Who was BESSIE BLOUNT? Henry VIII’s mistress | Elizabeth Blount | Tudor history documentary

Henry VIII’s MOST SUCCESSFUL MISTRESS (in my view) was a teenage girl called Elizabeth Blount, also known as Bessie Blount. A lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon, she had a relationship with the King in 1518 which resulted in a pregnancy. In June 1519 she gave birth to their son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset. Henry did not resume his relationship with her and she was quickly married off to Gilbert Tailbois, Baron Tailbois, by whom she had three additional children. When he died in 1530, she was a sought-after bride but refused at least one suitor and ultimately married (between 1532 and early 1535) a much younger man named Edward Fiennes de Clinton, Baron Clinton and Saye, later Earl of Lincoln. She had another three daughters by him and died herself between 1539 and 1541, several years after the death of her illegitimate son, who had passed away in 1536.
Why do I think she was so successful as a mistress to Henry VIII? There are several reasons; because she gave him a son, because Henry didn’t marry her, because she remained on good terms with him for the rest of her life and because she escaped his clutches with her head on her shoulders, two favourable marriages of her own and a comfortable existence. As she saw how Henry VIII treated the other women in his life, she must surely have been grateful for that.
In this week’s Tudor history documentary I tell you all about the life of this elusive figure, from her background, to her time at the royal court, her relationship with her eldest son, her marriages, her interactions with Henry after their relationship had concluded and finally, her death. This is the story of the mistress who got away.
Website (with FREE DOWNLOAD): www.historycallingofficial.com/
Amazon storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/historyca...
Patreon: / historycalling
Instagram: / historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
THE BIRTH OF ANNE BOLEYN
• WHEN WAS ANNE BOLEYN B...
TUDOR FERTILITY PROBLEMS
• TUDOR ROYAL FERTILITY ...
CHARLES BRANDON, DUKE OF SUFFOLK
• Life of CHARLES BRANDO...
THE LIFE OF HENRY FITZROY, DUKE OF RICHMOND AND SOMERSET
• Video
THE SHORT LIFE OF PRINCE HENRY TUDOR, DUKE OF CORNWALL
• The short life of PRIN...
TUDOR MONARCHS’ PLAYLIST
• Tudor monarchs
SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII PLAYLIST
• Six wives of Henry VIII
LEARN MORE:
Elizabeth Norton, Bessie Blount: Mistress to Henry VIII (2013)
amzn.to/3xMQhXu
Beverley A. Murphy, B**stard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son (2004)
amzn.to/43P9TWH
Robert Hutchinson, Young Henry: The Rise of Henry VIII (W&N, 2012). amzn.to/3mu5liP
David Starkey, Henry: Virtuous Prince (Harper Press, 2008). amzn.to/39y2jVK
Giles Tremlett, Catherine of Aragon: Henry’s Spanish Queen (London, 2010)
amzn.to/3UfGmmx
Eric Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (Wiley-Blackwell, 2005)
amzn.to/3xLivgr
[FREE] Norton, Elizabeth, ‘Elizabeth Blount of Kinley: an image of Henry VIII’s mistress identified’ in Shropshire History and Archaeology: Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society, lxxxiv (2011), pp 21-6.
This is an article on the tomb monument to Bessie’s parents and includes images of a likely statue of Bessie.
shropshirearchaeologyhistory....
BUY OR RENT:
The Tudors, season 1
amzn.to/2VCwQ0j
The Tudors, season 2
amzn.to/2VMPnHw
The Tudors, season 3
amzn.to/3BijsPB
The Tudors, season 4
amzn.to/3z16S58
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (2016 docu-drama)
amzn.to/3jiCkag
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
THUMBNAIL: Ruta Gedmintas as Bessie Blount in The Tudors, season 1, ep. 2. Showtime (2007). Fair Use
Open Street Map copyright information
www.openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses/
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.

[@HistoryCalling]

Do you think Bessie was a successful mistress? Let me know below and remember you can also find me at: Website (with FREE DOWNLOAD): www.historycallingofficial.com/ Amazon storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling Patreon: www.patreon.com/historycalling Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling/

[@carolinegreenwell9086]

Yes, definitely successful. By the way, how many other illegitimate children did Henry have.

[@edithengel2284]

@@carolinegreenwell9086 I don't think we know, as he didn't acknowledge any others. There's a lot of speculation about Mary Boleyn's children or at least the elder being Henry's , but my personal opinion is probably not.

[@annmoore6678]

Thank you for another enjoyable look at a figure from history about whom we don’t often hear much, although she was important for a time. It’s good to know that she received generous treatment from the king.

[@donnicholas7552]

Yes. She was on good terms with Henry throughout her life. She had a fairly good life too.

[@susangrimes6451]

She sounds smarter than the monarch....

[@lisaharner3720]

Well done, Bessie! She managed to give Henry a son, not wed him, live quite comfortably and not loose her head. That’s a successful life in Henry’s time! ❤

[@hollyh314]

Oh my God Yes!!! Lucky for her he impregnated her with a son!! Otherwise, it'd been a different story for sure for her!!

[@Miss_Camel]

She knew how to play the long game!

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, that is indeed successful for a relationship with Henry. :-)

[@kellyyork3898]

He was a horrible person, inside and out. I’m sure she’d have to have been high to endure him.

[@SciFiknitter173]

​@@kellyyork3898later in life, sure. But he and Katherine of Aragon had a good marriage of partnership and respect for years before it deterioted over the lack of a male heir, by all accounts. By our standards we can doubt that, but by the standards if the time the first decade or two of their marriage was considered an unusually good one.

