The Tudor Society
  • 26 April – Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn, marries Francis Knollys

    A portrait of Catherine Carey by Steven van der Meulen, 1562, and a portrait of her husband, Francis Knollys.

    On this day in Tudor history, 26th April 1540, in the reign of King Henry VIII, sixteen year-old Catherine Carey married Francis Knollys.

    Catherine was the daughter of William Carey and Mary Boleyn, and the niece of Queen Anne Boleyn. Although some believe that she was Henry VIII’s daughter, there is no evidence for this.

    Catherine served as a maid of honour to Anne of Cleves, and went into exile with her family in Mary I’s reign.

    Catherine was appointed to her cousin Elizabeth I’s bedchamber in 1559. She served there until her death in 1569.

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  • April 26 – Catherine Carey marries and Shakespeare is baptised

    On this day in Tudor history, 26th April 1540, Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn and a maid of honour to Queen Anne of Cleves, married Francis Knollys.

    The marriage was happy and successful, and resulted in at least 14 children…

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  • 15 January – The death of Catherine Carey (Knollys), daughter of Mary Boleyn

    On this day in Tudor history, 15th January 1569, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Catherine Knollys (née Carey), wife of Sir Francis Knollys, daughter of Mary Boleyn, and cousin of the queen, died at Hampton Court Palace. She was about 45 years old.

    Sadly, Queen Elizabeth I had kept Catherine and her beloved husband, Sir Francis Knollys, apart during Catherine’s final day.

    Find out more about Catherine’s final days, the queen’s cruelty, Francis’s frustration, and Catherine’s lavish burial, which was paid for by the queen, in today’s talk.

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