The start of the Tudor dynasty is traditionally taught to begin with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, but, in truth, it begins much earlier than that. This is the story of three strong women who came forward and shaped the country of England in a time where women were a commodity at best and subjugated at worst.
Anne Neville is our first subject. She was the daughter of one of the most powerful men in England, so it was natural that she would have an important role in its history.
The second woman is Margaret Beaufort. She was clever, sly, and believed that God guided her throughout her life.
The third woman is a surprise contender, Elizabeth Woodville. She was a commoner who climbed her way to being the Queen of England.
In 1455, when Margaret Beaufort was 12, she was married to a man that she barely knew. When her father died, she would be in possession of valuable lands, so the marriage was an advantageous one. The king, Henry VI, had arranged the marriage of her and his brother, the 24 year old Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond. Back then, for nobles, 12 was considered an appropriate age to be married, but Margaret was petite, even for a young girl. Even in the 1400s, she would have been considered too small and young to consummate the marriage. It was expected that, until she was old enough, it would be a marriage in name only. This was not the case. Months after their marriage, Margaret was pregnant. Edmund had wanted a son to inherit his property and his title, but because Margaret was so small, the pregnancy was dangerous for both her and the child.
By this time, Henry VI had been king for over 30 years alongside his wife Margaret of Anjou. He ruled as a representative of the House of Lancaster. However, his power was weakening along with his mind and his control over the nobles. Thus, a stronger competitor rose up. The House of York was gaining popularity among some of the nobles, who sought to put Edward of York on the throne.
Elizabeth Woodville, at the time, was the wife of a knight and mother to two sons. Her family was extremely well connected in English society, but she was a commoner and did not live at court. Her parents, however, were very successful at court because Elizabeth's mother's family was of the House of Luxembourg. This family was very old and could trace their lineage back into legend. Elizabeth was said to have an ancestor who married a water goddess named Melusina, who was a mermaid. The Woodville's were staunch Lancasterians and were extremely loyal to King Henry VI.
Anne Neville's family was central to this conflict. Her father was the wealthiest man in England, aside from the king, which meant that his support was crucial. This meant that Anne and her sister were the best potential wives on the market in their day. Their father was intent on marrying them off to someone that would better connect him with the king and increase his power over the land. The Neville's were Yorkists and were readying for the upcoming battle where they would attempt to topple the king.
Meanwhile, Margaret Beaufort's husband had died of the plague, leaving her a mother at age 13 and far from any family or friends. In medieval times, childbirth was the most dangerous thing that a woman would go through in her lifetime. The birth of Margaret's child was not an easy one, and neither Margaret nor the baby was expected to survive, but they did. However, due to Margaret's youth, there is a chance that she was permanently damaged, and she would never bear another child. Margaret, after much effort, bore a son and named him Henry, after the king. Margaret's family was descended from the same House as King Henry VI. Both lines could be traced back to John of Gaunt, but Margaret's line was descended from John's illegitimate daughter whereas King Henry was descended from John of Gaunt's actual daughter. However, John of Gaunt later married his mistress and turned his illegitimate children into legitimate ones.
Henry and Edward rallied their forces for the bloody battle at Towton. This is where the War of the Roses would be decided and also where the difference between Henry and Edward was made most apparent. Edward was young and strong and handsome, and he led his troops, waving an axe. The death toll was excruciatingly high and the House of Lancaster was crushed along with King Henry, who fled into exile. Edward was then crowned King Edward IV.
Because her father, the Earl of Warwick, had been so instrumental in putting Edward on the throne, Anne Neville's status rose. Warwick was now called "the Kingmaker". On the other side, Elizabeth Woodville's family had bet on the wrong horse and her husband had been killed in battle. She was now alone with two young sons. Margaret Beaufort, now age 17, was also facing hard times. Almost all of her family and friends were dead and her son, Henry Tudor's, link to the Lancastrian side of the throne put him in grave peril, because if an heir's father died, he was put in the care of another noble. Henry was taken away from Margaret and moved into the household of Lord William Herbert, a strong supporter of the Yorkist cause.
Meanwhile, with her husband dead, Elizabeth Woodville's mother-in-law was refusing to pay her the income that was agreed upon when they married, so she and her sons were almost destitute. To save them she, like Margaret, had to rely upon the new King Edward. According to legend, she waited for him under a tree with her sons to appeal to him for help, and Edward fell in love with her immediately. Either way, she clearly entranced Edward, because he wanted them to have an affair, but Elizabeth would not have it, resisting his advances. He finally gave in to her and married her in secret.
