Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset

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Image:Fitzroy.jpg

Portait miniature of Henry FitzRoy by Lucas Horenbout, 1534-35

Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset (15 June 1519–18 June 1536) was the son of King Henry VIII and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount, the only illegitimate offspring that Henry acknowledged. FitzRoy was created Earl of Nottingham and Duke of Richmond and Somerset on 16 June 1525.

Born in Blackmore, Essex, Richmond was raised like a prince at Sheriff Hutton Castle in Yorkshire. His father had a particular fondness for him and took great interest in his upbringing. At one point, there was talk of making him the King's legitimate heir, the more so since Henry VIII had yet to have a legitimate son. Richmond was made Lord President of the Council of the North and Warden of the West, Middle and East Scottish Marches.

The Crown of Ireland Act 1542 established a personal union between the English and Irish crowns, providing that whoever was king of England was to be king of Ireland as well, and so its first holder was King Henry VIII of England. This was after the plan to make the Duke of Richmond and Somerset, King of Ireland, had fallen through upon his death. Although FitzRoy was made Lord-Lieutenant, it was feared by the King's counselors that making a separate Kingdom of Ireland, in which its ruler was different than that of England, would create another King of Scotland. (J.J. Scarisbrick, English Monarchs: Henry VIII, University of California Press)

The Duke married Lady Mary Howard, only daughter of the 3rd Duke of Norfolk, on 28 November 1533. He was on excellent terms with his brother-in-law, the poet Lord Surrey. Although tradition has it that Anne Boleyn was hostile to the match, it now seems^{[citation needed]} that it was she who organized pairing her young cousin Mary with the King's illegitimate son. Therefore, the Howard family could be even closer (in favour and family) to the King.

The Duke's promising career came to an abrupt end in 1536. For some time he had looked ill and many courtiers suspected that he was suffering from the dreaded consumption (tuberculosis). The boy died of consumption at St. James's Palace. At the time of his death, an Act was going through Parliament to enable the King to nominate him as heir. Norfolk gave orders that the body be wrapped in lead and taken in a closed cart for secret interment, but his servants put the body in a straw-filled wagon. The only mourners were two attendants who followed at a distance.

The Duke's ornate tomb is in Framlingham Church, Suffolk.

His father out-lived him by just over a decade, and was succeeded by his legitimate son, Prince Edward (who became Edward VI), born shortly after Richmond's death. Most, historians maintain that Edward VI, like Henry Fitzroy, died of tuberculosis. However, some other historians along with Doctor Julian Litten are starting a new research that links the deaths of Edward, Henry, and their uncle, Arthur Tudor^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] In fiction

Rather than living to the age of seventeen as in reality, the character called Henry Fitzroy in the 2007 TV series "The Tudors" dies at about the age of 6 of the Sweating Sickness.

In the TV Series Blood Ties, Henry Fitzroy is played by Kyle Schmid and instead of dying at 17, he was turned into a vampire and now lives in the present day.

In Mercedes Lackey's books This Scepter'd Isle and Ill Met by Moonlight, a changeling died in Henry FitzRoy's place, and the real FitzRoy lived out his life in the Underhill domain of the Bright Court Elves.