Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon

Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, KG (1514 – 20 June 1561) was the eldest son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon, the ex-mistress of Henry VIII.

His maternal first cousins included Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Henry Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex.

He was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. He was tutored by John Leland during his youth. His mother, Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon had an affair with Henry VIII in 1510, the discovery of which led her husband to remove her to a convent and her brother to leave court in a rage, refusing to stay under Henry's roof.

As late as 1513, Anne was the courtier who received the second most expensive New Year's gift from Henry, indicating that their relationship continued until then. However, there are no contemporary references to the possibility of Francis being an illegitimate son of the Tudor monarch. His father was created the first Earl of Huntingdon by Henry VIII of England on 3 November 1529. He was awarded stewardship over two abbeys in 1530.

Francis married Catherine Pole (1511 - 23 September 1576) on 25 June 1532. She was a daughter of Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montacute and Jane Neville. Henry Pole was the oldest son of Sir Richard Pole and Lady Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, daughter of George of York, Duke of Clarence and his wife Lady Isabel, Duchess of Clarence. Jane was in turn a daughter of George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny and Margaret, daughter of Hugh Fenn. They had eleven children:

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