by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

King Henry VIII of England (1491 – 1547)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

King Henry VIII was the third child and the second son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. His paternal grandparents were Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond and Lady Margaret Beaufort. His maternal grandparents were King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. Henry and his siblings represented the merging of the Lancasters and the Yorks who fought for power during the Wars of the Roses. By 1483, Henry VIII’s father, Henry Tudor, was the senior male Lancastrian claimant remaining. Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth of York, was the eldest daughter of the Yorkist King Edward IV.

Upon the death of his elder brother Arthur, Prince of Wales, eleven-year-old Henry became the heir to the throne. He succeeded to the throne at the age of 17 upon the death of his father. Henry is renowned for having six wives: Catherine of Aragon (divorced, mother of Queen Mary I), Anne Boleyn (beheaded, mother of Queen Elizabeth I), Jane Seymour (died due to childbirth complications, mother of King Edward VI), Anne of Cleves (divorced), Catherine Howard (beheaded), and Catherine Parr (survived).

Perhaps the most consequential event of Henry VIII’s reign was his break with the Roman Catholic Church which was to lead to the Protestant Reformation in England and the establishment of the Church of England.

Henry VIII has no paternal aunts and uncles because his father King Henry VII had no siblings. Therefore, King Henry VIII had no paternal first cousins. Henry shared his cousins with his siblings Arthur, Prince of Wales; Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots; Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk and Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset; and Katherine Tudor who both died in infancy.

• Unofficial Royalty: King Henry VIII of England

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Maternal Aunts and Uncles of King Henry VIII: Children of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville

• Elizabeth of York (1466 – 1503), married King Henry VII of England, had issue
• Mary of York (1467 – 1482), unmarried
• Cecily of York (1469 – 1507); married (1) Ralph Scrope of Upsall, no issue, marriage annulled; (2) John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles, had issue, died young; (3) Sir Thomas Kyme, possible issue
• King Edward V of England (1470 – c. 1483); briefly succeeded his father, as King Edward V of England, was the elder of the Princes in the Tower
• Margaret of York (born and died 1472)
• Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York (1473 – c. 1483), was the younger of the Princes in the Tower
• Anne of York (1475 – 1511); married Thomas Howard (later 3rd Duke of Norfolk and uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, King Henry VIII’s beheaded wives), had no surviving issue
• George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford (1477 – 1479)
• Catherine of York (1479 – 1527); married William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon, had issue
• Bridget of York (1480 – 1517); became a nun

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Maternal First Cousins of King Henry VIII: Children of Cecily of York, Viscountess Welles and John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles

• Elizabeth Welles (circa 1489 – 1498), died in childhood
• Anne Welles (circa 1491 – circa 1499), died in childhood

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Maternal First Cousins of King Henry VIII: Children of Anne of York and Thomas Howard (later 3rd Duke of Norfolk)

• Thomas Howard (circa 1496 – 1508), died in childhood

Anne of York and Thomas Howard probably had four children but their only child known for certain was Thomas. Thomas Howard was childless upon Anne’s death so it is surmised all their children had died.

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Maternal First Cousins of King Henry VIII: Children of Catherine of York, Countess of Devon and William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon

Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, 2nd Earl of Devon (circa 1498 – 1539)

When Henry VIII became king, his cousin Henry Courtenay became part of the circle of his personal friends and favorites. Henry became a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber which gave him unrestricted access to King Henry VIII. He was made a member of the Privy Council, a Knight of the Order of the Garter, the Constable of Windsor, and granted the title of Marquess of Exeter.

Henry first married Elizabeth Grey, Viscountess Lisle, the only child and sole heiress of John Grey, 2nd Viscount Lisle and Muriel Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Elizabeth died soon after the marriage. Henry’s second marriage was to Gertrude Blount, daughter of William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy. The couple had two sons.

After the Reformation, Henry’s second wife Gertrude remained Catholic and Henry had Catholic leanings. In 1538, there was a supposed attempt to overthrow Henry VIII and replace him with Henry Courtenay. Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s chief minister and Courtenay’s political rival, convinced Henry VIII that Courtenay was a part of it. There are strong suggestions that Cromwell exaggerated the conspiracy for political purposes. There is no evidence to suggest that Courtenay had the means to or intended to rebel against King Henry VIII. The charges brought against him were based on the correspondence he had with Cardinal Reginald Pole, a Yorkist claimant to the English throne, and the testimony of Reginald’s brother Geoffrey Pole, who was then pardoned of all wrong-doing. Reginald and Geoffrey’s mother was Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury was the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence and niece of King Edward IV and King Richard III

Henry Courtenay and his son Edward were both arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Henry was found guilty and executed by sword on Tower Hill. His titles and lands were forfeit. His son remained imprisoned for fifteen years until the accession of Queen Mary I when she ordered his release. 67-year-old Margaret Pole, a maternal first cousin once removed of King Henry VIII, was brutally executed for conducting supposed treasonable correspondence with her son Cardinal Pole after being imprisoned in the Tower of London for nearly three years.

• Wikipedia: Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, 2nd Earl of Devon

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Edward Courtenay (circa 1497 – 1502), died in childhood

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Margaret Courtenay, Baroness Herbert (circa 1499 – before 1526)

Margaret married Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester, son of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester and Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert but the marriage was childless. There is evidence that Margaret was in attendance to her four-year-old first cousin once removed Mary, the future Queen Mary I, in 1520. Margaret appears to have died in the 1520s but there is no specific date.

• Wikipedia: Margaret Courtenay, Baroness Herbert

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/.  (for biographical and genealogy information)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

King Edward VI of England (1537 – 1553)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

King Henry VIII finally got his long-awaited male heir, the future King Edward VI, via his third wife Jane Seymour who died twelve days after her son’s birth, most likely from puerperal fever or childbed fever, a bacterial infection. Edward VI’s paternal grandparents were King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, the eldest child of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. His maternal grandparents were Sir John Seymour of Wolf Hall and Margery Wentworth.

Edward was well educated by tutors who were among the greatest scholars in England. These tutors not only gave Edward a strong education, but they also imparted to him the tenets of the Protestant Reformation that had swept through Germany and the Netherlands. Nine-year-old Edward succeeded his father upon his death in 1547. Edward VI’s maternal uncle Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset was made Lord Protector of the Realm and Governor of the King’s Person. With this new position, Edward Seymour had almost regal power.

Edward Seymour’s younger brother Thomas Seymour, who had married Henry VIII’s widow Catherine Parr (who died after childbirth in 1548), was embittered over the power his older brother had and demanded a share of the power. In March 1549, Thomas was arrested on various charges and beheaded for treason.

