Edmund Tudor, Duke of York (Golden Roses)

Edmund Tudor (21 February 1499 - 17 August 1562) was the sixth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. As the younger brother of Henry VIII, he held an important position at the center of court intrigue, even being accused to be the cause of several rebellions. Both of his wives were sympathetic to the Protestant cause, and he became a closeted Protestant. When his brother broke from Rome he welcomed the move and embraced the new religion. His grandson, Edmund of York, became King of England in 1603.

Early Life
From birth he was titled Duke of Somerset, although that peerage was never formally created for him. He was christened on the 24th of February. He was present with his elder siblings, Margaret, Henry and Mary when Erasmus and Thomas More visited their royal nursery in the summer of 1499, when Edmund was months old. When his elder brother Arthur died, Edmund's elder brother Henry became the Prince of Wales, making Edmund third in line for the throne. When he was three he was created the Duke of York, and in 1509, was sent to York Palace with his own companions, including George Boleyn and Thomas Wyatt. Shortly after the move, his father died and his brother succeeded the throne.

Marriage to Isabella of Austria
In 1515, Edmund was married to Isabella of Austria, a niece of Catherine of Aragon. Despite the family relation, Isabella and Catherine bickered constantly. Catherine tried to order Isabella around, and Isabella often taunted the queen about her shoddy birth record. She was ambitious, unlike Edmund, who was content to fade into obscurity. Isabella wanted to be queen and was convinced that Catherine would never have a son.However, Edmund's willingness to allow Isabella to take control is what made their marriage harmonious. Edmund had four children with Isabella: Charles, Joan, Henry, and Margaret, however only Joan and Margaret survived infancy. In 1523, Isabella was affected by an unknown illness and was dead by the end of the year. Edmund was deeply affected, and did not remarry for two years.

Marriage to Anne Boleyn
Near the end of 1524, Edmund began to court Anne Boleyn, the sister of his brother's mistress. Henry was annoyed,as he had intended to make Anne his new mistress, but Anne smoothed relations by introducing him to her cousin, Anne Shelton, who later became his second queen. Anne was equally ambitious as Isabella of Austria, however, she was content being Duchess of York due to her love for Edmund. Edmund's marriage to Anne was a love match and they were much closer than he was to Isabella. Anne supported the Reformation and kept Edmund in favor with his brother. He and Anne had seven children: Edmund, Henry, Elizabeth, Arthur, Emma, Cecily, and Anne.