[@hs5167]

The women who survived Henry were smart enough to know not to ask for more than he was willing to give.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, best to just back away from him as quietly and quickly as possible until you'd reached minimum safe distance.

[@riverofwailing4075]

Anne Boleyn is not at fault for not wanting to become a mistress

[@nyotauhura7412]

They were smart enough to see him for what he was; dangerous and selfish.

[@cindyhowe5052]

This is not a fair point as most women fell under the wrath of patriarchy.

[@baylorsailor]

​@@riverofwailing4075 I love Anne Boleyn as a historical figure, but there was definitely some strategy going on when she hooked up with Henry. Her Father and Uncle wanted her to become Queen and she went along with it. I'm sure the pressure coming from her own family was impossible to avoid.

[@ladonnaradney3466]

🎉 Bessie successfully maintained a relationship with HVIII, bore him a son who survived infancy and childhood, improved her social position, acquired a respectable husband and another whom she chose for herself, and came out of it wealthy! WTG Bessie 😂

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, she certainly did well all things considered.

[@joshspencer1]

As you said, she made it through her brush with Henry with her head, a son, and a comfortable life to show for it. Definitely a most successful mistress!

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I think so too. Charles II usually took better care of the mothers of his children I'll admit, but with Henry it was a win just to walk away, head on shoulders.

[@glen7318]

@@HistoryCalling nonsense

[@elisabethhughes6005]

It’s so incredibly hard to imagine with my modern mind, how little power women had over their lives. Bessie got about as lucky as she could have, in that particular setting.

[@finolaomurchu8217]

She played a blinder

[@alicehardy9094]

2024 WOMEN in US: 😢 Stand by -- Project 2025 -- if (you-know-who) is elected, we females in the US will be worse off than Tudor women, EVEN ARISTOCRACY OR RULING FEMALES! Don't believe me? READ IT!!! Or read a reputable (non-right wing!) reviewer. HURRY! Not much time remaining to change your VOTE or come to terms with OUR MUTUAL FATES! 😢

[@emiliamartucci8291]

It makes Eleanor of Aquitaine, Margaret of Anjou, Margaret Beaufort, Matilda, Catherine De Medici (and others) all the more remarkable.

[@HistoryCalling]

The sad thing is there are women today in certain countries with even fewer rights :-(

[@elisabethhughes6005]

@@HistoryCalling very well I know it! And that is even harder to imagine. How on earth could humanity make such great advances in some ways, and remain absolutely primitive in other ways?

[@FandersonUfo]

best mistress of Henry VIII is definitely an accomplishment fraught with peril - well done Bessie

[@HistoryCalling]

Indeed it is! :-)

[@monicacall7532]

Talk about perfect timing! I just finished reading a book about Bessie Blount and her son Henry. First of all, I feel sorry for her and for all of Henry’s other mistresses because they really didn’t have a choice in the matter because he was the king and a king who didn’t like the word “No” when it meant that he couldn’t get his way. Second, Bessie and the other women had no control whatsoever in their relationships with Henry. Their feelings and concerns didn’t matter to him. Third, even if Bessie’s son was made a duke, was married into one of the top families in the kingdom and was a potential king if Henry couldn’t find a wife to give birth to a son that lived beyond childhood, at the end of the day her son was still illegitimate and she was “used goods” no matter who she married. Did her husband ever bring this up to her and hold it over her head? Who knows? I feel that she was put into an untenable position regardless of the outcome.😢

[@HistoryCalling]

I'm never sure how sorry to feel for Henry's mistresses. I don't think he ever forced himself on any of them and yet I suspect you're correct that he was very tough to refuse. Anne Boleyn seems to have tried to get away from it and couldn't for instance. I agree too that I don't think Henry particularly cared about their feelings.

[@debbylou5729]

I don’t think you know what untenable means

[@mewsli]

This episode was utterly fascinating. If , someone had written " The saga and happenings of a merry monarch" , and sent it to a publishing house, the realities would have been dismissed as fanciful imaginings, and a rejection letter received. More please.

[@HistoryCalling]

I couldn't agree more. You just couldn't make up Henry's life.

[@mewsli]

@HistoryCalling He was , what is known in these 'ere parts as a " bit of a messer " . I honestly think that he would have been of that same mind, whatever his station in life or status. It's a shame he didn't come along with complimentary bargepoles.

[@noreenclark2568]

It was good to know about Bessie Blounts life before and after her affair with Henry . Usually mistresses just fade into the background and not heard of again. Thanks

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I agree that it's nice to flesh them out into 3d characters and not only focus on the brief time they were with Henry. It's not fair to judge their whole lives on that.

[@51_cent]

This is such a fascinating perspective on Bessie Blount! I never realized how unique her position was compared to the other mistresses. Thanks for opening my eyes to her story!

[@HistoryCalling]

You're so welcome. I'm glad you liked it. She doesn't get a lot of attention from historians, but she's an interesting figure. I wish we knew more about her.

[@Sassenach4life]

Yes I concur. Anyone who can walk away with their head AND give him a son is a winner in the Tudor world!

[@HistoryCalling]

Exactly. I'm sure Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn were jealous of her at times.

