Elizabeth Blount

Elizabeth Blount (c. 1502 - 1539/1540), who was better known by her nickname of "Bessie", was a mistress of Henry VIII of England. She was the daughter of Sir John Blount and Catherine Pershall, of Kinlet, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Sir John Blount was a loyal, if unremarkable, servant to the Royal Family, who accompanied King Henry to France in 1513 when he waged war against Louis XII of France. Little is known of Elizabeth Blount's early years, ex... more

Elizabeth Blount (c. 1502 - 1539/1540), who was better known by her nickname of "Bessie", was a mistress of Henry VIII of England. She was the daughter of Sir John Blount and Catherine Pershall, of Kinlet, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Sir John Blount was a loyal, if unremarkable, servant to the Royal Family, who accompanied King Henry to France in 1513 when he waged war against Louis XII of France. Little is known of Elizabeth Blount's early years, except for her reputation as a beauty, and for her famous affair with King Henry VIII. There is no known portrait of her in existence. As a young girl, she came to the King's Court as a maid-of-honour to the King's wife, Catherine of Aragon. It was there that she caught the eye of the King and became his mistress, beginning sometime around 1514 and continuing for approximately eight years. Her relationship with Henry VIII lasted for some length of time, compared to his other affairs, which were generally short-lived and unacknowledged. On 15... less