Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset
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His Grace The Duke of Richmond and Somerset, Earl of Nottingham KG |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
15 June 1519 Blackmore, Essex |
| Died | 23 July 1536 (aged 17) Thetford, Norfolk |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Mary Howard |
| Parents |
Henry VIII of England (father) Elizabeth Blount (mother) |
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset (15 June 1519 – 23 July 1536), was the son of King Henry VIII of England and his mistress, Elizabeth Blount, and the only illegitimate offspring whom Henry VIII acknowledged. He was the younger half-brother of Mary I, future Queen of England (daughter of Catherine of Aragon), as well as the older half-brother of the future Elizabeth I (daughter of Anne Boleyn) and Edward VI (son of Jane Seymour). Through his mother he was the elder brother of Elizabeth Tailboys, 4th Baroness Tailboys of Kyme, George Tailboys, 2nd Baron Tailboys of Kyme and Robert Tailboys, 3rd Baron Tailboys of Kyme.
Lord Henry was born in June 1519. His mother was Elizabeth Blount, King Henry VIII's wife's lady in waiting and his father was the 27-year-old King himself. FitzRoy was conceived when Queen Catherine was approaching her last confinement with another of Henry's children, a stillborn daughter born in November 1518. The Queen's pregnancies frequently triggered a bout of promiscuity in the King. To avoid scandal, Elizabeth Blount was taken from the royal court to the Augustinian priory of St Lawrence at Blackmore near Ingatestone, in Essex.
FitzRoy's birthdate is often given as 15 June 1519, but the exact date is not known. It was not recorded since his birth was a secret, and may have been earlier than predicted. Thomas Cardinal Wolsey was out of London from 9 to 18 June when he reappeared back at court in Windsor. The following day he was expected at Hampton Court, but he did not reappear at a council meeting at Westminster until 29 June. The policy of discretion worked, as the baby boy’s arrival caused no great stir, and the various diplomatic dispatches record nothing of Henry VIII's illegitimate son.
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