Mary Brandon, Baroness Monteagle

Mary Brandon
Baroness Monteagle
Portrait of Mary Brandon, Baroness Monteagle, drawn by Hans Holbein the Younger
Born	2 June 1510 England
Died	1540/1544 (aged around 30-34) England
Noble family	Brandon
Spouse(s)	Thomas Stanley, 2nd Baron Monteagle
Issue William Stanley, 3rd Baron Monteagle Francis Stanley Charles Stanley Elizabeth Stanley Anne Stanley Margaret Stanley
Father	Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Mother	Anne Browne
Occupation	Lady-in-waiting

Lady Mary Brandon, Baroness Monteagle (2 June 1510 – between 1540/1544), was an English noblewoman, and the daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, by his second wife, Anne Browne. Mary was the wife of Thomas Stanley, 2nd Baron Monteagle, by whom she had six children.

Mary Brandon was a lady-in-waiting to Queen consort Jane Seymour, third wife of King Henry VIII, who held her in high favour. She was the subject of a portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Lady Mary Brandon was born on 2 June 1510, the second eldest daughter of Charles Brandon by his second wife, Anne Browne, daughter of Sir Anthony Browne, Standard-Bearer of England and Lucy Neville daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu. Mary had an elder sister, Lady Anne Brandon. Prior to his marriage to Anne Browne, Charles Brandon had married her aunt, the wealthy widow, Margaret Neville; however, he had been previously bethrothed to Anne, and deserted her while she was pregnant with Mary's sister, Anne. After his marriage to Margaret was declared null and void due to his pre-contract with Anne Browne, he married the latter. Years later in 1528, Pope Clement VII issued a Papal Bull, which confirmed that Charles Brandon's divorce from Margaret Neville was valid, thus establishing the legitimacy of Mary and Anne.

In 1511, Anne Browne died, and four years later, Charles Brandon, recently created Duke of Suffolk, married his third wife, Mary Tudor, the widowed Queen of France. Mary and Anne would be brought up with their father, stepmother and three half-siblings, Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln, Lady Frances Brandon, and Lady Eleanor Brandon at Westhorpe Hall.