[@stephencarrillo5905]

👍👍 Given the times and her situation, I believe survival is a valid marker of success. Bravo, HC! Pulling back the curtain on Bessie, Fitzroy and Brandon provides a well-rounded perspective on the Tudor times. Thanks and thanks again. 🙏🏼

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, keeping you head around Henry VIII was actually quite an accomplishment. :-)

[@Anita-rq9ev]

You are a very good narrator and I like your voice. I love to watch everything about the Tudors, so fascinating and very entertaining. Thank you so much for your hard work 🙏.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you so much Anita and I'm very glad you enjoyed hearing about Bessie. She gets overlooked rather a lot, but she had an interesting life.

[@Anita-rq9ev]

​@@HistoryCallingI agree. Thank you 😊

[@simon112]

Bessie was certainly the most successful of Henry's mistresses, and she got to keep her head from the axe that alone was an achievement, thank you HC superb as always. ☺️👍

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Simon. Glad you enjoyed hearing about her. ☺️

[@simon112]

@@HistoryCalling I certainly did HC thank you as always.

[@britishbluecatsonwheels]

I rate her as one of the few successful women who were involved with Henry. Like Anne of Cleves (who since school A level in early 1989’s, I held the ‘unpopular’ opinion that she was the most successful of the wives) Bessie not only survived her involvement with Henry, but made a financial success of it & was able to have a say in her future …like you, I believe her 2nd marriage was a love match. Otherwise, I think she would have been like Anne & stayed unmarried so having control of her finances etc. Thank you for you well researched content

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you. I think Anne was certainly the luckiest of his wives. As for how successful she was, that totally depends on how you define success but I think keeping her head, living into her forties (only one other wife lived longer) and having the kind of financial security she did are all very strong reasons to give her that particular crown (pun intended).

[@JenniferBristol]

​@@HistoryCallingCatherine Parr was also successful, since she survived Henry, wed her third husband, yet sadly died from childbirth.

[@britishbluecatsonwheels]

@@HistoryCallingI think Anne having escaped what (depends on which source you read) her rather restricted family/brother to have control of her life after Henry certainly counts as successful. She seems to have kept a good relationship with her ‘step children’ and have been well thought of them. In my mind, being able to have control & say in your finances and whether or not you marrried was successful. But obviously, that’s with my modern standards & whether that was successful for a Tudor woman’s self identity is another matter. I’ve always liked the fact that Bessie was able to turn down one offer of marriage and take on her ‘toy boy’ because she wanted to!

[@britishbluecatsonwheels]

@@JenniferBristolvery true - it’s so tragic that having finally been able to make a marriage that she wanted (I just hope she never knew what a %#* her ‘loved’ husband was) that she died in childbirth.

[@JenniferBristol]

@@britishbluecatsonwheels She probably knew, since many guys in the nobility were of similar ilk. Even Cardinal Wolsey had a wife and (I think) a mistress. At that time it wasn't frowned upon, since the Popes were also married with mistresses (See Caesar Borgia and other Popes of the time).

[@joiedevivre2005]

Bessie Blount was fortunate enough to be in a relationship with Henry VIII before his psychopathic behavior kicked in (also when he was better looking & probably more pleasant to be around). I have a feeling that the reason why Henry was attentive of Bessie's daughter Elizabeth, was because she likely resembled her mother & reminded him of the carefree days of his youth. As a descendant of Mary Boleyn myself, through her daughter, Catherine Carey, I truly hope you are correct that Henry VIII wasn't the father of her two children. My family has enough "crazy" in it without adding Henry's to it.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I totally agree. She got 'good Henry', as did Mary and later Anne Boleyn (at the start). I think you're probably safe from having Henry's genes. If he'd fathered Anne's niece and/or nephew, I think their enemies would have made a lot of that :-)

[@JenniferBristol]

Only one way to really know if it's possible. Take a DNA test.

[@edithengel2284]

​@@JenniferBristol Whose DNA though?

[@edithengel2284]

@@HistoryCalling If Mary's child or children was/were Henry's, they would be the rough equivalent to Elizabeth I's full, rather than half, siblings as they would all three share all of their grandparents. Too bad we don't have portraits of William Carey's folks--at least I don't think we do.

[@user-dm2qb5ul4b]

hopefully you don't have his genes . But , chances are you won't turn out to be a partner killing maniac . At least , hopefully you won't

[@AmyHolding]

Thank you this weeks video! I would love to see one on Margaret Tudor, I feel as though she is often forgotten and I love her story.

[@HistoryCalling]

She's on my list, I promise. I've got quite a lot of people still to look at actually. Bio videos just take a long time to put together, so I don't do them all the time.

[@thehawk217]

Im pretty sure lady in waiting can be translated into king Henry's the 8ths Harem

[@Boudicca527]

What other women did he cross paths with frequently enough that one might catch his eye? The scullery maids? Unlikely.

[@HistoryCalling]

Haha, thankfully he didn't go after all the ladies in waiting. It just seems like that to us because all his mistresses (that I can think of) held that position, but there were a lot of other women who didn't succumb to him.

[@gillsinclair6927]

If that picture is Fitzroy he was Henry VIII's spitting image. Many thanks for the video HC

[@hulya_0z]

and his sister half Elisabeth? Much Love!

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I think so too. I have no doubts about his paternity.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, those Tudor genes were strong!

[@catherinefrazier2478]

My favorite thing about Monday-a new video! Mary Boleyn probably had the most “fun,” but Bessie Blount definitely the most successful. Too bad Henry Fitzroy did not live and be named as Henry VIII’s heir. Then again, there would have been no Elizabeth I.

