Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Imagine being Henry VIII’s daughter-in-law and Anne Boleyn’s cousin!
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling, I look at the life of Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond and Somerset who married Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond in 1533. I’ll discuss her birth into the powerful Howard family, her place at court during the Queenship of her cousin, Anne Boleyn, her role in the baptism of Elizabeth I in 1533 and how Anne and King Henry manoeuvred the teenage Mary into a marriage with the King’s son by his former mistress, Bessie Blount, just months later.
I’ll then discuss what happened to Mary Fitzroy, Duchess of Richmond after both her royal cousin and her husband died in quick succession in 1536 and explain how and why Henry VIII treated his daughter-in-law so poorly, refusing to recognise her status or pay her dowry for years and forcing Mary to sell her jewellery to raise money. You’ll hear about how Mary fought for her rights as a member of the royal family against not just Henry, but also his other son, Edward VI and daughter Mary I and how she converted to Protestantism despite her family’s objections.
I’ll also look at the portrait of Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond by Hans Holbein the Younger, discuss her literary patronage and hear how she was nearly married to Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley, who later wed Queen Catherine Parr and was accused of inappropriate conduct with the young Elizabeth I. finally we’ll discuss Mary’s death and burial in St Michael's Church, Framlingham, Suffolk, next to the boy she’d married decades earlier, yet never even slept with.
Whether you're a fan of Tudor documentaries, passionate about forgotten women in history, or just love historical deep dives, this video is for you.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more Tudor history content, and click the bell icon so you never miss a video!
#MaryHowardDuchessOfRichmond #MaryFitzroyDuchessOfRichmond #HenryFitzroy
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Join my mailing list (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
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YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
THE LIFE OF HENRY FITZROY, DUKE OF RICHMOND AND SOMERSET
youtu.be/LGb-dtxSvks
WHO WAS BESSIE BLOUNT? HENRY VIII’S MISTRESS
youtu.be/7BkXXfDqFJE
TRAGIC DEATH AND BURIAL OF PRINCE ARTHUR
youtu.be/M7izXFVPG1M
THE SHORT LIFE OF PRINCE HENRY TUDOR, DUKE OF CORNWALL
youtu.be/7F6WYqzGURk
LEARN MORE
Beverley A. Murphy, B**stard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son (2004)
amzn.to/43P9TWH
Elizabeth Norton, Bessie Blount: Mistress to Henry VIII (2013)
amzn.to/3xMQhXu
Elizabeth Heale (ed.), The Devonshire Manuscript: A Women’s Book of Courtly Poetry
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/D/bo23515938.html
[FREE] The social edition of the Devonshire manuscript
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/The_Devonshire_Manuscript
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
Imagine being Henry VIII’s daughter-in-law and Anne Boleyn’s cousin!
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling, I look at the life of Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond and Somerset who married Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond in 1533. I’ll discuss her birth into the powerful Howard family, her place at court during the Queenship of her cousin, Anne Boleyn, her role in the baptism of Elizabeth I in 1533 and how Anne and King Henry manoeuvred the teenage Mary into a marriage with the King’s son by his former mistress, Bessie Blount, just months later.
I’ll then discuss what happened to Mary Fitzroy, Duchess of Richmond after both her royal cousin and her husband died in quick succession in 1536 and explain how and why Henry VIII treated his daughter-in-law so poorly, refusing to recognise her status or pay her dowry for years and forcing Mary to sell her jewellery to raise money. You’ll hear about how Mary fought for her rights as a member of the royal family against not just Henry, but also his other son, Edward VI and daughter Mary I and how she converted to Protestantism despite her family’s objections.
I’ll also look at the portrait of Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond by Hans Holbein the Younger, discuss her literary patronage and hear how she was nearly married to Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley, who later wed Queen Catherine Parr and was accused of inappropriate conduct with the young Elizabeth I. finally we’ll discuss Mary’s death and burial in St Michael's Church, Framlingham, Suffolk, next to the boy she’d married decades earlier, yet never even slept with.
Whether you're a fan of Tudor documentaries, passionate about forgotten women in history, or just love historical deep dives, this video is for you.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more Tudor history content, and click the bell icon so you never miss a video!
#MaryHowardDuchessOfRichmond #MaryFitzroyDuchessOfRichmond #HenryFitzroy
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Join my mailing list (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
THE LIFE OF HENRY FITZROY, DUKE OF RICHMOND AND SOMERSET
youtu.be/LGb-dtxSvks
WHO WAS BESSIE BLOUNT? HENRY VIII’S MISTRESS
youtu.be/7BkXXfDqFJE
TRAGIC DEATH AND BURIAL OF PRINCE ARTHUR
youtu.be/M7izXFVPG1M
THE SHORT LIFE OF PRINCE HENRY TUDOR, DUKE OF CORNWALL
youtu.be/7F6WYqzGURk
LEARN MORE
Beverley A. Murphy, B**stard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son (2004)
amzn.to/43P9TWH
Elizabeth Norton, Bessie Blount: Mistress to Henry VIII (2013)
amzn.to/3xMQhXu
Elizabeth Heale (ed.), The Devonshire Manuscript: A Women’s Book of Courtly Poetry
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/D/bo23515938.html
[FREE] The social edition of the Devonshire manuscript
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/The_Devonshire_Manuscript
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