Seven months later, Edward Seymour became aware that his rule as Lord Protector was being threatened. Seymour took possession of his nephew, and then went to the safety of the fortified Windsor Castle, where Edward VI wrote, “Me thinks I am in prison.” Seymour was arrested and eventually executed. John Dudley, Earl of Warwick (later 1st Duke of Northumberland and Lady Jane Grey‘s father-in-law (who would lose his head due to his involvement in Lady Jane’s succession to the throne) became the leader of the Regency Council and Lord Protector.

During the reign of King Edward VI, the English Protestant Reformation advanced with the approval and encouragement of Edward VI. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (who was to be burned for heresy under the reign of Queen Mary I) wrote and compiled the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer, a complete liturgy for the English Church which is still used. Cranmer also revised canon law and prepared a doctrinal statement, the Thirty-Nine Articles, to clarify the practice of the reformed religion.

In January 1553, King Edward became ill with a fever and cough that gradually worsened. It is probable that he had tuberculosis. By May 1553, the royal doctors had no hope that the king would recover and John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland and Lord Protector, became to scheme for a succession that would benefit him. The powerful Duke of Northumberland thought marrying one of his sons to Lady Jane Grey would be a good idea and Lord Guildford Dudley, the fifth surviving son of the Duke of Northumberland married Lady Jane Grey.

King Edward VI’s death and the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary would spell trouble for the English Reformation. What exact role the Duke of Northumberland had in what followed is still debated, but surely he played a big part in the unfolding of what happened. King Edward composed a document “My devise for the succession” in which he passed over his half-sisters and the Duchess of Suffolk (Frances Brandon, the elder surviving daughter of Mary Tudor, the younger surviving daughter of King Henry VII). Edward meant for the throne to go to the Duchess’ daughters and their male heirs.

After great suffering, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI died. Lady Jane Grey was told that she was Queen, and reluctantly accepted the fact. However, the Privy Council switched their allegiance from Jane to Edward’s sister Mary and proclaimed her Queen. Mary arrived triumphantly into London accompanied by her half-sister Elizabeth and a procession of over 800 nobles and gentlemen. Ultimately, Lady Jane Grey, her husband, her father and her father-in-law would all lose their heads.

Edward shared his paternal first cousins with his half-sisters Queen Mary I of England and Queen Elizabeth I of England.

• Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VI of England

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Paternal Aunts and Uncles of Edward VI of England: Children of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York

• Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486 – 1502), married Catherine of Aragon, no children
• Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots (1489 – 1541), married (1) James IV, King of Scotland, had four sons but the only surviving one was King James V of Scotland; (2) Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, had one daughter; (3) Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven, no surviving children
• Elizabeth Tudor (1492 – 1495), died in childhood
• Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk (1496 – 1533), married (1) Louis XII, King of France, no children; (2) Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, had two sons and two daughters
• Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset (1499 – 1500), died in infancy
• Katherine Tudor (born and died February 1503), her mother Elizabeth of York died as a result of Katherine’s birth

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Maternal Aunts and Uncles of King Edward VI of England: Children of Sir John Seymour and Margery Wentworth

• Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector (circa 1500 – 1552), married (1) Catherine Fillol, had two sons (2) Anne Stanhope, had four sons and six daughters
• Sir Henry Seymour (1503 – 1578) married Barbara Morgan, had three sons and seven daughters
• John Seymour (1504 – 1510), died in childhood
• Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley (circa 1508 – 1549) married Catherine Parr, sixth wife and widow of King Henry VIII, had one daughter Mary; Catherine died due to childbirth complications, and there is no mention of Mary after her second birthday
• Anthony Seymour (died circa 1528)
• Elizabeth Seymour (circa 1518 – 1568), married (1) Sir Anthony Ughtred, had two sons (2) Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell of Oakham, son of Thomas Cromwell, chief minister of King Henry VIII, had three sons and two daughters (3) John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester, no children
• Margery Seymour (died circa 1528)
• Dorothy Seymour (born circa 1519) married (1) Sir Clement Smith, had four daughters and three sons (2) Thomas Leventhorpe of Shingle Hall, no children

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PATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Paternal First Cousins of Edward VI of England: Children of Margaret Tudor and James IV, King of Scotland

James, Duke of Rothesay (1507 – 1508)

James was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was styled Duke of Rothesay, the title held by the eldest son of the King of Scots who is also the heir apparent. James died at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland six days after his first birthday.

• Wikipedia: James, Duke of Rothesay

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Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (1509 – 1510)

Arthur was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. As his elder brother had died, he was the eldest son of the King of Scots and the heir apparent, so he was styled Duke of Rothesay. He died when he was eight months old at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland.

• Wikipedia: Arthur, Duke of Rothesay

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James V, King of Scots (1512 – 1542)

Born at Linlithgow Palace in Linlithgowshire, Scotland, at his birth, James became Duke of Rothesay, the traditional title of the eldest son of the King of Scots as his two elder brothers James and Arthur had died in infancy. His 30-year-old father James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden and 17-month-old James succeeded his father as James V, King of Scots.

James married 16-year-old Madeleine of Valois, daughter of King François I of France. Madeleine, who was sickly since her birth, had developed tuberculosis. Six months after the wedding and just two months after arriving in Scotland, Madeleine died. Less than a year after the death of his first wife, James V married again to Marie of Guise, the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise, head of the House of Guise. James V and Marie had two sons and one daughter, but their sons died in infancy.

After a disastrous defeat of the Scots army by the English army at the Battle of Solway Moss, James V fled to Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter did nothing to raise his spirits. 30-year-old James V, King of Scots died and was succeeded by his only surviving, legitimate child, six-day-old Mary, Queen of Scots.

• Unofficial Royalty: James V, King of Scots

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Alexander, Duke of Ross (1514 – 1515)

Alexander was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland, seven months after the death of his father King James IV at the Battle of Flodden. He died four months short of his second birthday at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland.

• Wikipedia: Alexander, Duke of Ross

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Paternal First Cousins of Edward VI of England: Child of Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus

Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (1515 – 1578)

Margaret was the only child of Margaret Tudor and the second of her three husbands, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.  Prior to her birth, Margaret’s parents left Scotland for England because of difficulties her father was having in Scotland, and so, Margaret was born in England. She was brought up in England with her cousin Mary, the future Queen Mary I. The two cousins remained close to each other their whole lives.  Margaret married a Scottish exile, Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. The couple had several children but only two sons survived childhood. Their elder son Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley was the second of the three husbands of his first cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. Their only child was James VI, King of Scots who succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England as James I, King of England. Through her grandson King James I, Margaret is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families. When Margaret died, she was given a grand funeral by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I and was buried at Westminster Abbey where a beautiful tomb was erected, most likely by her grandson King James I, in the same chapel where James later erected a tomb for his mother Mary, Queen of Scots.

