Henry Tudor (1491–1547). King of England, France and Lord of Ireland, Defender of the Faith and Supreme Head of the Church of England.
Jane Seymour (?1509–37). Henry’s third queen, whom he married on 30 May 1536 at the Palace of Westminster. Died from puerperal fever and septicaemia following childbirth at Hampton Court, 24 October 1537.
Anne of Cleves (1515–57). Henry’s fourth queen. Married at Greenwich Palace, 6 January 1540. Marriage annulled by Clerical Convocation on 9 July 1540 and by Parliament on 13 July 1540. Pensioned off. Died 16 July 1557 at Chelsea. Buried in Westminster Abbey.
Katherine Howard (1522–42). Henry’s fifth queen. Married 28 July 1540 at Otelands, Surrey. Beheaded at Tower Green, 13 February 1542, for treason.
Katherine Parr (?1512–48). Henry’s sixth and final queen. Married 12 July 1543 at Hampton Court. Following Henry’s death in January 1547, married Thomas Seymour, Lord High Admiral, probably in early June 1547. Died from puerperal fever following the birth of a daughter at Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire, 5 September 1548.
Prince Edward, later King Edward VI, (1537–53). Legitimate son and heir of Henry and Queen Jane Seymour. Proclaimed king 31 January 1547 at the Tower of London. Died of tuberculosis, Greenwich Palace, 6 July 1553.
Princess Mary, later Queen Mary I, (1516–58). Fourth and only surviving child (from at least six pregnancies) of Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Proclaimed queen 19 July 1553. Reintroduced Catholicism to England. Married Philip, son of Charles V of Spain, at Winchester, 25 July 1554. Died, childless, from ovarian or stomach cancer, St James’s Palace, London, 17 November 1558.
Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth I, (1533–1603). Daughter of Henry and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Succeeded Mary as queen November 1558. Secured Protestantism as state religion. Died, unmarried, from pneumonia and dental sepsis, Richmond, 24 March 1603.
Candidates for Henry’s Brides
Christina (1522–90). Daughter of Christian II of Denmark, widow of the Duke of Milan. Married François, Duc de Bar, 1541. Regent of Lorraine, 1545.
Marie of Guise (1515–60). Second wife of James V of Scotland (1512–42) and mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. Regent of Scotland during her daughter’s absence in France, 1554.
Marie of Vendôme (1515–38).
Foreign Rulers and their Ambassadors
Francis I of France (1494–1547). Crowned at Reims, 1515. Died at Château-Rambouillet, thirty miles south-west of Paris, and succeeded by son Henry II.
Francis I’s Ambassadors to Henry’s Court:
Louis de Perreau, Sieur de Castillon. Ambassador, November 1537– December 1538.
Charles de Marillac (c.1510–60). Ambassador, 1538–43. Later Bishop of Vannes (1550); Archbishop of Vienne (1557).
Odet de Selve (c.1504–63). Ambassador, 6 July 1546–1550.
Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor (1500–58). Nephew of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII. Acceded to Spanish throne 1516. Abdicated in favour of son, Philip (husband of Mary I of England), 1556. Retreated to monastery of Yuste, dying two years later.
Charles V’s Ambassadors to Henry’s Court:
Eustace Chapuys (d.1556). First embassy, 1529–38. Second embassy, 1540–5.
Francis van der Delft. Imperial ambassador from 1545.
Henry’s Privy Chamber
William Clerk, a clerk to the Privy Seal, 1542–8. Authorised to ink in the ‘dry stamp’ used to sign Henry’s documents from September 1545.
Sir Anthony Denny (1501–49). Powerful confidant of the king. Assisted in suppression of Kett’s Rebellion in Norfolk in 1549. Accumulated substantial incomes and lands through royal favour. Died ?10 September 1549 at his home in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.
John Gates (?1504–53). Brother-in-law to Denny. Servant to Queen Katherine Parr, 1543–5. Appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 8 April 1551. Appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 7 July 1552. Executed as supporter of Northumberland, 22 August 1553.
Sir Thomas Heneage (1480–1553). Chief Gentleman and Groom of the Stool. Knighted 1537. Abruptly dismissed and succeeded by Denny in 1546 after thirty years’ service to the Crown.
Sir William Herbert (?1501–70). Appointed one of the Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber in 1546. Married Katherine Parr’s sister Anne. Appointed President of Wales 1550. Created Earl of Pembroke 1551; joined Northumberland in proclaiming Lady Jane Grey queen in 1553 but quickly switched sides to support Mary. Appointed Governor of Calais 1556. Made Lord Steward under Elizabeth in 1568. Buried in St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Royal Household and Henry’s Government
Sir John Baker (d.1558). Lawyer; Attorney-General, 1535–40. Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1545–58.
