Mary Brandon, Baroness Monteagle
Encyclopedia
Lady Mary Brandon, Baroness Monteagle (2 June 1510 – between 1540/1544), was an English noblewoman, and the daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
, by his second wife, Anne Browne. Mary was the wife of Thomas Stanley, 2nd Baron Monteagle, by whom she had six children.
Mary Brandon was a lady-in-waiting
to Queen consort Jane Seymour
, third wife of King Henry VIII
, who held her in high favour. She was the subject of a portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger
.
daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
. Mary had an elder sister, Lady Anne Brandon. Prior to his marriage to Anne Browne, Charles Brandon had married her aunt, the wealthy widow, Margaret Neville; however, he had been previously bethrothed to Anne, and deserted her while she was pregnant with Mary's sister, Anne. After his marriage to Margaret was declared null and void due to his pre-contract with Anne Browne, he married the latter. Years later in 1528, Pope Clement VII
issued a Papal Bull
, which confirmed that Charles Brandon's divorce to Margaret Neville was valid, thus establishing the legitimacy of Mary and Anne.
In 1511, Anne Browne died, and four years later, Charles Brandon, recently created Duke of Suffolk, married his third wife, Mary Tudor, the widowed Queen of France. Mary and Anne would be brought up with their father, stepmother and three half-siblings, Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln
, Lady Frances Brandon, and Lady Eleanor Brandon at Westhorpe Hall
.
In 1533, following the death of Mary Tudor on 25 June, Mary and her sister Anne, by then Baroness Grey of Powys, pushed themselves to the front of the funeral cortege at the Abbey of St. Edmundsbury, just as the coffin was being lowered into the crypt, much to the consternation of their half-siblings. On 7 September 1533, Charles Brandon married his 14-year old ward, Katherine Willoughby.
on 1 June 1533.
Together Thomas and Mary had six children:
In 1538, her husband complained to Thomas Cromwell about misbehaviour on her part, but nothing ever came of the allegations.
Mary Brandon died sometime between 1540 and 1544. Her husband died on 18 August 1560.
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...
, by his second wife, Anne Browne. Mary was the wife of Thomas Stanley, 2nd Baron Monteagle, by whom she had six children.
Mary Brandon was a lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to Queen consort Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
, third wife of 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...
, who held her in high favour. She was the subject of a portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
.
Family
Lady Mary Brandon was born on 2 June 1510, the second eldest daughter of Charles Brandon by his second wife, Anne Browne, daughter of Sir Anthony Browne, Standard.Bearer of England and Lucy NevilleHouse of Neville
The House of Neville is a noble house of early medieval origin, which was a leading force in English politics in the later middle ages...
daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu KG was a Yorkist leader in the Wars of the Roses, best-known for eliminating Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of the reign of Edward IV of England....
. Mary had an elder sister, Lady Anne Brandon. Prior to his marriage to Anne Browne, Charles Brandon had married her aunt, the wealthy widow, Margaret Neville; however, he had been previously bethrothed to Anne, and deserted her while she was pregnant with Mary's sister, Anne. After his marriage to Margaret was declared null and void due to his pre-contract with Anne Browne, he married the latter. Years later in 1528, Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
issued a Papal Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
, which confirmed that Charles Brandon's divorce to Margaret Neville was valid, thus establishing the legitimacy of Mary and Anne.
In 1511, Anne Browne died, and four years later, Charles Brandon, recently created Duke of Suffolk, married his third wife, Mary Tudor, the widowed Queen of France. Mary and Anne would be brought up with their father, stepmother and three half-siblings, Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln 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...
, Lady Frances Brandon, and Lady Eleanor Brandon at Westhorpe Hall
Westhorpe Hall
Westhorpe Hall was a manor house in Westhorpe, Suffolk, England.It was the residence of Mary Tudor, Queen of France and her second husband, Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. There they raised their children, Frances , Eleanor and Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln...
.
In 1533, following the death of Mary Tudor on 25 June, Mary and her sister Anne, by then Baroness Grey of Powys, pushed themselves to the front of the funeral cortege at the Abbey of St. Edmundsbury, just as the coffin was being lowered into the crypt, much to the consternation of their half-siblings. On 7 September 1533, Charles Brandon married his 14-year old ward, Katherine Willoughby.
Marriage and issue
Sometime before 1527, Mary married Thomas Stanley, 2nd Baron Monteagle, son of Edward Stanley, 1st Baron Monteagle and Elizabeth Vaughan. He was made a Knight of the Bath at the coronation of Anne BoleynAnne 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...
on 1 June 1533.
Together Thomas and Mary had six children:
- William Stanley, 3rd Baron Monteagle (1527- 10 November 1581), married firstly, Anne Leyburne, by whom he had one daughter, Elizabeth; and secondly, Anne Spencer.
- Francis Stanley, died childless
- Charles Stanley, died childless
- Elizabeth Stanley, married Richard Zouche
- Anne Stanley, married Sir John Clifton
- Margaret Stanley, married firstly, William Sutton, and secondly John Taylard
Lady-in-waiting
She spent most of her time at the royal court where she served as a favoured lady-in-waiting to Queen Jane Seymour who made her a present of some jewellery. Her portrait was drawn by Flemish painter, Hans Holbein the Younger.In 1538, her husband complained to Thomas Cromwell about misbehaviour on her part, but nothing ever came of the allegations.
Mary Brandon died sometime between 1540 and 1544. Her husband died on 18 August 1560.