Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Arundel
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Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel, in a portrait from the 1560s.
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| Lord Lieutenant of Sussex | |
| In office 1559–1561 |
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| Succeeded by | The Lord Lumley |
| Chancellor of the University of Oxford | |
| In office 1558–1559 |
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| Preceded by | Reginald Pole |
| Succeeded by | John Mason |
| Lord Chamberlain | |
| In office 1546–1550 |
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| Preceded by | Lord St John |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Wentworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 April 1512 |
| Died | 24 February 1580 (aged 67) |
| Spouses | Katherine Grey |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel (born April 23, 1512 – died February 24, 1580) was an important English nobleman. He lived a long life and was a key figure in the courts of several Tudor kings and queens. He was likely the only person to serve all the later Tudor rulers.
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Serving King Henry VIII
Henry Fitzalan was the only son of William Fitzalan, the 11th Earl of Arundel. His mother was Anne Percy. He was named after King Henry VIII, who was even his godfather.
At 15, Henry became a page at King Henry VIII's court. A page was a young helper for the king. In 1532, he traveled with the king to Calais, France. When he turned 21 in 1533, he was called to Parliament. He was known as Lord Maltravers, which was a special title his father held.
In 1540, Henry was made deputy of Calais. This meant he was in charge of the area. He spent his own money to make the forts stronger. He stayed there until his father passed away in 1544. He then returned to England and became the Earl of Arundel. He was also made a Knight of the Garter, a very important honor.
Soon after, he went back to France for a war. He spent much of 1544 there. When he returned to England, the king made him Lord Chamberlain. This was a high-ranking job in the royal household.
Under King Edward VI
After King Henry VIII died in 1547, Henry Fitzalan helped with the coronation of the new king, Edward VI. He continued as Lord Chamberlain. King Henry's will also named him as one of 12 people to help run the country.
However, under the new king's uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Henry Fitzalan's power decreased. He soon wanted Somerset removed from power.
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Somerset was sent to the Tower of London in October 1549. Henry Fitzalan was one of the leaders of the new group in charge. But in 1550, he was removed from his job. He was put under house arrest for misusing money. He also had to pay a large fine.
After a few months, he was cleared of the charges. This experience made him side with Somerset, who had been released. When Somerset was arrested again in 1551, Henry Fitzalan was also arrested. He was in prison for a year. He was later pardoned and paid another large fine. In May 1553, he returned to the Privy Council, a group of royal advisors.
Working with Queen Mary I
King Edward's health was getting worse. On June 21, 1553, Henry Fitzalan signed a document. This document said that Lady Jane Grey should be the next queen. But after the king died, Henry Fitzalan worked to make Mary I queen instead. He helped trick another nobleman, then announced Mary as queen. He rode to Mary and brought her back to London.
At Mary's coronation, Henry Fitzalan had an important role again. He was then made Lord Steward of the royal household. He served in many ways in her court. For example, he welcomed Mary's husband, Philip II of Spain, to England. He also helped stop a rebellion in 1554. He went on trips to other countries for the queen.
In 1555, he and others received a special paper. It allowed them to explore new lands. He also became a high steward at the University of Oxford. He was chosen as chancellor there in 1559, but he left the job that same year. In 1557, he was put in charge of defending England if there was a war with France. In 1558, he helped discuss peace. He returned to England when Queen Mary died in November 1558.
In 1555, he helped arrange the marriage of his daughter, Mary FitzAlan, to the 4th Duke of Norfolk. Mary passed away in August 1557. Before she died, she had a son, Philip Howard. Philip later became Henry's only heir.
Under Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I did not fully trust Henry Fitzalan. But he was very powerful, so she kept him in his jobs when she became queen. He had an important role at her coronation too.
However, Henry Fitzalan was a Roman Catholic. He did not like it when other Catholics were arrested. He also disagreed with the war against Scotland. In 1562, he upset the queen. He held a meeting at his house to discuss who should be the next ruler if the queen got sick. He supported Lady Catherine Grey.
In 1564, he was suspected of making secret plans against the government. He was removed from his job and kept at home. But he was back in favor by December.
In March 1566, he traveled to Padua. The queen called him back, and he returned to London in April 1567. The next year, he helped investigate charges against Mary, Queen of Scots. He tried to use an international event to remove William Cecil from power.
In January, he worried Elizabeth by telling her about a supposed Spanish plan. This plan was to help Mary and put her back on the throne. He also wrote to the queen about his concerns. In September, a secret plan by Norfolk was found. Henry Fitzalan was arrested. But he had not done enough to be charged with treason. He was released in March 1570. He was called back to the council to cause trouble for Cecil.
He started his secret plans again. These plans were partly revealed when the Ridolfi plot was discovered in September 1571. He was arrested again. He was not set free until December 1572, after Norfolk was executed.
In June 1578, his daughter, Jane, passed away. She had no children who lived. Her three children had died when they were babies. With Jane's death, his grandson Philip Howard became his only living descendant. Philip was the son of his daughter Mary. This meant Philip would inherit the Earldom of Arundel and all of Henry's large estates, including Arundel Castle.
Henry Fitzalan died on February 24, 1580. He was buried in the Fitzalan Chapel at Arundel Castle. A monument was built there to remember him.
Henry Fitzalan traveled a lot in Europe in the mid-1560s. He brought coaches to England from France.
Family Life
Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel, was married twice.
His first wife was Katherine Grey. She was the daughter of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset. Henry and Katherine had three children:
- Jane FitzAlan (1537–1576/7), who married John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley.
- Henry Fitzalan (1538–1556), who was known as Lord Maltravers.
- Mary FitzAlan (1540–1557), who married Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk. Their son, Philip, later became the Earl of Arundel.
Through this marriage, Henry Fitzalan was the brother-in-law of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk. Henry Grey was the father of Lady Jane Grey.
His second wife was Mary. She was the daughter of Sir John Arundell. Mary was also the widow of Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex. Henry and Mary did not have any children together.
Portraits
Several artists painted Henry Fitzalan's portrait. These included Hans Holbein and Hans Eworth.
