Charles Brandon (lived 1484-1545) was Lord
President of the Council under England's Henry VIII from 1530
until just before his death in 1545. Charles had four
wives: (1) Margaret Mortimer, (2) Anne Browne, (3) Mary Tudor
(Queen Dowager of France and sister of Henry VIII), and (4)
Catherine Willoughby.
Charles Brandon fathered eight legitimate children: (1) Anne
Brandon, Baroness Grey of Powis, (2) Mary Brandon, Baroness
Monteagle, (3) Lord Henry Brandon, (4) Lady Frances Brandon, (5)
Lady Eleanor Brandon, Countess of Cumberland, (6) Henry Brandon,
1st Earl of Lincoln, (7) Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, and
(8) Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk. His three known
illegitimate children were: (1) Sir Charles Brandon, (2) Frances
Brandon, and (3) Mary Brandon.
Charles was an important figure in both the English military and
the court of King Henry VIII. A great favorite of the
king, Charles Brandon was handsomely portrayed by British actor
Henry Cavill in the Showtime cable television series
The Tudors. Click
here to enlarge.