Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset
Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of Henry VIII of England and his mistress Elizabeth Blount, and the only child born out of wedlock whom Henry acknowledged. He was the younger half-brother of Mary I, as well as the older half-brother of Elizabeth I and Edward VI. Through his mother, he was the elder half-brother of Elizabeth, George, and Robert Tailboys. His surname means "son of the king" in Norman French.
Portrait miniature by Lucas Horenbout, between 1533 and 1534
Sketch of the Duchess of Richmond by Hans Holbein the Younger
Tomb of Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and his wife Mary. St Michael the Archangel's Church, Framlingham, Suffolk
Noah's Ark on the Flood, one of the scenes from the Old Testament in the tomb of the Duke of Richmond
Henry VIII was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage annulled. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated by the pope.
Portrait of Henry VIII after Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1537–1562
Portrait by Meynnart Wewyck, 1509
The meeting of Francis I and Henry VIII at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520
Henry with Emperor Charles V (right) and Pope Leo X (centre), c. 1520
