Another common misconception is that Henry could not conceive a male heir. This wasn't the case, it was just that five of his six legitimate male children were either miscarried or died within two months of birth. They included two unnamed sons, as well as three Henry, Duke of Cornwalls. The final son obviously went on to become Henry VIII's successor, King Edward VI. But Henry also fathered at least one illegitimate child out of wedlock - namely Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset. Henry was known to have mistresses at various points, and one such was Elizabeth Blount, who gave birth to Henry FitzRoy. Henry Fitzroy - whose surname literally means "son of the king" - was even touted as a potential, if unlikely, heir to the throne before his premature death in July 1536. At the time, a statute was making its way through Parliament which disinherited Henry VIII's daughter Elizabeth (I), and allowed the King to designate his own successor - with the key clause being that they need not be legitimate. However, there is no actual evidence Henry ever intended to appoint his illegitimate son as his heir, despite this statute being passed into law.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
