Sign in or 
Share this
MISTRESSES of the King
Who were the Mistresses of King Henry VIII? See also :Loves of the King page and Timeline of the King's Wives page
| |
Although there were only two acknowledged* mistresses of King Henry, there were many rumours of other mistresses who are disputed by Tudor historians. Alison Weir believes that apart from the "known" affairs, there were also numerous other short-term and secret liaisons, most of them conducted in the king's river-side mansion of Jordan House. The Tudors creators have also invented a few fictional characters who have no historical backing. |
-Anne Stafford, Lady Hastings (sister of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham & wife of Lord Hastings) Anne entered into an affair with King Henry VIII around 1510, only one year after Henry wed Queen Katherine of Aragon, and one year after Anne married Lord Hastings. Their adultery became a scandal when made public. Her brother, the Duke of Buckingham, was enraged. Her husband, Lord George Hastings, sent her to a convent. There are suggestions that her relationship with the King continued until 1513, however. It is thought Sir William Compton, Henry's Groom of the Stool acted as a go-between because Queen Katherine of Aragon reacted so angrily and upset. She and Henry fell out so badly over his affair that the Spanish Ambassador feared that the large amount of influence Henry gave to Katherine over politics might disappear, there were also fears that her becoming distressed might cause a miscarriage but fortunately it didn't and they made up a week later. At the same time, Anne's sister and one of Katherine's ladies-in-waiting, Elizabeth Stafford, Lady Fitzwalter was sent away and some historians have surmised was the one who had the affair with Henry, but this was thought to be in retaliation by Henry for her reporting the incident to her brother. The scandal was also considered part of the reason that Buckingham fell out with the King. Anne Stafford died of unknown causes in 1544. *Anna Buckingham in the series is portrayed as Edward's daughter instead of his sister & as having an affair with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk instead of Henry. Also a different actress plays "Anne Hastings" and shown as dying of the same sweating sickness of 1528 that killed William Compton, portrayed as her fictional common-law husband. | ||
- Jane Popyngcort/Popincourt was a friend of Henry's sister, Mary Tudor (Princess Margaret Tudor in the series) from her days in France & briefly Maid of honour to Queen Katherine of Aragon. She was a french woman and some say Henry's first mistress. She was a tutor in languages to both of Henry’s sisters, Princesses Margaret & Mary . Though very little is known of her, her promiscuity was so prominent that even the French king, Francis I wouldn't allow her back to his court, known for its promiscuity. Jane remained in England until 1516, when she returned to France. She is said to have reignited a previous affair with Louis d'Orleans, Duke of Longueville and received a parting gift of £100 from Henry. *possibly the basis for the fictional character "Lady Jane Howard" played by Slaine Kelly | ||
-"Mistress Parker" who could have been either Arabella Parker, the wife of a city merchant, or Margery Parker, who had been part of Princess Mary´s household since 1516 *the series shows the King with an unknown fictional young woman on the right who was a lady at court. | ||
-Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount One of only two acknowledged mistresses. Bessie was approximately 17 when she reached the height of her power in 1518. However in 1514 when she was probably only 13, Henry danced with her so much that even the docile and accepting Queen Katherine of Aragon was so jealous that she persuaded Henry to exclude her from the Twelfth Night festivities. By 1517 the king was reputed to be “in the chains of love with her,” and in the spring of 1519, Bessie gave birth to a son who was Henry Fitzroy (son of the king). Once she had fulfilled her main purpose, she was married off to Gilbert Tailboys, 1st Baron Tailboys of Kyme, one of his courtiers whose family was said to have a history of insanity, and was remembered fondly by Henry with the occasional New Years gift | ||
| c. early 1520's - Rumour - Agnes Blewitt early 1520s her son, Richard Edwardes was born sometime between October 1523 to 1525 was claimed to be Henry's, Agnes was allowed to display the Tudor rose on her coat of arms | ||
| c. late 1520's - Rumour - Joan Dingley (Dobson) - who had a daughter Ethelreda (Audrey) Tudor. [note: Henry's tailor, John Malte, was persuaded to recognise Ethelreda as his illegitimate daughter, born in the late 1520's. Her mother, Joan Dyngley, a royal laundress, was married off to a man named Dobson. Ethelreda (or Audrey) took the surname Malte and married John Harrington in 1547. Henry granted lands to Ethelreda. She was still living in 1555, but died before 1559 as her husband remarried in that year. He inherited all the lands Henry VIII had granted her | ||
