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Henry BrandonEnglish nobleman
Date of Birth: 18.09.1535
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
- Education and Knighthood
- Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
- Failed Marriage Proposal
- Both Brothers' Demise
- Burial
- Portraiture
Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
Birth and FamilyHenry Brandon was born on September 18, 1535, as the eldest son of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and his second wife, Catherine Willoughby, 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby. His father had previously been married to Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII. Henry's mother had daughters named Frances and Eleanor from a previous marriage, and his older brother, Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln, died in infancy in 1534.
Education and Knighthood
After his father's death in 1545, Henry inherited the title of Duke of Suffolk. He and his younger brother, Charles, were initially both students at St. John's College, Cambridge. King Henry VIII served as Henry's godfather. The brothers attended the coronation of Edward, Prince of Wales, on February 20, 1547, where Henry carried the orb. They were also knighted Knights of the Bath during the ceremony.
Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Early LifeCharles Brandon was born on March 14, 1537, as the second son of Charles Brandon and Catherine Willoughby. He spent his early childhood with his mother at Grimsthorpe, the family estate of the Willoughby family.
Failed Marriage Proposal
In 1550, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, proposed a marriage between Charles and his eldest daughter, Anne Seymour. However, Catherine Willoughby firmly rejected the proposal, arguing that she opposed arranged marriages and would not force her son into a loveless union. Somerset's plan was thwarted, and Anne was instead married to John Dudley, the eldest son of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland.
Both Brothers' Demise
Education and TragedyHenry and Charles continued their education at St. John's College, Cambridge, where they received guidance from Dr. Thomas Wilson, a future secretary to Queen Elizabeth I. Tragically, both brothers succumbed to an epidemic of sweating sickness in the summer of 1551. They died on the same day, Henry first and Charles an hour later, in the village of Buckden near Huntingdon.
Burial
Henry and Charles were laid to rest in Buckden. Their deaths ended the Suffolk line of the Brandon family.
Portraiture
A miniature portrait of Henry Brandon, painted by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1541, depicts him at around five years of age. A similar miniature portrait of Charles, believed to have been painted by Holbein at the same time, shows him at three years of age.
