Life of CHARLES BRANDON, Duke of Suffolk. Henry VIII’s brother-in-law. Tudor bad boy

He was one the bad boys of the Tudor regime. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk was born a relatively lowly aristocrat in around 1484, but his father’s death at the Battle of Bosworth as standard bearer for Henry VII and his uncle’s court connections brought him into the orbit of Henry VIII and from there, his ascent was remarkable, becoming a knight, then Viscount Lisle, then the Duke of Suffolk in 1514, one of the only dukes in England at the time. A successful military leader, he took part in numerous campaigns across Henry’s reign.
He had a chequered marital career, running through woman after woman and producing several children until he made a spectacularly advantageous union with Princess Mary Tudor, Queen of France in 1515. She was the widow of Louis XII and the sister of Henry VIII and Charles was lucky that marrying the French Queen and making himself Henry VIII’s brother-in-law without that King’s permission didn’t cost him his life. After paying heavy fines though, the Duke managed to get back into the King’s good graces and stay there. He and Mary had two surviving children, Lady Frances Brandon (mother of Lady Jane Grey) and Lady Eleanor Brandon and their father’s career is a handbook in how to survive in Tudor England and especially at the court of Henry VIII.
When his royal wife died in 1536, he married again within months to his former ward, the 14-year-old Katherine Willoughby, who had been engaged to his son. Together they had two sons. Charles knew all of the six wives of Henry VIII (all of whom were his sisters-in-law of course). He was made to mistreat Catherine of Aragon on Henry’s orders, disliked Anne Boleyn whose execution he witnessed, welcomed Anne of Cleves to England only to later help to arrange her divorce, accompanied Katherine Howard to the scaffold and saw Catherine Parr become great friends with his final wife. Charles Brandon died in 1545 and was buried in St George’s Chapel at Windsor.
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling we look at the life of Charles Brandon, Henry VIII’s best friend.
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Steven Gunn, Charles Brandon: Henry VIII’s closest friend (Amberley, 2016)
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#CharlesBrandon #DukeOfSuffolk #TudorHistory

[@HistoryCalling]

What’s your opinion of Charles Brandon? Let me know below and remember to check out my Patreon site at www.patreon.com/historycalling and my Amazon storefront at www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling

[@edithengel2284]

A wily opportunist who treated his family nearly as badly as Henry treated his. Smart enough to stay out of serious trouble, and probably physically robust. Really loyal only to himself.

[@donnicholas7552]

He was horrible in the way he treated women. He was also shrewd and an opportunist.

[@sarrhodes8277]

Very creepy in his appetite for young girls practically out of the schoolroom. Presumably he had charm and presented as sexy and exciting to them in that era. I think History Calling is bang on the money in terms of the ways in which he was able to retain the King's loyalty and affection. Not being at Court too often was probably his ace hand.

[@edithengel2284]

@@sarrhodes8277 The ones that were that young (and he was at one time contracted to marry an 8 year old) were more or less bought and sold as little orphan heiresses. I don't think his attractiveness entered into it. Truly awful.

[@edithengel2284]

Margaret Neville Mortimer Brandon Downes (and maybe Horne) obviously had a very eventful life. She was married at least three times and possibly four. She must still have had some property left after the Brandon debacle, as she and her third (or fourth) husband Downes sued her illegitimate daughter Anne (!!) and her husband, who were accused of colluding with others to illegally convey another piece of Margaret's property to Anne--apparently attested to by aChancery Proceeding dated 1518-1529, found in the National Archives catalog, according to one site I looked at. I also read that Brandon didn't forfeit his wardship to the very young Lady Lisle; he sold it to Catherine, Countess of Devon (born Catherine Plantagenet, daughter of Edward IV) for 4000 pounds. (I haven't seen evidence for this however.) I think of all the mistreated women in Brandon's story this poor young girl, who died not long after her marriage, is the most distressing. Orphaned, contracted in marriage at 8 by Brandon, sold off and married to someone else, and dying aged around 14 years old--what must her life have been like?

[@burgundybabyy]

Henry Cavill's portrayal of him made him seem MUCH better than what he actually was.

[@HistoryCalling]

Absolutely. The Tudors might be the best thing to ever happen to his guy's reputation. They didn't even show his first two marriages from what I remember and made him out to be a lot younger (and better looking I think) than he really was.

[@aggieknight1714]

​@HistoryCalling They absolutely didn't show Margaret Mortimer or Anne Browne on the show, you're correct!

[@AlliB33tle]

100% I had a fondness for him solely based on the portrayal in that show! No more!

[@cassiecavataio2982]

I loved his portrayal of him but it definitely helped that Henry Cavill is 🔥🔥🔥

[@Claire_T]

My impression of him is that he was extremely opportunistic, and if nothing else, it's very impressive thay he kept his head throughout Henry's reign

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, while I can't say I like him as a person, it's to his credit that while everyone else's heads were rolling, he kept his.

[@jaimeeanderson6068]

​@@HistoryCalling would you please consider a video on Thomas Wyatt? His poetry is so riddled and intriguing! Another great survivor of his times!

[@mangot589]

I totally agree lol. Shut your face, read the room (king), and try to go to your country estate as much as possible lol. It is amazing he kept his head.

