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Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby (September 1531–25 September 1593) was a prominent English nobleman who served as Lord High Steward during the trial of Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel.

Born in Lathom, Henry was the eldest son of Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby and his second wife Dorothy Howard. His maternal grandparents were Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and his wife Agnes Tilney (1478-1545), daughter of Hugh Tilney of Boston and Eleanor Tailboys ^[1].

He was married on 7 February 1554 to Lady Margaret Clifford. She was the only surviving child of Henry Clifford, 2nd Earl of Cumberland and Lady Eleanor Brandon. The marriage took place on a chapel of the Palace of Whitehall and was attended by both Queen regnant Mary I of England and her consort Philip II of Spain. They were relatives of the bride through her maternal grandmother Mary Tudor, former queen consort of France.

Henry and Margaret were parents to five children:

• Edward Stanley. Died young.
• Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby (c. 1559 – 16 April 1594).
• William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby (c. 1561 – September 29, 1642).
• Francis Stanley (b. 1562). Died young.
• Martha Stanley (b. 1565-?).

By Jane Halsall.

• Ursula Stanley, who was illegitimate, but acknowleged. She married John Salisbury (d. 1612), he was the son of Sir John Salusbury and Katheryn of Berain.

His father died on 24 October 1572. Lord Derby inherited his peerages, the title Lord of the Isle of Man and the offices of Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire and Cheshire.

Elizabeth I of England created Derby a Knight of the Garter in 1574. He was created alongside Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.

He was appointed ambassador to the court of Henry III of France in 1580. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1585. He was among the chief officials of the trial of deposed Queen regnant Mary I of Scotland in 1586.

He was among the officials assigned to negotiate an end to the Anglo Spanish War following the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. This assignment was a failure. In 1589, an English Armada under Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris suffered heavy casualties in battle with the Spanish naval fleet.

Elizabeth appointed Derby Lord High Steward in 1589 for the trial of Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey. He returned to Lathom in retirement in 1592 and died there one or two years later.

• http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/HenryStanley%284EDerby%29.htm
• http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/peersd2.htm

Honorary Titles
Preceded by The Earl of Derby	Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and Lancashire 1572–1593	Succeeded by Vacant
	Vice-Admiral of Cheshire and Lancashire 1573–1593	Succeeded by The Earl of Derby
Preceded by Edward Stanley	Lord of the Isle of Man 1572–1593	Succeeded by Ferdinando Stanley
Peerage of England
Preceded by Edward Stanley	Earl of Derby 1572–1593	Succeeded by Ferdinando Stanley