Mary I of England execution of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, the unmarried Henry invited Mary to attend the royal Christmas festivities. At court, while her father was between marriages and without a consort, Mary acted as hostess. In 1543, Henry married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr, who was able to bring the family closer together. Henry returned Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession, through the Act of Succession 1544, placing them after Edward. However, both remained legally illegitimate. Henry VIII died in 1547 and Edward succeeded him. Mary inherited estates in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, and was granted Hunsdon
John Basset (1462–1528) wife Anne spent much time at court and received expensive presents from the King. She went on to serve three more Queens, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr. Despite Lord Lisle's arrest for treason in 1540, her sister Katherine Basset, and her mother eventually joined her at court. In 1542 Chapuys, the Imperial ambassador, reported that on the eve of Catherine Howard's execution, the king appeared besotted with Anne Basset, and that she was a possible sixth wife. This eventuality may have been ruined by Anne's own family as her sister Elizabeth Basset favoured the King marrying her