[@HistoryCalling]

Why thank you :-) I wish we knew more about Mary Boleyn actually. Nevertheless, I intend to do a video on her at some point. Yeah, we'd def. have missed out if we hadn't had Elizabeth. She was awesome :-)

[@margo3367]

I had a thought that Henry VIII’s fertility problems might have arisen from his blood type. RH negative and RH positive blood types don’t mix. Can you imagine if the King of England set his sights on you? That’s an offer you could not refuse. Women had little to no agency in those times. Bessie knew that all too well.

[@weezie422]

I think this is only a problem if the mother is Rh negative

[@HistoryCalling]

I have a whole video on the Tudors' fertility problems actually, if you haven't come across it yet. That issue is discussed from what I remember (I made the video quite some time ago now).

[@margo3367]

@@HistoryCalling I guess I’m just puzzled as to why his wives, especially his first two, are constantly having miscarriages; able to get pregnant, but unable to carry a baby to term.

[@SurferJoe1]

5:35 Good eye alert: as a professional artist, I always look to the rendering of hands to tell the quality of draftsmanship. I've always advised younger artists to spend a lot of time learning to draw hands and to know what to do with them- in a pose, above eyes, posture, or anything else, hands tell the story.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you. Yes, sometimes they're done very badly. The hands in the famous portrait of Richard III spring to mind for instance.

[@happycommuter3523]

Some of those older portraits were very flat and awkward, with poor anatomical proportions. It makes you really appreciate Holbein’s work.

[@SurferJoe1]

@@happycommuter3523 Yes. A less sophisticated draftsman (like this one) will draw a hand as a blob that fingers come out of instead of a solid form with its own shape. There's also a dreadful compositional error here in the way the fingers of the left hand trace the edge of the torso: it's called a tangent, with too many lines converging on one spot and drawing attention to that spot.

[@Miss_Camel]

Okay, not related to the video, but now I’m curious…in your personal opinion, what painting (of anyone, from any time period) most accurately and elegantly depicts the subject’s hands?

[@SurferJoe1]

@@Miss_Camel Wow, that's a rough question! I'll cop out and go with the Sistine Chapel! My field is more commercial- the great illustrators of the 20th century are close to my heart. But as a former animator, I'd also say have a look at Bill Tytla's work: at Disney, he animated Chernobog, the demon in "Night On Bald Mountain" ("Fantasia") as well as Stromboli in "Pinocchio". (And some great 'look-Ma-no-hands" work on the "Baby Mine" sequence in "Dumbo").

[@lfgifu296]

oooh, connects nicely with your previous video- and indeed with the one about Charles Brandon :) Thanks :)

[@DarthDread-oh2ne]

Hi friend.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I went on a little biography kick a couple of months ago and ended up doing four in a row as you can see. It'll be something a bit different next week though.

[@lfgifu296]

@@HistoryCalling oooh now you keep me on my toes for a week haha

[@TabeaTomadini]

I swear, Tudor history is truly one of the most fascinating! I enjoy every single video you make!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you so much. It's what got me into history as a little girl, so I think I'll always love this era too.

[@TabeaTomadini]

@HistoryCalling I didn't learn English history as a child, as I am a German who lived in Romania and studied Romanian history. Life brought me into the UK back in 2015, and while having a huge cultural shock, I discovered tutor history 🙂. I wish to visit the Tower of London and especially Hever Castle in the future, hopefully other areas of significance. I truly appreciate you how growing my knowledge.

[@Shane-Flanagan]

Imagine a situation where Henry had left and divorced Catherine earlier and married Bessie and crowning her as Queen, legimising Fitzroy and possibly having more male heirs. How things would've been different

[@feelthejoy]

She was willing to be his mistress without marrying him so he had no reason to divorce Catherine. Anne B only got him to do so bc she kept him on the hook for 7 years without “giving it up” so to speak.

[@Shane-Flanagan]

@@feelthejoy True but if it wasn't Anne it would've been someone else as Henry's need for a son would've been so great.

[@HistoryCalling]

I think Bessie would have had a terrible time as Queen though. Everyone would have known she'd been a mistress whose child was born out of wedlock. Henry married Anne before her pregnancy was widely known about in part to spare her that shame (and to shore up the baby's legitimacy).

[@Shane-Flanagan]

@@HistoryCalling I don't think Henry could have done anything to shield Anne from shame as she was the talk of England and abroad, people spouting all sorts of hate and slander about her.

[@Ashley-vs8nu]

When you have a woman like Katherine as your predissesor with a lineage yet piety and extreme humbleness, it's not hard to do​@Shane-Flanagan

[@gonefishing167]

She did quite well for a mistress so Henry must have thought well of her. Poor Mary Boleyn was just discarded. Thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏👵🇦🇺

[@HistoryCalling]

Very true, though better to be discarded that be executed we must say.

[@emilybarclay8831]

Bessie Blount finessed Henry VIII and lived to tell the tale. I don’t think any other woman can claim that

[@edithengel2284]

I don't think at the stage at which she knew him well, he was as dangerous as he became later--and he hadn't executed Anne Boleyn. It is true, that like Anne of Cleves, she must not have been demanding or unpleasant, and did what she was told to, which argues better sense than some showed.

[@user-dd8dl3rm2g]

Thank you for this video i always look forward for your videos

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Hope you enjoy hearing about Bessie. She doesn't get a lot of attention nowadays but she's interesting.

[@Bluetack97]

Evening HistoryCalling, I hope all is well. Appreciate the content.

[@HistoryCalling]

Hi there. It is thank you. It helps that it has at last stopped raining here in Northern Ireland (however briefly)! :-)

[@Bluetack97]

That's good to read. It was dry and warm over in my neck of the woods today aswell, lol. Have a nice evening. :)

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks. You too :-)

[@williamrobinson7435]

These films are justifiably popular with some really nice people, looking through some comments. Thank you for doing these! 🌟👍

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks William. Yes, I'm very lucky. On the whole there's a really lovely community who watch my videos. Fortunately I get hardly any trolls.

[@deborahborlase7100]

To have a relationship with Henry, keep your head and live a successful life is truly amazing in that time. Well done Bessie!

[@happycommuter3523]

Another excellent video, thanks so much! I definitely think Bessie was a survivor. She made out pretty well. One tragic thread that runs through all your videos is the number of children who died young. I can’t imagine this was easy on the mothers, especially those married to high-ranking men and were expected to produce male heirs.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, child mortality was something else in those days. It was on a par with modern third world countries. We're so lucky to have modern, first-world medicine now.

[@maryarigho5868]

She was amazingly successful, maybe because Henry was younger and not quite so vile then.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I think that definitely helped. The Henry of the 1510s was an entirely different beast to that of the 1530s and 1540s.

[@jjudy5869]

But let's not forget Anne of Cleaves. Anne was treated very well by Henry by agreeing to the divorce/annulment that Henry wanted.

[@skontheroad]

Just tucked myself into bed, and this was my first suggested video! I am so happy?? I was the one who recently told you how much I liked to fall asleep listening to your videos! It will only take me about a week to actually get thru it from start to finish and actually pay attention and listen to everything you say, but I'm a trooper.... thanks so much for your videos!!

[@leticiagarcia9025]

I have never taken the time to read about Bessie Blount. You gave a detailed history of Bessie. I agree with you that she was the most successful mistress. She gave Henry a son. He looked after her. She managed to keep her head. Thank you for the history lesson. Adieu😊

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Leticia. Yes, as mistresses go, I think she did the best out of the lot. 😊

[@DarthDread-oh2ne]

I was thinking about Paul I of Russia and he shared a lot in common with Mary I. 1. Both were neglected by a parent. 2. Both were madly in love with their spouse, only to realize the hard way that their spouse didn’t love them, and was having an affair behind their backs. 3. Both was born, with a large amount of potential only to be discarded.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, quite sad and tragic lives in many ways. A total waste of potential as you say.

[@melissasheppard6674]

😞

[@hollyw9566]

I've recently been watching your channel a lot, and I'm struck by how much I enjoy you channel. There are others that are pretty decent, but I'm impressed with how straight-forward your commentary is, and how well composed. I'm also struck with how you've grown in skill and presentation since your earliest videos. At any rate, thank you for a welcome distraction in what has been an incredibly stressful summer for me thus far. I appreciate it.

[@angh18]

'History Calling', is wonderful - I totally agree.

[@annika5893]

I would rather call her a successful woman of her time. She was a mistress to King Henry VIII only a short time, so she shouldn't be defined only by that. She managed to attract a king and give him a living son, but she wasn't destroyed by the king like many others. She advanced to a marriage above her station, after which she managed to marry again out of love without a scandal attached to it. Her life wasn't perfect, she lost her oldest son first to court customs and later on death, and possibly witnessed the death of another son too. Together with Anne of Cleves, she was one of the luckiest women of that time.

[@emilioalcazar-su9vi]

Fascinating portrait of the favourite mistress of the king..a pity we can only imagine her beauty..!

[@HistoryCalling]

I know. I wish we had a portrait too. It's always nice to put a (proper) face to a name.

[@DarthDread-oh2ne]

Fun fact: Did you know, Kaiser Wilhelm the first (Grandfather of Kaiser Wilhelm II.) was in love with a polish princess Elisa Radziwill ? They were childhood friends and he wanted to marry her.

[@HistoryCalling]

No, I didn't know that :-)

[@DarthDread-oh2ne]

It’s sort similar to Edward the eighth and his wife but the difference is: while Willhelm the first wasn’t allowed to marry his mistress while Edward did.

[@jillkearns525]

I’m in Canada and always enjoy your episodes when making dinner on Mondays!!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Jill :-) Canada is somewhere I'd love to visit at some point. It's just so far away and expensive (I have the same problem with Australia). :-(

[@nyckolaus]

Well done. I always look forward to your documentaries.

[@erikakrause3044]

American here! I’ve always said “boy toy” as opposed to “toy boy”. Is this one of the many differences in our countries?

[@user-vs7el9wm3d]

Boy toy refers to a woman. A toy boy is a young man involved with an older woman.

[@HistoryCalling]

Hmm, I've only ever said toy boy myself for a younger man. I love that I get to learn funny little facts like this though. Thank you :-)

[@elisabethhopson5639]

Thanks HC, for another excellent video on Bessie Blount. Was she successful? Oh yes. Not only did she survive, but made a good marriage arranged by Henry and received plenty of good fortune from him. She was good-looking, had a son and kept her mouth shut. She was obviously "plan B" if Katherine of Aragon failed to provide a son. Then Anne Boleyn comes into the frame, so Bessie is relegated, but not out of the picture. Once again, she is the insurance policy. From the information we have about her, it sounds like she got pregnant very easily, which Henry will have known about and could have kept her in mind if all else failed. It is a shame that we don,'t know where she is buried. Is she one that got away? Not really, Henry seems to have kept her at arms length, but always in the picture through his generosity to her. Well done Bessie. 🙂

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I think she def. deserves the 'most successful' title. I wonder if Henry ever regretted that he couldn't marry her while she was a bit younger (still in her 20s) and have more children by her? I don't know.