[@feelthejoy]

They must have had a very close friendship. Seems they bonded when they were both young enough that Henry always held great affection for him.

[@JanetHamilton-b7t]

Also he was Henry V111 best Friend 😢

[@ns-wz1mx]

Hi Hc! a welcomed distraction from the crazy life i’ve had lately. can’t wait to listen!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you. I hope you enjoy it :-)

[@ns-wz1mx]

@@HistoryCalling always!!

[@MrMalvolio29]

Sixteenth-century France was **hardly** “some far-flung corner of Europe,” as I am sure you know. Queen Mary Tudor of France was likely *encouraged strongly* by France’s King Francois 1er to hastily act on her feelings for Brandon and to marry him in France, *before* her brother Henry VIII had the opportunity to use her again as a dynastic/diplomatic pawn. I have always considered that her following his counsel and marrying Brandon before they sailed back to England was a diplomatically and politically brilliant achievement on King Francois’s part, for it limited the things the French king’s rival, Henry, could offer in order to form even more anti-French alliances on the Continent. In other words: Mary’s agreeing to marry *below* her station in taking Brandon--a mere English nobleman, rather than a foreign potentate-as her husband essentially knocked her off the game of chess Henry VIII and Francois 1er played on the map of Europe in the early yrs of their reigns. It was a political “victory” for France over England.

[@akaLaBrujaRoja]

Did it also mean France didn’t have to pay her as Queen Dowager because she remarried?

[@MrMalvolio29]

@@akaLaBrujaRoja i believe the French still had to pay her jointure.

[@charlotteclaire2032]

@@akaLaBrujaRoja They still paid. The video mentions Mary sent a lot of it to her brother.

[@ErinH-430]

We can also understand how Frances Grey managed to keep her head.

[@LaLayla99]

Well, to put it politely, he knew how to get what he wanted.

[@HistoryCalling]

He sure did and he didn't mind trampling over nearly everyone else in order to get it.

[@Tekirai]

He’s such a scoundrel and predator 🙂‍↔️🤣 Henry cavill gave that man much grace 😂😂😂😅

[@tygressblade]

Brandon was Henry VIII’s hero. And it shows in how Henry VIII doted on him throughout the his reign.

[@HistoryCalling]

They certainly had a lot in common, especially with regards to how they treated women.

[@tygressblade]

@@HistoryCalling Both used the purchase of heir-ships as a money making opportunity as did the Seymour’s. Charles Brandon wasn’t like Henry Cavill people. He was someone who got away with a lot because Henry VIII knew and understood him and Brandon knew how H8’s mind worked having grown up with him.

[@wednesdayschild3627]

Henry viii frat brother. His survival is a miracle.

[@HistoryCalling]

It really is when you look at how many others died from their proximity to the King.

[@thresasullivan1340]

I love these videos I am an ancient history fanatic

[@squishbychel2026]

You had me at "and why don't i like him"

[@HistoryCalling]

😂😂😂

[@dimitrabir.4177]

Henry Cavill did that man A FAVOUR 😂

[@HistoryCalling]

He sure did. Charles lucked out in having HC play him.

[@jwhargreaves]

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Natalie Dormer, Sarah Bolger, James Frain, Sam Neill ........ Let's face it "The Tudors" did them ALL a big favour.

[@ErinH-430]

Definitely!

[@wiseonwords]

@@jwhargreaves - Nah, "The Tudors" was a very mediocre production! I much prefer "Wolf Hall" - better acting, better direction, and much, much better writing.

[@jwhargreaves]

@@wiseonwords I wasn't talking about the authenticity of the production, I was just highlighting the use of conspicuously good looking actors to portray historical characters known to be not so pretty, thus "doing them all a favour". The Tudors was merely "Dynasty" set in a reimagining of the 16th century English court.

[@nbryant8991]

If you image Brandon as Henry Cavill it makes him much more likeable. Great video.

[@HistoryCalling]

That's very true. I think Cavill did a good job resuscitating Brandon's reputation.

[@feelthejoy]

Also considering they reduced his number of wives by half and didn’t portray him as marrying a literal child…

[@SKILLIUSCAESAR]

@@feelthejoythey did include him marrying his 14yr old ward…

[@feelthejoy]

@@SKILLIUSCAESAR I just said they didn’t in my comment

[@SKILLIUSCAESAR]

@@feelthejoy right..? I’m saying they did portray that. Sorry if I’m misunderstanding something

[@Lionstar16]

I don't like Charles Brandon for his habit of treating women as disposable, but I can respect his ability to both raise high in the Tudor court from nothing and survive it, dying in his bed. And while I have issues with 'The Tudors' show for its blatant historical inaccuracy at times, I have to admit having Henry Cavill play Charles was a nice bonus - what an eye-candy 😍

[@HistoryCalling]

Haha, yes I think lots of people managed to overlook the casting inaccuracies for the sake of Mr Cavill (and Mr Rhys-Meyers).

[@traitsofaegyptianqueen273]

Very accurate!!!

[@Heidi_Bradshaw]

Inaccuracies to one side, ‘Fat Cavill’ and JRM were done serious woof during The Tudors!

[@HistoryCalling]

I can't believe anyone ever called Henry Cavill that (though I know that they did). I've seen a couple of pictures of him as a teen and while he was certainly solid (as you'd expect for a boy who I believe was playing a lot of rugby) that guy was never fat.

[@Sienna6164]

Agreed. I think that Anne Brown was in on getting her aunt’s land

[@cornelia9778]

Wow, I always saw him as a somewhat romantic figure because of the love that had been described between Brandon and Mary. The scales have now dropped from my eyes. What a clever opportunist. I suspect he would not have gotten away with his behaviour to those poor women if not for his friendship with the King.

[@HistoryCalling]

I strongly suspect that was more of a one-way road (ie she loved him a lot more than he loved her). An opportunist is a good way to describe him.

[@pbohearn]

@@HistoryCalling I know you dislike him immensely for his treatment of women in his life, but he did Mary, queen of France, a favor by marrying her as she avoided getting once again married off to some old king somewhere. They both had a stake in getting married without Henry’s expressed permission. In that sense, mary seems is desperate here, but that doesn’t necessarily suggest true love. he was doing her a favor unless he really loved her. In any case, I see him as a smart and savvy guy who knew when to step forward and when to step back. In this doggy eat dog tudor world, could you blame him?

[@Elizabeth-hc3mi]

​@HistoryCalling Mary could have jumped on the opportunity too. Maybe she didn't really love Mary, but she would rather marry someone closer to her age who lived in Englad rather than end up as a wife to a gross old man in a foreign country.

[@perniciouspete4986]

0:11 It was extraordinarily foresightful for the Duke to have History Calling's channel name embroidered on his collar 500 years ago just so his portrait could be used in this video.

[@HistoryCalling]

It was indeed. Whatever his other faults, at least he had good taste in KZbinrs of the future 😂

[@perniciouspete4986]

​@@HistoryCalling I'm certain he would have appreciated this video. Bad publicity is still publicity.

[@thoughtsofelizabeth]

Ah! Another "where's wa- I mean where's the history calling logo" enthusiast! I've noticed that not all of them are in necklines or hoods. Is it bad that I watch the videos multiple times to see if I can find them all, in addition to enjoying the content?

[@perniciouspete4986]

@@thoughtsofelizabeth Would you call them "Easter eggs" or "History [Calling] eggs"?

[@lesleystephenson1868]

I think another factor that lead to his survival is his lack of royal blood. While his children were heirs, he was not.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, that's true. He was only semi-royal by association.

[@miathompson1172]

I read somewhere that Henry VIII was very insecure and he didn’t like people to challenge him at all.

[@susanbrand7503]

Yes his children from Mary Tudor were heirs .. Frances Brandon the mother of Lady Jane Grey was an grasper and she and lady Jane's father were her down fall

[@LBGirl1988]

I hate that Henry Cavill ever played him on screen. It makes me want to like him but it’s clear that he was a narcissist scoundrel.

[@HistoryCalling]

I mean the casting was all wrong in terms of how old HC was at the time and his general look, but I think 'The Tudors' was really going for eye candy and they certainly succeeded in that aim (not just with HC).

[@LBGirl1988]

@@HistoryCalling totally agree!!!

[@victoriasloan524]

But to watch Henry C hubba hubba

[@blueeyedscorpio7]

😂😂

[@edithrohrer7329]

As a cad he totally understood Henry and vice versa. Brothers-in-law are frequently closer. No childhood jealousy or family ranking to overcome.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, he does seem to have been one of the few people to understand how to manage Henry.

[@reneesylvestre-williams3912]

So... professional gold-digger.

[@HistoryCalling]

One of the best 😂

[@ghostoftheschiavona]

While watching The Tudors with my dad, he kept saying "Charles Brandon is the moral compass of the Tudor court!" ... he's not saying that anymore now that we've seen this..

[@jldisme]

Yep. He's right up there with Thomas Seymour as most despicable courtier of Henry the 8th.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yup, not a great guy.

[@delia88209]

Happy Monday. Did Henry Cavill play him in the Tudors? He was and is still gorgeous. So sad Donald Sutherland died . He was the best Me Bennet on Pride and prejudice

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, HC (who has great initials of course, as they match History Calling) did indeed play him. Yes, I was sad to hear about DS too. He was great in P&P, but I'll always love his turn as President Snow in the Hunger Games too. Deliciously evil!

[@pablovivant9089]

Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk, had such an interesting life for decades after Charles Brandon departed the scene! For starters, it's so intriguing that she was the daughter of one of Catherine of Aragon's Spanish ladies but then turned out to be an ardent Protestant herself. I hope you'll consider making her the subject of a future video.

[@HistoryCalling]

Oh she's on my list, don't worry :-) Bio videos just take quite a lot of work to create so I don't make them all the time. That said, I'm on a bit of a run of them at the moment. There are two more next week and the week after.

