Henry VIII's Mistresses
By Mark Holinshed
Three women are accepted by almost all historians as having extramarital relationships with King Henry VIII. Here are the three.
Elizabeth - also known as - Bessie Blount
Elizabeth was the mother of Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy. The king bestowed the dukedoms of Somerset and Richmond on young Fitzroy.
Fitzroy or FitzRoy is an Anglo-Norman name originally meaning son of the king, a corruption of the French fils du roi.
Fitzroy or FitzRoy is an Anglo-Norman name originally meaning son of the king, a corruption of the French fils du roi.
Mary Boleyn
Mary was Anne Boleyn’s sister.
Mary or Margaret Shelton
The source for this relationship is Imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, According to Spanish state papers Henry had an illicit relationship with Mistress Shelton from February to about August 1535. She was first cousin of Anne Boleyn.
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From Mistress to Wife
Henry entered into a relationship with Anne Boleyn while still married to Catherine of Aragon, with Jane Seymour while married to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, while married to Anne of Cleves.
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Some Alleged Mistresses Include
Jane Popincourt, a French tutor to Henry VIII’s sisters
Anne Bassett, stepdaughter of Henry’s uncle, Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle
Elizabeth Carew, wife of friend, Nicholas Carew
Anne Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, sister of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
Anne Bassett, stepdaughter of Henry’s uncle, Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle
Elizabeth Carew, wife of friend, Nicholas Carew
Anne Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, sister of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
