Likewise, Edward IV married to a very, very strong woman, Elizabeth Woodville. Ends with Yorkists in charge.
Shakespeare, Richard III -- the second half of the Cousins' War; also a very interesting creature; ends with the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.
Spoiler alert
2. To help cement end of 100 Years' War between England and France, French sends a 15 y/o woman, pretty low on the food chain to be Henry VI's wife. Henry VI to the left; a Lancastrian.
3. Richard, Duke of York, to the far right; unhappy; he is marginalized by the Lancastrians to the left.
4. But, Marguerite: no heir; the Yorks, a huge family. So, this is where things start to go bad. The Lancastrians have no heir; the Yorks, feeling marginalized, have a huge family of potential heirs.
5. Under King Henry VI/Queen Marguerite, England a shambles; lost their gains in France; England ready for someone new. No heir; half-brother to King Henry VI , Edmund Tudor, might offer opportunity; marry Margaret Beaufort, a Lancastrian.
6. So, while that is being worked out: York makes his move; preparing for war starts. Henry VI catatonic; then in 1455, resumes consciousness, but inept. Marguerite becomes stronger. Cousins' War begins.
7. Back and forth between Marguerite and Richard, Duke of York, but generally Yorkists win most battles; win the war and put a Yorkist, Edward IV, a son of Cecily Neville, a strong Yorkist on the throne.
8. Edward IV marries a Woodville, a screwy family to say the least, and that eventually does not endear Edward IV to England; not to his mother Cecily; not to his brother Richard III. So, even though they get a Yorkist on the throne, the large Yorkist family is at odds with each other. Battle of Towton, outside York. Bloodiest battle on English soil; Yorks rout; Lancastrians scatter. But two kings: England is not London; London is not England. Edward IV is king in London; Henry VI is King on the run.
9. Now, it's the great Earl of Warwick that is upset with Edward IV and the screwy Woodville family. By marrying into the Woodvilles, Edward IV guarantees that the Lancastrian threat will always remain (because the Yorks will always be feuding). Woodville split the Yorks. Jasper Tudor continues to support the Lancastrian Henry VI.
10. Chapter 8: Woodville gives birth to Elizabeth of York, who competed with Richard III's wife Anne (died shortly after Richard III becomes king), will eventually marry Henry VII (Henry Tudor). (Richard III and Anne Neville are cousins; Richard III's mother is Cecily Neville; her niece is Anne.)
11.
12.
13.
14. Henry VI's brief resumption of the throne.
15. Richard III: overthrow of the expected order.
16. Bosworth Field: Henry VII (exiled in France); lands in Wales; defeats Richard III at Bosworth Field. King Henry VI. Bosworth: now considered the starting place of the early modern age.
17.
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Again, these notes are for personal use only. I've interspersed my comments with wiki data and Sarah Gristwood's book. There are probably errors how I've interpreted "facts."
I've been looking forward to this book.
Ever since Brenda James "revealed" the true author of the Shakespearian plays, I have always been interested in two women: Elizabeth Woodville and Cecily Neville. I've long forgotten the specifics, but it was a takeaway from something I read that it was because of these two women that the Wars of the Roses finally ended, and the Tudor line emerged.
This book will look at seven women during this period:
Marguerite of Anjou, wife of Henry VI, on the Lancaster side of the ledger; their only son, Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, was the heir to the throne (Edward III -->* Richard II [assumed throne at age 10; deposed] --> Henry IV --> Henry V --> Henry VI --> and then it should have been their son, Edward, Prince of Wales, but he died at the Battle of Tewkesbury, the only heir apparent to the English throne who ever died in battle, which opened the door to an outsider, a Tudor).
(Edward III's first son, also Edward, the Black Prince, very capable, but died one year before his father died; thus, Edward, the Black Prince, was the first Prince of Wales not to be come King. Will that also be true of the current Prince Charles whose mother is unhappy with him and wants her grandson to become king?)
(In a role reversal, a queen, after the death of her husband, marries a commoner; their son then marries royalty, and that son begins the Tudor line, after taking the throne by defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of England to win the throne on the field of battle; started a dynasty; cemented his legitimacy by marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville; his successful reign ended the "Cousins' War.)
