Anne Seymour, Duchess Of Somerset
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Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (née Stanhope; before 1512 – 16 April 1587) was the second wife of
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp (150022 January 1552) was an English nobleman and politician who served as Lord Protector of England from 1547 to 1549 during the minority of his nephew King E ...
(c. 1500–1552), who held the office of
Lord Protector Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') is a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometime ...
during the first part of the reign of their nephew King
Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...
. The Duchess was briefly the most powerful woman in England. During her husband's
regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
she unsuccessfully claimed precedence over the
queen dowager A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is cle ...
,
Catherine Parr Catherine Parr ( – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until Henry's death on 28 January 1547. Catherine was the final queen consort o ...
.


Family

Anne Stanhope was likely born in 1510, the only child of Sir Edward Stanhope (1462 – 6 June 1511) by his wife Elizabeth Bourchier (b. before 1473, d. 1557), a daughter of Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron FitzWarin (1445–1479). By her father's first marriage to Adelina Clifton she had two half-brothers, Richard Stanhope (died 1529) and Sir Michael Stanhope. After the death of Sir Edward Stanhope in 1511, his widow, Elizabeth, married
Sir Richard Page Sir Richard Page (died 1548) was an English courtier. He was a gentleman of the Privy Chamber at the court of Henry VIII of England, and Vice-Chamberlain in the household of Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII's illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, 1st ...
of Beechwood, Hertfordshire. Her paternal grandparents were Thomas Stanhope, esquire, of Shelford and Margaret (or Mary) Jerningham, and her maternal grandparents were Fulke Bourchier, 2nd Baron Fitzwaryn and Elizabeth Dynham. Through her mother, Anne was a descendant of Thomas of Woodstock, the youngest son of King
Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
and
Philippa of Hainault Philippa of Hainault (sometimes spelled Hainaut; Middle French: ''Philippe de Hainaut''; 24 June 1310 (or 1315) – 15 August 1369) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted a ...
. Anne's snobbery and pride were considered to be intolerable, yet she was highly intelligent and determined. Antonio de Guaras, a Spanish merchant living in London, would later say of her, that she was "more presumptuous than Lucifer".


First marriage

Anne Stanhope married Sir Edward Seymour sometime before 9 March 1535. Seymour's first marriage to Catherine Fillol had possibly been annulled, but his first wife was probably dead by then. Edward Seymour was the eldest brother of Jane Seymour, the third wife of
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
. Shortly after the king's marriage to Jane in June 1536, Edward Seymour was elevated to the peerage as
Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty. In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...
Beauchamp. In October 1537, after the birth of his royal nephew
Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...
, he was created Earl of Hertford. In 1547, he became a duke, so Anne became the Duchess of Somerset.


Issue

Anne had ten children by Edward Seymour: * Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp of Hache (12 October 1537 – 1539) *
Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Baron Beauchamp, KG (22 May 1539 – 6 April 1621), of Wulfhall and Totnam Lodge in Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, of Hatch Beauchamp in Somerset, of Netley Abbey, Hampshire, and of Hertford House, Ca ...
(second creation of that title) (22 May 1539 – 1621), married firstly in November 1560, Lady Catherine Grey, by whom he had two sons; he married secondly in 1582, Frances Howard; and thirdly in 1601, Frances Prannell (born Lady Frances Howard), widow of Henry Prannell. * Lord Henry Seymour (1540–?) married Lady Joan Percy, daughter of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland * Lady Anne Seymour (1538–1588), married firstly John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick; she married secondly Sir Edward Unton, MP, by whom she had issue. * Lady Margaret Seymour (1540 – ?) noted Elizabethan author * Lady Jane Seymour (1541–1561) Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I, noted Elizabethan author * Lady Catherine Seymour (1548–1625) * Lord Edward Seymour (1548–1574), unmarried and without issue * Lady Mary Seymour (born 1552, buried 18 January 1620
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
) married three times (Andrew Rogers, of Bryanstone, Dorset; Sir Henry Peyton, General Francis Cosbie) * Lady Elizabeth Seymour (1552 – 3 June 1602), married Sir Richard Knightley, of
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
Queen Jane stood godmother to Anne's first child. The ceremony was held at Chester Place; besides the queen,
Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...
and Mary Tudor also acted as godparents.


