The Duchess of Dangerous Liaisons
An Interview with Catherine Brandon
Renaissance Weekly's exclusive conversation with the formidable Duchess of Suffolk.
We caught up with Catherine Brandon at her London townhouse, where the widow of Charles Brandon continues to navigate the treacherous waters of Tudor court politics. At thirty, the Duchess remains one of England's most influential women - and one of its most intriguing.
RENAISSANCE WEEKLY: Your Grace, you've managed to maintain your independence as a widow far longer than most ladies of your station. What drives that choice?
CATHERINE: settles back in her chair with a knowing smile
Independence is a luxury few women can afford, but one I've fought to preserve. After Charles died, I could have remarried immediately - the suitors certainly lined up quickly enough. But I've seen what marriage can do to a woman's autonomy.
[her eyes flash]
I have lands to manage, a mind to use, and causes I believe in. Why surrender all that for the sake of convention? Would you give up all your freedom for just any man?
RW: Speaking of causes, your support for religious reform has made you enemies at court. Aren't you concerned about the risks?
CATHERINE: [laughs, though there's steel beneath it]
Risk? My dear, I held the future King Edward in my arms when he was an infant. I've watched brilliant men like Thomas Cranmer reshape England's faith while lesser men plot against them. When you believe in something truly important - the education of our sovereign, the spiritual freedom of our people - personal risk becomes... secondary.
[pauses, her expression growing more serious]
Though I confess recent events have reminded me that even those we think we can trust may harbour dangerous ambitions.
RW: You're referring to the recent conspiracy involving Thomas Seymour? Our sources suggest you played a rather active role in exposing his plot...
CATHERINE: [her composure falters slightly, a shadow crossing her face]
Thomas Seymour was... a reminder that charm and noble birth are no guarantee of honour.
[she touches her cheek unconsciously]
When I discovered his scheme with that Spanish gold, I couldn't stand idle. Too many good people were suffering from the debased currency while he plotted to steal England's salvation for his own ends.
[her voice hardens]
Some things are worth fighting for, regardless of personal cost.
RW: There are whispers about your association with the mathematician John Dee during these investigations. How did you come to trust a Cambridge scholar with such sensitive matters?
CATHERINE: [a genuine smile transforms her features]
Master Dee? He's... extraordinary. Not in the way courtiers are extraordinary - with their fine clothes and empty flattery - but in his mind, his integrity.
[she speaks faster, more animated]
He sees patterns others miss, solves puzzles that would confound lesser men. And unlike so many at court, he acts from genuine conviction rather than personal advancement.
[catches herself, her tone becoming more measured]
Such men are rare. When you find one, you'd be foolish not to... collaborate with him.
RW: Some might say such collaboration is improper for a duchess...
CATHERINE: [her eyes flash dangerously]
Improper? I'll tell you what's improper - standing by while England bleeds from within because convention demands we ladies concern ourselves only with embroidery and gossip.
[she leans forward intensely]
I've helped expose traitors, prevented civil war, and contributed to saving our economy. If that's improper, then I wear impropriety as a badge of honour.
RW: What does the future hold for the Duchess of Suffolk?
CATHERINE: [her expression grows wistful, then resolute]
The future is... complicated. There are expectations, responsibilities. The court is not kind to women who remain unattached indefinitely, and there are always those who would use marriage as a political tool.
[she looks out the window]
But I've learned that sometimes the most important battles are fought in shadows, by people whose names never appear in the chronicles. Whatever comes next, I intend to ensure my life has meaning beyond the marriage contracts others would write for me.
As our interview concluded, the Duchess excused herself to attend to correspondence - though we couldn't help but notice the slight smile that crossed her lips when her steward announced that a "Master Dee" had sent regards along with some astronomical calculations she had requested. Some collaborations, it seems, transcend the boundaries of propriety.
Catherine Brandon spoke with Renaissance Weekly at her London residence in the autumn of 1548, where she continues to influence court politics while carefully guarding her independence - and her secrets.