Many people know or have heard about England's King Henry VIII, infamous for divorcing or beheading some of his six wives, in some cases in a quest for a male heir to the throne. His first marriage produced only one daughter, and his subsequent affair and eventual marriage to Anne Boleyn resulted in a tipping point of the English Reformation. And yet, the second marriage also produced a single child, a daughter. After he beheaded his second wife, he married again and at last produced a legitimate, male heir, the future King Edward VI. Part of Henry's frustration must have lay with the unavoidable fact that he was indeed capable of producing male children, and while he was still a young man.

During his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry took Elizabeth Blount (one of his wife's ladies-in-waiting) as a mistress. She became pregnant and gave birth to Henry's son, who was christened Henry Fitzroy (a common surname for Royal bastards) and as a young child he was created Duke of Richmond. He was also made a knight of the Garter, the Earl of Nottingham and Duke of Somerset. Such an abundance of grand titles placed upon so young a child strongly suggests that Henry was seriously considering making young Fitzroy his legal heir. Queen Catherine could not have been happy with such a development, as she continued even then to hope for a son of her own. At any rate, she had provided Henry with a legitimate female heir, the Princess Mary, upon whom both parents doted. But, Henry had serious dynastic concerns.

The Tudor dynasty was still young and not entirely established. It was important, to Henry's mind, that a legitimate male succeed him. Yet, with Catherine growing older and still no male heir from their marriage, Henry continued to lavish property and titles on his young, illegitimate son, including the king's lieutenant-general north of Trent, and keeper of the city and castle of Carlisle. Right after that, he received a patent as lord high admiral of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Gascony, and Aquitaine, as well as a commission of warden-general of the marches of Scotland. His income from various properties totaled more than 4,000 pounds a year. Henry Fitzroy received a fine education as well, taught by the great classical scholar, Richard Croke, and John Palsgrave, who taught him English and French.

He was heavily trained in horsemanship and swordplay, and hunting. He also received a fine education in music, perhaps at the behest of his father, who was an accomplished musician. He excelled at everything he turned his hand to, and in short, attained the training, bearing, and confidence of a future king. He also often accompanied his father on important trips abroad, particularly to France, for private meetings with the French king. A number of potential marriages were proposed for the young Fitzroy, but he married Mary, a daughter of Thomas Howard, third Duke of Norfolk. Shortly after his marriage he began to suffer from ill health. His presence at the execution of Anne Boleyn is recorded. Later that same year he died "in the kinges place in St. James." Contemporary sources believed he may have been slowly poisoned by the late Queen Anne and her brother, Lord Rochford. While this is possible, no solid evidence is known that he was poisoned at all.