Henry VIII's Children: Legitimate and Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Tudor King

by Caroline Angus

Of the five Tudor monarchs, only one was ever born to rule. While much of King Henry VIII’s reign is centered on his reckless marriage choices, it was the foundations laid by Henry and Queen Katherine of Aragon that shaped the future of the crown. Among the suffering of five lost heirs, the royal couple placed all their hopes in the surviving Princess Mary. Her early life weaves a tale of promise, diplomacy, and pageantry never again seen in King Henry’s life, but a deep-rooted desire for a son, a legacy of his own scattered childhood, pushed Henry VIII to smother Mary’s chance to rule. An affair soon produced an unlikely heir in Henry Fitzroy, and while one child was pure royalty, the other illegitimate, the comparison of their childhoods would show a race to throne closer than many wished to admit.

King Henry’s cruelty saw his heirs’ fates pivot as wives came and went, and the birth Princess Elizabeth, saw long-term plans upended for short-term desires. With the death of one heir hidden from view, the birth of Prince Edward finally gave the realm an heir born to rule, but King Henry’s personal desires and paranoia left his heirs facing constant uncertainty for another decade until his death. Behind the narrative of Henry VIII’s wives, wars, reformation and ruthlessness, there were children, living lives of education among people who cared for them, surrounded by items in generous locations which symbolized their place in their father’s heart. They faced excitement, struggles, and isolation which would shape their own reigns. From the heights of a surviving princess destined and decreed to influence Europe, to illegitimate children scattered to the winds of fortune, the childhoods of Henry VIII’s heirs is one of ambition, destiny, heartache, and triumph.

Genres: Tudor Period, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published July 30, 2023

Reviews

[Amy McElroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we think of the children of Henry VIII we generally think of Mary, Elizabeth and Edward so it is wonderful that Caroline Angus has expanded to include his illegitimate children including Henry Fitzroy and Henry's relationship with their respective mothers.

The book doesn't focus on one aspect of their lives but instead walks us through their lives, beginning with the early years of their father, the future Henry VIII. Through the following chapters we get to find out where the children were at specific points in time, who they were with, how they spent holidays and even the gifts they received. It's certainly interesting how the lives of Mary and Elizabeth differed to those of their male siblings. We are given a wealth of information on the interactions between the royal siblings including Mary receiving gifts from Fitzroy, this insight is something usually not covered in much detail.

The research Caroline Angus has done is meticulous, referencing primary sources throughout to paint a picture of not only milestones of these children but their daily life and how the actions of their father impacted them. The author keeps the focus on the children and Henry is almost a background figure, enabling the children to step out of his shadow. Through the lives of the children we also gain insight into events of the period, the people the children interacted with such as their governesses, tutors, friends and courtiers. Caroline Angus gives the reader more than enough information to make this a very enjoyable read without filling it with unnecessary fillers.

The epilogue of this book is extremely interesting, discussing other possible illegitimate children of Henry. Catherine and Henry Carey are of course included but there are also others who Caroline Angus provides an overview of, their family and the circumstances surrounding the possibility of Henry being their father. The author does not try to persuade the reader either way, leaving room to come to your own conclusion.

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this but enjoyed it so much I've also preordered a hard copy and I will certainly be using this in the future, particularly in my current work in progress as there are references to the subject of my work, Mary Tudor, Duchess of Suffolk. I was thrilled to read snippets of Mary's life and her relationship with her niece, Princess Mary.

With her works on Thomas Cromwell and now this, Caroline Angus has quickly become a favourite author of mine. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
For those interested in the Tudor era I'd highly recommend you add this to your shelves. It truly is a wonderful contribution to the contribution to the Tudor book collection.

Lastly, I have to say how much I like this cover, it's beautiful!

[Mai H.]

Non-fiction November TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History

[me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlived by the author's unhidden contempt for Henry VIII, which appealed to me because frankly he deserves it, especially on the topic of his wives and children. I know the partisanship here (the author clearly sides with Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary, and Thomas Cromwell) could be annoying but I was quite relieved not to have to try and work out the biases of a writer for once. It's all right there up front, you can't miss any of it.

The two things I removed a star for were the number of small typing/typesetting errors that an editor should have caught (mostly minor misspellings, but occasional things like 'elevate' for 'alleviate'), which are too common in book from Pen & Sword, and the final chapter is lacking in evidence for the miscellaneous listed people being illegitimate children of Henry VIII, though since that's something that's impossible to prove at this distance in time the available evidence is most rumour.

