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Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

 
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk

 
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Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473 – 25 August 1554) was a prominent Tudor
Tudor dynasty

The House of Tudor was a prominent European royal house that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms from 1485 until 1603. Founded by Henry VII of England, who, though his paternal family was Welsh people ?his grandfather was Owen Tudor? was himself also a legitimized descendent of the royal House of Lancaster....
 politician. He was uncle to two of the wives of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was List of English consorts as the Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England. She was also Earl of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation....
 and Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard

Katherine Howard , also spelled Catherine or Katheryn, was the fifth Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England , and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
, as well as the king's mistress Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn

Mary Boleyn was a member of the English Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England. Mary was the sister of Queen consort Anne Boleyn; some historians claim she was the younger sister, but her children believed Mary was the elder sister, as do most historians today....
, and played a major role in the machinations behind these relationships. After falling from favor he was imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London , is a historic monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames....
 with his dukedom forfeit, and was released on the accession of Mary I
Mary I

Mary I may refer to:*Mary I of England , daughter of Henry VIII, often called "Bloody Mary"*Mary I of Scotland , Best known as "Queen of Scots"...
. He aided in securing Mary's throne, setting the stage for alienation between his Catholic family and the Protestant royal line that would be continued by Elizabeth I.

ith all the Dukes of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk

The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the Premier Earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England....
, Thomas Howard was descended from Edward I.






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Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473 – 25 August 1554) was a prominent Tudor
Tudor dynasty

The House of Tudor was a prominent European royal house that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms from 1485 until 1603. Founded by Henry VII of England, who, though his paternal family was Welsh people ?his grandfather was Owen Tudor? was himself also a legitimized descendent of the royal House of Lancaster....
 politician. He was uncle to two of the wives of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was List of English consorts as the Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England. She was also Earl of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation....
 and Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard

Katherine Howard , also spelled Catherine or Katheryn, was the fifth Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England , and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
, as well as the king's mistress Mary Boleyn
Mary Boleyn

Mary Boleyn was a member of the English Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England. Mary was the sister of Queen consort Anne Boleyn; some historians claim she was the younger sister, but her children believed Mary was the elder sister, as do most historians today....
, and played a major role in the machinations behind these relationships. After falling from favor he was imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London , is a historic monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames....
 with his dukedom forfeit, and was released on the accession of Mary I
Mary I

Mary I may refer to:*Mary I of England , daughter of Henry VIII, often called "Bloody Mary"*Mary I of Scotland , Best known as "Queen of Scots"...
. He aided in securing Mary's throne, setting the stage for alienation between his Catholic family and the Protestant royal line that would be continued by Elizabeth I.

Early Life

As with all the Dukes of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk

The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the Premier Earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England....
, Thomas Howard was descended from Edward I. He was the son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk

Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk was an England soldier and statesman, and son of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk by his first wife, Katherine de Moleyns, the daughter of William de Moleyns and Margery Whalesborough....
, and Elizabeth Tilney
Elizabeth Tilney

Elizabeth Tilney, Countess of Surrey was the first wife of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and the mother of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk....
. Thomas Howard succeeded his younger brother Edward
Edward Howard (admiral)

Sir Edward Howard, , son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Tilney, younger brother to Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. Edward was the first of the Howards to win fame as a great admiral, beginning his naval career very young ....
 as Lord High Admiral
Lord High Admiral

Lord High Admiral can refer to:* for Lord High Admiral of England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom, see Admiralty* Lord High Admiral of Scotland...
 in 1513. Until 1524 he was styled Earl of Surrey
Earl of Surrey

The Earldom of Surrey was first created in 1088 for William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey. Perhaps because he held little property in Surrey, the earldom came to be more commonly called of Warenne....
.

Marriages

Norfolk first married Anne of York, daughter of Edward IV of England
Edward IV of England

Edward IV was Kingdom of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death....
 and Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth Woodville or Wydeville was the Queen consort of King Edward IV of England from 1464 until his death in 1483....
 on 4 February 1494 at Greenwich Palace
Palace of Placentia

The Palace of Placentia was an England British Royal Family Palace built by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester in 1447, in Greenwich, London, on the banks of the River Thames, downstream from London....
. The couple had at least two children: Thomas Howard (c. 1496-1508) and a stillborn child (c. 1499). There are also suggestions of short-lived Henry Howard and William Howard resulting from this marriage.

