Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Brandon
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A portrait once thought to be of Edward VI, now thought to be of Henry Brandon.
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| Born | 1523 England
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| Died | 1 March 1534 (aged 10–11) Southwark, England
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| Title | Earl of Lincoln |
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Henry Brandon, Earl of Lincoln, was a young boy who lived in England a long time ago, during the Tudor period. He was born around 1523 and sadly died in 1534, when he was only about 10 or 11 years old.
Henry was the son of Charles Brandon, a powerful duke, and Mary Tudor. His mother, Mary, was the daughter of King Henry VII. This made Henry Brandon the nephew of the famous King Henry VIII!
He had two older sisters, Lady Frances Brandon and Lady Eleanor Brandon. It's interesting to know that Henry had an older brother who also died young and had the same name. In Tudor times, it was common to name a new baby after a sibling who had passed away.
Becoming the Earl of Lincoln
Henry Brandon received an important title when he was very young. On June 18, 1525, King Henry VIII made him the Earl of Lincoln. Henry was only two years old at the time! He was so small that someone had to carry him during the special ceremony.
His father had big plans for Henry's future. He wanted Henry to marry Catherine Willoughby. She was a noblewoman in her own right and the daughter of Maria de Salinas, who was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to the queen.
A Royal Connection
During Henry Brandon's short life, there was a small chance he could have become the King of England one day. This might sound surprising, but here's why:
At the time Henry was born, King Henry VIII only had one child, his daughter Mary. The king's wife, Catherine of Aragon, was getting older and was unlikely to have more children.
After the king's own children, the next people in line for the throne were his sisters and their children. However, their place in the line of succession was not always secure.
Henry Brandon was special because he was a male and English. This made him a possible heir to the throne if other options failed. However, he died at the age of ten or eleven in Southwark, before King Henry VIII had a son, Edward.
Henry's mother passed away before him. After Henry's death, his sister Frances had hopes for her own children to reach the throne. Henry's niece, Lady Jane Grey, later became queen for a very short time in 1553.