However, Edward's nobles, especially Warwick, were not happy with this turn of events. Elizabeth was not only a plain country lady and a widow, but also a Lancastrian and, if Edward could keep his throne, she would be queen. No king had ever married for love before, and there was much talk that Edward had been seduced by witchcraft. Although, none of this seemed to have any sway over Edward. She was officially made queen in 1465.
As a result of their marriage and Elizabeth's influence on the King, her many brothers and sisters married well and got high ranking positions at court. Elizabeth Woodville had three daughters in the first five years of her marriage, clearly showing her fertility. Unfortunately, she had yet to produce a son, and the Earl of Warwick resented her a great deal for this. This was pretty much the end of the relationship between Edward and Warwick. Warwick quickly married his elder daughter Isabel Neville to the king's brother George, creating a challenge for the throne.
Warwick's and Edward of York's forces then went to war. The Yorkist armies were crushed and, during the battle, Margaret Beaufort's son Henry fought in the York army. His caretaker Lord Herbert was executed by Warwick, leaving him abandoned on the battlefield, stranding his mother with no news. Warwick immediately beheaded Elizabeth's father and brother, and imprisoned her mother, accusing her of witchcraft. Warwick was then forced to set the king free, and he then cleared Elizabeth's mother's name, but the tarnish would never really go away. In 1470, Edward forced his brother and Warwick into exile, claiming them as traitors. Thus, Anne Neville's life of luxury had come to an end.
Warwick, in his exile, went to Margaret of Anjou, the deposed king Henry VI's wife, for help. His plan was to marry Anne Neville to Margaret and Henry's son, Prince Edward of Wales. It is a testament to his immense political skills that he pulled this off. This caught King Edward completely by surprise and he was unable to raise an army that quickly, so he was forced to flee England. You'll notice that there is a lot of that in this story. Henry VI was restored to the throne.
A pregnant Elizabeth Woodville was now abandoned in a country that was ruled by an enemy king. Anne Neville's family was now back in power and she returned to the lap of luxury. Margaret Beaufort now saw the king that she revered restored to the throne after years of waiting.
Elizabeth Woodville, now fearing for her life and the life of her unborn child, fled to a nearby monastery and claimed sanctuary, meaning that as long as she stayed in that church, the law could not touch her. Think Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. In 1470, Elizabeth gave birth to a son, Edward, in Westminster Abbey. There are three Edwards now. King Edward IV, Prince Edward of Wales, and Elizabeth's son Edward. Got it? Okay, moving on.
Margaret Beaufort arranged for her young son, Henry Tudor, to meet his namesake, King Henry VI. She strongly believed that her son was the rightful Lancastrian heir. However, Anne Neville, now 14, and her marriage to Edward, the 17 year old Prince of Wales also strengthened the Lancastrian cause. Unfortunately for her, when she and her new husband arrived back in England from France, they learned that King Edward IV had just killed her father, the Earl of Warwick, in battle. This weakened the Lancastrian cause greatly and they were shortly overthrown once more. Anne's mother fled to a sanctuary, leaving Anne entirely dependent on Edward, Prince of Wales and his intimidating mother, Margaret.
King Henry VI was now a prisoner in the Tower and Margaret of Anjou stepped forward and took the reins. Margaret's and King Edward's armies met in Tewkesbury. The Lancastrian army soon retreated and sought sanctuary in a nearby abbey. King Edward marched right in, desecrating the sacredness of the church, dragged the commanders out and beheaded them. Edward, Prince of Wales was killed during the battle. Henry VI was quietly executed in the Tower shortly after.
Margaret Beaufort, meanwhile, had remarried in 1458. Even though her son's future was bound up with the Lancastrian cause, her husband, Henry Stafford took up arms for York. This was a cunning move of political duality that Margaret used to her advantage. Unfortunately, after Tewkesbury, her son was now the next in line for the throne on the Lancastrian side and so had to flee the country. They would not meet again for 14 years. In 1471, Henry Stafford died fighting for the Yorkists. She knew she had to choose her next husband wisely, so she chose Thomas Stanley, a man in relative favor with the Yorkists. It was a marriage of convenience, but they were similar figures. Both were shrewd, cunning, and desperate to protect their families.
Anne Neville was then sent to live with her sister Isabel, who was still married to the king's brother, George. This meant that all three opposing sides of the Cousin's War were being forced to live under the same roof. Anne, in a stunning political move, ran away to a nearby abbey and threw herself under the protection of both the church and the king's other brother, Richard of Gloucester, who had grown up in Warwick's household with her as a young child. Richard had fought against Anne's family in almost every conflict in her lifetime. He was partially responsible for the deaths of many of her family members as well as her late husband. Shortly after, Anne and Richard were married.