• Wikipedia: Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

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Paternal First Cousins of Edward VI of England: Children of Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk

Henry Brandon (1516 – 1522), died in childhood

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Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk (1517 – 1559)

Although Frances and her siblings were only the children of a duke, they had their mother’s royal blood. They were the grandchildren of King Henry VII of England and the nieces and nephews of King Henry VIII of England, and therefore had claims to the English throne. Frances married Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, later Duke of Suffolk. They had a son and a daughter who both died young and then had three daughters including Lady Jane Grey. As the niece of King Henry VIII, Frances was one of the highest-ranking women at court and often took on ceremonial duties. When Henry VIII died, his only son and Frances’ first cousin, succeeded him as King Edward VI.

Edward VI was sickly and probably had tuberculosis. His reign would only last six years. Edward VI’s death and the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary would spell trouble for the English Reformation. Edward opposed his half-sister Mary’s succession not only for religious reasons but also because he believed her to be illegitimate and his belief in male succession. He also opposed the succession of his half-sister Elizabeth for reasons of illegitimacy and belief in male succession. King Edward VI composed a document “My devise for the succession” in which he passed over his half-sisters and Frances. Edward meant for the throne to go to the Frances’ daughters and their male heirs. After great suffering, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI died and Frances’ eldest daughter Lady Jane Grey was told that she was queen, and reluctantly accepted the fact. Jane’s reign lasted only nine days. Henry VIII’s elder daughter and Jane’s first cousin Mary gathered an army and marched on London. In the aftermath, among those executed were Frances’ husband, her daughter Jane, and Jane’s husband Lord Guildford Dudley.

Frances’ life was now in ruins. Because her husband was a traitor, all his possessions reverted to the Crown. Frances managed to plead with her cousin Queen Mary I to show mercy. Mary agreed that some of the Duke of Suffolk’s property could remain with the family. Frances married her Master of the Horse Adrian Stokes and they had two stillborn children and a daughter who died in infancy. Frances, aged 42, died during the reign of her first cousin Queen Elizabeth I who paid the cost of her funeral. She was buried at Westminster Abbey. Four years later, her widower Adrian Stokes had a beautiful tomb and effigy placed over her grave.

• Unofficial Royalty: Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk

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Lady Eleanor Brandon, Countess of Cumberland (1519 – 1547)

Eleanor married Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland. Eleanor’s uncle King Henry VIII attended her wedding. Eleanor and her husband had two sons who did not survive infancy and one daughter Lady Margaret Clifford. Eleanor received the honor of being chief mourner at the funeral of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.

• Wikipedia: Lady Eleanor Brandon, Countess of Cumberland

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Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (circa 1523 – 1534)

Henry was created Earl of Lincoln by his uncle Henry VIII when he was two-years-old. He died when he was ten or eleven years old.

• Wikipedia: Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln

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MATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Maternal First Cousins of King Edward VI of England: Children of, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector and his first wife Catherine Fillol

John Seymour (1527 – 1552)

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset’s two sons by his first wife remained loyal to their father and Jon was imprisoned in the Tower of London with him where he died after being imprisoned for three years. All of his lands had been taken from him but he successfully petitioned for the restoration of his inheritance from his mother. However, his mother’s lands had been sold so in compensation he received the lands of a granted to his father at the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII, which had descended to his half-siblings. At his death, John’s estate was left to his younger brother Lord Edward Seymour.

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Lord Edward Seymour (1529 – 1593)

After the death of Lord Edward’s mother, his father Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset married Anne Stanhope and they had ten children. Probably influenced by his second wife, the Duke of Somerset had declared the two sons of the first marriage declared illegitimate because of his first wife’s suspected adultery. His titles and properties would then pass directly to the children of his second marriage.

Lord Edward, however, did benefit from appointments granted to him by his father, who became increasingly powerful and influential with his appointment as Lord Protector. However, the lust for power of his father and uncle Thomas Seymour did not affect Lord Edward and he did not become involved in their intrigues and plotting which caused their death sentence for treason.

Lord Edward married Margaret Walshe, a daughter and co-heiress of John Walshe of Cathanger, a Justice of the Common Pleas and a Member of Parliament. They had one son Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet. Eventually, Lord Edward’s descendants were granted the title denied him centuries before. When the last descendant of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset and his second wife Anne Stanhope died in 1750 without children. The title of Duke of Somerset then passed to the descendants of Lord Edward and the current Duke of Somerset is his descendant.

• Wikipedia: Lord Edward Seymour

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Maternal First Cousins of King Edward VI of England: Children of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector and second wife Anne Stanhope

Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp of Hache (1537 – 1539)

Edward was known by one of his father’s subsidiary titles. He died when he was two-years-old.

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Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (1539 – 1621)

Edward was educated with his cousin Edward VI and was knighted on Edward VI’s coronation day. After his father was executed, Edward was barred from inheriting his titles and his estate. However, his cousin King Edward VI did restore some lands to him and Queen Elizabeth I created him Earl of Hertford.

Edward married Lady Catherine Grey, a younger sister of Lady Jane Grey without the approval of Queen Elizabeth I. Because Lady Catherine was in the line of succession to the throne as a descendant of Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII, her marriage needed approval from Queen Elizabeth I. Both Edward and Catherine were confined to the Tower of London. While imprisoned in the Tower of London, Catherine gave birth to two sons. The marriage was annulled and Edward and Catherine were censured as fornicators by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Their sons were declared illegitimate and therefore, not eligible to succeed to the throne. However, this did not stop them from being courted as potential heirs to the throne. After the birth of their second child, Queen Elizabeth I ordered the couple to permanently separate. Catherine died of tuberculosis several years later.

Edward married secretly again two more times but both marriages were childless. His second marriage to Frances Howard was kept a secret for nearly ten years. Edward attempted to have this marriage set aside, still hoping to have his sons by Catherine declared legitimate. He was once again arrested and Frances died.

His third wife was the wealthy widow Frances Prannell, forty years younger than Edward. She had also been born Frances Howard, the daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Viscount Howard of Bindon who was the son of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. The marriage was performed in secret by Thomas Montfort without banns or license and Monfort was suspended for three years from his clergy position. The marriage lasted twenty years, until Edward’s death.

• Wikipedia: Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford

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Lady Anne Seymour, Countess of Warwick (1538 – 1588)

Lady Anne married John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick, the son and heir of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, who lost his head because of the Lady Jane Grey incident. Her husband was imprisoned in the Tower of London with his father. He was eventually released but died a few days later due to illness. Lady Anne’s second husband was Sir Edward Unton, a Member of Parliament with whom she had two sons. She suffered from mental illness and was placed in the custody of one of her sons. Anne along with her sisters Jane and Margaret wrote a poem called Hecatodistichon upon the death of Marguerite, wife of King Henri III of Navarre and the sister of King François I of France. The poem was the only work by Englishwomen published in Latin in the 16th century, and the only work by any Englishwomen published in any language before the 1560s.

• Wikipedia: Lady Anne Seymour, Countess of Warwick

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Lord Henry Seymour (1540 – 1588)

Lord Henry was a naval commander during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In his position as Admiral of the Narrow Seas, he took part in the Battle of Gravelines against the Spanish Armada. He married Lady Joan Percy, daughter of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland.

• Wikipedia: Lord Henry Seymour

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Lady Margaret Seymour (born 1540)

Lady Margaret, along with her sisters Anne and Jane wrote a poem called Hecatodistichon upon the death of Marguerite, wife of King Henri III of Navarre and the sister of King François I of France. The poem was the only work by Englishwomen published in Latin in the 16th century, and the only work by any Englishwomen published in any language before the 1560s.

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Lady Jane Seymour (1541 – 1561)

Lady Jane, along with her sisters Anne and Margaret wrote a poem called Hecatodistichon upon the death of Marguerite, wife of King Henri III of Navarre and the sister of King François I of France. The poem was the only work by Englishwomen published in Latin in the 16th century, and the only work by any Englishwomen published in any language before the 1560s.

Lady Jane served as a Maid of Honor to Queen Elizabeth I. She was the only witness to the secret marriage of her brother Edward and Lady Catherine Grey but she died of tuberculosis at the age of 20 before the marriage was discovered.

• Wikipedia: Lady Jane Seymour

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Lady Catherine Seymour (1548–1625)

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Lord Edward Seymour (1548 – 1574), unmarried

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Lady Mary Seymour (born 1552)

Lady Mary married Andrew Rogers, a Member of Parliament but the marriage was childless. Her second husband was Sir Henry Peyton.

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Lady Elizabeth Seymour (1552 – 1602)

Lady Elizabeth married Sir Richard Knightley of Fawsley Hall and had seven sons and seven daughters.

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Maternal First Cousins of King Edward VI of England: Children of Sir Henry Seymour and Barbara Morgan

• Sir John Seymour, married Susan Powlett, had three sons
• Jane Seymour (died 1634), married Sir John Rodney of Stoke Rodney, had sixteen children but only four sons and three daughters survived

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Maternal First Cousins of King Edward VI of England: Children of Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley and Catherine Parr, Queen of England

Mary Seymour (1548 – circa 1550)

Mary was born at Sudley Castle in Gloucestershire, England. Although her mother, Catherine Parr, the widow of King Henry VIII, had been married four times, Mary was her only child. Tragically Catherine died six days after Mary’s birth of puerperal fever or childbed fever. Her daughter Mary Seymour appears to have died young. Six months after Catherine’s death, Thomas Seymour was beheaded for treason.

• Wikipedia: Mary Seymour

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Maternal First Cousins of King Edward VI of England: Children of Elizabeth Seymour and her first husband Sir Anthony Ughtred

Sir Henry Ughtred (1533 – 1598)

Sir Henry was a Member of Parliament, a shipowner, and shipbuilder. He married Elizabeth Paulet, daughter of John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester. After his first wife died, Sir Henry married again but the name of his second wife is unknown.

• Wikipedia: Sir Henry Ughtred

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Margery Ughtred (born circa 1535)

Margery married William Hungate of Burnby, Yorkshire

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Maternal First Cousins: Children of Elizabeth Seymour and her second husband Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell of Oakham, son of Thomas Cromwell, chief minister of King Henry VIII

Henry Cromwell, 2nd Baron Cromwell, (1538 – 1592)

Henry married Mary Paulet, daughter of John Paulet, 2nd Marquess of Winchester and had two sons and one daughter.

• Wikipedia: Henry Cromwell, 2nd Baron Cromwell

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Edward Cromwell (born 1539), died young

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Thomas Cromwell, (circa 1540 – 1611)

Thomas was he was educated at St John’s College, Cambridge. He married Katherine Gardner and had five sons and four daughters. He was a Member of Parliament. His diaries of proceedings in the House of Commons are an important source for historians of parliamentary history.

• Wikipedia: Thomas Cromwell

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Catherine Cromwell (circa 1541 – ? )

Catherine married Sir John Strode of Parnham, Dorset.

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Frances Cromwell (circa 1544 – 1562)

Frances married Richard Strode of Newnham, Devon.

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Maternal First Cousins of King Edward VI of England: Children of Dorothy Seymour and Sir Clement Smyth

• Bennett Smyth
• Clement Smyth
• Anne Smyth
• Dorothy Smyth
• Mabel Smyth
• Grace Smyth
• John Smyth (born 1531)

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/.  (for biographical and genealogy information)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Queen Mary of England (1516 – 1558)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

Mary was the only child of King Henry VIII of England and his first of six wives, Catherine of Aragon, to survive infancy. Her paternal grandparents were King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, the eldest child of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. Mary’s maternal grandparents The Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile.

Mary was well educated and studied Greek, Latin, French, Italian, science, and music but her father was disappointed that Mary was not a male. By the time Mary’s mother Catherine of Aragon turned 40, it was very unlikely that she would produce the male heir that Henry yearned for. Ultimately, Henry broke with the Vatican, formed the Church of England and had his marriage with Catherine declared null and void. Catherine was banished from the court and was forbidden to see her daughter Mary. Mary was forced into acknowledging, at least outwardly, that her father was the Head of the Church of England but throughout her life, Mary remained true to the Roman Catholic Church.

Through the influence of Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, the family was drawn closer together. Catherine Parr was influential in Henry’s passing of the Third Succession Act in 1543 which restored both his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession to the throne. King Henry VIII died in 1547 and was succeeded by his 9-year-old son as King Edward VI. Henry’s three children remained on friendly terms despite their great differences in age and religious belief.

As 15-year-old King Edward VI lay dying, probably of tuberculosis, many feared that Edward VI’s death and the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary would spell trouble for the English Reformation. Edward opposed his half-sister Mary’s succession not only for religious reasons but also because he believed her to be illegitimate and his belief in male succession. He also opposed the succession of his half-sister Elizabeth for reasons of illegitimacy and belief in male succession. King Edward VI composed a document “My devise for the succession” in which he passed over his half-sisters and his cousin Frances Brandon, the daughter of Mary Tudor. Edward meant for the throne to go to Frances’ daughters and their male heirs. After great suffering, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI died and Frances’ eldest daughter Lady Jane Grey was told that she was queen, and reluctantly accepted the fact. Jane’s reign lasted only nine days. Henry VIII’s elder daughter and Jane’s first cousin Mary gathered an army and marched on London. In the aftermath, among those executed were Frances’ husband, her daughter Jane, and Jane’s husband Guilford Dudley.

Mary was 37, and it was vital that she marry and produce a Catholic heir to supplant her Protestant sister Elizabeth. Mary married Philip of Spain (later King Philip II of Spain), the only son of Mary’s first cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Philip was eleven years younger than Mary and he found her repugnant. Mary had a phantom pregnancy, Philip came and went from England and finally left for good after three years of marriage.

Throughout her reign, Mary was steadfast in her determination to restore the Roman Catholic religion to England. During Mary’s reign, nearly 300 Protestants were burned at the stake for heresy. Included in this number were the famous three Oxford Martyrs: Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury; Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester; and Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London.

Mary shared her paternal first cousins with her half-siblings Queen Elizabeth I of England, who succeeded her, and King Edward VI of England.

• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Mary I of England

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Paternal Aunts and Uncles of Queen Mary I of England: Children of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York

• Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486 – 1502), married Catherine of Aragon, no children
• Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots (1489 – 1541), married (1) James IV, King of Scotland, had four sons bot the only surviving one was King James V of Scotland; (2) Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, had one daughter; (3) Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven, no surviving children
• Elizabeth Tudor (1492 – 1495), died in childhood
• Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk (1496 – 1533), married (1) Louis XII, King of France, no children; (2) Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, had two sons and two daughters
• Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset (1499 – 1500), died in infancy
• Katherine Tudor (born and died February 1503), her mother Elizabeth of York died as a result of Katherine’s birth

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Maternal Aunts and Uncles of Queen Mary I of England: Children of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile

• Isabella of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (1470 – 1498), married (1) Prince Afonso of Portugal, no children (2) King Manuel I of Portugal, had one son
• Juan, Prince of Asturias (1478 – 1497), married Margaret of Austria, no children
• Juana I, Queen of Castile, Queen of Aragon (1479 – 1555), married Philip of Habsburg, son of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and Mary, Duchess of Burgundy; had four daughters and two sons, all of whom were kings/emperors or queen consorts
• Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (1482–1517), married King Manuel I of Portugal, widower of her elder sister Isabella; had six sons and two daughters

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PATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Paternal First Cousins of Queen Mary I of England: Children of Margaret Tudor and James IV, King of Scotland

James, Duke of Rothesay (1507 – 1508)

James was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was styled Duke of Rothesay, the title held by the eldest son of the King of Scots who is also the heir apparent. James died at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland six days after his first birthday.

• Wikipedia: James, Duke of Rothesay

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Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (1509 – 1510)

Arthur was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. As his elder brother had died, he was the eldest son of the King of Scots and the heir apparent, so he was styled Duke of Rothesay. He died when he was eight months old at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland.

• Wikipedia: Arthur, Duke of Rothesay

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James V, King of Scots (1512 – 1542)

Born at Linlithgow Palace in Linlithgowshire, Scotland, at his birth, James became Duke of Rothesay, the traditional title of the eldest son of the King of Scots as his two elder brothers James and Arthur had died in infancy. His 30-year-old father James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden and 17-month-old James succeeded his father as James V, King of Scots.

James married 16-year-old Madeleine of Valois, daughter of King François I of France. Madeleine, who was sickly since her birth, had developed tuberculosis. Six months after the wedding and just two months after arriving in Scotland, Madeleine died. Less than a year after the death of his first wife, James V married again to Marie of Guise, the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise, head of the House of Guise. James V and Marie had two sons and one daughter, but their sons died in infancy.

After a disastrous defeat of the Scots army by the English army at the Battle of Solway Moss, James V fled to Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter did nothing to raise his spirits. 30-year-old James V, King of Scots died and was succeeded by his only surviving, legitimate child, six-day-old Mary, Queen of Scots.

• Unofficial Royalty: James V, King of Scots

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Alexander, Duke of Ross (1514 – 1515)

Alexander was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland, seven months after the death of his father King James IV at the Battle of Flodden. He died four months short of his second birthday at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland.

• Wikipedia: Alexander, Duke of Ross

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Paternal First Cousins of Queen Mary I of England: Child of Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus

Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (1515 – 1578)

Margaret was the only child of Margaret Tudor and the second of her three husbands, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.  Prior to her birth, Margaret’s parents left Scotland for England because of difficulties her father was having in Scotland, and so, Margaret was born in England. She was brought up in England with her cousin Mary, the future Queen Mary I. The two cousins remained close to each other their whole lives.  Margaret married a Scottish exile, Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. The couple had several children but only two sons survived childhood. Their elder son Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley was the second of the three husbands of his first cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. Their only child was James VI, King of Scots who succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England as James I, King of England. Through her grandson King James I, Margaret is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families. When Margaret died, she was given a grand funeral by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I and was buried at Westminster Abbey where a beautiful tomb was erected, most likely by her grandson King James I, in the same chapel where James later erected a tomb for his mother Mary, Queen of Scots.

• Wikipedia: Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

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Paternal First Cousins of Queen Mary I of England: Children of Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk

Henry Brandon (1516 – 1522), died in childhood

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Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk (1517 – 1559)

Although Frances and her siblings were only the children of a duke, they had their mother’s royal blood. They were the grandchildren of King Henry VII of England and the nieces and nephews of King Henry VIII of England, and therefore had claims to the English throne. Frances married Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, later Duke of Suffolk. They had a son and a daughter who both died young and then had three daughters including Lady Jane Grey. As the niece of King Henry VIII, Frances was one of the highest-ranking women at court and often took on ceremonial duties. When Henry VIII died, his only son and Frances’ first cousin, succeeded him as King Edward VI.

Edward VI was sickly and probably had tuberculosis. His reign would only last six years. Edward VI’s death and the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary would spell trouble for the English Reformation. Edward opposed his half-sister Mary’s succession not only for religious reasons but also because he believed her to be illegitimate and his belief in male succession. He also opposed the succession of his half-sister Elizabeth for reasons of illegitimacy and belief in male succession. King Edward VI composed a document “My devise for the succession” in which he passed over his half-sisters and Frances. Edward meant for the throne to go to the Frances’ daughters and their male heirs. After great suffering, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI died and Frances’ eldest daughter Lady Jane Grey was told that she was queen, and reluctantly accepted the fact. Jane’s reign lasted only nine days. Henry VIII’s elder daughter and Jane’s first cousin Mary gathered an army and marched on London. In the aftermath, among those executed were Frances’ husband, her daughter Jane, and Jane’s husband Lord Guildford Dudley.

Frances’ life was now in ruins. Because her husband was a traitor, all his possessions reverted to the Crown. Frances managed to plead with her cousin Queen Mary I to show mercy. Mary agreed that some of the Duke of Suffolk’s property could remain with the family. Frances married her Master of the Horse Adrian Stokes and they had two stillborn children and a daughter who died in infancy. Frances, aged 42, died during the reign of her first cousin Queen Elizabeth I who paid the cost of her funeral. She was buried at Westminster Abbey. Four years later, her widower Adrian Stokes had a beautiful tomb and effigy placed over her grave.

• Unofficial Royalty: Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk

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Lady Eleanor Brandon, Countess of Cumberland (1519 – 1547)

Eleanor married Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland. Eleanor’s uncle King Henry VIII attended her wedding. Eleanor and her husband had two sons who did not survive infancy and one daughter Lady Margaret Clifford. Eleanor received the honor of being chief mourner at the funeral of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.

• Wikipedia: Lady Eleanor Brandon, Countess of Cumberland

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Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (circa 1523 – 1534)

Henry was created Earl of Lincoln by his uncle Henry VIII when he was two-years-old. He died when he was ten or eleven years old.

• Wikipedia: Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln

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MATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Maternal First Cousins of Queen Mary I of England: Child of Isabella of Aragon, Princess of Asturias, Queen of Portugal and King Manuel I of Portugal

Miguel da Paz, Prince of Portugal and Prince of Asturias (1498 – 1500)

Miguel’s mother, who was the heir presumptive to the thrones of Castile and Aragon, died giving birth to him. During his short life, he was heir to the thrones of Portugal, Castile, and Aragon and there were dreams of uniting the Iberian Peninsula into one kingdom. He died in the arms of his maternal grandmother Queen Isabella I of Castile, one month short of his second birthday. He was buried at the Capilla Real in Granada, where his maternal grandparents were also eventually buried.

• Wikipedia: Miguel da Paz, Prince of Portugal and Prince of Asturias

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Maternal First Cousins of Queen Mary I of England: Children of Juana I, Queen of Castile, Queen of Aragon and Philip of Habsburg (Philip I of Castile)

Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Portugal, Queen of France (1498 – 1558)

Eleanor was the third wife of King Manuel of Portugal who had been previously married to two of Eleanor’s maternal aunts. They had one son who died in infancy and one daughter. Three years after her marriage, Eleanor became a widow when her husband died of the plague. She made a second marriage to King François I of France but the couple had no children. Eleanor’s second marriage was not really a happy one as François preferred his mistresses. However, she helped raise François’ daughters from his first marriage. After François’s death, Eleanor lived in Brussels with her brother Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. After Charles’ abdication, Charles and Eleanor went to their homeland of Spain where they spent the rest of their lives.

• Unofficial Royalty: Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Portugal, Queen of France

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Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500 – 1558)

Charles was the heir of three of Europe’s leading dynasties: Valois of Burgundy, Habsburg of Austria, and Trastámara of Spain. He was the first to rule a unified Spain. As a Habsburg, he inherited Austria and other lands in central Europe and was also elected to succeed his grandfather Maximilian I as Holy Roman Emperor. Charles was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain (Castile and Aragon), and Prince of the Habsburg Netherlands as Duke of Burgundy. He ruled over a large territory in Europe including the Holy Roman Empire extending from Germany to northern Italy with direct rule over the Low Countries and Austria, and a unified Spain with its southern Italian kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia.

Charles married his maternal first cousin Isabella of Portugal and they had seven children but only three survived childhood including Philip II who succeeded his father as King of Spain.

Physically exhausted after forty years of ruling, Charles abdicated and retired to the peace of the Monastery of Yuste in Extremadura, Spain, where he died three years later. Upon Charles’s abdications, the Holy Roman Empire was inherited by his younger brother Ferdinand, who had previously been given the Austrian lands. The Spanish Empire, including the possessions in the Netherlands and Italy, was inherited by Philip, Charles’ son.

• Unofficial Royalty: King Carlos I of Spain, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

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Isabella of Austria, Queen of Denmark (1501 – 1526)

Isabella married King Christian II of Denmark. They had three sons and two daughters but only their daughters survived to adulthood. After a reign of ten years, Christian II was forced by disloyal nobles to abdicate and his uncle succeeded him as King Frederik I. Christian and his family were exiled to the Netherlands, ruled by his brother-in-law, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. When Isabella visited Brandenburg (now in Germany), she became interested in the teachings of Martin Luther. Although she never officially converted, Isabella received communion in Protestant rites and sympathized with Protestants. Isabella died at the age of 25 after an illness. Her fifteenth-generation great-granddaughter, Princess Isabella of Denmark, was named after her.

• Unofficial Royalty: Isabella of Austria, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

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Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (1503 – 1564)

Ferdinand was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King Hungary and King of Croatia. During his reign, the Ottoman Empire began its advance into Central Europe, and the Protestant Reformation began. He married Anna of Bohemia and Hungary and they had eleven daughters and four sons. Only two of their children did not survive childhood.

• Wikipedia: Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor

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Mary of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1505 – 1558)

At the age of ten, Mary married King Ludovik II of Hungary and Bohemia. By the time she was 21-years-old, Mary was a childless widow, her husband having died in battle. Mary then governed Hungary as regent in the name of the new king, her brother Ferdinand. After the death of her aunt Archduchess Margaret of Austria, who had been the Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Mary assumed her position for twenty-four years. She retired as Governor of the Netherlands only three years before her death.

• Wikipedia: Mary of Austria, Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands

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Catarina of Austria, Queen of Portugal (1507 – 1578)

Catarina was born after the death of her father and was named after her maternal aunt Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. Catarina married her first cousin King João III of Portugal. They had six sons and three daughters but only one son and one daughter survived childhood. When her husband died, he was succeeded by their three-year-old grandson King Sebastian. Catarina served as her grandson’s regent for five years until Sebastian’s great-uncle (and successor) Henrique, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church took over as regent.

• Wikipedia: Catarina of Austria, Queen of Portugal

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Maternal First Cousins of Queen Mary I of England: Children of Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal and King Manuel I of Portugal, widower of her sister Isabella

King João III of Portugal (1502 – 1557)

João is nicknamed “the Colonizer” because, during his reign, Portugal’s possessions were extended in Asia and in the New World. Also, during his reign, the Portuguese became the first Europeans to make contact with both China and Japan. João married his first cousin Catherine of Austria. They had six sons and three daughters but only one son and one daughter survived childhood. João’s only surviving son João Manuel predeceased him and so upon João’s death, he was succeeded by João Manuel’s only child, three-year-old Sebastian.

• Wikipedia: King João III of Portugal

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Isabella of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress (1503 – 1539)

Isabella married her first cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and had four sons and two daughters including King Philip II of Spain. Isabella held the titles Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Spain and Duchess of Burgundy. She served as regent of Spain during the absences of her husband. Isabella’s health was quite fragile. She had suffered from malaria and had a total of seven pregnancies. During the first trimester of her seventh pregnancy, Isabella again became ill with a fever which resulted in a stillborn birth of a son. She died two weeks later at the age of 35.

• Wikipedia: Isabella of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress

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Beatriz of Portugal, Duchess of Savoy (1504 – 1538)

Beatriz married Charles III, Duke of Savoy. They had six sons and three daughters but only one son Emmanuel Philibert survived childhood and was his father’s successor. Beatriz died shortly after giving birth to her last child.

• Wikipedia: Beatriz of Portugal, Duchess of Savoy

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Luis of Portugal, Duke of Beja (1506 – 1555)

Luis was Constable of Portugal, the head of the Military, the second most powerful person in the Kingdom of Portugal. He commanded the military in the absence of the king, maintained discipline in the army and was present at all military tribunals. Luis never married but he had at least one illegitimate son.

• Wikipedia: Luis of Portugal, Duke of Beja

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Fernando of Portugal, Duke of Guarda (1507 – 1534)

Fernando married Guiomar Coutinho, 5th Countess of Marialva and 3rd Countess of Loulé, a rich heiress from a Portuguese noble family. Their two children both died in childhood. Fernando died at age 27 and his wife died one month later.

• Wikipedia: Fernando of Portugal, Duke of Guarda

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Cardinal-Infante Afonso of Portugal, Archbishop of Lisbon (1509 – 1540)

Afonso was destined for a life in the Roman Catholic Church from an early age. When Afonso was three-years-old, his father King Manuel I wanted him to become a cardinal but Pope Julius II said it was not in accordance with canon law. He did become a Cardinal at the age of sixteen and ten years later was made Archbishop of Lisbon. Afonso’s fear of the Reformation caused him to order all printers and booksellers in Lisbon to present catalogs of the books they printed and sold to be scrutinized for heresy. This was a precursor to the Inquisition.

• Wikipedia: Cardinal-Infante Afonso of Portugal, Archbishop of Lisbon

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Cardinal-King Henrique of Portugal (1512 – 1580)

Henrique was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and, for the last two years of his life, also King of Portugal. As a younger son, he was not expected to become king and so he began a life in the Roman Catholic Church. He rose quickly in the church ranks: Archbishop of Braga, Archbishop of Évora and Grand Inquisitor before becoming a Cardinal at the age of 33. Henrique served as regent for his great-nephew King Sebastian and when Sebastian died, Henrique succeeded him. His request to be released from his priestly vows so he could marry and provide for the succession was denied. Upon Henrique’s death, King Philip II of Spain was elected King of Portugal.

• Wikipedia: Cardinal-King Henrique of Portugal

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Maria of Portugal (born and died 1513)

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Duarte of Portugal, Duke of Guimarães (1515 – 1540)

Duarte married his second cousin Isabella of Braganza and had two daughters and one son. Their daughter Catarina, who married João I, Duke of Braganza, was a claimant to the Portuguese throne during the 1580 succession crisis.  However, Philip II of Spain became King of Portugal at that time. Living under the rule of her Spanish cousin, Catarina worked hard to pave the way for her descendants to take the Portuguese throne, which finally happened in 1640 when her grandson became King João IV of Portugal, the first ruler of the House of Braganza. The House of Braganza ruled until the abolition of the monarchy in 1910.

• Wikipedia: Duarte of Portugal, Duke of Guimarães

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Antonio of Portugal (born and died 1516)

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/.  (for biographical and genealogy information)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533 – 1603)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

The last monarch of the House of Tudor, Queen Elizabeth I was the only surviving child of King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn, the second of six wives. Elizabeth’s paternal grandparents were King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, the eldest child of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. Her maternal grandparents were Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire and Lady Elizabeth Howard, the eldest daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. After Elizabeth’s mother failed to give Henry VIII a male heir, he was determined to be rid of her, and her fall and execution were engineered by Henry’s chief minister Thomas Cromwell. Anne was found guilty of the fabricated charges of adultery, incest, and high treason, and was beheaded at the Tower of London. Elizabeth was not quite three-years-old.

25-year-old Elizabeth became Queen of England upon the death of her elder half-sister Queen Mary I, the only surviving child of Henry VIII’s first wife Catherine of Aragon. During Elizabeth’s reign, called the Elizabethan Age, the Church of England took its final form, a middle path between Catholicism and Reform Protestantism, William Shakespeare created numerous works, modern science had its birth based upon Francis Bacon‘s inductive method for scientific inquiry, Francis Drake sailed around the world, and the first colony in America was founded and named Virginia in honor of Elizabeth the Virgin Queen.

From the start of Elizabeth’s reign, it was expected that she would marry to provide for the succession. Although she received many offers, she never did marry and the reasons for this are not clear. She continued to consider suitors until she was about fifty. Since none of the children of Henry VIII had children, King James VI of Scotland, the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots, was the senior heir of King Henry VII through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I finally gave her assent that James should succeed her.

Elizabeth shared her paternal first cousins with her half-siblings Queen Mary I of England and King Edward VI of England.

• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth I of England

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Paternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York

• Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486 – 1502), married Catherine of Aragon, no children
• Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots (1489 – 1541), married (1) James IV, King of Scotland, had four sons bot the only surviving one was King James V of Scotland; (2) Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, had one daughter; (3) Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven, no surviving children
• Elizabeth Tudor (1492 – 1495), died in childhood
• Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk (1496 – 1533), married (1) Louis XII, King of France, no children; (2) Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, had two sons and two daughters
• Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset (1499 – 1500), died in infancy
• Katherine Tudor (born and died February 1503), her mother Elizabeth of York died as a result of Katherine’s birth

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Maternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard

• Mary Boleyn (circa 1499 – 1543), mistress of King Henry VIII of England, married (1) William Carey of Aldenham, had one son and one daughter who may be Carey’s or Henry VIII’s; (2) Sir William Stafford, possible one son and one daughter
• Thomas Boleyn the younger (born and died circa 1500)
• Henry Boleyn (born and died circa 1502 – 1503)
• George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford (circa 1504 – 1536), married Jane Parker, no children; George was executed as one of his sister Anne Boleyn’s supposed lovers.  His wife Jane served as lady-in-waiting to Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife. Jane was executed with Catherine Howard for facilitating Catherine’s adultery.

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PATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Paternal First Cousins: Children of Margaret Tudor and James IV, King of Scotland

James, Duke of Rothesay (1507 – 1508)

James was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was styled Duke of Rothesay, the title held by the eldest son of the King of Scots who is also the heir apparent. James died at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland six days after his first birthday.

• Wikipedia: James, Duke of Rothesay

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Arthur, Duke of Rothesay (1509 – 1510)

Arthur was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. As his elder brother had died, he was the eldest son of the King of Scots and the heir apparent, so he was styled Duke of Rothesay. He died when he was eight months old at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland.

• Wikipedia: Arthur, Duke of Rothesay

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James V, King of Scots (1512 – 1542)

Born at Linlithgow Palace in Linlithgowshire, Scotland, at his birth, James became Duke of Rothesay, the traditional title of the eldest son of the King of Scots as his two elder brothers James and Arthur had died in infancy. His 30-year-old father James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden and 17-month-old James succeeded his father as James V, King of Scots.

James married 16-year-old Madeleine of Valois, daughter of King François I of France. Madeleine, who was sickly since her birth, had developed tuberculosis. Six months after the wedding and just two months after arriving in Scotland, Madeleine died. Less than a year after the death of his first wife, James V married again to Marie of Guise, the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise, head of the House of Guise. James V and Marie had two sons and one daughter, but their sons died in infancy.

After a disastrous defeat of the Scots army by the English army at the Battle of Solway Moss, James V fled to Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter did nothing to raise his spirits. 30-year-old James V, King of Scots died and was succeeded by his only surviving, legitimate child, six-day-old Mary, Queen of Scots.

• Unofficial Royalty: James V, King of Scots

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Alexander, Duke of Ross (1514 – 1515)

Alexander was born at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland, seven months after the death of his father King James IV at the Battle of Flodden. He died four months short of his second birthday at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland.

• Wikipedia: Alexander, Duke of Ross

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Paternal First Cousins: Child of Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus

Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (1515 – 1578)

Margaret was the only child of Margaret Tudor and the second of her three husbands, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus.  Prior to her birth, Margaret’s parents left Scotland for England because of difficulties her father was having in Scotland, and so, Margaret was born in England. She was brought up in England with her cousin Mary, the future Queen Mary I. The two cousins remained close to each other their whole lives.  Margaret married a Scottish exile, Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. The couple had several children but only two sons survived childhood. Their elder son Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley was the second of the three husbands of his first cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. Their only child was James VI, King of Scots who succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England as James I, King of England. Through her grandson King James I, Margaret is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families. When Margaret died, she was given a grand funeral by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I and was buried at Westminster Abbey where a beautiful tomb was erected, most likely by her grandson King James I, in the same chapel where James later erected a tomb for his mother Mary, Queen of Scots.

• Wikipedia: Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk

Henry Brandon (1516 – 1522), died in childhood

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Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk (1517 – 1559)

Although Frances and her siblings were only the children of a duke, they had their mother’s royal blood. They were the grandchildren of King Henry VII of England and the nieces and nephews of King Henry VIII of England, and therefore had claims to the English throne. Frances married Henry Grey, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, later Duke of Suffolk. They had a son and a daughter who both died young and then had three daughters including Lady Jane Grey. As the niece of King Henry VIII, Frances was one of the highest-ranking women at court and often took on ceremonial duties. When Henry VIII died, his only son and Frances’ first cousin, succeeded him as King Edward VI.

Edward VI was sickly and probably had tuberculosis. His reign would only last six years. Edward VI’s death and the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary would spell trouble for the English Reformation. Edward opposed his half-sister Mary’s succession not only for religious reasons but also because he believed her to be illegitimate and his belief in male succession. He also opposed the succession of his half-sister Elizabeth for reasons of illegitimacy and belief in male succession. King Edward VI composed a document “My devise for the succession” in which he passed over his half-sisters and Frances. Edward meant for the throne to go to the Frances’ daughters and their male heirs. After great suffering, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI died and Frances’ eldest daughter Lady Jane Grey was told that she was queen, and reluctantly accepted the fact. Jane’s reign lasted only nine days. Henry VIII’s elder daughter and Jane’s first cousin Mary gathered an army and marched on London. In the aftermath, among those executed were Frances’ husband, her daughter Jane, and Jane’s husband Lord Guildford Dudley.

Frances’ life was now in ruins. Because her husband was a traitor, all his possessions reverted to the Crown. Frances managed to plead with her cousin Queen Mary I to show mercy. Mary agreed that some of the Duke of Suffolk’s property could remain with the family. Frances married her Master of the Horse Adrian Stokes and they had two stillborn children and a daughter who died in infancy. Frances, aged 42, died during the reign of her first cousin Queen Elizabeth I who paid the cost of her funeral. She was buried at Westminster Abbey. Four years later, her widower Adrian Stokes had a beautiful tomb and effigy placed over her grave.

• Unofficial Royalty: Lady Frances Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk

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Lady Eleanor Brandon, Countess of Cumberland (1519 – 1547)

Eleanor married Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland. Eleanor’s uncle King Henry VIII attended her wedding. Eleanor and her husband had two sons who did not survive infancy and one daughter Lady Margaret Clifford. Eleanor received the honor of being chief mourner at the funeral of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.

• Wikipedia: Lady Eleanor Brandon, Countess of Cumberland

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Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (circa 1523 – 1534)

Henry was created Earl of Lincoln by his uncle Henry VIII when he was two-years-old. He died when he was ten or eleven years old.

• Wikipedia: Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln

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MATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Maternal First Cousins: Children of Mary Boleyn and her first husband William Carey

Catherine Carey, Lady Knollys (1524 – 1569)

Catherine’s mother Mary Boleyn had once been the mistress of King Henry VIII. Some historians believe that Catherine was an illegitimate child of Henry VIII. It is thought that Catherine witnessed the execution of her aunt Anne Bolyen and even stayed with her the night before her execution. She served as Maid of Honor to Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard, the fourth and fifth wives of Henry VIII, and was Chief Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I, her first cousin.

Catherine married Sir Francis Knollys, a courtier in the service of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I, and Treasurer of the Household for Elizabeth I. The couple had 15 children including Lettice Knollys, who married three times. Lettice’s first marriage was to Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex and they were the parents of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, a favorite of Elizabeth I in her old age. He led an unsuccessful coup d’état against the government and was executed for treason. Lettice’s second marriage was to Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I from her accession until his death. He was a suitor for Elizabeth’s hand for many years.

• Wikipedia: Catherine Carey, Lady Knollys

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Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1526 – 1596)

Although some historians think Henry VIII could have been Henry’s father, it is probable that the affair between Henry VIII and Mary Boleyn ended before Henry was conceived. Henry married Anne Morgan, daughter of Sir Thomas Morgan of Arkestone and had eight sons and eight daughters. Henry was a Member of Parliament. He was created Baron Hunsdon and made a Knight of the Garter by his first cousin Elizabeth I. Elizabeth also appointed Henry Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners, making him her personal bodyguard. For the last eleven years of his life, Henry was the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the royal household. Henry was the founder and the patron of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the company of actors for which William Shakespeare wrote during most of his career.

• Wikipedia: Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon

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Works Cited

• • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/.  (for biographical and genealogy information)

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