[@aggimaggi7246]

@@HistoryCalling I have no proof of course, but I personally believe at least some of Henry's 'madness' was exacerbated by the endless 'What if?s' going through his mind. What if Catherine had stepped aside when she was asked? What if he'd chosen not to marry her in the first place? What if he'd never been 'fooled' by Anne Boleyn? What if he'd gone back to Bessie? What if he hadn't allowed himself to be talked into Anne of Cleves by that 'traitor' Thomas Cromwell? What if he'd stuck it out with Anne of Cleves and actually tried to have a child by her? What if he'd thought to do the Tudor equivalent of a background check on Catherine Howard BEFORE marrying her? He must have seen all those years with women who didn't give him sons as wasted time, and there was a LOT of wasted time from his perspective. I have no doubt, personally, that his missed chance with Bessie must have at least crossed his mind at one point.

[@heden1460]

At least Henry was convinced Fitzroy was his son. Seeing as how we have DNA testing these days. It would be interesting to see who belonged to whom, except I know that would open a whole can of worms. Including the princes in the tower.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, I think the physical resemblance is quite pronounced myself, so I don't doubt his paternity and the King clearly didn't either. Yes, DNA would be fascinating. I wish they'd test the supposed bones of the Princes now held in Westminster Abbey.

[@stefaniecosme4774]

Well, My day just got a Whole Lot Better bc HC posted a New and (As Always) Amazing Video! And the content of the video is Equally Amazing as I’ve Always wanted to learn more about The Famous Bessie Blount- So, THANK YOU HC for All you do and for Another Great, Interesting, and Very Well Done video! Besides my Enjoying Each and Every One of your videos SO Much, which I watch many of them multiple times, you know just How Much I Especially Enjoy your Happy Little Tune!! My Son Always knows when I start watching one of your videos bc I always Bob my head to your tune- Which I then get made fun of incessantly- Anyways, Wishing you and your family Continued Blessings and Keep up the Great Work!

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Stefanie and I'm glad to hear you're making a little historian out of your son too by watching my videos in front of him. That's some A* parenting right there :-)

[@Stephano_v_Bove__]

Fascinating! Thank you so much for this. 🙏

[@lyndanickerson1373]

Thanks for the video

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Let me know when you've had a chance to watch it if you think Bessie was a successful mistress. :-)

[@Boadicea17]

I love history especially the Tudors, so listening to your clear and calming speaking voice telling me about the lives of these fascinating people is truly soothing for me, as I'm in the middle of packing to move house!!!🤯 So thank you, thank you, thank you!!🙏💕

[@rycoli]

Another great video. Thank you.

[@SquintyBubbles]

This is a great video! Really informative and honestly so nice to hear an accent from 'the motherland'. 😊

[@AmynAL]

Thank you HC, another interesting video.

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Amy :-)

[@almabaker2913]

Love this! Thanks!

[@dutchhistoricalactingcolle5883]

Thank you once again for a solid, informative video

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you. She's an interesting figure. I only wish we knew more about her.

[@xfayiel2690]

A very interesting and well researched video, thank you 👏

[@frankiemackenzie4120]

I loved your commentary and your fact base approach....the ending was hilarious.....keep up the great videos, peace and love to everyone.....

[@williamrobinson7435]

Bessie Blount must have been a resourceful one. Great this! 🌟👍

[@HistoryCalling]

I think so. Thank you :-)

[@tiffcat1100]

Excellent as ever ❤

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you :-)

[@missyme2673]

Thank you for this very insightful look at Bessie. She must have been an amazing young lady to have caught the eye of the king and bore him the son he always wanted. I didn't know anything about her before I watched this video, so thank you for your brilliant video! I always look forward to your videos! 😊❤

[@amandabowman00aa]

Thank you so much for pronouncing her last name correctly!! I love this channel!

[@feelthejoy]

How else would one pronounce it?

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you, especially as I've had a couple of complaints for not saying it differently, but I've only ever heard her called Blount (like the actress Emily Blunt's surname), or Blout to rhyme with doubt (and that's when a different spelling is used, that drops the 'N'). Someone suggested (not unkindly - this wasn't one of the mean comments) it should rhyme with mount, but I've never heard that pronunciation.

[@amandabowman00aa]

Blount rhyming with mount is the way I hear it mostly pronounced incorrectly. Fun fact, The singer, James Blunt is descended from the same family of Blount's as Bessie and he spelled his stage name as Blunt so people would stop mispronouncing it. Thank you again, for making great and educational videos.@@HistoryCalling

[@amandabowman00aa]

@@feelthejoy It is often pronounced incorrectly like, rhymes with mount. Blownt.

[@bobbiesuedavis5406]

Mary Boleyn had it pretty good too. Do you think Henry was the father of her two older children?

[@HistoryCalling]

In a word, no, but I'll probably do a video on why I think that at some point, so I'll not give away my thoughts here. :-) Mary did ok, but she did end up banished from court and her brother and sister were executed. I wouldn't fancy swapping places with her.

[@Sattva468]

@@HistoryCallingWill look forward to that video!

[@jillkearns525]

@@HistoryCallingPlease do make a video about Mary Boleyn Love to hear why you think her oldest children aren’t Henry’s

[@rexy5586]

Thank you for another very interesting history lesson. You make it so enjoyable to listen to with your melodic voice.

[@okiejammer2736]

ALWAYS beautifully researched and written! 🎉

[@HistoryCalling]

Thank you very much :-)

[@Raven6794]

Thanks History calling is my favourite history oriented channel.

