Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset
Encyclopedia
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset (15 June 1519 – 23 July 1536) was the son of King Henry VIII of England
and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount
, the only illegitimate
offspring whom Henry acknowledged.
, Essex. The name FitzRoy
means "son of the King" and was given to illegitimate children of English royalty. FitzRoy's godfather
was Thomas Wolsey, the King's chief minister. His mother's affair with the King appears not to have continued after his birth, but she was well-married shortly afterwards, and she and her husband Gilbert Talboys received grants and marks of favour from the King.
Details of the child's initial upbringing are unclear. He was known as Lord Henry FitzRoy until 18 June 1525, at age six, when his father created him Earl of Nottingham and Duke of Richmond and Somerset. In that same year, Richmond, as he came to be known, was granted several other appointments, including Lord High Admiral of England, Lord President of the Council of the North
, and Warden of the Marches towards Scotland
, the effect of which was to place the government of the north of England in his hands. The young Duke was raised like a Prince at Sheriff Hutton Castle
in Yorkshire. His father had a particular fondness for him and took great interest in his upbringing. In February 1527, Thomas Magnus
told the young Duke that James V of Scotland
had asked for hunting dogs. Fitzroy sent the Scottish king 20 hunting hounds and a huntsman.
established a personal union
between the English and Irish crowns, providing that whoever was King of England was to be King of Ireland as well. King Henry VIII of England
was proclaimed this first holder.
annulled, it was suggested that FitzRoy marry his own half-sister Mary
in order to prevent the annulment and strengthen FitzRoy's claim to the throne. Anxious to prevent the annulment and Henry's eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope was even prepared to grant a special dispensation for their marriage.
At age 14, on 28 November 1533 the Duke married Mary
, the only daughter of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
. He was on excellent terms with his brother-in-law, the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
. Although tradition has it that Anne Boleyn
was hostile to the match, it is now thought that it was she who helped pair her young cousin Mary with the King's illegitimate son. It is said the marriage was never consummated.
was going through Parliament
which disinherited Henry's daughter Elizabeth
as his heir and permitted the King to designate his successor, whether legitimate or not. There is no evidence that Henry intended to proclaim Richmond his heir, but in theory the Act would have permitted him to do so if he wished. The Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys
wrote to Charles V
on 8 July 1536 that Henry VIII had made a statute allowing him to nominate a successor, but thought the Duke of Richmond would not succeed to throne by it, as he was consumptive and now diagnosed incurable.
, Richmond became sickly some time before he died, although Richmond's biographer Beverley A. Murphy cites his documented public appearances and activities in April and May of that year, without exciting comment on his health, as evidence to the contrary. He was reported ill with "consumption" (usually identified as tuberculosis
, but possibly another serious lung
complaint) in early July, and died at St. James's Palace
on 23 July 1536.
Norfolk gave orders that the body be wrapped in lead and taken in a closed cart for secret interment, but his servants put the body in a straw-filled wagon. The only mourners were two attendants who followed at a distance. The Duke's ornate tomb is in Framlingham Church
, Suffolk. One of the houses
at the local high school is named after him.
His father outlived him by just over a decade, and was succeeded by his legitimate son Edward, born shortly after Fitzroy's death. Most historians maintain that Edward, like Henry Fitzroy, died of tuberculosis
. It is said that Henry Fitzroy might have been made king had Henry VIII died without a legitimate son:
Historian Julian Litten believes that the real mystery in Richmond's death is the disease that killed him. If not consumption or the historical English sweating sickness
, it could have been a genetic condition which might also have caused the deaths of his uncle Arthur, Prince of Wales
and his half brother Edward.
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...
and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount
Elizabeth Blount
Elizabeth Blount , who was better known by her nickname of "Bessie", was a mistress of Henry VIII of England.-Early life:She was the daughter of Sir John Blount and Catherine Pershall, of Kinlet, Bridgnorth, Shropshire...
, the only illegitimate
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
offspring whom Henry acknowledged.
Childhood
Henry FitzRoy was born at the Priory of St Lawrence at BlackmoreBlackmore
Blackmore is a village in Essex, England. It is located approximately 3 miles east of Chipping Ongar and is 4 miles north of Brentwood...
, Essex. The name FitzRoy
Fitzroy
Fitzroy or FitzRoy is an Anglo-Norman name originally meaning "son of the king". In several cases, this surname was used by an illegitimate son of a king and is still borne by his descendants...
means "son of the King" and was given to illegitimate children of English royalty. FitzRoy's godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
was Thomas Wolsey, the King's chief minister. His mother's affair with the King appears not to have continued after his birth, but she was well-married shortly afterwards, and she and her husband Gilbert Talboys received grants and marks of favour from the King.
Details of the child's initial upbringing are unclear. He was known as Lord Henry FitzRoy until 18 June 1525, at age six, when his father created him Earl of Nottingham and Duke of Richmond and Somerset. In that same year, Richmond, as he came to be known, was granted several other appointments, including Lord High Admiral of England, Lord President of the Council of the North
Council of the North
The Council of the North was an administrative body originally set up in 1484 by king Richard III of England, the third and last Yorkist monarch to hold the Crown of England; its intention was to improve government control and economic prosperity, to benefit the entire area of Northern England...
