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The Solution: Boleyn

There he remained till September, 1533. On his return to England he married by special dispensation, on 25 November, 1533, Mary Howard, daughter of the Duke of Norfolk by his second marriage and sister of Surrey. Incidentally he is said to have been present at the beheading of Queen Anne (Boleyn), May 19, 1536. He did not long survive the last-named exhibition, for some two months later-22 July, 1536, he died. There was at the time a suspicion that he had been poisoned by Lord Rochford, brother of Queen Anne (Boleyn).

Henry Duke of Richmond and Somerset had no legal issue. As a matter of fact though he was married in 1533, nearly three years before his death, he never lived with his wife. It was said that he was not only young for matrimony, being only seventeen; but was in very bad health. It was intended that after his marriage he should go to Ireland; but on account of the state of his health that journey was postponed as it turned out, for ever.

A light on this ill-starred marriage is thrown in the quaint words of another chronicler of the time, Charles Wriothesley, who wrote of the time between 1485 and 1559. "But the said younge duke had never layne by his wife, and so she is maide, wife, and now a widowe; I praie God send her now good fortune."

In this summarised history certain points are to be noticed: (1) The Duke of Richmond was like his father (Henry VIII) and his mother who was "fayre." (2) A Dispensation was obtained for his marriage to Lady Mary Howard which took place in 1533 but with whom he never cohabited.

There is a side-light here of the hereditary aspect of the case. Both the Duke and Duchess of Richmond were "fayre," and in the language of the old chroniclers "fayre" means blonde. Wintown for instance speaking of Macbeth's supposed descent from the Devil says: "Gottyne he was on ferly wys "Hys Modyr to woddis mad oft repayre "For the delyte of halesum ayre. "Swa, scho past a-pon a day "Tyl a Wod, hyr for to play: "Scho met at cas with a fayr man."