Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey: Poet and Noble

Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey, was a prominent figure in 16th century England,

born around 1517. As part of a powerful noble family, he was the eldest son of Thomas Howard.

Surrey was well-educated and had a close relationship with the royal court. Despite a promising

start, his life was cut short by political rivalries, leading to his execution

just before King Henry VIII's death. He died in 1547. Surrey's poetry is often associated

with that of Thomas Wyatt, whose work was published alongside Surrey's in Tottel's Miscellany,

1557. He was given the title Earl of Surrey by courtesy in 1524 on the passing away

of his grandfather. He is credited with developing the Shakespearean English form of the sonnet.