(Elizabeth of York, by the way, watched with anxiety/interest the decisive battle of Bosworth where her two loves fought for the throne -- "the fight to the death the man some say she had incestuously loved -- her uncle Richard III -- and the man she would in the end marry, Henry VII.)
The book will cover seven women, but the two of most interest perhaps: Cecily Neville and Elizabeth Woodville -- both were mothers of kings. The former, mother of two kings, the mother of King Richard III (killed at Bosworth) and the mother of Edward IV; and and the latter, mother of Edward V (one of two princes sent to the tower for their safety; and likely killed by Richard III as he took the throne from Edward V; his nephews. Edward the V, often referred to as one of the two princes, because as "King" he was on the throne for only about two months, at around his 13th birthday).
So, the seven women:
- Marguerite of Anjou, married to King Henry VI (Lancaster); oldest of the group of seven
- Margaret Beaufort (York), married to a king's half-brother, Edmund Tudor, great-great-granddaughter of Edward III, mother of Henry Tudor, Henry VII, began the Tudor line (Lancaster)
- Elizabeth Woodville, married to King Edward IV (York but eventually mother on the Tudor/Lancaster side)
- Cecily Neville, contemporary of Elizabeth Woodville; a commoner of the very rich and influential Neville family; married Richard, Duke of York; the latter was father to two kings [Edward IV, Richard III] who should have inherited the throne, was probably the major cause of the Cousins' War, but shortly after being promised the throne, died in battle) (York)
- Margaret of Burgandy, daughter of Richard, Duke of York/Cecily Neville, and sister of two kings, Edward IV and Richard III (York)
- Anne Neville, widow of Edward, Prince of Wales (Lancaster); then married Richard III (York)
- Elizabeth of York, daughter of Elizabeth Woodville, married Henry Tudor, Henry VII (not really a Lancaster; a commoner's background); married Henry Tudor, Henry VII, mother of the very successful Henry VIII and the Tudor line (York)
Two contemporaries: Cecily Neville (York) and Margaret Beaufort (Lancaster)
Three contemporaries: Elizabeth Woodville, married into York, mother of Tudor reign; Margaret of Burgundy (wife of two kings, aunt to Elizabeth of York); and, Anne Neville, commoner but married into royalty (York)
Cousins: Both Margaret Beaufort and Cecily Neville descendents of John of Gaunt, but Margaret through his sons; Cecily through his daughters.
As one looks at the simplified family tree (pages xiv and xv, one question: where did Elizabeth Woodville come from?)
Why did John of Gaunt not become King? When his brother (king) died, the throne passed to his son, Richard II, who was deposed in 1399. John of Guant died in 1399; one source suggests John of Gaunt did not oppose the kings. Henry (exiled in France) came back to depose Richard II and became King Henry IV.
Each chapter begins with a line from one of the Shakespeare plays, how appropriate! Sir Henry Neville had a vested interest in telling his side of the story.
***********************
Part I
1445 - 1460 (five years)
Lancaster
1: Fatal Marriage
Marguerite of Anjou - Henry VI
1445: unceremoniously carried ashore as if she were a piece of baggage; 15 y/o; Henry VI was 23;
- Shakespeare described her as the "she-wolf" of France, a "tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide," Henry VI, Part 3
- A Lancastrian; fought hard for the Lancasters; wife of the last Lancastrian king; a most controversial queen
- Marriage to seal the end of the 100 Years' War but Marguerite hardly worthy based on heritage
- She: poverty
- He: a weak king; she: a strong queen
2: "The Red Rose and The White"
Margaret Beaufort
Cecily Neville
The red rose and the white are on his face,
The fatal colours of our striving houses.
-- Henry VI, Part 3, 2.5
1445: when Marguerite arrives, none of the other six women were yet on the national scene (three had not even been born yet -- Anne Neville, Margaret of Burgundy, or Elizabeth of York). Elizabeth Woodville, about 8 years old, growing up in country obscurity.
Only two of those other six showed any hint of future prominence: Cecily (only other mature woman) and Margaret Beaufort, a toddler, but of royal blood, a Lancastrian.
Margaret: of royal blood, but heiress to throne shaky; father with a checkered past
Page 19, it's a bit confusing, but apparently Edmund's (the patriarch of the York dynasty) friendship with Queen Marguerite (a Lancastrian) would bring him into conflict with the Duke of York and, York's wife, Cecily. -- foreshadowing the Cousins' War?
Cecily Neville, nicknamed the "Rose of Raby," the castle where she was born; 1415 (so 30 y/o when Marguerite arrived -- she was extremely rich; very influential, and then this 15 y/o poverty-stricken French princess arrives to be queen; interestingly enough, Cecily's mother was a Beaufort, as in Margaret Beaufort, a notable Lancastrian family, who marries a commoner, a Tudor. Cecily had a direct claim to the throne when that 15-y/o poverty-stricken French woman arrived; wow. But her adversary, Margaret Beaufort was a descendent of John of Gaunt (Lancastrian) was through his sons, not through John of Guant's daughters as was Cecily's lineage.
So, Cecily marries Richard of Duke, great marriage for both. She marries into royalty; he marries in a very rich family, with huge number of family members who will be very, very trustworthy. Richard, because his father was executed, became a ward of Ralph Neville -- and he knew he might have a "king in waiting," a descendent of one of Edward III's sons, though far to the right. Cecily was 12 (legal age of marriage) and Richard was 16. She was wealthy beyond measure, the Duchess of York, and they set up a "royal" household in France (Rouen, area of Joan of Arc of an earlier age). Future king Edward (IV) was born; no question then of paternity, but possibly not Richard's (p. 21). Edward: "Rose of Rouen." So, Cecily, the "Rose of Raby"; her son, Edward, the "Rose of Rouen."
Wow, in 1445, Marguerite of Anjou, 15 years old, passed through Rouen where 30-y/o Duchess of York was living the good life; it's very possible the two met at this time, and forged a measure of friendship that would transcend alliances across the York-Lancastrian divide (Marguerite marries into Lancaster side of the family; Cecily, the Duchess of York).
3: "A Woman's Fear"
Timing is perfect. Marguerite, age 15, arrives in England, 1445. The term for Duke and Duchess of York ends in Rouen and they move back to England in that same year. Wow.
And one year later, the future king Edward IV has a sister; Cecily gives birth to the future Margaret of Burgundy. But the couple had become embittered and much poorer; their outlandish expenses in Rouen had not been reimbursed by King Henry VI (whose wife was 15 y/o Marguerite). So, another bad omen/foreshadowing -- the Yorks upset with the Lancasters for not paying their Rouen debts.
On page 23, Gristwood provides the likely spark that started the feud between the Yorks and the Beauforts (Lancastrians): a decade of grievances; mostly -- Duke of York marginalized; not given any responsibility or realms of influence.
Marguerite becoming more influential; taking advantage of royal intrigue to further marginalize the Yorks; jailing some, killing others; make their lives miserable. But, while the Yorks kept having more and more children, Marguerite unsuccessful. (Probably the king's fault; not hers.)
During this period, England lost all its lands in France (except Calais) including Rouen; the Yorks would have said this is how inept the Lancasters/Beauforts were. So, King Henry VI sent York to Ireland; in exile; the backwaters of the kingdom.
Somerset, a Lancastrian, involved in all this; royal intrigue throughout the castle; Margaret Beaufort just 6 years old at the time but probably hearing everything.
Suffolk, who was to blame for much of the losses in France, was brought up on charges; given lenient sentence. Henry VI gave in to protect Suffolk. "Shakespeare had Marguerite pleading against even this [the very lenient sentence], with enough passion to cause her husband [King Henry VI] concern and to have the Earl of Warwick declare it [the sentence, Suffolk in prison] a slander to her royal dignity." -- Gristwood, p. 27. Suffolk, exiled, but murdered almost immediately.
The story of the Cade rebellion at this time.
With Suffolk's death, opening for king's new chancellor: Duke of Somerset, Margaret Beaufort's uncle OR Duke of York, Richard Plantagent -- rushes from Ireland to London.
