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

[@HistoryCalling]

What’s your opinion of Charles Brandon? Let me know below and remember to check out: BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): www.historycallingofficial.com/ Patreon: www.patreon.com/historycalling Amazon storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling Instagram: instagram.com/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?

[@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

[@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 😢

[@squishbychel2026]

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

[@HistoryCalling]

😂😂😂

[@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 🔥🔥🔥

[@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…

[@SkillyMaccabee]

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

[@feelthejoy]

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

[@SkillyMaccabee]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 :-)

[@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..

[@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.

[@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

[@emilybarclay8831]

@@HistoryCallinga royal-in-law, if you will 😂

[@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 😂

[@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.

[@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"?

[@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.

[@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 :-)

[@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.

[@jldisme]

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

[@HistoryCalling]

Yup, not a great guy.

[@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.

[@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 :-)

[@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.

[@aliceingoryland]

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

[@bsghosh1]

Most definitely!!

[@JanetHamilton-b7t]

He is no Henry Cavill ! The pictures I've seen, He was a Big Fat man ! Much like Henry in his later years ! A true Gluten of Food an Everything in Life !

[@joshuaowensjr8694]

Not true why don’t you read Tony riches novel?

[@50shadesofShay.]

😂😂😂 Girl omg I just finished binge watching the Tudors for the 2nd time in 10 years and omg. Henry Cavill was 😍

[@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'.

[@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!!

[@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!

[@kristinedunner988]

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

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Kristine and greetings from Northern Ireland :-)

[@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.

[@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?

[@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. 😁

[@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?

[@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).

[@ReneMaxwell-w7n]

I agree, he was a despicable character at best. An ideal companion to Henry VIII.

[@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!

[@oscalex30]

Excellent doc! So glad this was recommended.

[@namaschu2126]

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

[@annmoore6678]

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

[@HistoryCalling]

I hope so too! 😂

[@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 😂

[@lyndanickerson1373]

Thanks for the video

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Hope you enjoy(ed) it. :-)

[@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.

[@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!

[@calico27]

Watching your videos is such a joy! Please keep making more of these, I absolutely love them.. and learn so much from them.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Calico. Another two Tudor bios coming up (assuming I don't alter the order in which my videos are coming out), so I hope you enjoy those too.

[@johnburns9634]

Thanks for a very well researched video.

[@OkieJammer2736]

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

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you. Yes, getting close now :-)

[@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]

😂😂

[@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!🤣

[@michaelh5720]

Excellent channel.

[@lindaforshaw2091]

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

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, quite possibly.

[@mizfrenchtwist]

hello , great share , very interesting content , thank you , for sharing 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰..............

[@sheepdog1102]

Very interesting and well done 👍 😊

[@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. :-)

[@OldFartinTex]

thank you for this.

[@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.

[@RandyStoker1964]

I really enjoyed this video about Charles Brandon. I had no idea that he was actually the type of person you described him as, so I was quite surprised to learn this. Thank you for this informative video.

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Yes, when he pops up in TV shows and movies, such as The Tudors, you don't always get to see the shenanigans he got up to. In the Tudors for instance, I don't think his first two wives were even mentioned.

[@RandyStoker1964]

@@HistoryCalling no his first two wives were not mentioned so I was very surprised to find out they existed. Also in the Tudors, he came across so much nicer. I guess we sometimes tend to forget about the fictional aspect of these television shows.

[@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?

[@echoplots8058]

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

[@fireandblood2919]

Really enjoy your Tudor videos!

[@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.

[@jeanettewatson7614]

Thanks

[@HistoryCalling]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DONATION JEANETTE. Hope you enjoyed hearing about this slightly lesser-known Tudor figure.

[@AnOldFashionedWoman]

What a gentleman, no wonder he got along with Henry. :D

[@Rocsanna]

I love this channel ! ❤

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Rocsanna :-)

[@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 :-)

[@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!!!

[@skiker4560]

Another great video. Thank you

[@50shadesofShay.]

He was alone in a world but surrounded by opportunities. He had no siblings and his parents parished so I think he did what he had to do to survive and thrive. He like most people was a complicated soul. I think Charles Brandon was incredibly smart hence why he survived one of the most significant eras in royal history.

[@sjferguson]

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

[@paulacapps]

Could you post on Brandon and Mary’s daughter, Eleanor Clifford, (Countess of Stanley) And/or one Charles and Henry, Charles Brandon’s children by Catherine Willobee?

[@edithengel2284]

The one on Katherine's children would be very short. They died young, just half an hour apart, of the sweating sickness. Charles, the younger brother, holds the record for the shortest tenure of a British peerage, holding it for that half hour after his older brother died.

[@LisaPalisoc-u7l]

Can you ranked the stuarts monarchs

[@HistoryCalling]

Maybe, although that Tudor monarch ranking video didn't do as well as I'd hoped :-(

[@LisaPalisoc-u7l]

Don't worry i like the video

[@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.

[@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!