This portrayal is a fictional character and VERY loosely based on an historical one. The series shows Marguerite & Henry VIII having a dalliance which is totally fictitious. The real Princess Marguerite of Navarre (sister of the French King Francis I) was considered one of the most brilliant female minds in France. Known as the "first modern woman", she was an outstanding figure of the french renaissance. It was said of her that "she was very kind, gentle, gracious, charitable, a great dispenser of alms and friendly to all" but that did not extend to dalliances with foreign kings. Even the Dutch humanist, Erasmus, wrote of her: "For a long time I have cherished all the many excellent gifts that God bestowed upon you; prudence worthy of a philosopher; chastity; moderation; piety; an invincible strength of soul, and a marvelous contempt for all the vanities of this world. Who could keep from admiring, in a great King's sister, such qualities as these, so rare even among the priests and monks?" "A Character more beautiful and affecting than that of Marguerite presents itself not in history. Thrown, when almost a child, in the midst of a corrupt court; surrounded by every incentive to evil, and none to the good -- the purity of her conduct was not less conspicuous than the grace of her deportment. Marguerite even at the early of thirteen loved to devote herself to the study of theology." [from the Life of Marguerite d'Angoulême, Queen of Navarre by Martha Walker Freer] | ||
| c. 1520's - Rumour -Elizabeth Amadas, 1520's, daughter of Hugh Brice, courtier & wife of Robert Amadas, the richest goldsmith in England. | ||
-Mary Boleyn older sister of Anne Boleyn had been living in France. At the French court she was, like Jane Popincourt, known for her promiscuity:Francis I reputed to have been “clothed in women,” boasted that he, like most of his friends, had slept with Mary Boleyn, describing her as “a great prostitute, infamous above all.” Although she was married to Sir William Carey when her affair with Henry began in the early 1520s, Carey is thought to have been compliant. Some believe that both her children by her first marriage, Catherine Carey and Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon were illegitimates of Henry. Although both children were claimed by her husband who later died during the sweating sickness. She then married William Stafford, a man of little means. Mary was banished from court and retired to the countryside with her new husband where she had several more children. Her eldest daughter returned to court and served Katherine Howard, a distant cousin. Several fervent enemies of the Boleyns refused to support the marriage of Anne to the king on the basis of his former carnal relations with Mary Boleyn. | ||
| 1525 - 1527 - Rumour - Mary Berkeley 1525-1527 - had two sons Thomas Stucley and John Perrot both of whom were rumoured to be illegitimate children of Henry. While pregnant with her second son, Henry began his serious pursuit of Anne Boleyn. Just after John's birth Mary was quickly married off to her first husband, Sir Thomas Perrot. | ||
| 1527 - Rumour - possibly Elizabeth Bryan,sometime before 1528, who was given a diamond necklace, a mink coat and a husband, Nicholas Carew when she gave birth to a son at the age of twelve, she was called "the young wife". And Henry gave her mother £500. | ||
1527 - 1533 No rumours or hints of any mistresses during the six years Henry was "betrothed" to Anne Boleyn | ||
There were rumours that Jane Boleyn was supposedly aiding Anne Boleyn in removing a lady the king was quite interested in. There may have been no actual affair per se but the rumour of a lady who had caught the king's eye while his wife was pregnant. Both the French and Spanish Ambassadors reported that she was the King's mistress, and she was said to be very beautiful. * In the series there is a fictional character called Lady Eleanor Luke who the king has an affair with. | ||
- Lady Mary Shelton (Anne Boleyn's 1st cousin) - She is often confused with her sister Margaret "Madge" Shelton, but it is now clear that it was Mary who was Henry's mistress and who was even rumoured to become his fourth wife. The confusion arose from the label "Marg Shelton", where the 'y' looked like a 'g' - a common confusion in sixteenth-century writing. There is some speculation that Anne Boleyn herself pushed her cousin forward to gain the king's favour while she was pregnant. * Madge Sheldon in the series | ||
The character of Ursula Misseldon has no basis in history. | ||