[@missyme2673]

Like most people, I'd heard about him as Henry's buddy, but you've totally opened my eyes to what a conniving and opportunistic snake he really was! Thank you for your in-depth analysis of him and the roles he played at Henry's Court. (I'm mumbling swear words under my breath at him right now! ) Thank you, HC, as always, for your insightful video! 😊

[@hollyh314]

I agree with you...the depth of her videos are excellent!!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you so much. I'm glad you found it interesting. Charles is certainly a fascinating (if disreputable) character.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Holly :-)

[@jerryhosford4557]

I love watching your videos mainly because I enjoy learning about English/British history that is not taught in the U.S.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Jerry. I quite like learning about US history as well. I really should learn more about the American Revolution though.

[@stefaniekuzminski9575]

I really am enjoying your lovely and informative channel. Thank you! This guy sounds like a complete scoundrel

[@stefaniekuzminski9575]

And guilty disclosure in my younger years these were the scoundrels that turned my head. I’ve learned a lot since then. An awful lot.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you so much. Yes, I think he was a scoundrel. I'm glad you've outgrown his type :-)

[@hollyh314]

I'm so impressed by your channel and episodes!! I've watched many historical videos on KZbin and yours are by far brilliantly done, and always accurate. I look forward to seeing anything you upload 😊😊

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you so much. Another couple of Tudor bios still to come over the next fortnight, so I hope you enjoy those too :-)

[@gillsinclair6927]

I didn't know the majority of this man's life. I only really knew that his father was with Henry VII at Bosworth and that Charles was a bad apple. Thanks for this I really appreciate it.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I hadn't read into his life in great detail either before this video. I had a bio of him sitting on my shelf though that I'd been meaning to read for a while and so eventually I thought, 'right, today's the day!'

[@margo3367]

I always thought of Charles Brandon as a soldier-type, a real macho man. That might’ve been part of his appeal to a man like Henry VIII. I imagine sometimes you just want to talk sports with your bro and not get into anything more meaningful.

[@raumaanking]

Curious question history calling would you ever consider making videos on the grey girls just like you did with Henry the 8 six wives and the tudors. I have just realised you haven’t made any videos on Lady Kathrine Grey or Lady Mary Grey.

[@HistoryCalling]

They're on my list and I've bought a book about them :-) It's just a case of getting to all these people. I still have to do proper videos on H8's sisters too.

[@jaimeeanderson6068]

I admire Charles Brandon for his longevity and survival skills in Tudor court! He was clever! Most important was his loyalty to his King 🤴 ❤❤

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, we have to admire that fact that he survived where so many others did not. He wasn't pleasant, but nor was he entirely stupid either.

[@edithengel2284]

According to one source, Margaret of Austria, who apparently was a perceptive woman, laughingly told Brandon in a conversation among Henry, Brandon, and herself, when Brandon tried to give her a diamond ring, "Vous êtes un larron." ("You are a thief."). She wasn't having any. (She probably thought Henry's pushing one of his subjects on her was pretty impertinent.)

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, he did indeed hit on her (to use modern parlance) and she turned him down. I wonder if he and Anne Boleyn ever traded stories about Margaret?

[@johnslaughter5475]

The Tudor soaps continue on and on. They also beat reality shows, hands down. While I'm not a fan of soaps, I really enjoy how well you put all of this together. PBS should hire you as a script writer. Henry probably never thought of what a web he'd leave to prosperity. Even 5-3/4 Centuries later he is one of the most talked about personages of history, and very seldom in a friendly manner.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks John. Yes, I wonder what he'd think if he knew what people say about him now? Personally I think he'd be livid that he's mostly remembered for his wives.

[@mslim8412]

I hadn't studied the man, so I was unaware of most of his life. I am surprised that he managed to stay on Henry's good side for so long.

[@HistoryCalling]

Me too. That was no mean feat. Henry couldn't even keep his daughter Mary onside for many years.

[@aliceingoryland]

His only redeeming quality was being played by Henry Cavill in the Tudors

[@bsghosh1]

Most definitely!!

[@annmoore6678]

I hope Erasmus enjoys your videos as much as I do. 😀

[@HistoryCalling]

I hope so too! 😂

[@redemptivepete]

His reckless marriage to Mary in 1515 would have been suicidal twenty years later!

[@HistoryCalling]

I think so too. I wonder if he would have attempted it at that point actually ...?

[@redemptivepete]

In a way it's a study in how tyranny develops and gets more pronounced the longer it survives! The greatest unfulfilled desire/ the biggest threat (however small) still exists and the tyrants reaction becomes more extreme! Brandon got the 'Slack' he did (maybe!) because deep down Henry saw him as the man he wished to be?

[@dorym8045]

Well, his dealings with the women in his life border on the misogynistic. And certainly dishonorable. So he even though he kept his head (literally) around Henry VIII, I dislike him.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yeah, not one of my favourites either, though I admire his ability to survive in the lion's den.

[@adrianseguras.9659]

His looks must have been good, VERY good... to pull off such licentiousness. Not uncommon for relatively good looking people to get away with lots of things.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, that's true. The pretty people seem to have different rules a lot of the time.

[@cindylewis3325]

The series The Tudor’s made him not quite so bad as he is here. Always good to get authentic information. Thank you

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, they really resuscitated his reputation. Having Henry Cavill play him certainly helped too 😂

[@lindaforshaw2091]

In these days he'd probably be called a Narcissist!

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, quite possibly.

[@orlennmurphy6843]

Good God, what a cad! I knew about his second two marriages but the first two were completely new to me!