Following Anne's death in 1511 he married Elizabeth Stafford
Elizabeth Howard, Duchess of Norfolk

Elizabeth Howard was the daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and the wife of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk.Family ...
, daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham was an England nobleman. He was the son of the Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and the former Catherine Woodville, daughter of the Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and sister-in-law of Edward IV of England....
 and Alianore Percy on 8 January 1512. They had three children: Lady Mary Howard (c. 1513-1555) who married Henry Fitzroy
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset

Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of Henry VIII of England and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount, the only Illegitimacy offspring that Henry acknowledged....
, illegitimate son of Henry VIII; Henry Howard
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey Order of the Garter was an England aristocrat, and one of the founders of English Renaissance poetry....
 (1517-1547) was one of the founders of Renaissance poetry; and Thomas Howard (c.1520-1582). The marriage with Elizabeth was unhappy. When Elizabeth complained about his mistress, Bess Holland
Bess Holland

Bess Holland was the mistress of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and maid-of-honour to his niece, Anne Boleyn, the Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England....
, the Duke beat her. The couple remained estranged until Norfolk's death.

Rise to Power

On his father's death in 1524 he inherited the dukedom of Norfolk and was named Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer

The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer is an old England government position. The holder of the post is third highest of the Great Officer of State, ranking below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President of the Council....
 and Earl Marshal
Earl Marshal

Earl Marshal is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom....
, making Howard one of the most premier nobles in the kingdom. He distinguished himself many times in battle, and was an able soldier. His power increased somewhat after his niece Anne Boleyn became Henry VIII's mistress, sometime around 1527. However, their relationship was fraught with difficulty since Anne found her uncle to be selfish and untrustworthy. Although they were political allies throughout the late 1520s alongside Howard's brother-in-law Thomas Boleyn, Anne's father, Norfolk once complained that Anne used words to him "that one would not use to a dog." She was crowned queen in 1533, and was probably influential along with Queen Anne in securing the marriage of Norfolk's daughter Mary to Henry Fitzroy.

Queen Anne's religious and political vision was more radical than Norfolk's, and their relationship deteriorated throughout 1535 and 1536 as Henry VIII became increasingly unfaithful, including with Anne's cousin, Mary Shelton
Mary Shelton

Margaret Shelton and Mary Shelton were two sisters in Tudor period, one of whom may have been a Mistress of Henry VIII of England.Mary was a maid-of-honour and poet....
. Putting his own security before family loyalties, he presided over Queen Anne's trial in 1536, giving a death sentence despite her probable innocence. The next day, he condemned to death his nephew, Anne's brother George
George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford

George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford was the brother of Anne Boleyn, the husband of Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford. He was convicted of incest with his sister, Anne, during the period of her trial for treason....
 for the crime of incest with his own sister, the Queen.

After the death of Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour was List of English consorts as the third Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution in 1536....
 he used another of his nieces, the teenaged Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard

Katherine Howard , also spelled Catherine or Katheryn, was the fifth Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England , and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
 to strengthen his power at court by orchestrating an affair between her and the 48 year-old king. He used Henry's subsequent marriage to Catherine as an opportunity to dispose of his long-term enemy Thomas Cromwell, who was beheaded in 1540. Queen Catherine's reign was a short one, however, since Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer

Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII of England and Edward VI of England....
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the Episcopal see that churches must be in communion with in order to be a part of the Anglican Communion....
, discovered that she was already secretly betrothed before her marriage to Henry and had been extremely indiscreet since. Catherine was beheaded in February 1542, and numerous other Howards were imprisoned in the Tower - including the duke's stepmother, brother, two sisters-in-law and numerous servants.

Imprisonment and Release


Catherine Howard's execution was his downfall, despite Norfolk's desperate efforts to heal the rift. In December 1546, he was arrested in company with his son Henry and charged with treason. Henry VIII died the day before the execution was due to take place, and Norfolk's sentence was commuted to imprisonment. The Earl of Surrey was less fortunate and had been executed a few days previously.