This book sent me off trying to find out how Katharine of Aragon could possibly have been the heir to her father's kingdom - I wasn't able to follow the citation given (didn't have that book) and have drawn a blank on my own - as nobody else ever mentioned that and I feel like it would have come up. It ends up with her older sister Juana ("la Loca")/her son Charles and the problem is passing the throne of Aragon to a woman, so I am not sure where Katherine is supposed to fit in there.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Henry the eighth and Catherine of Aragon had six children and only one would live to see adulthood and that was Mary she wasn’t the sun that Henry wanted and the only son who Henry even came close to acknowledging was Henry Fitzroy his illegitimate son with the cortier Elizabeth who is also a lady in waiting for Catherine of Aragon he would eventually have a legitimate son with Jane Grey but he wouldn’t live to see adulthood he was a younger brother to Mary and Henry’s other legitimate daughter Elizabeth even with the three children he had the wood things that kept him apart because Marie was a staunch Catholic and Elizabeth and Edward were protestant Henry the iPad other illegitimate children’s fanning the British aisle but he didn’t claim all of them in the ones he did claim be used as chess pieces as and try to base their future on what would benefit him. I love reading about the royal family and there’s none more dysfunctional than the tutors in this book just covers Henry VIII and his children and that a lot on its own I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it I couldn’t read it fast enough I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly grounded in fact and well-researched, this history focuses on Mary, Elizabeth, Edward, and the illegitimate Henry Fitzroy … other gossip is related and discredited … filled with detail, the book includes a six-page Bibliography and a selection of color plates ..,

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry VIII's Children by Caroline Angus takes a look at the children of Henry the VIII, the more well-known legitimate ones, and the lesser-known acknowledged illegitimate son. It also makes a note of the various other people who were posited at the time or afterward to have been descended from the king.

This book is very absorbing, and I loved the focus on Mary, being the first who was then shunted to the side when he couldn't get the son heir he so desperately sought. The text is compelling without becoming overwhelming, and it was a quick read (especially given the modest number of pages of which it is composed). I especially enjoyed the author putting in a cost of how much the households ran each year, or each season, and how much was spent for festivals, or dresses, or food, which was then translated into what it would equal today. All I have to say is: my word! They just went through money like it was water; I became numb to the gargantuan amounts after a certain point.

Pen & Sword Books generally have pictures at the back, and I was delighted that these were in colour; other books I've had of theirs haven't been, and I suppose it's because it is a greater cost to do so. I enjoyed it nevertheless, because if any family needs to be colourised, it's the Tudors with their beautiful red hair.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Marie]

I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Pen & Sword for the uncorrected proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have been a lover of Tudor history since I was a child, but I have to admit that my focused reading on the subject has been focused on the six Queens consort, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. Therefore, the information in this book concerning Henry Fitzroy and to a lesser extent Edward VI was new information. Although I enjoyed nearly everything about this book my general thoughts can be summed up in five main points.

First, I greatly enjoyed the formatting and writing of this book. Angus did an excellent job cohesively weaving the narratives of Henry VIII's four recognized childrens' lives so that it provided enough focus on each child in their own right, while also discussing how their lives were interwoven. However, given that this history runs somewhat linearly to highlight Henry VIII's struggles in obtaining the male heir he desired a larger portion of the narrative focuses on Mary I and Henry Fiztroy. This did not bother me however because it really demonstrates just how much of an education and preparation Mary I was given to be Queen further highlighting Henry VIII's drive for a son was unfounded. Also, the intricate histories were helped by Angus' artful writing style that made the facts speak through a narrative rather than a dry recitation of information.

Second, I enjoyed how the entire court was integrated into the story. None of these children was raised in isolation and it was fascinating to learn about how the children's lives were impacted by other influential powers at court. I really enjoyed seeing Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury and Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox making appearances throughout the narrative. It was also fascinating to learn how the Boleyn family interacted with Katharine of Aragon and Mary I before the rise of Anne Boleyn to power and how Henry Fitzroy was involved with the Duke of Norfolk and King Francis I of France.

Third, I appreciate that Angus did not pit the children, nor their mothers, against one another in the narrative. I find that too often when the history focuses on more than one Tudor figure that there is an inevitable highlighting of that persons stance, which do to the circumstances of the time places them in conflict with another person or group at court. Agnus did a great job of highlighting both sides of a conflict without taking too strong of a stance. Also, the fact that Angus called both Mary and Elizabeth by the title of Princess was refreshing because it discounts Henry VIII as the leader of their narrative.

Fourth, the discussion of Henry's potential mistresses was very interesting. I have read books focused on examining the potential liaisons that Henry VIII had throughout his lifetime, but I felt that Angus provided a comprehensive overview based on the available evidence. I will say that one thing that I struggled with in the text is Angus' assertion that Henry VIII did not have an affair with Mary Boleyn. I by no means think that Angus should not be able to challenge the dominate historical story around their potential affair, but I am curious as to why Angus feels that there is not enough evidence to support a relationship between the King and Mary Boleyn. While Angus does provide some information regarding her thoughts on the subject in the main text and the Epilogue I just wish that there was more discussion on this topic. Also, while the Epilogue was interesting to read as I had never even heard of any of them except for Catherine and Henry Carey (the children of Mary Boleyn).

