Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln

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For other persons named Henry Brandon, see Henry Brandon (disambiguation).

Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (March 11, 1516 - March 8, 1534) was the eldest child and only son born to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Mary Tudor, former queen consort of France. He was an older brother of Lady Frances Brandon and Lady Eleanor Brandon.

[edit] Origin

His paternal grandparents were Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. His maternal grandparents were Henry VII of England and his queen consort Elizabeth of York.

His maternal uncles included Arthur, Prince of Wales, Henry VIII of England and Edmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset. His maternal aunts included Margaret Tudor, Elizabeth Tudor and Katherine Tudor.

[edit] Earl of Lincoln

He was born in London and created Earl of Lincoln by his maternal uncle Henry VIII on June 18, 1525. He died in Southwark as an adolescent. He was unmarried and with no known descendants.

His early death would have an unexpected influence in the history of the Tudor dynasty. Henry was born about a month after his first cousin Mary I of England. Henry VIII had no other children at the time. His Queen consort Catherine of Aragon was already thirty years old and with little prospect to have any more children.

Consequently the Duchess of Suffolk was in position to claim being second-in-line for the throne, placing Henry as third-in-line for the throne. The early death of the Earl of Lincoln allowed for the royal ambitions of his sister Frances and the eventual very brief succession of his niece Lady Jane Grey to the throne on July 10, 1553.