[@lfgifu296]

For the question, what Tudor Historians do you recommend? Same for the Georgian period, as that is your area os expertise if I remember correctly

[@HistoryCalling]

For the Tudors, Eric Ives is good for Anne Boleyn and Starkey and Fraser have good books on the Six Wives (plus a young Elizabeth in Starkey's case). The Georgians is quite a vast era and I looked more at the aristocracy during that period than at the royals, however I used and enjoyed The Strangest Family by Janice Hadlow when I did my video on Queen Charlotte.

[@judycater2832]

“Oh Harry, it was Mary who made me do it. “ Blame the women, great gambit from Adam and Eve to one of of US Supreme Court justices. Bleah!

[@lfgifu296]

@@HistoryCalling thanks! Come to think of it you do mention Ives a lot, I’ve never read him but he is renowned (though that doesn’t necessarily mean anything🥲)

[@HistoryCalling]

He's very good (or was, he's dead now). If you only want one book on Anne Boleyn, his is the one I would recommend. Everyone else is (I think) just coasting on his coat tails.

[@lfgifu296]

@@HistoryCallingYes, no hate to some, but I don’t get why people keep writing books on Anne like it hasn’t been done (and well, apparently), so. many. times before

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Enjoy :-)

[@margaretlovecchio8316]

Whoa, was this an eye opener! 😳😱👹

[@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.

[@simon112]

Always superb HC, the man was a rogue, and as slippery as an eel he treated all the women he knew with Complete I differance and used them to his benefit what a horrible man, he took a leaf out of Henry's book, thank you HC. ☺️👍

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Simon. Yes, he was thoroughly unpleasant, though I imagine if you were just having the odd conversation with him he could be charismatic and charming. His true colours perhaps only came through after a longer period of time.

[@simon112]

@@HistoryCalling I'm sure you are right HC, thank you as always.

[@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.

[@emilybarclay8831]

By 1515, Margaret was 35, essentially past childbearing age for the era, and at this point Charles has no legitimate sons. Margaret may have been wealthy, but so was Mary, and Mary was far younger and more beautiful. If you’re a courtier in 1515, and you’re given the choice between two women with more money than you can spend, you’re going to choose the young, pretty and fertile one in a country where you already have political connections, vs the wealthy but old one who would require you to move across Europe and be a stranger at court

[@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.

[@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.

[@Bruce-q2c]

I found this to be very interesting. Charles Brandon was my grandfather 12 generations ago. All I can say is, I am nothing like him.

[@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. 😂

[@kathleenmcdonald6641]

He was the King's Man~ They were very similar in nature. Close as brothers and loyal to each other to the end. They were men of their time. I found them both fascinating, especially Charles Brandon.

[@HistoryCalling]

They are fascinating indeed. A kind of bromance if you will.

[@michellebaker6302]

My ancestor! Thank you for the info, I have been hoping you'd cover him specifically!

[@HistoryCalling]

Excellent family tree. :-) Which kid are you descended from?

[@michellebaker6302]

@@HistoryCalling Eleanor! Through the Stanleys for awhile then Murrays.

[@edithengel2284]

Just as a matter of interest, according to Steven Gunn's biography of Brandon, the full amount the Suffolks owed as a fine was never demanded. The 25,000 pounds of which they were to pay off 2000 pounds per annum included 5000 pounds the duke already owed the king, and the amounts were constantly readjusted over the years. Even though Suffolk had to give up the wardship of the Lisle heiress as part of his forfeit, he was allowed to keep the income from her lands until she came of age. Its main negative was that Wolsey used the renegotiations of the debt to ensure that Suffolk's francophilia (he also received a stipend from the French in addition to the amounts owed Mary by the French crown) was kept in bounds.

[@joshuafess4295]

Would love to be a fly on the wall for one Henry’s temper tantrums 😂😂

[@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!

[@lianefehrle9921]

I had no idea who this man was. I liked learning about the other people involved in the courts of old England

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, he's an interesting character. One of the few who managed to fly very close to the sun (Henry VIII) and not end up falling from the sky.

[@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 :-)

[@Jami-Frankie]

Growing up together is a powerful bond. He had to have been confident that Henry loved him, or he’d have never married Mary.

[@edithengel2284]

Or at least he had to be confident that Henry really loved Mary.

[@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.

[@gmaddocks]

Charles Brandon was my 1st cousin 15 times removed; Henry the VIII was my 1st cousin 12 times removed. Charles grandfather, Sir Wm. Brandon, ( a Yorkist), married the granddaughter of Elizabeth FitzAlan, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, my 17th great-grandmother. The Duchess had five husbands in her lifetime....so I guess it was a"thing" back then.

[@IconTitan]

Brandon seemed a wonderful chap. 😆 🤣 😂 Miss Ireland 🇮🇪, I love your videos, very interesting and detailed, and your beautiful soft Irish accent compliments your videos so well.❤

[@joshuafess4295]

Do we think that you could do a Tudor Forbes Magazine of richest from that time and the source of it.

[@loritucker6708]

I love HC that played him in the Tudors.

[@51_cent]

Perfect for a 30 minute sunbathing session. 🎉

[@HistoryCalling]

Put on your sunscreen though. Factor 30 or higher. Don't want you getting burnt. :-)

[@serenadrake2020]

THank you❤

[@bettyir4302]

@8:52 the wedding couldn't have been more despondent and miserable.