Norfolk remained in the Tower throughout the reign of Edward VI of England
Edward VI of England

Edward VI became List of English monarchs and King of Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first Protestantism ruler....
 and his dukedom remained forfeit. He was released by Mary I in 1553, due to the Howards being an important Catholic
Catholic

Catholic is an adjective derived from the Greek language adjective , meaning "whole" or "complete". In the context of Christianity ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages....
 family, and the dukedom was restored. The Duke showed his gratitude by leading the forces sent to put down the rebellion of Thomas Wyatt
Thomas Wyatt the younger

Sir Thomas Wyatt the younger was a rebel leader during the reign of Queen Mary I of England; his rising is traditionally called "Wyatt's rebellion"....
, who had protested against the Queen's forthcoming marriage to Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain

Philip II was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, List of monarchs of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England, as husband of Mary I of England, from 1554 to 1558, lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories, such as Duke or Count; and King of Portugal as Philip I...
 and had planned to put Anne Boleyn's daughter, the future Elizabeth I on the throne in Mary's place. The result of Norfolk's suppression of the Wyatt Rebellion was Princess Elizabeth's imprisonment in the Tower (although there was not enough evidence to convict her on treason, since she clearly had not been party to the rebels' precise intentions) and the execution of the Queen's cousin Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey , also known as Queen Jane of England, was a claimant to the Kingdom of England and Monarchy of Ireland, who was de facto monarch of England for just over a week in 1553....
. Norfolk died not long after the Wyatt Rebellion and was succeeded by his grandson Thomas
Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk

Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk was an England nobleman, also the 1st Earl of Southampton.Norfolk was the son of the poet Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey....
. The 4th Duke, also a Catholic, was executed on Elizabeth's orders for illegally plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots.

Thomas Howard's tomb is situated in Framlingham Church, Suffolk
St Michael the Archangel, Framlingham

St Michael the Archangel in Framlingham, Suffolk, known affectionately as St Mike's, is a Church of England church dedicated to Michael ....
. It is among the best preserved example of ornate stonework in Europe.

Fictional portrayals

Norfolk has been portrayed several times in film. In the 1970 BBC miniseries The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Norfolk was portrayed by Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton

Patrick George "Pat" Troughton was an England actor most widely known in his role as the Second Doctor incarnation of Doctor in the long running United Kingdom science fiction on television series Doctor Who, which he played from 1966 to 1969....
. In 1967's A Man for All Seasons
A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)

A Man for All Seasons is a 1966 in film film based on Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons about Sir Thomas More. Paul Scofield, who had played More in the West End theatre stage premiere, also took the role in the film....
, he was played by Nigel Davenport
Nigel Davenport

Nigel Davenport is an England stage, television and film actor....
. In 1969's Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days

Anne of the Thousand Days is a 1969 in film film genre made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B....
, Peter Jeffrey
Peter Jeffrey

Peter Jeffrey was a United Kingdom actor with many roles in television and film.Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence Alice and Arthur Winfred Gilbert Jeffrey....
 took the role, and Mark Strong
Mark Strong

Mark Strong is an England actor....
 portrayed Norfolk in the , with Ray Winstone
Ray Winstone

Raymond Andrew "Ray" Winstone, Jr. is an Emmy Award-winning English people film and television actor. He is mostly known for his "tough guy" roles, beginning with that of Carlin in the 1979 film Scum , and is also known as a voice over actor....
 as Henry. In Showtime
Showtime

Showtime is a Pay TV brand used by a number of channels and platforms around the world, but primarily refers to a group of channels in the United States....
's ongoing series The Tudors
The Tudors

The Tudors is a historical fiction television series created and entirely written by Michael Hirst . The series is based upon the early reign of English people monarch Henry VIII of England, and is named after his Tudor dynasty....
 (2007), he is played by Henry Czerny
Henry Czerny

Henry Czerny is a Canadian actor.Czerny was born to Poland parents in Toronto, Ontario. His mother was a bakery worker and his father a welder....
. David Morrissey
David Morrissey

David Morrissey is an English actor and director. Morrissey grew up in the Kensington, Liverpool and Knotty Ash areas of Liverpool. He learned to act at the Everyman Theatre, alongside Ian Hart and Mark McGann and Stephen McGann....
 plays the Duke in The Other Boleyn Girl film. He is also a character in the Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory is an England historical novelist....
 novels The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance
The Boleyn Inheritance

The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel by British author Philippa Gregory which was first published in 2006. It is a direct sequel to her previous novel The Other Boleyn Girl, and one of the additions to her six-part series on the Tudor royals....
.

See also

  • Dukes of Norfolk family tree
    Dukes of Norfolk family tree

    The following chart is a family tree of the Dukes of Norfolk, who were members of the Plantagenet, Mowbray and Howard families. It shows how every Duke of Norfolk was a descendant of King Edward I of England....