Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset
Henry FitzRoy entered the world in June 1519, born to Henry VIII and his mistress Elizabeth Blount. The timing of this birth was calculated with precision to avoid scandal. Queen Catherine of Aragon had recently given birth to a stillborn daughter in November 1518. To ensure discretion, Blount was moved from the royal court to the Augustinian priory of St Laurence at Blackmore near Ingatestone in Essex. This remote location allowed the pregnancy to remain hidden until the final moments.
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey left London between the 9th and the 18th of June that year. He did not reappear at a council meeting at Westminster until the 29th of June. Diplomatic dispatches recorded nothing of the illegitimate son's arrival during this period. The policy of total secrecy worked perfectly for the King's immediate needs. No great stir followed the baby boy's entry into history.
On the 18th of June 1525, six-year-old Lord Henry FitzRoy traveled by barge down the River Thames from Durham Place. His party included knights, squires, and gentlemen who accompanied him to Bridewell Palace on the western edge of London. At nine o'clock in the morning, his vessel pulled up at the Watergate. The group made their way through the palace to the king's lodgings on the south side of the second floor. The rooms were richly decorated with nobility waiting to witness the event.
Henry knelt before his father as Sir Thomas More read out the patents of nobility. The ceremony created Earl of Nottingham first, then Duke of Richmond and Somerset. This was the first time since the 12th century an illegitimate son had been raised to the peerage. Henry VIII granted his young son an annuity of £4,845 to support his new status. Great feasts and disguising celebrations followed the double dukedom announcement.
By July 1527, the Duke lived at Sheriff Hutton Castle in Yorkshire under the care of Sir Thomas Tempest. Thomas Magnus told the young Duke that King James V of Scotland had requested hunting dogs. FitzRoy sent his cousin twenty hunting hounds and a huntsman in response. These gifts demonstrated the boy's growing influence among European royalty despite his youth.
In June 1529, Richmond became Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland with plans to crown him king there. Crown offices included Lord High Admiral of England and Warden of the Marches towards Scotland. He also served as Governor of Carlisle. The power behind these titles actually resided with a council dominated by Thomas Magnus, Archdeacon of the East Riding. The government of northern England effectively rested in his hands on paper alone.
Henry VIII traveled to Calais in October 1532 for a meeting with Francis I of France. He took Richmond with him as part of the negotiations. The young duke joined the French court and lived with the Dauphin Francis until August 1533. He shared quarters with the future King Henry II of France during this period.
This diplomatic assignment placed FitzRoy at the heart of international relations between England and France. His presence signaled Henry VIII's serious intentions regarding potential succession arrangements. The French court received him as a royal peer rather than an illegitimate child. When recalled to England in August 1533, he returned with enhanced prestige from his time abroad.
At age fourteen, on the 28th of November 1533, the Duke married Lady Mary Howard. She was the only daughter of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. This union strengthened political alliances within the Tudor court structure. Henry VIII had initially suggested Richmond marry his half-sister Mary to strengthen claims to the throne.
The marriage never became consummated according to historical records. Henry Courtenay attended the ceremony alongside other nobility including Sir Thomas Manners who became Earl of Rutland. The couple maintained excellent terms with their brother-in-law, poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Their union linked the FitzRoy line directly to the powerful House of Howard family for generations.
FitzRoy died at St James's Palace on the 23rd of July 1536 after falling ill with consumption. Chronicler Charles Wriothesley reported he became sickly before this final date. His biographer Beverley Murphy documented public appearances and activities through April and May without comment on declining health. The diagnosis of tuberculosis or another serious lung complaint marked the end of his promising career.
His father-in-law ordered the body wrapped in lead and transported in a closed cart for secret interment. Servants instead placed the remains in a straw-filled wagon. Only two attendants followed at a distance during transport. FitzRoy was first buried at Thetford Priory before being moved to Framlingham Church in February 1540 when the priory faced closure. His tomb features scenes from Genesis and Exodus carved into its stone surface.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset born?
Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset entered the world in June 1519. He was born to King Henry VIII and his mistress Elizabeth Blount at a remote Augustinian priory near Ingatestone in Essex.
What titles did Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset hold during his life?
Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset held the title Earl of Nottingham before becoming Duke of Richmond and Somerset on the 18th of June 1525. He also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord High Admiral of England, Warden of the Marches towards Scotland, and Governor of Carlisle.
Who married Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset?
Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset married Lady Mary Howard on the 28th of November 1533. She was the only daughter of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, though historical records state the marriage never became consummated.
How old was Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset when he died?
Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset died at age fourteen on the 23rd of July 1536 after falling ill with consumption. His death occurred at St James's Palace following a period of declining health documented through April and May.
Where is the tomb of Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset located today?
The tomb of Henry FitzRoy Duke of Richmond and Somerset is located in Framlingham Church where his remains were moved in February 1540. The stone surface features scenes from Genesis and Exodus carved into it after being transferred from Thetford Priory.
All sources
11 references cited across the entry
- 1webFitzroy
- 2bookYoung Henry: The Rise of Henry VIIIRobert Hutchinson — Macmillan — 2012
- 4bookEnglish Monarchs: Henry VIIIJ.J. Scarisbrick — University of California Press
- 5bookThe Six Wives of Henry VIIIAlison Weir — Grove Press — 2000
- 6bookThe life and times of Henry VIII.Robert Lacey — Praeger — 1974
- 7bookHenry VIII and the Lutherans: a study in Anglo-Lutheran relations from 1521 to 1547Neelak Serawlook Tjernagel — Concordia Pub. House — 1965
- 8bookEngland under the Tudors, Volume 4Geoffrey Rudolph Elton — Routledge — 1991
- 11webHistorical Tombs