Marriage of Mary Tudor & Charles Brandon . Their marriage was out of the pages of a fairy tale. Charles, tall and handsome, had long been enamored of Mary, the beautiful sister of his King, and best friend, Henry VIII. But like so many royal princesses, Mary was destined for the foreign marriage market. Her intended was King Louis XII of France. Suffolk, a ‘mere’ Duke, just wouldn’t do. Princess Mary was sent to France in October 1514 to marry King Louis XII, a man thirty-four years her senior. On 1st January 1515, less than three months after their marriage, King Louis XII died. He had been sick for several weeks and his death came as no surprise. Henry sent Charles Brandon to France, to collect Henry's youngest sister, and bring her home. A deep attraction already existed between the pair and Henry VIII had promised that, after a seemly mourning interval, Mary could marry a Husband of her choosing. However, Mary feared that either her brother would instead marry her off t