Charles Brandon
Duke of Suffolk
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Charles Brandon (1484 – ), one of the greatest noblemen in England and brother-in-law to the king through his wife Mary Tudor, Henry’s sister.
A blundering hearty, a big man with a big beard. Six of seven years older than Henry, you are one of the tiltyard stars he looks up to when he is a young lad just taking up dangerous sports. Your relationship with him is warm and brotherly.
Hilary Mantel, notes on character
The story so far…
Week 2: At Austin Friars / Visitation
We learn that Wolsey, the king and Charles Brandon are all giants among men. In 1529, he’s turning the cardinal out of York Place, temporarily obstructed and delayed by a sly lawyer called Cromwell.
Week 3: An Occult History of Britain (Part 1)
Wolsey hopefully considers the precedents set by other marriages set aside. Brandon is now married to the king’s sister. But he “had an earlier alliance put aside in circumstances that hardly bear inquiry.”
Week 4: An Occult History of Britain (Part 2)
The king’s best mate tends to want what the king wants. So when the tide turns against Wolsey in 1529, at the legatine court, he is yelling at the cardinal. And later in October, he comes with Norfolk for the Great Seal of England. We have returned to the events of Visitation.
Week 5: Make or Mar / Three-Card Trick
“I like a good fire”, Suffolk tells Cromwell, as he takes Wolsey’s chimney man into his household. Always helpful, that Charles Brandon. Later, when Brandon makes a joke about the cardinal in front of the king, Cromwell is there to remove the sting: “My lord, they tell that story all over Italy. Of this cardinal, or that.”
‘There are bad times for proud prelates,’' says Brandon, when next they meet. He sounds jaunty, a man whistling to keep his courage up. ‘We need no cardinals in this realm.’
That smarts. That riles the cardinal Wolsey. It was he, “a simple cardinal”, who kept Brandon’s head attached to his body when Suffolk married the king’s sister without the king’s permission.
Brandon, Cromwell says, “can’t fit my life together.” He thinks me some “Jewish peddler”.
Week 11: 'Alas, What Shall I Do For Love?' (Part 2) / Early Mass
Brandon is marries to the king’s sister and the king’s sister wants nothing to do with Lady Anne. “She will never appear, my wife, in the train of that harlot.” Henry sends him away: “Leave us now and come back when you are master of yourself.” It’s Cromwell’s job to make Charles master himself.
He agrees to say his wife is ill and go to Calais alone.
‘My lord, be guided by me.’
Brandon grunts. ‘We all are. We must be. You do everything, Cromwell. You are everythhing now. We say, hhow did it happen? We ask ourselves.’ The duke sniffs. ‘We ask ourselves, but by thhe steaming blood of Christ we have no bloody answer.’
Week 13: Anna Regina (Part 2)
Charles Brandon, Constable of England, mounted on his white horse and ready to ride into the hall among them. He is a huge, blazing presence, from which he withdraws his sight; Charles, he thinks, will not outlive me either.
Week 14: Devil's Spit / A Painter’s Eye
Brandon’s wife, the king’s sister, is dead. He has already re-married, an heiress of fourteen, who was “betrothed to his son, but Charles thought an experienced man like him could turn her to better use.”
Lady Rochford quips that he has her “every time he sees her… If I judge by the startled expression on her face.”
Later in the year, Brandon is sent up country to get Katherine to move house. He is miserable to be away from his bride in holiday time. He writes back to London. “When his letter is read out to the council, he, Cromwell, bursts out laughing. The sheer joy of it carries him into the new year.”
Week 17: The Map of Christendom (Part 2) / To Wolf Hall
Suffolk is keeping a low profile down in the country, chased by his debts. “It is bliss to think of: two dukes on the run from him.”
An unhappy Brandon forms part of the committee to put the oath one last time to Thomas More. He looks “as if he would as soon be fishing.” Drips are spoiling his hat. “Christ, what a place.”