, and Warden of the Marches towards Scotland
Lord Warden of the Marches
The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action....
, the effect of which was to place the government of the north of England in his hands. The young Duke was raised like a Prince at Sheriff Hutton Castle
Sheriff Hutton Castle
Sheriff Hutton Castle is a quadrangular castle in the village of Sheriff Hutton, North Yorkshire, England.-History:The original motte and bailey castle, the remains of which can be seen to the south of the churchyard. was built by Bertram de Bulmer, Sheriff of York during the reign of King Stephen...
in Yorkshire. His father had a particular fondness for him and took great interest in his upbringing. In February 1527, Thomas Magnus
Thomas Magnus
Thomas Magnus, , English administrator and diplomat; Archdeacon of the East Riding of Yorkshire 1504, employed on diplomatic missions 1509-19 and 1524-7; present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold 1520; Privy councillor c.1520; awarded a doctorate by the University of Oxford 1520; canon of Windsor...
told the young Duke that James V of Scotland
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
had asked for hunting dogs. Fitzroy sent the Scottish king 20 hunting hounds and a huntsman.
Kingdom of Ireland
Richmond was made Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and there was a plan to crown him King of that country, though the King's counsellors feared that making a separate Kingdom of Ireland whose ruler was not that of England would create another threat similar to the Kingdom of Scotland. After Richmond's death, the Crown of Ireland Act 1542Crown of Ireland Act 1542
The Crown of Ireland Act 1542 is an Act of the Parliament of Ireland , declaring that King Henry VIII of England and his successors would also be Kings of Ireland. Since 1171 the monarch of England had held the title Lord of Ireland...
established a personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
between the English and Irish crowns, providing that whoever was King of England was to be King of Ireland as well. 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...
was proclaimed this first holder.
Marriage
When Henry VIII began the process of having his marriage to 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...
annulled, it was suggested that FitzRoy marry his own half-sister Mary
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...
in order to prevent the annulment and strengthen FitzRoy's claim to the throne. Anxious to prevent the annulment and Henry's eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope was even prepared to grant a special dispensation for their marriage.
At age 14, on 28 November 1533 the Duke married Mary
Mary FitzRoy, Duchess of Richmond and Somerset
Mary FitzRoy, Duchess of Richmond and Somerset , formerly Lady Mary Howard, was the only daughter-in-law of King Henry VIII of England, being the wife of his only acknowledged illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset.-Biography:Mary Fitzroy was the second daughter of...
, the only daughter of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
. He was on excellent terms with his brother-in-law, the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
Henry Howard, KG, , known as The Earl of Surrey although he never was a peer, was an English aristocrat, and one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry.-Life:...
. Although tradition has it that 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...
was hostile to the match, it is now thought that it was she who helped pair her young cousin Mary with the King's illegitimate son. It is said the marriage was never consummated.
Possible heir to the throne
At the time of Fitzroy's death an ActSecond 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"...
was going through Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
which disinherited Henry's daughter Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
as his heir and permitted the King to designate his successor, whether legitimate or not. There is no evidence that Henry intended to proclaim Richmond his heir, but in theory the Act would have permitted him to do so if he wished. The Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys
Eustace Chapuys
Eustace Chapuys was a Savoyard diplomat who served as the Imperial ambassador to England from 1529 until 1545 and is best known for his extensive and detailed correspondence.-Life:...
wrote to Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
on 8 July 1536 that Henry VIII had made a statute allowing him to nominate a successor, but thought the Duke of Richmond would not succeed to throne by it, as he was consumptive and now diagnosed incurable.
Death
The Duke's promising career came to an abrupt end in July 1536. According to the chronicler Charles WriothesleyCharles Wriothesley
Charles Wriothesley was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the last member of a dynasty of heralds that started with his grandfather—Garter Principal King of Arms John Writhe.-Personal life:...
, Richmond became sickly some time before he died, although Richmond's biographer Beverley A. Murphy cites his documented public appearances and activities in April and May of that year, without exciting comment on his health, as evidence to the contrary. He was reported ill with "consumption" (usually identified as tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, but possibly another serious lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
complaint) in early July, and died at St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
on 23 July 1536.
Norfolk gave orders that the body be wrapped in lead and taken in a closed cart for secret interment, but his servants put the body in a straw-filled wagon. The only mourners were two attendants who followed at a distance. The Duke's ornate tomb is in Framlingham Church
St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham
St Michael the Archangel in Framlingham, Suffolk, known affectionately as St Mike's, is a Church of England church dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel. It was the burial site of the House of Howard. The church was declared a Grade I listed building in 1966.-History:The Church of Saint Michael...
, Suffolk. One of the houses
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
at the local high school is named after him.
His father outlived him by just over a decade, and was succeeded by his legitimate son Edward, born shortly after Fitzroy's death. Most historians maintain that Edward, like Henry Fitzroy, died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. It is said that Henry Fitzroy might have been made king had Henry VIII died without a legitimate son:
Historian Julian Litten believes that the real mystery in Richmond's death is the disease that killed him. If not consumption or the historical English 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...
, it could have been a genetic condition which might also have caused the deaths of his uncle 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...
and his half brother Edward.