Lord Thomas Howard

Lord Thomas Howard ( * 1511, † October 31, 1537 ) was a member of the English nobility and was a member of the influential family of the Howards. His father was Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. His mother Agnes Tilney was in her period of widowhood among the most influential English nobleman. His nieces Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were wives of King Henry VIII Due to his forbidden love of the King 's niece Lady Margaret Douglas, he fell into disgrace and died in the Tower of London.

He is not to be confused with the homonymous older half-brother Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk.

Life

From Thomas Howard's life before he came to the English court, not much is known. There are indications that he was a friend of his childhood with the antiquarian John Leland, who was five years older than he, and possibly a type of teacher and companion for him. For the first time he is mentioned in 1533 in the court, for the coronation of his niece Anne Boleyn. Also at the christening of Princess Elizabeth Thomas Howard was present. He was one of the sponsors of the throne of heaven the little princess. After the baptism of Thomas was often to be found at court, as the Howards were high in the favor of the king under Queen Anne. During this time, Thomas Howard Lady Margaret Douglas met, the niece of the King and daughter of the Scottish queen Margaret Tudor.

Around the end of the year 1535 the two had finally fallen in love. Between them was an emotionally close relationship, which was expressed, among others, in love poems and letters. Not sure whether the two secretly married or get a side - had given promise of marriage - binding in the eyes of the Church. Thomas ' eponymous older half-brother pursued a deliberate policy of marriage alliances in order to strengthen the influence of Howard's. These included the marriage of his own daughter Mary Howard with Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, and the attempt to marry his eldest son with the declared illegitimate king's daughter Mary. Howard's ambitious plans, a connection of Lord Thomas Howard with Margaret Douglas would have fit, but can not be historically proven that he encouraged his brother in his promotion.

In 1536, when Thomas Howard and Margaret Douglas finally decided to get married, the fate of the Howard family changed dramatically by the fall of Queen Anne Boleyn. There is evidence that the king tolerated the infatuation of the young couple by this time, had perhaps even encouraged. A promise of marriage was not sanctioned by him, as Margaret Douglas at that time was first in line to the throne and the Howards also descended from kings. Both Thomas Howard and Margaret Douglas was imprisoned in the Tower of London. On July 18, 1536, the Parliament adopted an official condemnation of Thomas Howard, a so-called Bill of Attainder. In the text it was said that Thomas Howard " was directed and seduced by the devil to lose sight of God and to disregard his duty as a subject, he was the king, our dreaded highest gentlemen, guilty." It said: " There is a suspicion, and the assumption that he planned vicious and treacherous, and was about to split this kingdom " and " disturbing the throne and to have the opposite of the existing Sukzessionsakts ".

In the same breath, the Parliament passed a law which declared the marriage of a member of the royal family without the consent of the monarch to the crime. Although Howard was sentenced to death for his association with Margaret Douglas, Henry VIII did not sign the death warrant. End of 1536 Margaret Douglas finally renounced her love for him, most likely to regain the favor of her uncle. Thomas Howard died on October 31, 1537 in the Tower, without having regained his freedom. Rumour had it that he was poisoned, likely is that he died of an illness. His mother received permission to bury him, but " without pomp ". He was buried in Thetford Abbey.

Literary creation

Lord Thomas Howard belonged together with Margaret Douglas, Thomas Wyatt and Mary Howard Fitzroy to a literary circle at court. In the so-called Devonshire manuscript, which was compiled by this circle, there is a collection of poems which are attributed to Thomas Howard. These are love poems to a woman, probably Margaret Douglas, whose love for the lyric I must bear hard blows of fate 's sake, and cursed the fate that separates him from his beloved.

Some take no care wher They haue cure Some haue no cure and yett takecare And so do I, swett hard to be sure: My love must care for your welfare; I loue you more did I declare, But as for happ happyng this yll, Hap shall I hate, hape what hap wants.

Some are careless, even though they have healing Some have no cure and are still cautious And so do I, my sweet heart is insured: My love must take into account your well-being; I love you more, this I proclaim, If only the fate of us not so bad starred, The fate I hate, come what may. .

It is not clear how Thomas ' poems found their way from the Tower out in this collection, especially since some plants Margaret Douglas ' handwriting was identified. One theory is that the poems between Thomas and Margaret exchanged by messenger and then smuggled out of the Tower and were included in the manuscript. Through her friend Mary Howard Fitzroy the book finally came into the possession of Margaret Douglas, who passed it on to their sons, Henry and Charles.