Finally, I greatly enjoyed the discussion of all the rumored and actual pregnancies experienced by Henry VIII's wives. It really highlighted the struggles that Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn experienced. I also think that by highlighting these stories it really emphasized the horrible behaviors and actions of Henry VIII. Interestingly though Angus also softens Henry VIII in the history by highlighting behaviors that demonstrate his affection for all of his recognized children. I appreciated this because it did pit Henry VIII as a father against Henry VIII as a husband and it is interesting to think about how you reconciled those to halves of himself.

In conclusion this is a great book for any Tudor or history lover and I highly recommend it. It provides great insights into their lives and highlights that although Henry VIII did not expect his daughters to rule that they were very well prepared for the task.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we think about the title royal children, images of children who get whatever they want, being spoiled with gems and gowns, and ruling kingdoms, they are married to create alliances. In that sense, it would define a life of luxury. However, for the children of King Henry VIII, luxury was not always in their dictionary. What was life like for the legitimate and illegitimate children of Henry VIII? Caroline Angus explores this question in her latest book, "Henry VIII's Children: Legitimate and Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Tudor King."

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I have read quite a few books about the children of Henry VIII, so when I saw the title, I was interested to see what new information Angus would provide in her book.

To understand why Henry VIII desired a large family, especially male heirs, Angus explores Henry's childhood as the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. We then transition to the marriage of Henry and Katherine of Aragon and her multiple miscarriages until her beloved daughter Mary was born. After Mary, Angus explores the relationships of Henry VIII with Bessie Blount, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Seymour and his other children that were recognized as his own, Henry Fitzroy, Elizabeth, and Edward, respectively.

What I enjoyed in this book is the amount of information that Angus provided about not only Henry's legitimate children but his illegitimate children, primarily the information about Henry Fitzroy. For so long, Henry Fitzroy was a footnote in the Henry VIII story, but it is so fascinating how much he relied on his eldest son even though he was illegitimate. Then, you have Mary's upbringing compared to Elizabeth's, and you see how much of a struggle it was to be a daughter of Henry VIII instead of a treasured son.

Angus also included a section about children who many questioned if they were indeed illegitimate children of the king, including the children of Mary Boleyn. She also included some Tudors I had never heard about, which was interesting to read about how their life experiences differed from their royal counterparts. The king's legitimate and illegitimate children dealt with so much pain and suffering because of who their dear old dad was, and they all craved a little bit of his love in return.

Angus has done an excellent job telling the tales of the rather sad upbringings of the children of Henry VIII. A crown and a king as a father did not mean your life was a fairy tale. By understanding their childhoods, we can understand why the Tudor children became strong-willed leaders. If you want an excellent book that gives you a glimpse into what it meant to be a child of a monarch during the Tudor period, check out, "Henry VIII's Children: Legitimate and Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Tudor King" by Caroline Angus.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry VIII's Children brings to life Henry's children both legitimate and illegitimate. I found it an easy to follow book. It also has mentions of other children who he never claimed, who he might have fathered at the end. Most of those names, being ones I had not heard about. It gave me more insight on how many other children he may have had, and what their lives were like.

I was able to finally learn a lot more about the life of Henry Fitzroy, his son, who he fathered with Bessie Blount. I found his parts quite interesting to read about. I knew very little about him, aside from who his mother was and how long he lived. I really enjoyed learning more about him and also his wife Mary Howard.

Mary's bits were quite tragic, I find myself feeling more and more sorry for her every time I read about her, but especially in this book, and her mother Katharine of Aragon as well. What awful times they went through and it's such a shame they were unable to see each other before Katharine died. Mary had such a turbulent teenage years and early adulthood.

I always enjoy reading about Elizabeth's early life, and this book was no exception.

Edward was such a spoiled child! But aren't most princes'?

Overall the book was easy to read and didn't talk long to complete. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to read more about Henry's children. I also enjoyed the photographs at the end.


I received Henry VIII'S Children as a e-arc from Netgalley and Pen and Sword publishing in exchange for a review.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

256 pages

4 stars

I liked the parts of the book that extensively discussed Mary’s (later Mary I) childhood. I can only imagine how devastating it must have been for Mary when Henry turned his back on her and forbade Mary seeing her mother. Likewise for Elizabeth at her mother Anne’s downfall.

I also learned more about Henry Fitzroy’s childhood than I had known before.

Elizabeth and Edward’s childhoods were also covered. Those parts of the book were my favorite bits.While in Henry’s favor, Elizabeth had only the finest as a child.

Edward, as the only son and heir, was spared nothing. He sounds like he rapidly became rather spoiled and entitled.

On one hand, Ms. Angus states that there is no support for the “rumor” that Henry and Mary Boleyn had an affair. Then pages later, she discusses a daughter that was supposedly Henry and Mary’s. (What??)

Also Ms. Angus talks about the “possible” children of Henry’s. Most, I had never heard about. That was interesting, but the claims were highly suspicious. (could have been, who knows?).

Also included are footnotes and a copious bibliography for those who would like to further explore the subject.

All in all, a competent, easy-to-read book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword/Pen & Sword History for forwarding to me a copy of this interesting book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

[Laura Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Pen & Sword for an ARC in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Tudor period history is a subject that I specialise in, so I was very interested to read a book specifically on Henry VIII's children - it makes a nice change for it not to be about his six wives.

The book is very factual and generally accurate in the events it relays - you can tell the writer has put a lot of effort in to research properly. There are some typos which I hope will have already been corrected in time for publication. Two things in particular that I wanted to raise was I noticed Peterborough Cathedral being named as "St Peterborough Cathedral" (this is not accurate) and I felt that some of the language was not entirely ... professional for a non-fiction (thinking specifically about references to Anne Shelton as a rude gossip ("big mouth")). I found that a little off-putting whilst reading the book. I typically like to read a non-fiction and make my own mind up on things, without feeling like the author's bias is a little bit *too* obvious.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publishers - Pen & Sword and Pen & Sword History - for accepting my request to read this book as an E-ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Like most titles from Pen & Sword I've read since joining Netgalley it does exactly what it says it's going to do. This book is an account on four of Henry VIII's children, and it also mentions several more induviduals who may well have the Tudor king as a father.

I would say it's your standard history book. I feel like reading this you need to have some previous knowledge of Henry VIII, his wives and a general ideal of British and European history in the 1500s. Like stated, it did what I thought it would and I had a nice time reading it.

[Eloise Falcone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved this book. While at times the timeline got me confused, it's an overall good read. I've learnt a lot about little Edward, and I've gained a new point of view on Queen Mary I, which I didn't appreciate much up until this moment.

I also liked the deep dive into Fitzroy's life, as he's often left out of the books. Four children, four moms, all lives full of tragedy, blood and power-hunger due to the wounds left by Henry VIII's actions.
Appreciated the author being objective through it all, as frequently historians tend to take one side or another.

I'd recommend this.

This was a digital ARC through Netgalley-

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry VIII's Children: Legitimate and Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Tudor King by Caroline Angus.

This was interesting because it included the illegitimate children of Henry VIII that I didn’t know much about. There was a lot of information but it wasn’t a dry, textbook type of reading. The lives old Henry’s children weren’t all luxury and leisure as one might expect. There are a number of color pictures at the end. I recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This was written very well and I loved reading about all of his children. This is a great book for all Tudor fans out there. There was something that I never heard and so I loved finding a new book about this subject (due to most other biographies tend to tell the same stories).

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and informative, this book sticks to the title and devotes itself to the children of Henry VIII. Although, I feel she comes short in calling his illegitimate children “alleged “, she covers them, as well.

[Mrs Karen Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting book, enjoyed learning about his children, well written and worth getting, not often do you nfind books about all his children

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken]

Not sure yet how to rate this one. Definitely some author bias and very pro-Cromwell. Will have to think a bit on it and come back to rate/review.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of Henry the eighths children. It talks of his legitimate and illegitimate children. Filled with lots interesting facts. Found out information I didn’t know.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Henry VIII’s Children, Caroline Angus explores the lives and relationships of Henry VIII’s children with Catherine of Aragon, Anne Bolyen, Jane Seymour, and Bessie Blount, as well as some of his alleged illegitimate children. Angus explores Catherine of Aragorn’s struggles to carry children to term and the circumstances which led to Henry VIII becoming the king with six wives with various fates. Angus intertwines Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward’s stories together in her book, focusing on their relationships and experiences as children of the King of England as well as their relationships with their father and their many stepmothers. Angus’s focus on their relationships and the many critical situations they live through rather than their individual reigns as larger political events. Angus’s individual- and relationship-centric approach explores the sibling bonds of all three legitimate children of Henry VIII, and she examines them through the lens of familial relationships rather than a dynasty (though both are inseparable from each other). Her analysis of possible illegitimate children of Henry VIII is also interesting, exploring not only Henry Fitzroy but also Mary Boleyn’s children as well as a few other possible half-siblings of the Tudor monarchs; pairing this topic with the discussion of his legitimate children provides an interesting perspective on the challenges of succession in Tudor England.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pen & Sword, and Pen & Sword History for the advance copy.