Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Stafford
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Anne Stafford, c. 1535, by Ambrosius Benson
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| Born | c.1483 |
| Died | 1544 Buried at Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire |
| Noble family | Stafford (by birth) Huntingdon (by marriage) |
| Spouse(s) | Sir Walter Herbert George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon |
| Issue | Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon Sir Thomas Hastings Edward Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings of Loughborough Henry Hastings William Hastings Dorothy Hastings Mary Hastings Katherine Hastings |
| Father | Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham |
| Mother | Catherine Woodville |
Lady Anne Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (born Anne Stafford) lived from about 1483 to 1544. She was an important English noblewoman. Anne was the daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Catherine Woodville. Catherine was also the sister of Queen Elizabeth Woodville.
Anne was first married to Sir Walter Herbert. Later, she married George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon. She also worked in the royal household of King Henry VIII's daughter, who would later become Queen Mary I.
Contents
Anne Stafford's Early Life
Anne Stafford was born around 1483. Her parents were Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Catherine Woodville. Catherine Woodville was the sister of Elizabeth Woodville, who was Queen to King Edward IV. This made Anne a first cousin to Elizabeth of York, who later became Queen.
Anne had two brothers, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, and Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire. She also had a sister named Elizabeth Stafford, Countess of Sussex.
In 1483, Anne's father was executed for treason by King Richard III. This happened because her father was part of a rebellion against the King. After this, in 1485, Anne's mother remarried Jasper Tudor, who later became the Duke of Bedford.
Marriages and Life at Court
In 1503, Anne married her first husband, Sir Walter Herbert. When Sir Walter died in 1507, Anne gave control of her lands, including Raglan Castle in Wales, to her brother Edward.
Anne then lived with her brother at Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire. In 1509, she married her second husband, George Hastings.
Anne was a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife. She was also a close friend of Mary Tudor, King Henry VIII's daughter.
At one point, there were rumors about Anne's friendship with a courtier named William Compton. Because of these rumors, Anne was sent to live in a convent about 60 miles away from the royal court. However, in 1523, William Compton left land to Anne in his will. This showed he still cared for her.
Despite the gossip, Anne and her husband George Hastings seemed to have a loving relationship. A letter from Hastings to Anne in 1525 is described as a very affectionate letter from that time.
Anne's Family: Husbands and Children
Anne Stafford married twice.
Her first marriage was in 1503 to Sir Walter Herbert. He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. They did not have any children together. Sir Walter died on September 16, 1507.
Her second marriage was in December 1509 to George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon. With George, Anne had five sons and three daughters:
- Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon: He married Katherine Pole. They had six sons and five daughters.
- Sir Thomas Hastings: He married Winifred Pole. They did not have children.
- Edward Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings of Loughborough.
- Henry Hastings.
- William Hastings.
- Dorothy Hastings: She married Sir Richard Devereux. They had a son named Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex.
- Mary Hastings: She married Thomas Berkeley, 6th Baron Berkeley.
- Katherine Hastings.
Anne Stafford in Stories and TV Shows
Anne Stafford has been shown in several fictional works:
- She is the main character in the book At the King's Pleasure by Kate Emerson.
- In two 2007 episodes of the TV show The Tudors, Anne is played by Anna Brewster. In the show, she is shown as the sister of the 3rd Duke of Buckingham. She is also involved with a fictional version of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. Later, a "Mistress Hastings" played by Rachel Kavanagh dies from the sweating sickness. It's not clear if both characters are based on the real Anne Stafford.
- In the second season of the TV show The Spanish Princess, she is played by actress Tessa Bonham Jones.
- Anne is a character in the Philippa Gregory novel, The Constant Princess.
