Gertrude Blount, Marchioness of Exeter

Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter, née Gertrude Blount (born before 1504, died 1558), was an English Marchioness, married to Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter and a member of the court of Henry VIII of England. She was a godmother to the future Elizabeth I.

Life

Henry Courtenay was a close friend of Henry VIII's, having "been brought up of a child with his grace in his chamber."[1] Gertrude was the daughter of William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy, Katherine of Aragon's chamberlain, and his first wife Elisabeth Saye. One of her step-mothers was Inez de Venegas, one of Catherine of Aragon's original Spanish ladies-in-waiting.

In 1533, Anne Boleyn gave birth to a baby girl. Princess Elizabeth was baptised, and Gertrude, a close friend of Katherine of Aragon's, was chosen as the godmother at the confirmation, which was performed immediately after the baptism. Apparently, it was well known that Gertrude "really wanted to have nothing to do with this" but agreed "so as not to displease the King".[2] As this was such a public spectacle—and as a godparent was expected to provide an extremely expensive present—historian Eric Ives has concluded that the decision to appoint Gertrude to this role was malicious.[3]

Gertrude was imprisoned with her husband, Henry Courtenay, and their son, Edward, in the Tower of London following the discovery of the supposed Exeter Conspiracy in 1538. Widowed when Henry was executed, Gertrude and her son were attainted and remained in prison. In 1540, she was released from the Tower.

A personal friend of queen Mary I of England, Gertrude attended court during her reign.

References

  1. ↑ p.125, Eric Ives, Anne Boleyn
  2. ↑ p.231, Eric Ives, Anne Boleyn
  3. ↑ p.231, Anne Boleyn, Eric Ives
  • J. P. D. Cooper: Courtenay, Gertrude, marchioness of Exeter (d. 1558). In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press 2004. Online Edition January 2008
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