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Mary Tudor: The Princess Who Became Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk
On 18th March 1496, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York welcomed their second daughter into the world. Named Mary Tudor, she was the younger sister of Margaret Tudor and Henry Tudor, both of whom would go on to play significant roles in European history. Like them, Mary’s marital life was shaped by the political ambitions of her father and the shifting alliances of the Tudor era.
A Princess with a Political Purpose
As was customary for English princesses, Mary’s future was determined by diplomacy. England’s long-standing rivals were Scotland to the north and France to the south, while its relationships with Castile and Burgundy fluctuated between alliance and enmity. King Henry VII aimed to secure England’s political standing by arranging strategic marriages that would neutralise threats and strengthen friendships.
Mary’s elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, was famously married to Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon. This union reinforced England’s ties with Spain. Meanwhile, her sister Margaret Tudor was promised to King James IV of Scotland from a young age, a match first discussed when Margaret was just six. Their marriage took place in 1503, forging a temporary peace between the two kingdoms.
For Mary, however, things were less certain. She was initially betrothed to Charles Habsburg, the future Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and nephew of Catherine of Aragon. But since Charles was four years younger than Mary, she had to wait until he was of marriageable age. This delay ultimately worked against her, as by the time she turned seventeen, the engagement was called off in favour of a peace treaty with France.
In 1514, eighteen-year-old Mary was married to King Louis XII of France, a man thirty-four years her senior who had already been twice married.
Queen of France
Upon her marriage, Mary became Queen of France and stepmother to Louis’ two daughters, Claude and Renée. Although there was great pressure on her to produce an heir, she did not share the long-term struggles of her sister-in-law Catherine of Aragon. Louis XII died in January 1515, less than three months after their wedding, leaving Mary a widow at just nineteen years old.
With no surviving male heir from Louis, the French throne passed to his cousin, Francis I. The new king intended to arrange Mary’s next marriage for his own political gain, while her brother, now Henry VIII, sought to bring her back to England under his own terms. However, Mary took control of her own fate—and in doing so, risked everything.
Duchess of Suffolk
Defying expectations, Mary secretly married Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, one of Henry VIII’s closest friends, just months after Louis’ death. This unauthorised marriage caused an uproar. Henry was enraged that his sister had married without his royal permission, and the English court was scandalised that a man of Brandon’s rank had wed a former queen. Some even suggested that Brandon should be executed for his audacity.
However, Mary’s strong bond with Henry VIII and Brandon’s long-standing friendship with the king ultimately saved them. Instead of execution, the couple was forced to pay a hefty fine to Henry as compensation. Once their punishment was settled, they were officially married again at Greenwich Palace, this time with Henry’s approval and presence.
Settling back into life in England, Mary spent much of her time at the Suffolk estates with Brandon. She became a stepmother once again to his two daughters and had four children of her own. At court, she was known to be close to Catherine of Aragon and later supported her against Anne Boleyn. However, Mary did not live long enough to witness Henry VIII’s many subsequent marriages. She passed away in June 1533 and was buried at Bury St Edmunds.
Her legacy lived on, particularly through her eldest daughter Frances Brandon, who became the mother of Lady Jane Grey, the tragic “Nine Days’ Queen” who would later make her own bid for the English throne.