Now, there are two ways to see this marriage. Shakespeare wrote that Anne Neville was a victim, forced into a marriage, once again having no control over her own destiny. She is, in essence, seduced by the dark side. However, I am more inclined to believe that Anne saw the practicality of entering such an arrangement with her childhood friend. She was, essentially, being held prisoner by George of Clarence. One of the only men who had the power to protect her from George was Richard, his brother. Once she married Richard, she regained her freedom and her large inheritance. Anne quickly gave Richard a son.
Still, George of Clarence and his marriage to Isabel was still a threat to Edward's reign. In 1478, George began to spread rumors that, since Edward had already been engaged before he met Elizabeth, that their marriage was invalid. This threatened not only Elizabeth's position, but also the future of her son, Edward. The Duke of Clarence was arrested tried and executed shortly after. There is a legend that he was executed by being drowned in wine.
In 1483, King Edward died unexpectedly of a cold like illness. Elizabeth's main concern at this point was to ensure that her 12 year old son ascended the throne without incident. She ordered him to return to London quickly, with as many troops as he could, obviously anticipating the danger that he could be in. The royal council eventually convinced her to limit the number of troops, but that meant that Edward's uncle, Richard of Gloucester intercepted the boy in order to "escort" him to the Tower, which is where king's traditionally prepared for their coronations. Elizabeth took her daughters and her son, Richard, Duke of York immediately back into sanctuary in Westminster Abbey.
Shakespeare claims that Anne disagrees with Richard's actions, but Anne made no move to travel to London for the coronation and she had no robes made. Simply put, she knew there would not be a coronation. In fact, pressure from Anne to take the throne for himself could have been what made Richard change so suddenly from ardent supporter of his brother's reign to usurper of his nephew's crown. Richard executed young Edward's supporters and demanded that Elizabeth release her son Richard, age 9, so he could "attend his brother's coronation". Elizabeth had little choice in the matter. Westminster Abbey was next door to Westminster palace and it is likely that sanctuary meant little to Richard. There were rumors that circulated afterward that the boy that Elizabeth handed over was not her son. However, it is impossible to tell. The two princes in the Tower were never seen again.
Richard was crowned King Richard III, and Anne Neville was finally made queen. Elizabeth would have heard the coronation from the Abbey, helpless to stop her son from being usurped and Margaret Beaufort carried Anne's train, because of her husband's position in Richard's new court. Margaret's son, Henry Tudor had been in exile for 12 years and was now 26 years old.
At first Margaret tried to negotiate for his return, then she realized that Richard III and his son were the only ones standing in the way of her son's rise to power, now that the other contenders for the throne were gone. Thus, Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville began to exchange letters, arranging a marriage between Henry Tudor and Elizabeth's daughter, Elizabeth of York. They gained the assistance of one of Richard's strongest supporters, the Duke of Buckingham, and began raising an army.
Elizabeth wanted to dethrone Richard and put her son back on the throne. The Duke of Buckingham wanted the throne for himself. Margaret wanted her son on the throne and hoped that Buckingham and Elizabeth would take each other out.
Unfortunately for all of them, torrential downpours and floods prevented them from gathering their armies together and the Duke of Buckingham was executed. Margaret, being a woman, was spared, but placed under house arrest, with her husband as jailer. Margaret's actions had revealed which Yorkists were willing to fight against Richard and her son was the only viable option.
In 1484, Elizabeth Woodville struck a deal with Richard. It said that she would come out of sanctuary if Richard would protect her daughters and arrange suitable marriages for them. That same year, Anne Neville's only child and heir to the throne, died. Anne was in poor health and Richard issued a public statement that he was no longer sleeping with the queen. This was, essentially, an announcement that the queen no longer really had a purpose. This meant that Richard had to find a new queen, in a move that echoed problems that would be faced in the next century with King Henry VIII. The woman that Richard chose was Elizabeth Woodville's daughter, his niece, Elizabeth of York. Shortly after Richard began courting Elizabeth, Anne Neville died, at the age of 28. Because her died was so convenient, some thought that Richard had killed her.
Henry Tudor then began to invade England, gathering support and his army met Richard's at the battle of Bosworth. Richard was killed on the battlefield, betrayed by Margaret's supposedly Yorkist husband, Lord Thomas Stanley.
Henry was crowned King Henry VIII and his marriage contract with Elizabeth of York was renewed, as it secured his claim to the throne.
18 months after King Henry VII's coronation, Elizabeth Woodville suddenly retires (Or is ordered) to a convent where she lives out the her last five years, until she died in 1492, at age 45.
Margaret Beaufort was the only one of the three women here not to become queen, but she ended up being not only the last woman standing, but ultimately, the most powerful woman (and at times, the most powerful person) in the kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment