Name: Henry Carey
Title/s: 1st Baron Hunsdon
Birth: 4 March 1526
Death: 23 July 1596
Burial: Westminster Abbey, London (England)
Spouse: Anne Morgan c.1529-1607
Children: Catherine Carey, Countess of Nottingham 1547-1602 / George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon 1547-1603 / John Carey, 3rd Baron Hunsdon ?-1617 / Henry Carey / Thomas Carey / William Carey / Thomas Carey / Edmund Carey c.1558-1637 / Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth 1560-1639 / Margaret Hoby c.1567-1605 / Philadelphia Scrope, Baroness Scrope of Bolton c.1552-1627
Parents: Mary Boleyn c.1499-1543 & William Carey c.1500-1528
Siblings: Catherine Knollys c.1524-1569
Noble Connections: Henry’s mother, Mary Boleyn, was the mistress of Henry VIII. His aunt, Anne Boleyn, became the second wife of Henry VIII, and his cousin, Elizabeth I became queen. His grandfather was Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond and his great-uncle was Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk.
Controversy: It has been suggested that Henry Carey and his sister, Catherine, were actually the children of Henry VIII by his mistress, Mary Boleyn. This has never been proven and Henry never acknowledged either of them. It is now generally accepted that Henry was likely the son of William Carey, while Catherine is the one of the siblings more likely to have been the king’s, but we’ll probably never know. For a breakdown of the arguments see my previous blog post here.
Works of Fiction:
- P.F. Chisholm – ‘A Famine of Horses’ (2016)
Portrayals on Screen:
- None
Further Reading:
- Kelly Hart – ‘The Mistresses of Henry VIII’ (2009)
- Philippa Jones – ‘The Other Tudors: Henry VIII’s Mistresses and Bastards’ (2009)
- Amy Licence – ‘The Six Wives and Many Mistresses of Henry VIII’ (2014)
- Alison Weir – ‘Mary Boleyn: The Great and Infamous Whore’ (2011)
- Josephine Wilkinson – ‘Mary Boleyn: The True Story of Henry VIII’s Favourite Mistress’ (2010)
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