King Henry VI/Marguerite with huge problems; the kingdom a shambles; and the royal family heavily in debt; couldn't even afford feasts. War with France very, very (disastrously) expensive. Worse: high-spending queen.
King and Queen looking vulnerable. Duke of York makes his move.
Duke of York petitioned Parliament that he was the heir to the throne. Cecily probably at her husband's side. (Folks argued that King Henry VI acting more like a celibate monk than a fertile king.) [It's hard to believe Marguerite / Cecily maintained much friendship at this point.]
Sides were getting ready for war.
It looks like the Cousins' War could have been avoided at this point, until Marguerite stepped in and scuttled a compromise.
Now, enter: the King's half-brothers -- Edmund and Jasper Tudor. To try to save the kingdom, the King needed to arrange a marriage. The pawn: 9 y/o Margaret Beaufort to become a ward of the king's half-brothers, Edmund and Jasper Tudor.
The story of Owen Tudor, a secret love affair with Henry VI's mother, French-born Katherine de Valois.
4: "No Women's Matters
Marriage of Margaret Beaufort, 9 years old, and Edmund Tudor, becomes less urgent. Marguerite is pregnant. She stay overnight with Cecily when she made a pilgrimage to a shrine of the Virgin Mary; Cecily used the opportunity to write a lengthy letter to Queen Marguerite asking her to intercede on her husband's behalf, and bring the Duke of York back into the good graces of the king.
But then this:
- French take back all their land, except Calais; ending 100 Years War with huge victory
- Queen Marguerite gives birth to Edward
- King Henry VI falls into catatonic stupor
Marguerite becomes the first of these seven women in which their sons would play a major role in historic events.
With her husband in a catatonic stupor, and her son, the heir too young to rule, Marguerite argued she should rule.
Outcome: during his catatonic stupor, England would be ruled by a council of nobles, but York would be "the protector."
Henry VI regains consciousness; he comes back weak, following strong leadership by York.
York rides back to this estates with the following supporters:
- his wife's brother: Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury
- Richard Neville's oldest son: the Earl of Warwick --goes down in history as "the Kingmaker"
- The Earl of Warwick/wife: two years later; gives birth to the most obscure female protagonist of Gristwood's book: ANNE
But then things changed.
The Nevilles themselves were switching sides among themselves; some Nevilles remained close to the Lancasters, but others moved closer to the Yorks. Cecily must have felt a bit better.
Sarah Gristwood: the spring of 1455, and the recovery of Henry VI, triggered the start of the Cousins' War.
Queen Marguerite and Somerset held another council; they left town; Duke of York (Cecily's husband) decided to strike first, to retaliate.
First battle: Battle of St Albans; short, unremarkable battle, but:
- Yorkist soldiers were looting their way through an English (Lancastrian king) town
- the king was slightly wounded
- a number of lords and gentlemen on the royal side were killed, including the Duke of Somerset, one of the queen's most important allies
Most important data point regarding Battle of St Albans: Marguerite sees she needs to take control; she has a very weak husband; and she feels the need to take the battle to the enemy.
York still did things within the "rules" of the land; when the King took ill again, Duke of York (husband of Cecily) was again appointed "protector" -- a shorter period this time
The 'parade of the king's sword' anecdote, p. 44.
Queen Marguerite becoming more open in her display to take control.
With all eyes on Queen Marguerite, most missed this: Earl of Warwick/wife Anne Beauchamp gave birth to daughter Anne, in 1456. The Warwicks had no sons; vast inheritance; "Anne and Isabel Neville marked out early as among the greatest heiresses of their day. Anne's future would take her from one side to another of the York-Lancaster dispute, but at the moment, her father and her family were prominent in the Yorkist cause."
So, now Queen Marguerite nearby at Kenilworth, taking control of her destiny.
Anne Neville born nearby at Warwick.
But, in far-off Wales, at Pembroke Castle, young Margaret Beaufort -- Queen Marguerite's namesake and fellow Lancastrian -- was also about to have to take control of her destiny.
