Anne Stanhope, Duchess of Somerset is one of these figures who often gets overlooked in Tudor history. She was the second wife of the 1st Duke of Somerset, Edward Seymour, Jane Seymour‘s brother. She plotted her way through the English court with a mix of intelligence and ambition.
During the minority of their nephew, Edward VI, Â Edward Seymour ascended to the role of Lord Protector, which positioned Anne as one of the most influential women in England at the time. Her story intertwines with pivotal historical events and personalities, offering a unique lens through which to explore the Tudor period.
Anne Stanhope was born into the English nobility before 1512. She was the only child of Sir Edward Stanhope and Elizabeth Bourchier. Elizabeth herself was actually a descendant of Thomas of Woodstock who was Edward III’s youngest son. So they had a noble ancestry which gave Anne, a sense of destiny and privilege in her life.
Her father died in 1511 leaving Anne as the sole heiress to the Stanhope legacy, which undoubtedly would have shaped her ambitions and her future role in the Tudor court. Her upbringing was nestled in the intersections of lineage and loss, preparing her for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead at the volatile environment of 16th-century England.
Sometime before March 1535, Anne married Edward Seymour. This was of course the beginning of a significant chapter in her life. Edward Seymour was the older brother of Jane Seymour who was at that point, a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn, but would then go on to become the third wife of Henry VIII.
Edward was a rising star in the Tudor court. His fortunes were intricately linked with the political and dynastic occurrence of the time. Following his sister’s marriage to the king, Edwards status, burgeoned culminating in his creation as the Duke of Somerset. Then after the death of Henry VIII, when Edward VI was ruling as a minor, he became the Lord protector.
Anne’s marriage thrust her into the epicenter of Tudor power politics, her influence peaking alongside her husband’s ascendancy. The couples’ marital journey was both prolific and hinged with tragedy. They welcomed 10 children, though they did not all survive infancy, which was of course, very common, sadly.
The birth of Edward Seymour Viscount Beauchamp and the subsequent Earl of Hertford underscored the continuity of the Seymour lineage. Yet the early deaths of their first children, including the namesake of Queen Jane, cast shadows of sorrow over their domestic life.
These personal trials unfolded against the backdrop of Edward Seymour’s volatile political career with Anne’s role as his consort, amplifying her presence and influence within the royal court. Anne Stanhope’s tenure as the de facto first lady of England during her husband’s Lord Protectorship was actually marked by her forbiddable ambition and there was a lot of court drama.
Notably, there was rivalry with Katherine Parr over court precedents. Katherine Parr of course would have been the widow, the Dowager Queen, but then she married Thomas Seymour, which made them sisters-in-law. Again, it was all very related.
She married. The younger Seymour brother, Thomas. So Edward Seymour and Thomas Seymour had their own rivalries. And then of course, Anne Stanhope and Katherine Parr are involved with that. So now Katherine Parr is the Dowager Queen, but she also just married the younger brother and Anne Stanhope is the wife of the Lord Protector.
Anne insisted on claiming superiority over the Queen Dowager based on her husband’s regency, which underscored her assertive personality and her desire for recognition within the royal hierarchy. This contention reached its zenith when Anne refused to carry Katherine’s train, which was a very bold move to say the least, which publicly displayed the depth of their enmity.
The zenith of Anne’s influence however, coincided with the very precarious nature of Edward Seymour’s power. He was growing into an autocrat. He was taking on the role of the king himself, and the ensuing kind of political drama led to his eventual downfall.
Both Anne and Edward were imprisoned in the Tower of London, a stark reversal, fortune that tested Anne’s resilience to say the least. Despite the grim circumstances, her spirit remained unbroken. Her release from the Tower while Edward faced execution, marked the beginning of a new chapter of endurance and adaptation for her showcasing her ability to navigate the treacherous waters of Tudor politics even in the age of personal tragedy.
Following the tumultuous events that culminated in Seymour’s execution, Anne Stanhope actually navigated her widowhood with a resilience that mirrored her earlier life. Her second marriage to Francis Newdigate, a former steward to her late husband, signified a quieter phase of her life, but she remained a figure of considerable interest within the Tudor court.
This period was less about political ambition and more about ensuring the wellbeing and advancement of her children who continued to play significant roles in the sociopolitical landscape of England.
The romantic entanglements of her children, particularly the clandestine marriage of her son, Edward to Catherine Grey, who was a niece of Henry VIII, sister to the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey, brought Anne back into this world of intrigue.
This alliance was formed in the shadows of political ambition and personal affection and it resulted in the couple’s imprisonment in the Tower of London, at going of course, Anne having been there herself with her first husband, Edward.
Despite these challenges Anne’s later years were characterized by matriarchal oversight of her family’s fortunes. Navigating the complex Tudor succession and the shifting allegiances of the English court with a seasoned eye for survival and legacy.
Anne Stanhope’s influence extended beyond the political arena and into the realms of culture and religion. As patron of the arts, she supported the intellectual and artistic vibrancy of the Tudor court, contributing to its cultural legacy.
Her engagement with the Protestant Reformation reflected a moderate approach to religious reform. In contrast to more radical contemporaries, like Anne Askew. This nuanced position allowed her to navigate the shifting landscape of Henry VIII and Edward VI’s reign, embodying the complexities of Tudor, religiosity and its impact.
Anne Stanhope actually made it until 1587. She passed away at Hanworth Palace after decades of navigating the intricacies of the Tudor political world. Her final resting place in Westminster Abbey, among the pantheon of England’s historical figures, underscores her significance.
Anne’s legacy is that of a woman who with unwavering determination and keen intellect, charted her own course through the perilous waters of Tudor England, influencing both its political and cultural landscapes.
Her life story enriches our understanding of the period, highlighting the agency and resilience of women in a male-dominated historical narrative. Re-evaluating Anne Stanhope’s historical footprint reveals a figure of considerable complexity and capability far more than merely the spouse of a powerful man.
Her story invites us to appreciate the multifaceted roles that women played in shaping the Tudor period. Often operating within constrained spaces yet exerting significant influence. Anne’s life was marked by personal resilience, political savvy, and cultural patronage and it challenges us to consider the broader narratives of women in history. Recognizing their contributions amidst the tumultuous and transformative times in which they lived.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.