Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, was one of the favorites, and at the same time the son-in-law of Henry VIII, the English king from the Tudor dynasty. He was married to Henry's sister, Queen Dowager Mary Tudor of France. The whole life and career of Charles were most closely connected with the royal family, with the court and its politics.
Origin
Charles' parents, William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruin, were married around 1475. As for the date of birth of Charles Brandon, it is not precisely defined. Most likely, his birth took place no later than 1484 or 1485.
The Brandon family was loyal to the Lancasters. Sir William was under the English king Henry VII Tudor as a standard-bearer. In 1485 he died at the hands of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. The boy's mother died either in 1493 or 1494. After the death of his father, Charles was sent to the royal court.
Court life
From the first days of his stay at the court of King Henry VII, the young man enjoyed his favor. Charles was a friend of the princeWales, Arthur, eldest son of the king. Since 1503, the young man was among those who served the monarch at the table. Between 1505 and 1509, Brandon was in the service of the Earl of Essex as a stable boy.
The successful political and court career of the future Duke of Suffolk began in 1509, when Henry VIII ascended the English throne, in whose close circle he was a member. They have been friends throughout their lives. First, Brandon was granted the position of administrator of the royal estates in North Wales. Other lucrative appointments later followed.
Viscount Lyle
In 1512, the king appointed Charles Brandon as guardian of the seven-year-old orphan Elizabeth Grey. She was Viscount Lyle's only daughter and heiress. Young Lady Gray was not only the owner of great we alth, but also the title of Viscountess Lyle. Charles planned to marry her when Elizabeth came of age. In accordance with the marriage contract, drawn up in 1513, after the engagement, Charles received the title of Viscount Lyle. And although the marriage contract was later annulled, the title remained with him.
New title
During the conflict with France in 1513, Brandon participated in the siege of Tournai and Terouan, where he established himself as a brave warrior. In the same year he was made a Knight of the Garter and was present at the marriage negotiations between the King's younger sister, Mary, and Charles, grandson of the Holy Roman Emperor. Upon his return, he was granted the title1st Duke of Suffolk, as well as land holdings.
Some aristocrats who belonged to ancient families were unpleasantly surprised by such a rapid rise of an "upstart" of humble origin.
King's Relative
1514 was marked by a turn in the foreign policy of England. A course was taken for rapprochement with France. Upon learning that the Habsburgs had concluded a secret truce with the French, Henry terminated the engagement of Charles and Mary. He married her to King Louis XII of France, concluding a political alliance with him.
It should be noted that at that moment Maria and Charles Brandon were seriously passionate about each other, but they did not dare to go against the will of the king. However, Mary was not destined to remain Queen of France for long. Three months after the wedding, she became a widow.
To accompany Mary back to England, the Duke of Suffolk came for her. With the support of King Francis, who had ascended the French throne, the lovers were secretly married. Henry VIII was very unhappy with this, but he recognized the marriage. At the same time, he ordered the couple to compensate for the cost of the dowry. They were forced to return all the dishes made of gold and silver, jewelry, and also almost to the end of their days to contribute to the treasury 1 thousand pounds annually.
Career development
Further, the career of the Duke of Suffolk under Henry VIII developed as follows:
- In 1523, after the renewal of the alliance with the Habsburgs against France, Charles Brandon went to Calais at the head of the English army. InvadingPicardy, the British crossed the Somme and caused a commotion in Paris. However, with the onset of winter, the army returned ingloriously to their homeland.
- In 1530, Suffolk was granted another honorary position: he became Lord President of the Privy Council.
- In 1536, the duke participated in the trial of the second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, as a jury, he was also present at the execution of her.
- At the end of the same year, the Duke of Suffolk led the suppression of a rebellion in the northern counties, caused by discontent with church reforms. The uprising was called "Blessed Pilgrimage". The rebels demanded the restoration of Catholicism and monasteries.
- In 1541, Suffolk was appointed manager of the entire royal household. He was among those who arrested one of the royal wives - Catherine Howard, when she was charged with adultery.
- In 1544, Suffolk was one of the commanders during the next military campaign in France. The troops under his command captured Boulogne, but soon had to be abandoned due to the approach of the French army.
Marriages
In addition to marrying the king's sister, Duke Charles of Suffolk entered into other alliances. When Mary died suddenly in 1533, he soon remarried. His chosen one was Catherine Willoughby, 12th Baroness Willoughby de Erzy. However, she was previously engaged to his son Henry.
However, Charles Brandon had two more wives before that. While serving with the Earl of Essex, he wasengaged to the daughter of the governor of Calais Ann Brown and lived with her as a wife, without being married.
In 1507, Charles married Margaret Neville, who was a we althy widow. But this marriage was annulled a year later due to a close relationship and an earlier agreement with Ann Brown. He nevertheless married the latter in 1508, but she died in 1510.
Three marriages produced eight children. The Duke of Suffolk himself died suddenly in 1545 at Guildford and was buried in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