[@HistoryCalling]

Oh yeah. He was a seasoned lousy husband long before he got to Mary and Katherine (although he arguably acted better towards them).

[@shaynahoffman5693]

He was just like Henry the 8th used women and threw them away just like the king

[@HistoryCalling]

Yup, I think they had that in common too.

[@annmoore6678]

I used to see Charles Brandon through the filter of novels such as “When Knighthood was in Flower,” which romanticized his wooing of Mary Tudor. Your excellent review of the facts of his life has definitely modified my view of his character. Nonetheless his ability to survive and thrive does make him remarkable.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I think he has been romanticised a lot over the years, but the real guy was quite the cad. Still, as you say, we have to admire the ability of anyone to survive Henry VIII for decade after decade.

[@annmoore6678]

I was totally smitten with Richard Todd in the film “ The Sword and the Rose,” but that was in my teen years. What survived was my love of history!

[@GradKat]

Great video! One gets the impression that there were only about six Christian names to choose from in the sixteenth century!

[@HistoryCalling]

I know. It's even worse in the late Plantagenet era with all the Edwards, Henrys and Elizabeths 😂

[@leticiagarcia9025]

He was an opportunistic fellow. He kept his head by staying away from politics. Hated the way he treated women. He and few others didn’t kneel down during Queen Anne Boleyn’s execution. There’s one more fellow that wasn’t a good man. His name was Richard Rich first Baron of Rich. He always knew which way the wind blew and changed. He was a sleaze that managed to keep his head. I can’t remember if you have done a video on him. I looked for one and I couldn’t find it. Thank you for the history lesson, adieu.

[@HistoryCalling]

No, no video on Rich I'm afraid. I'm not sure he's famous enough for a video on him to do well :-(

[@akaLaBrujaRoja]

@@HistoryCallingI would love to see a video about him, and he was famous enough to be played by John Hurt in the movie A Man for All Seasons. That role was his “big break” as an actor and jump-started his career. Rich was such a little turd, I think he’d be a very interesting subject, and one of the things I really like about your channel are your coverage of some of these folks who aren’t as well known but who often made fairly significant impacts on history. 😁

[@Raven6794]

He definitely wasn’t someone you could ever trust in any circumstance. Your distaste for Charles seems perfectly reasonable.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I wouldn't have wanted to spend any serious time with him. I'd have been waiting for him to throw me under the proverbial bus (or horse).

[@catherinelindsay7437]

Was Frances the mother of Lady Jane Grey or am I getting my Greys confused??

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I believe that's correct.

[@edithengel2284]

@@HistoryCalling It is. My curiosity is why Lady Eleanor, Frances' sister, and her descendants are so quiet among the many claimants to the throne? Barely a peep out of them, even after the Grey sisters were dead or disqualified.

[@carolinegreenwell9086]

my opinion is that he was a rather charming, slithery, chancer he must have had his wits about him to survive by the way, I enjoyed the clip of jousting that you showed

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I think he must have had charisma too to be able to win over so many people. Yes, the jousting was fun to watch :-)

[@raumaanking]

History calling In your opinion this is from your last week video do you think if Cathrine Howard past was exposed. But, never her relationship or anything with Thomas Culpepper then is it possible she would have been sent away rather then being executed and the marriage ended up being annulled rather than Cathrine Howard life.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, perhaps. It's hard to say with H8.

[@Contessa6363]

Brandon appears to be aa Narcissist just like Henry. 😮😮😮

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, though at least he didn't kill his wives to get out of the marriages. That's something (actually the fact that he gets points for that just shows how low the bar is here).

[@Whookieee]

The first book I read that included him as a character was Mary Queen of France by Jean Plaidy. I thought Brandon was hot and like a rock star 😂 Learning the reality later was very disappointing lol

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, modern movies and TV shows like The Tudors often glide over the size of the age gap between him and Princess Mary (never mind him and Katherine Willoughby) and omit the first two wives. He also lucked out getting someone like Henry Cavill to play him, especially in his early to mid 20s. Cavill is actually only now about the right age to portray Brandon at the start of The Tudors.

[@kaylovesdisney4582]

Henry Cavill's Brandon in "The Tudors" was a sweetheart in comparison to the real man. In fact Brandon is one of my favourite characters in the show, especially from season 2 onwards. The real man is fascinating though, he may not have the likeability factor of his on screen counterpart but Brandon's story is one of the more interesting ones outside of Henry, his wives and his children. I didn't realise he was that much older than Henry....though I probably just didn't do the math 😄. I do wish the Tudors had had access to a book of baby names.😂 Though I love one of the daughters was named Eleanor, as that is my daughter's name. 😊 Thanks again for another great video. 🌹

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, Cavill's take on Brandon was the best thing to ever happen to the real man's reputation. I don't think most people realise what the actual guy was like. I don't think the show even mentioned his first two wives. I agree about the names. I always love Jacquetta of Luxembourg because there's almost no one she can be confused with (except an eventual granddaughter).

[@emmarichardson965]

I like to joke that if I was given a time machine, my first two stops would be to experience a late medieval Christmas celebration and to chuck baby name books at some Plantagenets (and the Tudors by extension) 😂

[@kaylovesdisney4582]

@@emmarichardson965 😂😂😂 Yeh, you do want to scream "there are more names to choose from beside Edward, Henry and Richard!!!"😂 I always thought it was a breath of fresh air that Henry VII and Elizabeth named their first son Arthur....I wonder what we would be saying about him had he lived?

[@emmarichardson965]

@@kaylovesdisney4582 Doctor Kat from Reading the Past did a "counterfactual history", as she calls it (basically a "what if?"), on if Arthur survived. Of course, it's purely theoretical, but it was really interesting to think about!

[@kaylovesdisney4582]

@@emmarichardson965 Ok, thanks. Claire Ridgeway also does a lot of good "what if" videos too.

[@elisabethhopson5639]

Unscrupulous snake are the words that come to mind. I think Henry liked having this piece of 'rough' around, a bit edgy, he could do things that Henry was not allowed to do when he was younger. There is also the fact that Charles's father died putting Henry 7th on the throne, so there is that sense of 'payback' about their relationship. Letting your mate win at jousting is also a good ploy for being in the good books. I bet there were plenty of drinking sessions and betting IOUs to make life more enjoyable for Henry. They deserved each other, even buried in the same place (St Georges chapel). "That's what friends are for" is their song! Thanks HC.😀

[@HistoryCalling]

I wish we knew more about how he and Henry interacted. It is a fascinating relationship as Charles is one of the few who seemed to really know how to manage the King without losing his head.

[@ns-wz1mx]

honestly surprised he didn’t meet his demises on the block somehow, dealing with Henry.

[@HistoryCalling]

He was probably pretty cunning. He seems to have known how to manage Henry better than maybe anyone else.

[@ns-wz1mx]

@@HistoryCalling very good survival tactic!🤣

[@chrisbanks6659]

You couldn't write the script, could you? The Brandons, The Howards (Suffolk and Norfolk reaspectively) - so many fingers; so many pies. Talk about the need for a monopolies commission, even then. Great vid, HC. Fanx. 😊

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Chris. I know, reality is usually stranger than fiction. 😂

[@akaLaBrujaRoja]

I know women had little power and were treated horribly by the legal system, but the fact that he was able to take all of Margaret Mortimore’s money by right of being her husband, then annul the marriage and not have to give it back is mind-boggling. Annulling the marriage means he claimed he was never legally her husband, which means he never had the right to her money and property, but he got away with it. Of all the awful things he did, it seems like even that flawed legal system could’ve done something, especially considering how much attention it seemed to give on technicalities and petty details for annulments and marriage issues.

[@edithengel2284]

He didn't get it all, apparently. She and her subsequent husband were fighting her daughter in court about one of her estates some years later. Brandon was a real weasel.

[@glorialange6446]

I heard Charles Brandon beggared Margaret Mortimer and left her only one small property for her support before annulling that marriage to marry her neice Anne Browne, and he probably loved Anne since they had a relationship before he left her for Margaret... a real piece of work!

[@raumaanking]

History calling for Anne Boleyn nothing could have saved her because in films for example Anne of a thousand days and six wives of Henry the 8. They seem to say Henry the 8 would spear Anne Boleyn if she accepted what he said let’s face reality Anne Boleyn would have deffo known 100% no matter her being alive or dead would have still made Elizabeth illegitimate no matter what Anne Boleyn faith was so if she was given that offer of being sent away rather than being executed. I think she would have said yes what do you think in your opinion?

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I'm sure if she'd had a chance to save her life she would have taken it.

[@nancyM1313-Boo]

Thanks HC 😍 didn't know too much about him. Definitely a Bad Boy♥

[@HistoryCalling]

He sure was. Of course those are the most interesting ones to read and learn about 😂

[@Dlt814]

This video was sooooo helpful! I've been wondering about the true character of Henry VIII for years, especially in light of the camp that said he had a brain injury from jousting and basically absolving him of all bad behavior. This shows that, as you've asserted, he was likely just a spoiled-brat jerk, surrounded by other likeminded jerks who certainly couldn't throw stones because of the glass houses they all lived in (and didn't want to risk losing their heads anyway).

[@perniciouspete4986]

Sounds just like his two daughters, especially Mary I.

[@HistoryCalling]

He definitely wasn't brain damaged by that jousting fall. The story that he was knocked out is a third hand tale told by some guy in (I think) Italy. People who were there at the time said he was fine.

[@Dlt814]

@@HistoryCallingI loved the episode where you bunked that theory!

[@MichelleBruce-lo4oc]

Hi, awesome live history video. I enjoyed it. How are you doing? How is the weather where you are? I'm doing well, and so is my cat Benjamin. We have a heatwave in Ontario, Canada. In the next video, in the future, could you do King Henry, the eighth king of england, in the 16th century. Have a great day. See you next video 😊

[@HistoryCalling]

Hi Michelle. All good here thanks. I actually already have 3 videos going through Henry's life. I created them quite early on in my channel's history. If you look at my Tudor monarchs' playlist, they're in there. :-) Weather is fine here. Glad you and Benjamin are well. :-)

[@littlemiss_76]

Sleazy and egotistical as he was he knew how to play Henry without getting into Henry's path, walking just behind not beside or in front.

[@HistoryCalling]

Exactly, yes. Other people could have taken notes.

[@insulaarachnid]

You said that Princess Mary was born in 1596, I think you meant 1496.

[@HistoryCalling]

Oops! I did indeed. Hopefully everyone will know that that was just a slip of the tongue though. I'm not insinuating Princess Mary was a time traveller :-)

[@maryloumawson6006]

Thanks for a thorough look into the life of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. I'm definitely going to watch it again, because I find Brandon such an enigma among the characters in the story of Henry VIII. I have to agree with another commenter here that Henry Cavil's portrayal of him (while I knew it wasn't accurate) makes me want to like him in spite of his obvious misogyny and self-interest. I didn't know his father died at Bosworth, or that he was orphaned early, and I think the precarious circumstances of his position might explain why he was so eager to trade on his close proximity with the royal family for advantageous marriages. In that era, and many since, it was normal to look at marriage as opportunities for advantage and advancement. Enriching oneself through a brilliant match was how it was done, and nobody talked of love, not even the royals themselves. Mary Boleyn was ostracized from court for the mistake of making a humble marriage. And no one seems to have waited long, including Henry himself, before taking another spouse, if they saw advantage to be gained. So, I don't think it's quite fair to call out Charles for that. But his marriage to Mary makes me wonder if Henry knew that Charles was as much a cheater and womanizer as he himself was, and that their friendship partly depended on the locker room type of talk of their exploits that he, Henry would no longer be privy to, as his brother-in-law and her protector. After all, it's beyond Henry's scope to care about the French King's infidelity, (if any, old as he was) but Henry could hardly countenance Charles cheating on his own sister! So, the bawdy speculation and stories about who's ripe for the picking at court had to end between them, or be one-sided if they were to remain civil. Which is a calculation that Charles probably didn't consider when he made his hasty marriage. Also,, I had not realized that Charles's son by Mary was in line to the throne as a grandson of Henry VII, a fact that should have been obvious to me, and one I'm sure Charles would have been aware of, and which could also have garnered Henry's ire. Well, this has gone on too long, but you've given me so much to think about I couldn't help putting it into words. Thanks for another great video!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Mary Lou. I'm glad you liked it. Yes, there is an argument to be made that at least some of Charles's actions were not unusual at the time as regards his marriages, but swinging back and forth between the aunt and niece is definitely still pretty grim in my book. It makes me wonder what it's like inside the mind of someone who could do that? I think he certainly lucked out in having Henry Cavill play him in The Tudors. It's made him a lot more sympathetic to modern audiences.

[@maryloumawson6006]

@@HistoryCalling I agree 100%, and having watched it again, I have to admit the aunt and niece episode can't be excused. I wonder if the aunt was aware that Charles had precipitated the marriage with her niece?

[@joannabaparileszczynska]

I googled how much 100k in 1515 is in today’s money and I’m not quite sure if I got it right. But there are a lot of zeros involved 😳

[@HistoryCalling]

Oh I'm sure you are. It was a huge sum.

[@lfgifu296]

6:57 lmao he truly is wise, then

[@sjferguson]

I can't believe he kept his head. Nice work, old chap 😂.

[@desstanbridge8283]

Absolutely incredible he managed to live to a ripe old age of that time. Astute, a rogue and managing to tread the fine line makes for a facinating story.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I agree that for all his unpleasantness he was a real survivor of the era and that does make his story very interesting. It's sad but true that a lot of the most fascinating characters to read about are the 'baddies'.

[@carlylewis7088]

He was an ambitious, shrewd, and ruthless henchman

[@HistoryCalling]

Yup and that seems to have been what it took to survive in Henry's world, so I suppose we have to give him some credit for that.

[@kristinedunner988]

From Australia..I always love your broadcasts. Thanks😊

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Kristine and greetings from Northern Ireland :-)

[@GottaBeThere2736]

THISCLOSETO 250,000 Subscribers! ⚘ Congratulations. Well-deserved!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you. Yes, getting close now :-)

[@carlamarlene2927]

Henry Cavill makes Charles Brandon tolerable.

[@Lassisvulgaris]

I thought beibg "friends for life" with Henry VIII, only lasted until you were executed...?

[@HistoryCalling]

In most other cases it did. Brandon was an exception and that's one of the things that makes him so interesting.

[@emilybarclay8831]

Read the title as Charles Bacon, was expecting a video about cured meats. Terribly disappointed 😂

[@HistoryCalling]

Haha! Sorry, no bacon here, though Charles could be a bit of a pig! 😂

[@stephencarrillo5905]

​@@HistoryCalling😂😂😂

[@tiffcat1100]

@@HistoryCalling😂

[@nancyM1313-Boo]

@@HistoryCalling 😅😅

[@robertbraden4454]

" ...even bigger prize than Archduchess Margaret" - Margaret of Austria was a Habsburg princess, and regent of some for the wealthiest lands in Europe (Belgium & Netherlands). If he married Margaret he would be at the head of a court rivaling Henry VIII. Marrying Henry's sister was actually a step down from Margaret.

