Dorothy Stafford

Dorothy Stafford, Lady Stafford (1 October 1526- 22 September 1604), was an English noblewoman, and an influential person at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, to whom Dorothy served as Mistress of the Robes. Dorothy was the second wife of Sir William Stafford, widower of Mary Boleyn. Dorothy and her family were forced into exile in Geneva during the reign of Mary I, due to their Protestant beliefs.

Family

Dorothy was born on 1 October 1526, a daughter of Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford and Ursula Pole. Her mother was the daughter of Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, who waould be execution for treason in 1541 by the orders of King Henry VIII. Dorothy had six brothers and two sisters.

Marriage and children

In 1545, Dorothy married Sir William Stafford, whose first wife Mary Boleyn, the elder sister of Queen consort Anne Boleyn had died in July 1543. Together William and Dorothy had five children.