Week 21: Angels
At Greenwich, Brandon marches in wearing his armour and telling the king that Katherine is dying and he, Henry, can soon get rid of Anne and marry into France. Chapuys hears all this and Cromwell tries to stop him.
He takes a grip on Brandon. He is a head shorter. He doesn’t think he can move half a ton of idiot, still padded and partly armed. But it seems he can, he can move him fast, fast, and try to get him out of earshot of the ambassador, whose face is astonished.
Brandon puts Cromwell in his place: ‘Get back to your abacus, Cromwell… you are a common man of no status, and the king himself says so, you are not fit to talk to princes.’
He knows Brandon’s words will go round in his head when that head touches the pillow… Brandon can make a racket, unreproved, near the royal person; he can slap the king on the back and call him Harry; he can chuckle with him over ancient jests and tilt-yard escapades. But chivarly’s day is over.
Week 24: The Black Book (Part 3)
A new addition to Cromwell’s banquet: ‘It’s Duke Dishpan.’ Welcome, my lord Suffolk. ‘Take a seat. Careful not to get crumbs in that great beard of yours.’
Week 25: Master of Phantoms (Part 1/5)
St George’s Day. ‘Cromwell, we have had our differences. But I always did say to Harry Tudor, now take note of Cromwell, let him not go down with his ingrate master, for Wolsey has taught him his tricks and he may be useful to you accordingly.’
Brandon thinks now that he made Cromwell rich, who in turn made Harry rich. Cromwell asks who he will vote for in the chapter of the Garter. ‘Depend on me,’ Suffolk says with a strenuous wink.
Week 28: Master of Phantoms (Part 4/5)
Thomas Wyatt is trying to make peace with Charles Brandon at Whitehall; their enmity will kill Wyatt. The poet thinks the king will listen to Brandon now if he says Anne and Wyatt were lovers.
Week 29: The Book of Phantoms (Part 5/5) / Spoils
Charles Brandon’s contribution to the annulment proceedings: ‘She witched him into marriage.’ It is not an intelligent suggestion. Afterwards, he ‘speeds to his barge, crying out that at last he is free of the Boleyns.’
Week 30: Wreckage (I)
Brandon stays standing when Anne’s head is severed. Cromwell gives him an earful afterwards, faking anger so that he can lord it over one of the greatest peers of the realm. When Brandon hears Jane’s new motto to Obey and Serve, he laughs. ‘Better safe than sorry, eh?’
Week 31: Salvage (Part 1/3)
Charles Brandon is with the king, trying to cheer him up. Cromwell lets the conversation plod until the king sends him away. ‘Lift your chin, Harry,’ he says as he goes. ‘Suffolk forgets himself. But I will always be a boy to him,’ says Henry.
Outside, Brandon makes Cromwell a peace offering: ‘I reckon a man could do worse than be born of a blacksmith.’ And they both want the same thing: a happy king looking forward. They shake on it.
Allies. he thinks. What will the Duke of Norfolk say?
Week 33: Salvage (Part 3/3)
Brandon rides up to Hundson with Cromwell and Norfolk to see Mary. Brandon likes children, and cannot help making faces at the baby Eliza. He spots an illicit and overlooked HA-HA. He and Cromwell ride home at the back of the party, talking about smashing glass.
Week 42: The Image of the King (Part 2/2) / Broken on the Body
Suffolk at the christening of the new Prince of Wales:
‘Well done, Crumb.’ Suffolk says. He is handing out the same compliment to every man, as if the whole of England had set the seed. ‘Well done, Seymour.’
Week 43: Nonsuch
Norfolk says the Duchess Christina looks like Mary Shelton. ‘I think he has had enough of your nieces,’ Suffolk quips.
Week 48: Twelfth Night
Brandon gives his support to the Cleves marriage. He concurs with others that Norfolk has ‘no way with women’.
Week 49: Magnificence (Part 1/2)
Charle Brandon escorts Anna of Cleves from Deal to Blackheath. At the council meetings, Brandon is mournful: Henry must marry whether he likes it or no. He does not enjoy all this talk of sex: ‘We are men, not gossiping housewives.’