The Tudor Society

18 March – The birth of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

Henry VIII's beloved sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France, was born on this day in 1496 at Richmond Palace.

In this video, I give a brief overview of Mary Tudor's life.

You can find out more about Mary and Brandon's secret marriage in this video from 3rd March:

Also on this day in history:

  • 1496 – Death of Thomas Burgh, Baron Burgh, soldier and administrator. He was buried in the chantry chapel he had built in Gainsborough Parish Church. Burgh had served as an Esquire of the Body, Master of the Horse and Privy Councillor to Edward IV, and also served Henry VII as Knight of the Body and Privy Councillor.
  • 1539 – Death of Sir Robert Wingfield, diplomat, probably in Calais. He was laid to rest in St Nicholas Church, Calais. Wingfield served both Henry VII and Henry VIII as a diplomat, and was appointed Lord Deputy of Calais in 1526.
  • 1554 - The twenty year old Lady Elizabeth was escorted to the Tower of London and imprisoned there.
  • 1601 – Execution of Sir Christopher Blount, soldier, secret agent and rebel, after his involvement in the rebellion of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. He was executed at the Tower of London for high treason and buried there. Blount corresponded with Thomas Morgan, an exiled agent of Mary, Queen of Scots, in Paris, but as he was the Earl of Leicester's Master of the Horse at the time, it appears that he was working as an agent for Leicester and Sir Francis Walsingham. Blount married Leicester's widow, Lettice (née Knollys) in the spring of 1589.

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18 March – The birth of Mary Tudor, Queen of France