The life of HENRY FITZROY, Duke of Richmond and Somerset | illegitimate son of Henry VIII | Tudors

He was the ILLEGITIMATE SON OF HENRY VIII, the brother of Elizabeth I, Mary I and Edward VI and a boy who many thought might be placed in the line of succession for the English throne, but what do we really know about the life of Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, who died at the age of just seventeen?

In this week’s Tudor history documentary from History Calling, we go back to the middle years of the reign of King Henry VIII to look at the life of his only acknowledged illegitimate child (not counting the fact that he delegitimised his daughters at different points). You’ll hear about the relationship between Fitzroy’s mother, Elizabeth Blount and Henry VIII, what we know about Henry Fitzroy’s birth and childhood, why his upbringing was overseen by his godfather, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and when and why he was given the extraordinary honour of a double Dukedom. I’ll also tell you about the other positions heaped on this young child, including being made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and describe his relationship with his father, even showing you a letter written by the Duke of Richmond to his royal parent. We’ll discuss his marriage to Mary Howard, who was a cousin of Anne Boleyn and the only daughter-in-law of Henry VIII and look at some of the famous moments in Tudor history which this boy was present for, including the execution of Anne Boleyn in 1536. Richmond would outlive his step-mother by only a couple of months and the video will conclude by taking you through the sudden death of this illegitimate Tudor on 23 July, plus his funeral, burial and what happened to his grave later on.

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Beverley A. Murphy, B**stard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son (2004)
Giles Tremlett, Catherine of Aragon: Henry’s Spanish Queen (London, 2010)
Eric Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (Wiley-Blackwell, 2005)

BUY OR RENT:

The Tudors, season 1
The Tudors, season 2
The Tudors, season 3
The Tudors, season 4
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (2016 docu-drama)
Six Wives with Lucy Worsley (2016 docu-drama)

GEAR USED

THUMBNAIL: Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

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[HistoryCalling]

Do you see a family resemblance between the Duke of Richmond and Henry VIII (or indeed Richmond and any of the other Tudors)? Let me below and don’t forget that you can also find me at:

[mlywtfb]

I knew about Henry Fitzroy, but always thought he was forgotten in the background. I never knew he was so involved in the court, parliament, or the king had any communication with him. This was so interesting!

[betttrbeth]

I never think much about Fitzroy because he died so young, but he really lived a lot in those 17 years.

[lfgifu]

also congrats for the 1/4 million milestone!! It’s all up from here and you deserve it!

[jldisme]

Long, high-bridged nose and small, pursed lips - no mistaking his resemblance to his father. Excellent video. Thanks, HC!

[matteusconnollius]

When I was a child I read one of those nice little historical fiction novels about the Tudor dynasty probably intended for young teenagers (this one was from the perspective of the teenage Mary I) and included a helpful family tree at the beginning of the book, and I remember seeing Henry Fitzroy, and being very confused how Henry VIII could have had a son with a woman he wasn't married with since I didnt know how the birds and the bees worked yet

[areiaaphrodite]

I like how much Henry doted on and paraded around Henry FitzRoy, only to kind of forget about him after his death and the birth of Edward. Henry really was like a toddler in that aspect. As soon as he found something shiny and new, he tossed out the old and went on his merry way 🙄

[CaptainPikeachu]

I really would love to see a Tudor era story that explored more about Henry Fitzroy. It’s generally always the usual folks paid attention on like Mary and Elizabeth when it comes to Henry’s kids, which admittedly is very understandable given their reigns and importance. But much like how the show Becoming Elizabeth gave a much more prominent and proper showing for Edward VI (beyond just the usual forgotten little kid treatment), I’m hoping another Tudor story can show more of Fitzroy’s personality and character.

[missyme]

Wow, I had no idea that King Henry was so open about his illegitimate son, showering him with all the gifts and titles. He seems like a nice, respectable boy, and Henry absolutely doted on him. A sad end of what could have been..

[margo]

He used his children as pawns. He terrorized his daughters and he killed their mothers, Catherine of Aragon indirectly and Anne Boleyn, brutally. He thought only of himself and loved only himself and yet, 500 years on we’re still fascinated by him. I think that says more about us than him. Always thought-provoking, HC. Thank you.

[VolkswagenJetta]

It’s Henry trying to marry Henry Fitzroy to Mary Tudor for me. What does he think this is, ancient Egypt?

[helgaborek]

Thank you for this video. I've seen one or two about Henry Fitzroy before, but this ine is a true deep dive into his life.

[lyndanickerson]

Thanks for the video and congrats on 250K subscribers

[kate_cooper]

I've seen the portrait of Henry Fitzroy before and never really noticed him having a facial resemblance to his father. But now that you mention it, yes, I can see it. And, from what we know of Henry VIII, that seems like something that would have only increased his affection and regard for Fitzroy.

Incidentally, did you know that there was a 2000s television series in which Henry Fitzroy didn't die, he became a vampire and survived to the modern day, and currently lives in Canada helping a human woman to run a detective agency. I think it was called Blood Ties.

[suecox]

I knew none of this and found your research into Fitzroy's importance to Henry, and his apparent affection for the boy, fascinating. Thank you.

[stephencarrillo]

👏👏👏 Lots going on this week, HC. A new website, 250K viewers, and a superb entry in your Tudor series. You rock! Have a great week. 🙏🏼

[sidoniejordan-olsen]

Gosh, 7 years old and could write that well.

[kathleenrobertson]

When I was doing genealogical research on my family a few years ago, I discovered that my maternal grandmother’s line can be traced back to an alleged illegitimate son of Henry VIII, poet, playwright, and composer Richard Edwards. I was rallying annoyed; of all the English kings, why did I have to be (potentially) descended from Henry VIII, one of my least favorite historical figures? I kept telling myself that at least he was related to the Plantangenets, so it wasn’t all bad. On my Dad’s side, I’m descended from Duncan I of Scotland, and though MacBeth isn’t historically accurate, I can say that I have an ancestor in a Shakespearean play, and that’s really cool.

To answer your question, I think Henry Fitzroy looks more like Henry VIII than Edward VI does. I think Edward VI looks more like his mother.

[stefaniecosme]

It would be So Interesting to know how Bessy felt about having to give birth to King Henry’s illegitimate son- I wonder if she was scared to death like I was when I found out that I was pregnant (and unmarried) at 23- Or maybe she was excited about getting to give birth to, at that time, the Kings only son- Anyways, THANK YOU HC for making learning about History, Especially Tudor History, Even More Fascinating! And although I already commented this on your previous post, CONGRATULATIONS on the Incredible achievement of your 250, 000 subscribers and the Immediate Success of your new website!! You Absolutely Deserve Every Bit of it! Wishing you and your family Continued Blessings and Keep up the Great Work!!

[simon]

Thank you as always HC, Richmond does have some resemblance to Henry, congratulations on starting up your websight, i for one will never get tired listening and learning from you HC, as always Thank you. ☺️👏