Henry VIII had one bastard son, Henry FitzRoy, who was born in 1519. Not only was the question of legitimizing him raised, but the Pope at the time also agreed to grant a dispensation that would allow for the future Mary I to marry her half-brother, so they could become joint rulers.

The possibility of legitimizing Henry FitzRoy after the break with the Catholic Church remained open for a long time, but it ended when he died abruptly of tuberculosis at the age of 17.