English Aristocracy. Born the son of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. His father died at Bosworth Field in the service of Henry Tudor. At the beginning of his career, he had neither prospects nor property, only the favor of the Tudors. In his youth, he was betrothed per verba de praesenti, a binding contract under canon law, to Anne Browne, daughter of Sir Anthony Browne, and with her had one daughter. A marriage did not take place however, as he married instead the wealthy widow Margaret Neville, daughter of Sir John Neville, Marquess of Montagu in 1506. The marriage was annulled the following year, however, due to the previous contract, and the marriage with Anne took place. She died some two years later. In February 1514, he was created Duke of Suffolk by Henry VIII. Princess Mary Rose Tudor, widow of Louis XII of France, had been promised a love match by her brother, the king, following her diplomatic marriage to the elderly French King. After Louis died in December 1514, and with the collusion of the new French king, she and Suffolk married secretly at the Cluny chapel in February 1515. The couple weathered the disfavor of the English king and they were wed again at Greenwich Palace in May with the king in attendance. The couple had three children. Suffolk maintained his position in the king's good graces, and was eventually put in charge of Anne Boleyn's coronation and was therefore not with his wife when she died at home in June 1533 at 38. He married again, to his son's betrothed, 14 year old Catherine Willoughby, Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, in September 1534. Suffolk remained Henry's man and was given the task of persuading Catherine of Aragon to accept the break with Rome and the new title Princess Dowager. In this he failed. Suffolk was also one the men who arrested and extracted a confession from Queen Catherine Howard, leading to her execution. He died suddenly at age 60 and the king ordered a lavish funeral for him at St George's Chapel in Windsor.