Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon

Who was Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon?

Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon, KG was the eldest son of George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon, the ex-mistress of Henry VIII.

His maternal first cousins included Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Henry Radclyffe, 2nd Earl of Sussex.

He was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. He was tutored by John Leland during his youth. His mother, Anne Stafford, Countess of Huntingdon had an affair with Henry VIII in 1510, the discovery of which led her husband to remove her to a convent and her brother to leave court in a rage, refusing to stay under Henry's roof. As late as 1513, Anne was the courtier who received the second most expensive New Year's gift from Henry, indicating that their relationship continued until then. However, there are no contemporary references to the possibility of Francis being an illegitimate son of the Tudor monarch.

His father was created the first Earl of Huntingdon by Henry VIII of England on 3 November 1529. He was awarded stewardship over two abbeys in 1530.