Charles Brandon, First Duke of Suffolk (?1484–1545). Appointed Warden of the Scottish Marches in 1542. Commanded English army invading France in 1544. Lord Steward of the King’s Household, 1541–4. Died at Guildford, Surrey, 22 August 1545. Buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
Sir Anthony Browne (d.1548). Master of the King’s Horse, 1539–48.
Sir Thomas Cheyney (?1485–1558). Appointed Warden of the Cinque Ports 1538 and Treasurer of the Royal Household from 1539. Retained office under Edward, Mary and Elizabeth.
Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556). Archbishop of Canterbury. Supervised preparation and publication of first Prayer Book, 1549. Burnt at the stake in Oxford, 21 March 1556, for repudiating his admissions of the supremacy of the Pope and the truth of Catholic doctrine.
John Dudley (?1502–53). Created Viscount Lisle 1542. Served as Lord High Admiral, 1542–7 and 1548–9. Governor of Boulogne, 1544–6. Created Earl of Warwick on Edward’s succession and appointed Lord High Chamberlain of England 1551–3. Duke of Northumberland, 1551. Married his son to Lady Jane Grey. Executed for treason – supporting Lady Jane as queen – 22 August 1553 at Tower Hill.
Sir William Fitzwilliam, Earl of Southampton (d.1542). Lord High Admiral, 1536–40. Later Lord Privy Seal. Died on active service whilst commanding the vanguard of Norfolk’s expedition against Scotland, 1542.
Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester (c.1483–1555). Imprisoned from 1547 during most of Edward’s reign for sedition and failure in religious conformity. Appointed Lord Chancellor by Mary I on her accession in 1553. Died at Palace of Westminster, 13 November 1555.
Sir William Paget, later Lord Paget of Beaudesert (1505–63). Protégé of Bishop Stephen Gardiner. Appointed Chief Secretary of State 1543 and later was one of Henry’s chief advisers. Became an ally of radical reformers just before Henry’s death. Imprisoned in 1551 and fined £6,000 for misconduct as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Reinstated as a member of the Privy Council in 1553. Signed document transferring crown to Lady Jane Grey after Edward VI’s death but was retained by Queen Mary as a Privy Councillor because of his administrative abilities and appointed Lord Privy Seal in 1556. He gave up all public office on Elizabeth’s accession in 1558.
Sir William, Lord Parr (1513–71). Brother of Queen Katherine Parr. Made Earl of Essex, 1543. Appointed Marquis of Northampton, 1547. Condemned to death after Mary’s accession but pardoned with forfeiture of titles and part of his estates. Reinstated marquis, 1559.
Sir William Paulet, Lord St John (?1485–1572). Treasurer of the Household, 1537–9. Lord Steward of the Household, 1545–50. Keeper of the Great Seal under Somerset, 1547. Created Earl of Wiltshire, 1550, and Marquis of Winchester, 1551. Proclaimed Mary queen on 19 July 1553 at Baynard’s Castle, London. Appointed Lord Treasurer in 1549–50 and remained so until his death.
Sir William Petre (?1505–72). Created one of Henry’s secretaries, 1544. Retained office under Edward, Mary and Elizabeth until 1566, when he retired from public life.
Sir Richard Rich (?1496–1567). Speaker, House of Commons, 1536. Appointed Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, 1536–44, overseeing revenues from dissolved monastic houses. Created Baron Rich on Edward’s accession. Lord Chancellor, 1548–51. After signing proclamation declaring Lady Jane Grey queen, he later switched sides to declare for Mary and was confirmed as a Privy Councillor. He was active in Essex in the prosecution of Protestants during the Counter-Reformation and was not confirmed as a Privy Councillor by Elizabeth on her accession.
John, Lord Russell (?1486–1555). Comptroller of the Household, 1537–9. Lord High Admiral, 1540–2. Lord Privy Seal, 1542, 1547 and 1553. Created Earl of Bedford, 1550.
Sir Edward Seymour (?1506–52). Earl of Hertford, 1537; made Duke of Somerset on Edward’s accession. Lieutenant General in the North, 1545. Lieutenant and Captain General of Boulogne, 1546. Lieutenant General of the English army in France, 1546. Lord Treasurer, 1546–7. Lord Great Chamberlain of England, 1546–7. Declared Protector by Privy Council, 31 January 1547. Arrested on charges of conspiracy to murder Warwick, October 1551, and beheaded on Tower Hill on 22 January 1552.