| 1536 - 1538 A week after the publication of Henry's marriage to Jane Seymour, Henry met two beautiful ladies and it was reported that he sighed and said '[he was] sorry that he had not seen them before he was married' [Wriothesly's chronicle] In mid-July, Jane was pregnant and considered Lady Lisle's daughters by a previous marriage, Anne and Catherine Basset as ladies in her service. However, she rejected Catherine and Henry remarked that Anne Basset was 'far fairer' than her sister. (Lady Lisle had attempted to secure a place for her two daughters in the service of Queen Anne Boleyn several times, but to no avail.) "After Jane Seymour's death, her ladies were kept together. Henry provided for the young unmarried women including Anne Basset by boarding them out with the senior married ladies. He entertained the ladies, young and old, with splended banquets at court. ....He loved the company of women and, whether he had a wife or not, he could not live without it. And who knows one of the young ladies, like Anne Basset might kindle his sleeping fires."[Lisle letters - as quoted by David Starkey in his Six Wives] | ||
- In the late 1530's a man named William Webbe reported the king abducting his "mistress" (wife) *in the series this is shown as happening while Henry is married to Anne Boleyn but if it happened at all, it more than likely happened either while Jane Seymour was pregnant or after her death. | ||
| 1542 - Rumour In 1542, the night after Katherine Howard had been condemned to death for adultery, Henry VIII held a dinner for many men and women. He was said to pay great attention to Elizabeth Brooke, Lady Wyatt (estranged wife of Sir Thomas Wyatt) and to Anne Bassett. Both were thought to be possible choices for wife number six. Anne Bassett eventually married Sir Edward Hungerford, a son of Sir Walter Hungerford, a teacher, who was charged with "unnatural vice", becoming the first person executed under the Buggery Act of 1533. Both Sir Walter and Thomas Cromwell were beheaded on Tower Hill, next to each other, on 28 July 1540. His lands were forfeited to the Crown.. | ||
Sources:
|
MsSquirrly |
Latest page update: made by MsSquirrly
, Aug 26 2009, 10:48 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by MsSquirrly
44 words deleted 1 image deleted view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
Henry VIII's Mistresses
More Info: links to this page
|
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HaremGirl | Etheldreda | 14 | Sep 15 2009, 9:55 AM EDT by s.rochie | ||
|
Thread started: Aug 26 2009, 10:20 PM EDT
Watch
The John Harrington who was the husband of Etheldreda is my ancestor. :) Queen Elizabeth I was the godmother to his son John--she called him her "saucy godson." Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of London along with John Harrington Sr. and his second wife Isabella Markham, who was one of Elizabeth's maids of honor.
|
||||
| oluwo | Tudors or Rabbits? | 6 | Jul 23 2009, 4:38 PM EDT by jrmslady09 | ||
|
Thread started: Jun 26 2009, 3:13 PM EDT
Watch
All I can say is WOW. I thought the 1960's was the era of the sexual revolution. But all these people were ahead of US!!! LOL
|
|||||
| KatherineCary | Henry VIII's many mistresses and his portrayal on the Tudors (page: 1 2) | 30 | May 16 2009, 12:03 PM EDT by juliana-angela | ||
|
Thread started: Jan 8 2009, 11:45 AM EST
Watch
It's been a while since I've been on this site,Iv’e been very busy with my school work and haven't had much time to spare, but today I'm at work and it’s a slow day so I started surfing thought some of the threads. So much has happened since the last time I was on here, it’s really exciting. I can't wait for season 3. While going through the threads I found a couple of references to the way Showtime is portraying Henry (his having many mistresses) as historically inaccurate. Specifically during the time after Henry was married to Anne Boleyn, someone was saying that he didn't actually have all those Mistresses. I was wondering why people think this is inaccurate? I have read both Alison Weir and David Starkey who both say that While Henry was no Francisco, and while he did like to keep his affairs hush hush (which may be the reason we only know of two mistresses, Bessie because she had a son and Mary Boleyn because she was Anne Boleyn's sister) he was quite a ladies’ man. Also both Alison Weir and David Starkey state that after Henry married Anne he went wiled (some time before Elizabeth was born). The incident shown on the Tudors of Henry kidnapping a girl in the woods is an actually event that took place, and Anne's claim to Henry having a harem were not exaggerated, according to Weir there were many rumors circulating at the time that seemed to suggest just that. SO it wasn't just Anne's paranoia as some have suggested, Henry did run wild for a time. Of course we all know that ended after Jane due to his increasing weight etc. but before that time I think the shows portrayal of Henry (in that aspect) is relatively accurate. Any ways great to be back and here all the exciting news!
|
||||
Showing 3 of 4 threads for this page
- view all
