Katherine Knollys (née Carey)
Katherine was probably born in 1523 and was certainly the daughter of Mary Boleyn, Anne’s older sister and her predecessor as mistress of Henry VIII. Mary had married William Carey, a gentleman of the royal chamber, in 1520; but she is thought to have been Henry’s mistress between 1522 and 1525. At least, she was without doubt Henry’s mistress: on one occasion in 1535, Henry was accused of having slept with both Anne Boleyn’s sister Mary and her mother. ‘Never with the mother,’ was Henry’s curt response. The only doubt, then, is over the length of the relationship, but Katherine’s birth seems to fall well within any likely range of dates.
On her accession, Elizabeth made Katherine a lady of the bedchamber, a post which she held until her death in 1569, and she was generally considered to be favoured more greatly than her peers, although how much Katherine would have agreed with such an assessment is more open to question. Elizabeth’s relentless necessities frequently made her ‘weep for unkindness’, according to surviving correspondence.
Katherine married Francis Knollys in April 1540, and the couple had sixteen children together including Henry – who I have written about in The Favourite in his role as captain of a ship in Gilbert’s failed voyage of discovery of 1578 (Henry was a long-time patron of John Callis) – and Lettice, who secretly married Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester in September 1578. One can speculate whether Lettice’s possible royal bloodline played any part in either Dudley’s interest in her as a wife, or Elizabeth’s particular fury on discovering the marriage.
I should say that there was also a question mark at the time over the status of Katherine’s younger brother Henry Carey, born in March 1526, with the rumour of the king’s paternity being widespread enough for one man to refer to it in a speech on the scaffold awaiting execution. The current consensus, however, seems to be that Henry was William Carey’s son. Even so, he was at the very least Elizabeth I’s cousin and she rewarded him on her accession with the title of Baron Hunsdon, and he went on to serve her loyally until his death in 1596 in a wide range of capacities, although his preferred field of endeavour – military action – got scant opportunity for expression under his ever-cautious queen. Late in life he was also the patron of Shakespeare’s company of players.
I am currently reading a very interesting book by Elizabeth Norton about Bessie Blount. It brings up the possibility that her eldest daughter Elizabeth Tailboys was also the child of Henry VIII. She has some convincing evidence too.
I haven’t read that book, but I probably should!
My Great Grandfather x 15 was Richard Edwardes. He should not be an “Edwardes”. Just because you are not married to someone doesn’t mean you are not in the bloodline. The whole crock of the illegitamate thing is crazy!
I feel this all needs to be changed in history. King Henry V111 was our grandfathers father, which would make King Henry my Grandfather. I need to tell Elizabeth about this, she needs to correct it.
The genealogy tree is screwed up.
The king had many children, He Impregnated Agnes Beupine Blewitt when she was 14 ( Richards mother). Another man named William T. Edwardes raised Richard.
But tragically Richard died young. William was 25, Agnes was 14 when they married. Say Child Mol-esters here. okay?
Richard Edwardes
Richard Edwardes (also Edwards, 25 March 1525 – 31 October 1566) was an English poet, playwright, and composer; he was made a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and was master of the singing boys. He was known for his comedies and interludes. He was also rumored to be an illegitimate son of Henry VIII.
My family
Teresa and Tammy Harness
1. Vicky Yvonne Anderson
2. Inez Pauline Defer
3. Pauline Witherspoon Epperson
4. Mary Amanda Averilla “Mollie” Sims
5. Sarah Catherine Wayne
6. Lucinda Lydia Chamlee
7. Jane Dorcas Roberts
8. Cordelia Edwards
9. John Edwards
10. John Lillburn Edwards
11. Robert Edwards
12. William Edwards
13. John Edwards
14. Richard Edwardes
15. Agnes Beupine Blewitt and King Henry V111 (William Edwardes raised Richard as his own.)
He had three children named Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward.
and some of his kids did good for the land
inappropriate
“Absalom and Achitophel” (KJV Ahithophel) is a satirical poem attacking the Whig party; however, there are numerous references to well-known political characters (Charles II; Lord Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury; and James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, only vaguely camouflaged as Biblical personages), who fathered several famous illegitimate children. I remember agreeing with the professor’s interpretation of the allegory–the conflict between fatherhood and kingship.
Was there such a literary piece about King Henry? Henry seemed to be driven to have a male heir.
No, there’s nothing like that in the Tudor period!
What of the rest of the bastard children, why is only Fitzroy mentioned?
Sylvia
Another King was and still is popular is Richard 111
I don’t believe that the king had disrespect for any woman, in fact he adored woman and I do believe he loved everyone of his wives but the desire to father a son was so much stronger . His father instilled this in him as a young boy . Brainwashed him to an extent . Henry Fitzroy was only recognised by the king because he was male . To lose so many sons was the heartbreak for Henry . The cross he had to carry .
It was also a black mark on his masculinity. Easier to blame a wife than accept the truth .
I think King Henry would have acknowledged Elizabeth Tallboys if she was male but King Henry didn’t think much of women also no one would have supported a woman for long look what happened to Lady Jane Grey,it is possible that she was King Henrys but usually if he was finished with a mistress he married them off
What about Agnes Beaupenny Blewett, and her son William Edwardes? Was he one of King Henry’s illegitimate sons?
I am not so sure that Katherine Carey is the kings daughter according to Anne Boleyn King Henry had impotence problems, I am not sure if that effects fertility or not and Mary Boleyn had a bit of a reputation it is possible the children weren’t King Henry’s or William Carey s
English history has always fascinated me. I am 3/4 British with no clue about my ancestry. Only dreams of who I might be related to.
In regards to the supposed illegitimate daughter of Henry, who should have taken the throne instead of Elizabeth; given his record, I don’t believe he ever would have recognized her. He didn’t really seem to have a lot of respect for women. Except maybe Jane Seymore. But who knows how long that would have lasted if she hadn’t died.
It would seem he had some illness in his blood and Mary & Elizabeth were fortunate to live through. For the most part it always seemed to me that although they survived, they were a little weak.
King Henry seems by far to be the most popular King in English history. Which other Monarchies are as interesting?
I would be very interested if you were to bring out a book on the illegitmate children of Henry VIII
All I can say is, I’m glad I wasn’t born into that family!
King Henry VIII had a secret daughter who should have taken the throne before Elizabeth I, new research has revealed.
Elizabeth Tailboys was the Tudor monarch’s illegitimate lovechild who would have changed the course of English history had the King acknowledged her as his at the time.
By rights she should have taken the throne on the death of Queen Mary in 1558, making her the true Elizabeth I and not Elizabeth, the daughter of Anne Boleyn.
I have always intrigued with Tudor history and was delighted to find when doing my Husbands Family tree that Sir John Perrot was his 7th great grandfather.
Hello Sheila, that makes us distant relatives as Sir John Henry Perrott is also part of my family tree.
Interestingly, Princess Diana is a descendent of Katherine Carey. So if she is indeed a daughter of Henry VIII (as is likely) William would be the first descendent of Henry VIII on the throne since Elizabeth!
That’s very interesting. I do believe this could be true
23 & Me anyone?!
Hi! I’m an Anglophile from Louisiana (USA) and appreciate your article for its information as well as its readability.
In Spain (Castile) & Portugal illegitimate children succeeded, too, when the main line was without heirs, while both a King of Scots & a Prince of Wales in medieval times married an illegitimate daughter of an English King. It’s possible Fitzroy would have succeeded.
Hi Mathew. I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I’ve just finished reading Alison Weir’s 2011 Bio on Mary Boylen where she poses that Mary’s daughter Katherine Carey could well be an illegitimate child of Henry’s. I’ve not taken much notice of the rumours of Katherine and Henry Carey’s father being Henry VIII, but Alison Weir outlines a very detailed argument. I’ve also recently been enjoying “Elizabeth I and the Culture of Writing”. I’m sure there is much research yet to be done on Henry Fitzroy yet. Had a great lute lesson today and am re-inspired for the year. Now to find some lute playing in London when I’m there in July! See you on Twitter.
Great post, looking forward to the others. btw, surely a clue to Henry Fitzroy’s paternity lies not just in the given name but also the surname: “Fitz” meaning “son (of)” and “roy” meaning king. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzroy_(disambiguation)
As for his death, it makes me wonder… I mean, I know infant and youth mortality was higher in those times, but I wonder how the mortality rate of children of Henry VIII (specifically) and royalty in general compare to average mortality rates of the times. Were royal offspring dying at a higher rate? Were they being bumped off for political reasons?
Hi Giuseppe, thanks very much for taking the time to comment – and for your kind words too!
Yes, you’re quite right. I was thinking of the Fitzroy part of his name, rather than the forename. My apologies for not making that clear.
I think, looking at the Tudor bloodline, there may well have been some kind of genetic weaknesses/flaws. After all, Henry VIII’s older brother Arthur, Henry Fitzroy and Edward VI all died exceptionally young, and, as we all know, Henry’s first wife Katherine suffered numerous miscarriages and stillbirths. Mary I, meanwhile, was never able to produce an heir and Elizabeth, despite the salacious gossip, never tried. (As you may know, there were rumours at the time that she was incapable of doing so.)
They were, as a family, either remarkably unlucky, or there were other problems inherent in their inheritance.
I be
I Do believe their was some kind of genetic problem with the males in this family .
Interesting! you addressed what was my first thought when I saw the opening question–both Elizabeth and Mary were considered illegitimate at different points. Such a complex genealogy!