Born – c 1485
Died – 22nd August 1545
Father – William Brandon (1456 – 1485)
Mother – Elizabeth Bruyn (d. 1494)
Spouses – m. c.1505, anul 1507 – Margaret Neville (b. 1466); m. 1508 – Anne Browne (d. 1510); m. 1515 – Mary Tudor (1496 – 1533); m. 1533 – Catherine Willoughby (1519 – 1580)
Children – by Anne Browne – Anne (1507 – 1557), Mary (1510 – 1542);
by Mary Tudor – Henry (1516 – 1522), Frances (1517 – 1559), Eleanor (1519 – 1547), Henry (1523 – 1534);
by Catherine Willoughby – Henry (1535 – 1551), Charles (1537 – 1551)
1484 (around)
Charles Brandon was born to Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. He had an older brother, William. The family were members of the court and Charles was educated with other children of the court.
1485 (22nd August)
Charles Brandon’s father, Sir William Brandon was standard bearer at the Battle of Bosworth Field and lost his life during the fighting.
1491 (28th June)
1494 (March)
Charles’s mother, Elizabeth, died.
1500 (around)
Charles’s brother, William died.
1502 (2nd April)
Prince Arthur, heir to the throne, died of a viral infection. Charles’s friend, Prince Henry, became heir to the throne
1505 (around)
Charles was betrothed to Anne Browne, daughter of Sir Anthony Browne and Lucy Neville.
1507 (before 7th February)
Brandon deserted Anne Browne who was pregnant and married her aunt, Margaret Neville.
1507 (after 7th February)
The marriage of Charles Brandon and Margaret Neville was declared void due to Charles’s pre-contract with Anne Browne.
1507 (during)
A daughter, Anne, was born to Charles Brandon and Anne Browne.
1508 (early)
Charles married Anne Browne.
1509 (21st April)
After a long illness, King Henry VII, aged fifty-two years, died from tuberculosis at Richmond palace, Surrey. Prince Henry became King Henry VIII.
1510 (2nd June)
A daughter, Mary, was born to Charles Brandon and Anne Browne.
1511 (during)
Charles Brandon’s wife, Anne Browne, died.
1512 (August)
Elizabeth Grey aged 7 years became a ward of Brandon after her stepfather, Thomas Knyvet, died.
1513 (during)
Charles Brandon was created Master of the Horse.
1513 (15th May)
Charles Brandon was created Viscount Lisle after becoming engaged to Elizabeth Grey, his 8 year old ward.
1513 (mid June)
Charles had left England with the English army and sailed to France. The army lay siege to Therouanne.
1513 (late August)
Brandon took part in the siege of Tournai.
1514 (around)
Charles’s betrothal to Elizabeth Grey was annulled. He duly gave up the title of Viscount Lisle.
1514 (4th March)
Charles Brandon was created Duke of Suffolk.
1514 (9th October)
Henry’s sister, Mary Tudor, who was in love with Brandon, married King Louis XII of France. Charles was in France for the celebrations to mark the marriage and he took part in the jousts.
1515 (1st January)
King Louis XII of France died.
1515 (27th January)
Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, arrived in Paris. He had been sent by Henry VIII to negotiate the return of Mary’s plate and jewels. He had promised Henry that he would maintain a professional relationship with Mary.
1515 (3rd March)
Charles secretly married Mary Tudor at the chapel in the Palais de Cluny, Paris. The new King of France, Francis I, was one of the ten people that witnessed the marriage.
1515 (April)
Charles Brandon wrote to Thomas Wolsey to tell him that he and Mary had secretly married. He asked Wolsey to help break the news to the King.
1515 (April)
Henry VIII was furious when he learned that Charles and Mary had married without permission.
1515 (16th April)
Charles and Mary left Paris for Calais, which was a part of England. There, Mary wrote to Henry stating that she would not return to England unless Henry gave permission for her marriage to Charles to stand.
1515 (May)
Charles and Mary Brandon, Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, were allowed to return to England on condition that they pay Henry £1,000 per year for 24 years, the cost of Mary’s marriage to Louis XII. The fine was crippling financially and they lived away from court until Henry reduced the debt some years later.
1515 (13th May)
Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor were publicly married at Grey Friar’s Church, Greenwich, in the presence of King Henry VIII. The couple made their home at Westhorpe Hall, Suffolk.
1515 (Summer)
Brandon’s two daughters by his previous marriage, Anne and Mary, joined them at Westhorpe Hall.
1516 (11th March)
A son, Henry, was born to Charles and Mary Brandon at Bath Place, London.
1517 (16th July)
A daughter, Frances, was born to Charles and Mary Brandon.
1518 (during)
Charles and Mary Brandon were present at court to witness the betrothal of Princess Mary to Francis, the infant son of Francis I of France.
1519 (during)
A daughter, Eleanor, was born to Charles and Mary Brandon.
1520 (30th, 31st May)
Charles and Mary were among the nobles that accompanied Henry VIII to France for the Field of the Cloth of Gold summit meeting. Charles was a key feature in the jousting tournaments.
1522 (during)
Mary and Charles’ son, Henry, died.
1523 (during)
Brandon was sent to Calais to command the English forces there.
1523 (during)
A son, Henry, was born to Charles and Mary Brandon.
1524 (21st May)
Charles Brandon was appointed Earl Marshall of England.
1525 (during)
Charles’s daughter, Anne, married Edward Grey.
1525 (18th June)
Charles’s son, Henry, was created Earl of Lincoln.
c. 1526 (during)
Charles’s daughter Mary, married Thomas Stanley, Baron Monteagle.
1528 (1st March)
The heiress Catherine Willoughby became a ward of Charles Brandon and joined his household.
1528 (Summer)
Charles’s wife, Mary, was taken ill with sweating sickness. She survived but it left her in poor health.
1533 (during)
Charles Brandon gave up the office of Earl Marshall of England.
1533 (March)
Charles’s daughter, Eleanor, was betrothed to Henry Clifford.
1533 (Spring)
Charles’s daughter, Frances Brandon, married Henry Grey at Suffolk Place.
1533 (1st June)
King Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn. Brandon acted as High Steward during the ceremony.
1533 (25th June)
Charles’s wife, Mary Tudor died at Westhorpe Hall, Suffolk.
1533 (7th September)
Charles Brandon married his ward, Catherine Willoughby.
1534 (1st March)
Brandon’s son, Henry, Earl of Lincoln, died.
1535 (1st July)
Charles was one of the judges who tried and found Thomas More guilty of treason. He was sentenced to death.
1535 (18th September)
A son, Henry, was born to Charles and Elizabeth Grey.
1537 (during)
A son, Charles, was born to Charles and Elizabeth Grey.
1544 (24th August)
Brandon was a commander of troops that invaded France and lay siege to Boulogne. However, Brandon was not an effective commander.
1545 (22nd August)
Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died. He was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
Published Jul 22, 2019 @ 1:24 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2019 – 2020). Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk 1484 – 1545. Available: http://www.thetimelinegeekhttps://www.thetimelinegeek.com/charles-brandon-duke-of-suffolk-1484-1545 Last accessed [date]