Sir Thomas Seymour (?1508–49). Appointed Master of Ordnance for life, 1544. Admiral of fleet serving against the French, 1544–5. Lord High Admiral and created Baron Seymour of Sudeley, 1547. Secretly married Queen Katherine Parr, ?June 1547. Attainted for treason and beheaded on 20 March 1549 on Tower Hill.
Will Somers, fool or jester (d.1560). Retired after Henry’s death but made guest appearances in masques and entertainments at Edward VI’s court. Supported by Mary and Elizabeth during their reigns. Buried in St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch.
Sir Thomas Wriothesley (1505–50). Joint principal secretary to Henry VIII, 1540. Created Baron Wriothesley, 1544. Lord Chancellor, 1544–7. Created Earl of Southampton, 1547. Deprived of office in 1547, fined £4,000 for acting illegally in his use of the Great Seal and put under house arrest at his London home. Reinstated to Privy Council in 1548. Struck off list of Councillors, 1550.
Prince Edward’s Household
Roger Ascham (1515–68). Tutor to Princess Elizabeth and teacher to Prince Edward. Wrote and published Toxophilus or the School or Partitions of Archery, 1545. Appointed Latin Secretary to Queen Mary in 1553. Tutor and secretary to Queen Elizabeth. Given a Prebend of York, 1559. Wrote a practical treatise on education, The Schoolmaster, which, although unfinished, was published after his death, in 1570. Buried in St Sepulchre without Newgate, London.
John Cheke (1514–57). Regius professor of Greek at Cambridge University. Knighted by Edward in 1552 and appointed his secretary of state after he became king. Imprisoned in the Tower after Mary’s accession and exiled to Switzerland and Italy.
Sir John Cornwallis (c.1496–1544). Steward. Died at Ashridge, Hertfordshire.
Richard Cox (1500–81). Former headmaster of Eton and first dean of Christ Church, Oxford. Imprisoned in the Marshalsea early in Mary’s reign; escaped to Frankfurt in 1554. Became Bishop of Norwich in 1559 after Elizabeth’s accession and shortly afterwards of Ely until 1580.
Mistress Jak. Prince Edward’s wet nurse until October 1538.
Margaret, Lady Bryan. ‘Lady Mistress’ of the prince’s household.
Sybil Penn (d.1562). Sister-in-law of Sir William Sidney. Governess to the prince. Buried at Hampton, Middlesex.
Sir William Sidney (?1482–1554). Soldier. Chamberlain from 1538; later steward and tutor. Granted Penshurst estate, 1552.
The Victims
Anne Askew (1521–46). Burnt at Smithfield for heresy after torture in the Tower of London, 16 July 1546.
Robert Barnes (1495–1540). Prior of Austin Friars, Cambridge. Involved in diplomatic negotiations for Henry’s marriage with Anne of Cleves. Burnt at Smithfield for heresy, 30 July 1540.
Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex (?1485–1540). Lord Privy Seal and Vice-Regent for religious affairs. Beheaded for treason, 28 July 1540, on Tower Hill.
Thomas Culpeper. One of Henry’s Privy Chamber favourites. Beheaded as a traitor at Tyburn, 10 December 1541.
Francis Dereham. Former lover and private secretary to Queen Katherine Howard. Hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor at Tyburn, 10 December 1541.
Thomas Fiennes, Lord Dacre of the South (b.1517). Hanged for murder at Tyburn, 29 June 1541.
Thomas Garret. Burnt at Smithfield for heresy, 30 July 1540.
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (?1517–47). Son of Thomas Howard, Third Duke of Norfolk. Poet, courtier and soldier. Beheaded for treason, 19 January 1547, on Tower Hill.
Thomas Howard, Third Duke of Norfolk (1473–1554). Soldier, Earl Marshal and Lord High Treasurer of England. Commanded English forces against the Scots, 1542. Lieutenant General of English army in France, 1544. Condemned to death for treason but saved from execution by Henry VIII’s death. Imprisoned in the Tower of London until Mary’s accession in 1553. Presided at trial of Northumberland, 1553.
William Jerome, Vicar of Stepney, East London. Burnt at Smithfield for heresy, 30 July 1540.
John Lambert alias John Nicholson. After a show trial, burnt at Smithfield, 22 November 1538, for denying the ‘Real Presence’ – the corporeal presence of Christ in the Holy Sacrament of Communion.
Richard Mekins (1526–41). Fifteen-year-old boy burnt at Smithfield on 30 July 1541 for denying the ‘Real Presence’.
Lady Jane Rochford (?1510–42). Lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne of Cleves and Queen Katherine Howard, widow of George Boleyn (executed 17 May 1536 for conducting an incestuous relationship with his sister Anne Boleyn). Beheaded for treason, 13 February 1542, on Tower Green.