[@ewanmaxwell3267]

He’s awful! No wonder he got on so well with Henry

[@beastieber5028]

Good evening to history calling from Bea 🇬🇧

[@HistoryCalling]

Hi Bea. Hope you're keeping well and in the mood to hear about one of the Tudor royals (sort of). :-)

[@beastieber5028]

IAM enjoy your video this week from Bea 🇬🇧

[@HistoryCalling]

Glad to hear it :-)

[@LadyDulcinea]

Charles Brandon is probably the first person to elicit the phrase, "ugh, this guy again."

[@HistoryCalling]

Haha, maybe, yes!

[@Sienna6164]

I think that Charles’ relationships were a bit blown out of proportions in terms of his second wife. Considering that he imedietly went back to Anne Brown after he sold off her aunts land makes me think that she was in on it. Though this still makes him an a*shole

[@edithengel2284]

I don't think he was the type to let his women into his machinations, except possibly Princess Mary.

[@HistoryCalling]

I wondered that, but it would have been an awful risk for her to take and left her ruined in the meantime. What if he'd just married someone else after the aunt and not returned to her?

[@Sienna6164]

@@HistoryCalling That would have been a risk as well.

[@jacquelinewilliamson8933]

I understand your dislike for this man.

[@SugarWildflower-si4ox]

Brandon was by incidence in his youth death of his parents connection to Henry vII association treated with respect. A clever opportunist using woman and The Tudor court and family, long friendship to the King Henry VIII to his advantage. He had lack of conscience or any real incrimination performing abuse and murder to his own countrymen in the north cruel and dirty as required by the king. His ethics and moral compass were lacking. He knew how to take advantage of any opportunity to upgrade himself. He was not a good example of a father or husband. Nothing Romantic or chivalrous about the man. He was what in modern times call a user and a yes man

[@stephaniecowans3646]

I remember reading somewhere that Mary was also keen to get married to Brandon A.S.A.P. not only to keep herself from becoming a political pawn for her brother but also because the new French King, Francis I, was making moves on her like he did with darn near any attractive woman at his court and Mary wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Is there any truth to this?

[@tracycombs1484]

Catherine Willoughby was part of my family line when she married Richard Bertie after Charles Brandon...thru their son Peregrine.

[@echoplots8058]

I shall procede to watch all History Calling videos ever created. I don't know why. It's like something told me to.

[@noreenclark2568]

He is no different from some men of today , i was of the impression that Mary chased him but to save his own skin he blames her for the marriage in secret. I also think that his daughter Frances was a chip off the old block as far as treatment of her daughter's went and not very nice to know. I think he was extremely lucky that his head stayed on his body.

[@karen64watson.]

It réminiscence us of all the unworthy opportuniste who have been ruling what is left of sovereign nations for decades .

[@margaretlovecchio8316]

Whoa, was this an eye opener! 😳😱👹

[@Kg-dp9wo]

Who cares what you think . It’s about historical fact. I wish you could speak English

[@stephencarrillo5905]

👏👏👏 So glad you decided to cover Brandon's life and escapades, HC! I've been curious about him since watching and reading Wolf Hall. Thanks for this. 🙏

[@HistoryCalling]

He's certainly an interesting character. His marital history is second only to Henry VIII's and that's really saying something.

[@traitsofaegyptianqueen273]

Apologies for the dumb question, but is wolf Hall about Brandon?

[@HistoryCalling]

No, it's told from Thomas Cromwell's POV, but it includes Brandon (and lots of other Tudor folks too).

[@chrisbanks6659]

@@traitsofaegyptianqueen273 Oh - you really SHOULD watch it. The best thing I've seen on the telly-box in donkey's years. So good, I even bought the box set!!!

[@hs5167]

I don’t see him as anymore or less scheming than anyone one else a court by doing what was most advantageous and least deadly to him. He just played the game better than most.

[@karaalley4219]

I love all your videos, especially the British royal history. On this video, at around 8 minutes 20 seconds into the video. If I understood correctly, I think you mis-spoke Mary Tudors birth year as 1596 instead of 1496.

[@blueeyedscorpio7]

Is it sad that I can only remember the name to the face of the actor that played him in Tudors!?!😂😂

[@lisaharner3720]

He was a shrewd, opportunistic cad. Women of the court were much safer when he passed on. Too bad it wasn’t sooner. Great video as always, HC!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Lisa. Yes, he was a player to be sure. Of course he was also, as it turned out, better at playing the game than many others, so I suppose we have to grudgingly give him props for that.

[@PheOfTheFae]

I knew that The Tudors tv show made him out to be "a good guy loyal to a bad king," but I didn't realize how much they had whitehatted him!

[@michellefisher282]

he seemed the same as most men in court-everything was about getting better positions, more land better titles and money

[@seeingspiritualvisions]

Henry Cavill played him as a nice guy.That not being the case in real life.

[@namaschu2126]

Your Tudor 👑Videos are always so interesting, thank you very much🎥

[@slowcrochet]

What do you think of Jane Austen's choice to name her gentlemen "Brandon" and "Willoughby" in Sense & Sensibility?

[@HistoryCalling]

I'd never even made that connection before! I wonder if that was on purpose?

[@oscalex30]

Excellent doc! So glad this was recommended.