[@HistoryCalling]

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE VERY KIND DONATION :-) Glad you're enjoying the channel and hope you liked my take on Bessie. :-)

[@matildami5943]

I would love to hear what you think might have happened if Anne Boleyn had agreed to be Henry VIII’s mistress instead of aiming for marriage! Historical ”what ifs” are interesting even if we can’t come to a definite conclusion about every single thing, and your video on if Henry had stayed married to Anne of Cleves was fascinating!

[@HistoryCalling]

In short, I think he'd have gotten tired of her (as he did in reality), but she'd likely have escaped with her life.

[@edithengel2284]

@@HistoryCalling And Elizabeth I would have been really illegitimate.🙂

[@moreenmurray]

Fascinating. I also love listening to your accent as my mother was from Belfast. She loved history especially the Tudor period as do I!

[@sonder122]

Thank you for this glimpse into the life of Bessie Blount. She has always seemed to be a cypher to me, everybody knows her name and her place as the mother of Henry’s first son but she is always in the background, slipping around a corner, you may say, as the main players of Henry’s court come into view. She and Mary Berlin seem to embody the fact, that once having gained it, loosing Henry’s attention was far superior (and better for a long life) than keeping it.

[@bec9696]

I knew this would be a good one! I'm enjoying learning more about the names we've heard, but do not know much about. Thank you😊

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Yes, I wanted to fill in some of the blanks on my channel by doing videos on people I haven't looked at before.

[@od1452]

I hoped you found a portrait and knew where she rests. Like you , I found little of her. This seems so odd. I know here in the US it was common for people to want to be buried on their own land. I've wondered if that happened to her. It seems she was largely happy... unlike so many ladies of that age who like Tess , found their beauty a curse. RIP Bessie .

[@HistoryCalling]

Sadly no, no proper portrait. I'm glad I at least had the option to use a still image of the actress from The Tudors for the thumbnail though. There wasn't really anything else.

[@trailingarm63]

Great episode. Bessie seems like an intelligent, affable woman who understood men and the strictures of the times she lived in. A pragmatist with a good heart.

[@GruffLyric]

Very interesting. I enjoyed this a lot!😁

[@juliekemp419]

I'm a descendant of 'Bessie' she being my paternal 11th ggmother. My paternal family tree is on Ancestry. Thanks for you excellent historicity - you show great intellectual rigour and discipline which amazes me. I am proud of her and my line via her daughter Bridget. I like how she survived so well but am sad as you show that she comes and goes very discreetly or quietly. Thanks so much for your excellent works.

[@TheKatieLou]

Very interesting, thank you.

[@wendybond2848]

It would be interesting to know if she is listed in the burial records of churches in the parishes she is known to have lived near the manors they owned.

[@HistoryCalling]

Sadly I suspect that info. would have been discovered by now if it still existed. A lot of those records were either never kept in the first place, or have long since been lost. Scotland is much better though. It has good records going back to the 1500s.

[@edithrohrer7329]

It’s mind boggling how the double standard was twisted to fit the reigning male. In the parameters of her time Bessie was definitely successful.

[@HistoryCalling]

Yes, it's very annoying to see as a woman myself. Henry was the biggest adulterer around and a wife killer to boot, but his reputation was never ruined by it.

[@Chuckles2109]

It's sad how all women were pawns back then and how their fortunes were determined by men. But these are some of the smartest and strongest women in history.

[@HistoryCalling]

It is, yes. A lot of women are still in similar or worse positions today though in some parts of the world, which I find even more depressing.

[@RoseKoneko]

I had heard of a mistress who bore a son through a very, very inaccurate telling of his life in a tv show so I didn’t think they were being accurate for once. This is fascinating, thank you!

[@edithengel2284]

A trifecta! Thank you.

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Once I'd done the video on Fitzroy, one on his mum was just very easy to roll into, as a lot of the reading for his life doubled up as reading into hers.

[@edithengel2284]

@@HistoryCalling I don't know if Henry had a "type", but it strikes me that the descriptions of Bessie, and her age, remind me of Katherine Howard and possibly also Mary Boleyn: all pretty, vivacious, elegant, and apparently excellent dancers. (I suppose even Anne Boleyn could be construe to fit into this pattern, although she was probably the intellectual heavyweight of this group.)

[@jldisme]

Do you want to give HC a hand for free? Do you have 10 seconds or 21 seconds to spare? It's easy and free. For a 15 -second ad, don't hit the skip button. for a longer ad, watch it for 31 seconds before you hit the skip button. The income that HC makes on KZbin is dependent on how many people watch the ads. Typically, that's only five people out of 100. I know ads are annoying,, but the value that HC gives us in learning and entertaining Is surely worth 15 or 21 seconds of our time. You can use that time to look at something 20 ft away for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain. It's a win-win.

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Agreed.

[@Canalcoholic]

I turn off my ears and read the comments.

[@HistoryCalling]

Aww, thank you so much and kudos to you for understanding how the ad system works as most people don't :-)

[@jldisme]

@@HistoryCalling i still haven't been able to find out if clicking through to the link on the ad pays more to the creator or not.

[@LaLayla99]

She seems as successful as Anne of Cleves, imo.

[@HistoryCalling]

Hmm, interesting comparison. Anne did better financially and her reputation wasn't ruined, but Bessie had the boy and was allowed to move on with her life, marry again and have more kids. It's tough to call.

[@alisonridout]

I actually visited Ludlow Castle today 8th July '24 😊

[@HistoryCalling]

It's lovely, isn't it? I was there a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. St Lawrence's Church down the street supposedly has Arthur's heart as well and is worth a visit.

