Lady Frances Brandon: Encyclopedia II - Lady Frances Brandon - Life at court

Lady Frances Brandon - Life at court

Mary I however again favored her cousin Frances with her pardon. She was apparently unwilling to execute her childhood friend. Frances and her two surviving daughters settled in court. Mary I made a point of placing them by her side. Favoured but kept under the observation of the Queen. Mary even allowed Frances to marry again. On March 9, 1554, Frances was married to Adrian Stokes, Master of the Horse (1532 – November 30, 1586).

They were parents to three children:

• Elizabeth Stokes (November 20, 1554), stillborn.
• Elizabeth Stokes (July 16, 1555 – February 7, 1556). Namesake of her deceased sister.
• A son (December, 1556), stillborn.

Frances' luck seemed to run out with the death of the childless Mary I on November 17, 1558. Princess Elizabeth acceeded to the throne as Queen Elizabeth I of England. She had little reason to trust a first cousin who never accepted her as a legitimate child of Henry VIII. She kept Frances and her daughter in court but not as favourites. Frances was still able to negotiate the marriage of her daughter Catherine to Edward Seymour, 2nd Earl of Hertford, the old suitor of Jane Grey. Frances died on November 20, 1559, never having secured the approval of Elizabeth. She was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Catherine Grey married Hertford in 1560. They were parents to Edward Seymour, 3rd Earl of Hertford, husband of Arbella Stuart.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Life at court", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki