I agree Bill I do feel that perhaps Henry did in some ways see Charles as an older brother. Certainly I feel their relationship was a close one, and that even at the end Charles was perhaps the only freind who truly knew Henry for what he was. We all know Henry as a despot a letcher, and a wife murderer, but Charles perhaps saw underneath all the bravado etc that Henry portrayed, to the coward he was beneath it all. I feel that When Charles died Henry was perhaps more heartbroken at his death then he was with Jane or anyone else. After all Charles had been with him for a long time, and he was the last link to the good bluff Hal of yesteryear.

Henry knew of Mary’s (his sister) infactuation with Brandon, before she was married to the French king. The way I understand it, Mary wasn’t too keen on the idea of marrying King Louis, and managed to get Henry’s promise that once Louis died she would be able to choose her own husband.
Henry of course only said “Ok, Mary that’s fine with me” to make sure he got his own way with Mary.
Of course when Louis died she did do what she wanted and marry Charles. Henry of course had to play the outraged brother, because in the rest of the world’s eyes and more so to do with France Mary had insulted them, by not even showing the proper respect and being the mourning weeping widow for a year. I don’t blame her at all for her actions in fact I think she showed a great deal of courage. If you think about it if Mary had played the weeping widow Henry could have well arranged yet another marriage for her, and she wouldn’t be able to say no, because basically Henry would in one way or another force the issue and make her marry who he had chosen.

In some ways I suppose Charles could be Henry’s voice of reason, if that makes sence. It seems to me at least that when Charles died, Henry’s temper reached new levels of malice and spite. So perhaps Charles was the steadying influence, that Henry needed.
Their relationship was almost like a symbiotic relationship in short they needed each other, to hang on to life. I certainly feel tat Henry’s health started to deteriate more so after Charles died, almost as if he didn’t have the will to live anymore. I think it was the thought of leaving a Boy to rule after him that maybe spurred him on just a little longer, but in the end he just gave up.

Charles’s marriage career is enough to give me a headache.

First marriage
Before February 1506 he married the widowed, Margaret Mortimer (née Neville), daughter of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu and Isabel Ingaldesthorpe. The marriage was annulled in 1507. There was no issue.
Second marriage
About 1508, he married Margaret’s niece, Anne Browne (d. 1511), daughter of Sir Anthony Browne, Standard Bearer of England 1485 and Lady Lucy Neville, daughter of the Marquess of Montagu.
Contract
He contracted to marry Elizabeth Grey, 5th Baroness Lisle (1505–1519). He was thus created 1st Viscount Lisle of the third creation in 1513, but the contract was annulled and he surrendered this title before 1519 or in 1523. There was no issue.
Third marriage
In May 1515 he married Mary Tudor, Queen Dowager of France (18 March 1496 – 25 June 1533).
Fourth marriage
On 7 September 1533 he married Catherine Willoughby, 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby (1 April 1520 – 19 September 1580); after widowing she remarried Richard Bertie.

Thought this was pretty interesting about his first marriage and second one:
“But before 1509, young Charles had undergone an embarrassing marital situation which revealed his ambition and callousness. In 1505, he had become engaged to Anne Browne, a young woman of impressive lineage; her father was Anthony Browne, Governor of Calais, and her mother was Lucy Neville, niece of the ‘Kingmaker.’ Charles and Anne were betrothed per verba de praesenti, a binding contract under canon law. In such cases, there was no ceremony or witnesses; as one can imagine, this led to several unpleasant cases of men and (more rarely) women repudiating their betrothed if they lacked proper respect for church law. Charles apparently did. He and Anne slept together, as evidenced by the birth of a daughter in 1506, but he did not marry her. Instead, he married her aunt, a very wealthy widow named Margaret Neville Mortimer. The marriage was never taken seriously due to its mercenary nature and, more importantly, legal action begun by Anne’s angry family. Eventually, the Mortimer marriage was annulled due to the previous contract and Charles married Anne in a well-attended public ceremony. They had another daughter in 1510; Anne Browne died just two years later.”

I’ve often wondered if Brandon was free to marry Mary because of the following:
“In late 1512, Charles had recovered from his grief (from Anne Brown’s death in 1512) enough to contemplate yet another union. This was perhaps even more mercenary since his betrothed was an eight-year-old orphan. It was common practice for the Crown to assume guardianship of an orphaned minor child who had inherited property. The Crown then sold the guardianship to the highest bidder, often the child’s own relatives who wanted to receive the property revenues until the child came of age and decide whom they would marry. Charles had been given the wardship of Elizabeth Grey, the heiress to Lord Lisle of Sparsholt in Berkshire. This, along with various offices, grants & pensions, was a mark of Henry’s continued favor. In early 1513, Charles announced his engagement to the girl and, on 15 May 1513, the king created him Viscount Lisle, in right of his betrothed wife. Charles Brandon finally had a noble title and even more property.”
So, if he was “betrothed” to Elizabeth Grey, was he free to marry Mary? Wondering what ya’lls take is on this.

I’m absolutely kicking myself right now because I can’t remember where I read it, but at court, Charles Brandon was often called ‘the king’s bastard brother’ on account, according to the author, that the two men looked alike. I believe that these two men looked alike, more on the inside. They were kindred spirits. They both shared the same macho, dismissive, disrespectful and cruel attitudes towards women, often sharing their lovers. That being said – ‘The king’s bastard brother.’ A closer look at Henry VII’s love life me thinks. Or Elizabeth’s (Henry’s mother). Who knows.

Yes Henry VII took Charles in as a young boy. His father was the standard bearer at Bosworth and he was killed. I think Charles went to live with his grandfather. The grandfather either died or couldn’t take care of Charles anymore, and Henry VII took him in to serve Arthur. He was later transferred to Henry’s household. Charles was about 17 years of age to Henry’s 11 years when he first came to serve Henry. Along the way a strong, unbreakable bond was formed between the two. They were said to look alike, but looking at Charles’ portrait (the one where he is with his wife Mary) there is a big difference. They were both big men, but that is where I see the similarity ending. I think when they were together they may have seemed like brothers. I think you are right, josrex, they were alike on the inside.

I tend to think that Charles did what he was told to do because he knew that Henry’s moods were as changable as the weather. During the pilgramage of Grace those that he killed were considered guilty and deserved death, Charles’s feelings didn’t come into it. It was a case of do it or you will find yourself shorter by a head. Bear in mind Charles had his family to think of. He would have known that Margaret Tudor side of the family were barred from taking the throne, and would have realised that his children and grandchildren by Mary Tudor were next in line to the throne after Elizabeth, so he would want nothing to prevent that from happening.
I think he perhaps lived with the guilt that he had perhaps sent some innocent men, woman and children to their deaths, though.
Henry was very like a wild beast in his paddies and I think that Charles was perhaps the only one who really knew how to handle him.