[@alisonridout]

@@HistoryCalling we only stood outside the church as there was something going on there. Visited Arthur's tomb for the second time today in Worcester Cathedral x

[@jeanhawken4482]

Always great listening

[@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 William the second. He was King of England in the 10th century. Have a great day. See you next video 😊

[@HistoryCalling]

It's finally sunny here which is lovely (though probably short lived). William Rufus is indeed interesting, but I don't know if I could get people to watch a video on him. My early medieval videos don't tend to do so well :-(

[@Shane-Flanagan]

You know HC is stuck for verified portraits when she resorts to using images of the actors in costume from The Tudors for the video thumbnail 😂

[@HistoryCalling]

Absolutely. It doesn't happen often, but there was just nothing better for this one. I was glad I had this option at least. :-)

[@Shane-Flanagan]

@@HistoryCalling Making the best with what you got 😉

[@aliceswing7185]

I am such an Anglophile (even more so a Tudorphile). I enjoy all of your "lessons" and this one was particularly entertaining! Here in the states we call "trophy husband's" boy-toys (becoming a fashionable moniker when it was applied to some of Cher's paramours....I kind of like Toy-Boy better😂😂

[@HistoryCalling]

Thanks Alice. Someone else mentioned the toy-boy/boy-toy difference too. I think I have heard both used, but I didn't realise one was preferred to the other in the States. I love that I get to learn these little factoids via my channel though :-)

[@aliceswing7185]

@@HistoryCalling I'm so glad you didn't take offense!

[@thehawk217]

If henry fitzroy have lived do you think he would have been placed in the line of accession after edward the 6th

[@HistoryCalling]

That's such an interesting question and one I've thought about. Mary and Elizabeth were both legally illegitimate too and they were both put in, so I think he might have been.

[@glen7318]

@@HistoryCalling no.

[@marijeangalloway1560]

"The Mistresspiece of her Time," a phrase with which I am newly acquainted. Gotta love it!

[@amarenee2020]

Bessie is one of my favorite historical figures! But I’m very prejudiced because we have the same surname! 😊

[@HistoryCalling]

Ah, that would do it :-) She's very interesting too though.

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome! :-)

[@anthonycalbillo9376]

Class is starting!!!

[@HistoryCalling]

Pens and paper at the ready. There will be a quiz at the end 😂😊

[@nanceeM1313]

🖐👀🖑 thank you HC ❤🕊

[@HistoryCalling]

You're welcome. Glad you liked it. :-)

[@johnmorelli3775]

Congrats. Very good summary & narration! Sad that Elizabeth had such a short life. I am disappointed that there is no record of her death and gravesite. Her children died young as well. It really is all quite tragic. She must have been a strong person. I am glad that the surviving monarchy has become powerless and farcical. Maintained as a relic of the 'glorious' past

[@edithengel2284]

Not all her children died young, and her Clinton children prospered. She has living descendants, including the Prince of Wales. She lived comfortably with both husbands, held titles and estates, was on good terms with Henry, etc. She had her sorrows, losing her sons, and her first husband, but it was not all tragic.

[@Gamble661]

It is a shame that none of her letters survive but, the incredible discovery of the coroners report concerning Amy Robsart's death after so long gives hope that somewhere out there they may still exist, waiting to be found.

[@bessofhardwick9311]

Very interesting. I knew nothing about her before this video.

[@maryannehuber2922]

I really enjoyed your video on Bessie Blount and was wondering if you have one on Mary Boleyn

[@HistoryCalling]

Not yet, but she's on my list 😊

[@maryannehuber2922]

@@HistoryCalling I'll look forward toit

[@SimpleDesertRose]

I would say her success level ranks right up there With Anne of Cleves. She gave Henry what he wanted and not only escaped with her head but with a generous income with lands and titles. Plus remain cordial with him after they went their sperate ways.

[@jardon8636]

intresting video... can you do a video about a almost unkown or totally forgotten about lancastrian princess.. Philippa of England 1394 - 1430), also known as Philippa of Lancaster, was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1406 to 1430 by marriage to King Eric of the Kalmar Union. She was the daughter of King Henry IV of England of bolingbroke by his first spouse Mary de Bohun and the younger sister of King Henry V.& aunty to king henry VI of lancaster * the war of the roses... Queen Philippa participated significantly in state affairs during the reign of her spouse, and served as regent of Denmark from 1423 to 1425... depicted in the danish blockbuster film: Margrete: Queen of the North 2021...

[@HistoryCalling]

I would actually love to do more videos on the earlier medieval royals. My videos on that period don't always do terribly well though, but I might give it a go at some point anyway and hope for the best. There's only so much a girl can take of the Tudors and Plantagenets. 😂

[@jardon8636]

@@HistoryCalling henry the 8th and his 7 wives are done almost too death... day and night... all the other tudor period , let alone plantagenets are ignored,...

[@sarahkoch7694]

I think you're right that Elizabeth Blunt was the most successful of H VIII's mistresses. He no doubt pursued her, and how does one say no to a king, especially one like Henry? Subsequently, she gave him a son, behaved well throughout, causing him no trouble apparently, and he rewarded her for all that. She was, as trump would no doubt say, "A good girl." (Sorry for getting political: just very much on my mind.)

[@HistoryCalling]

Ah, it's ok. I can see why that would be on your mind. I'm not American and even I'm getting distracted with the impending election.

[@krooks6367]

Good work of Bessie!