Life in the royal court

Anne Seymour was present at the wedding ceremony of
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
and
Catherine Parr Catherine Parr ( – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until Henry's death on 28 January 1547. Catherine was the final queen consort o ...
on 12 July 1543. After Henry VIII's death, her husband acted as king in all but name. With this power, the Duchess of Somerset considered herself the first lady of the realm, claiming precedence over Henry VIII's widow, following the latter's marriage to the Duke of Somerset's brother, Thomas Seymour. The Duchess considered that Catherine Parr forfeited her rights of precedence when she married the younger brother of the Duchess's husband. She refused to bear Catherine's train, and allegedly physically tried to push her out of her place at the head of their entrances and exits at court. The Duchess was quoted as having said of Catherine, "If master admiral (Thomas Seymour) teach his wife no better manners, I am she that will". Catherine, in her turn, privately referred to her sister-in-law as "that Hell". Catherine Parr won the battle by invoking the
Third Succession Act The Third Succession Act ( 35 Hen. 8. c. 1) was an act passed by the Parliament of England during King Henry VIII's reign that returned his daughters Mary and Elizabeth to the line of the succession behind their half-brother Edward. Born in ...
which clearly stated that she had precedence over all ladies in the realm; in point of fact, as regards precedence, the Duchess of Somerset came after Catherine; Henry's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth; and Henry's former wife,
Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves (; 28 June or 22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the Wives of Henry VIII, fourth wife of Henry VIII. Little is known about Anne before 1527, ...
. The Duchess, who was described as a "violent woman", wielded considerable power for a short time, which later would reflect negatively on her husband's reputation. As
lord protector Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') is a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometime ...
, Edward Seymour wielded almost royal authority. However, he lost his position of power following a show-down between the Privy Council and himself in October 1549. He and his wife were imprisoned in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
. The Duchess was released after a short time, Somerset himself in January 1550. According to the Imperial ambassador Jean Scheyfve, Anne Seymour had made daily visits to the house of the ''de facto'' new ruler, John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, who soon allowed Somerset to rejoin the Privy Council. The Duchess of Somerset and the Countess of Warwick then arranged a marriage between their respective eldest daughter and son, Anne Seymour and John Dudley. Somerset fell again into disgrace in October 1551, when he was arrested on charges of conspiring against Warwick, who had recently been created Duke of Northumberland. They were taken again to Tower, and made lists of clothes they hoped to be sent to them. Anne Seymour asked for knitted hose and sleeves kept by her servant Mistress Susan, newly-made smocks and high-collared partlets and ruffs, laces kept by Mistress Purseby, a black gown, a plain black velvet kirtle, a farthingale, a stomacher of scarlet cloth, black and white embroidery thread, £20 to pay for washing, and utensils for dining. Somerset was convicted of
felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that r ...
on 1 December 1551 and beheaded on 22 January 1552 on
Tower Hill Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher gro ...
. The Duchess of Somerset had been arrested with her husband and continued in the Tower until 30 May 1553. After
Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous a ...
's accession in July and the
attainder In English criminal law, attainder was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary titles, but ...
of the Duke of Northumberland she was allowed to choose from the Dudley family's confiscated household stuffs.


Second marriage

Anne Seymour married secondly Francis Newdigate (d. 26 January 1582) of Hanworth,
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
, who had been steward to her late husband. Newdigate was a younger son of John Newdigate, of Harefield, Middlesex. Little is known of their life together.


Death

Anne Seymour died at Hanworth Palace, Middlesex, on 16 April 1587, and was buried in
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
, where her tomb with its painted
effigy An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...
can be viewed.


Jewels

In her will, Anne Seymour bequeathed to her "daughter of Hertford" (her daughter-in-law), Lady Katherine Grey, a fair tablet or locket "to wear with antique work on one side, and a rose of diamonds on the other". Antique work was renaissance-style ornament. Queen Elizabeth ordered an inventory of her jewels and money to be made by John Wolley and John Fortescue, master of her wardrobe. Her collection included a chain of gold pomander beads with "true-loves" or love knots of pearl and a red taffeta purse containing two pieces of unicorn horn. Unicorn horn, probably
narwhal The narwhal (''Monodon monoceros'') is a species of toothed whale native to the Arctic. It is the only member of the genus ''Monodon'' and one of two living representatives of the family Monodontidae. The narwhal is a stocky cetacean with a ...
horn, was prized as a talisman against poison.


In fiction

She was played by Kathleen Byron in the 1953 film '' Young Bess''. She was played by Emma Hamilton in the historical fiction series ''
The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...
'', in which her character is based partly on Edward Seymour's first wife, Catherine Fillol, who was rumoured to have had an affair with her father-in-law, and partly on the actual Anne Stanhope. In the series Anne is depicted as a woman who sleeps with many men and is known in France as a "woman of many talents" according to the Earl of Surrey. Her lovers on the show include Sir Francis Bryan and Sir Thomas Seymour (her brother-in-law). In the show, as a result of her affair with Sir Thomas, she has an illegitimate child with him, who is also named Thomas. She was referenced in the show '' Becoming Elizabeth'' when Jane Grey attempted to console Catherine Parr, who had just learned that she was pregnant, that the Lord Protector's wife had survived 10 pregnancies. However, Parr retorted that she believed that nothing could kill the Lord Protector's wife. She is the main character in Eliza Knight’s 2013 novel, ''My Lady Viper''. GoodReads website, ''My Lady Viper''
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References


Sources

* * * * * * * Barrett L. Beer, ''Northumberland: The Political Career of John Dudley, Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland'', 1973, The Kent State University Press; * David Loades: ''John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland 1504–1553'', 1996, Clarendon Press; *
Antonia Fraser Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, (; born 27 August 1932) is a British author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction. She is the widow of the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Harold Pinter (1930–2008), and prior to h ...
, ''The Wives of Henry VIII'', Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1992; * Anthony Martienssen, ''Queen Katherine Parr'', McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, St. Louis, San Francisco, Düsseldorf, Mexico, 1973; {{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset, Anne Seymour, Duchess of 1510s births 1587 deaths 16th-century English women 16th-century English nobility Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset English duchesses by marriage Wives of knights Prisoners in the Tower of London Anne Household of Catherine Parr Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset