Henry VIII was never meant to be king. His father, Henry VII, had come to the throne after a very bloody civil war. Arthur, Henry’s intelligent and thoughtful older brother, was always meant to reign while “Harry”, as Henry VIII was called at the time, was merely Bonnie Prince Hal.
Since ensuring the monarchy was vital to the nation, Henry VII married his fragile young son, Arthur, to Catherine of Aragon. The hope was that Arthur would quickly manage to sire a son which would firmly ensure the peaceful survival of the nation. Sadly Arthur died before he grew old enough to consummate the marriage, and younger brother Henry became first crown prince, then King.
In the early days, Henry VIII was a noble lad. He’d fallen in love with his brother’s young wife, and since her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated, Henry was free to marry her. Over more than a decade, Catherine carried several children, but only a daughter, Mary, survived into adulthood.
During this period of repeated loss, Henry VIII took several of his wife’s ladies in waiting as mistresses. One such lover was Mary Boleyn.
Mary, by all accounts, was a simple girl. Friendly, honest, with a good heart, she bore Henry VIII two children in under five years. Though Mary was married to Lord Carey, great care was taken to insure that any child conceived by her could only be the King’s. Being caretakers for the king’s mistress and two of his illegitimate children gave the Boleyn family great power in court.
It was only later, after Mary’s sister, Anne Boleyn, captured the king’s heart and the Queen’s crown, that Mary was shunted aside. Mary and her children were of little interest to the court while Anne was in a position to bear the king a son. And once the King had accused Anne of witchcraft and had her executed, few had any inclination to discuss any member of the Boleyn family, much less a best forgotten mistress.
Most of us know that Henry VIII did have a son with is next wife, a sickly child named Edward who survived Henry VIII only by a few years.
Henry’s crown later fell to Mary, the daughter of Catherine of Aragon. Later it came to Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn, who ruled England well as the Virgin Queen.
But what of Mary’s children?
Catherine Carey, later called Lady Knollys, served as the Lady of the Bedchamber to her half sister and cousin Elizabeth 1. She lived to the age of 45 and bore 15 children, many of whom survived into adulthood.
The King’s illegitimate son, Henry Carey, was dubbed Lord Hunsdon by his father. He entered politics at the age of 21, served in parliament and was knighted and created Baron by Queen Elizabeth.
Henry served in Elizabeth’s army, suppressing rebellion and becoming Captain General assigned to defend the English borders. Over a distinguished career, Henry served his nation well, and became the first patron of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, William Shakespeare’s company. He died, in bed, at the age of 70, having had twelve children of his own.
But for a strange twist of fate, Henry Carey might well have been King of England and the evidence is that he might well have served with the strength and honor that was the hallmark of his half-sister’s reign.
For more information on Henry Carey, and the remarkable descendants of the Bolyen family, Genealogy Magazine is an exceptional resource.
