ten or eleven.
Brandon's mother predeceased him, and his own death created royal ambitions in his sister Frances. After the death of the Duchess of Suffolk, the Duke married Catherine Willoughby himself. Though his son was betrothed to her, at ten he was too young for marriage and also sickly. Henry Brandon's niece Lady 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...
eventually, and briefly, succeeded to the throne on 10 July 1553.