He was considered and treated as a half-brother by his legitimate half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth, who later became queens regnant. The king lavishly arranged for his son's upbringing, and his household included many noblemen, including the young Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk.
In 1529, Henry VIII tried to have Henry's mother, Elizabeth Blount, married off to Gilbert Tailbois, but she refused, causing Henry VIII to order her imprisonment in the Tower of London, although she was soon released.
In early 1533, Fitzroy was briefly engaged to Mary Tudor, the king's only legitimate child at the time. The idea of the betrothal had first been raised in 1521 by Henry VIII, but in 1522, the pope had refused to grant a dispensation (official church permission) for a marriage between a legitimate and an illegitimate cousin.
In December 1533, a bill was finally entered in the House of Lords to allow the marriage. This time the bill passed, and on 25 March 1534, Henry VIII made his son Duke of Richmond and Somerset.
Fitzroy died aged 17 on 23 July 1536, from sweating sickness, an infection that may have been spread among members of the court by the king himself. He never married, and his titles became extinct upon his death. At his deathbed, Henry VIII was recorded as saying, "What a loss is here today of a noble prince!".
Sir Robert Carey (c. 1560–1639) was an English courtier, soldier and politician. He was a younger son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon.
Carey was born at Hunsdon House in Hertfordshire, England. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1588, he was knighted for his defence of Berwick-upon-Tweed against a Scottish invasion.
In 1589, Carey was elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Buckingham. He served in the House of Commons until 1601.
In 1600, Carey was appointed Captain of the Isle of Wight. He served in this position until his death in 1639.
Carey was a loyal supporter of King James VI of Scotland and King Charles I of England. He was a member of the Privy Council of both kings.
Carey was also a patron of the arts. He was a friend of William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson. He also supported the work of the artist Nicholas Hilliard.
Carey died in 1639 at the age of 79. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.