5: "Captain Margaret"
1455 (two years earlier), shortly after her uncle Somerset had been killed in the Queen's cause -- Margaret Beaufort turned 12 years old (of legal age to get married). She is married (Edmund Tudor) and pregnant in 1456. Edmund captured by a Yorkist; released; dies of plague in 1456. Margaret now a widow, pregnant. Gives birth to Henry (Tudor) -- the future Henry VII -- Margaret/baby taken care of by folks in Wales; new husband Henry Stafford, the second on of the Duke of Buckingham. So, happy for now: re-married into Buckingham family; Tudors watching out for her and son Henry Tudor (Henry VII, eventually).
1458: "Loveday" -- Queen Marguerite and Duke of York hold hands, publicly make up. A facade.
1458: fresh clashes between Marguerite and Yorkists. Marguerite leaves London to form an army.
1459: Blore Heath; "Captain Marguerite" not allowed to lead her army; a massive victory for the Yorkists.
A few weeks later, Ludlow: the Rout of Ludlow Bridge; Lancastrians win.
- Warwick and Salisbury across the channel to Calais
- Edward, Earl of March, eldest son of York/Cecily, also to Calais
- York and his second son, Edmund, back to Ireland
- wife safe at Ludlow (all women always kept safe; chivalry)
- Marguerite in control
- Yorkists accused of treason; all their lands go back to the queen
- Duchess of York pleads for mercy; given an annual pension
- Duchess of York (Cecily) under house arrest but her guard: her own sister Anne, Duchess of Buckingham, Margaret Beaufort's mother-in-law, whose husband declared for the Queen, and it appears Anne kept her natal Lancastrian sympathies -- p. 54
So, at this point, the Yorkists split up in Calais and Ireland; Cecily free to move in England. It looks like Marguerite in control.
6: "Mightiness Meets Misery"
But by 1460, the Yorkists were back with a fresh army. Wow.
The Earl of Warwick and Cecily's son Edward meet King/Queen at Northampton; take Henry VI prisoner all the while proclaiming their loyalty. LOL.
Marguerite escapes to Wales with a party of four or five.
In that battle, her brother-in-law, the Duke of Buckingham, husband of Cecily's sister Anne is killed.
York requests Cecily ride with him into London. But York overplayed his hand. Londoners not happy with him trying to usurp the throne.
Parliament hammered out a deal:
Henry VI: to keep his throne until he died, but succession to York/York's sons; Marguerite, with her own young son, Edward, would not accept this quietly nor passively.
Marguerite to Scotland, to seek assistance, end of 1460. Henry VI in captivity, so she was the leader of the Lancastrians. She was stripped of much of what she had, but with her husband captive, she was free to do what she wanted.
York takes his army to the north: Battle of Wakefield. Yorkists soundly defeated.
- York himself killed.
- son Edmund killed (Shakespeare would make a play)
- Salisbury killed the next day; Salisbury's son also killed
Marguerite back in control.
Cecily had lost a husband, a son, a brother, and a nephew. This deprived Cecily of her chance of being queen, something she would not easily forget.
Marguerite, on behalf of her 7-y/o son asks that London prepare to welcome/support her.
Second Battle of Albans -- sounds like Queen actually in the fight, like Joan of Arc.
The Earl of Warwick brings King Henry VI to the Second Battle of Albans; Marguerite and her King/husband are reunited; a delegation of London women met Marguerite to escort her into London.
One of the women related to John Grey. "John Grey had died at the second battle of St Albans, leaving Elizabeth Woodville a widow -- a development that would soon propel her into national history." The Second Battle of St Albans propels Elizabeth Woodville to national prominence when her husband is killed at the battle; leaving her free to marry King Edward IV, a Yorkist, brother of King Richard III, both sons of Cecily Neville.
For some reason, Queen Marguerite did not enter London: she withdrew back to Dunstable with her husband -- arguably the mistake of her life.
By not going into London, that allowed the Yorkists, Cecily's oldest son Edward (to be King Edward IV) and her nephew, the Earl of Warwick, with their armies to enter London unimpeded.
Edward asked for the throne; Londoners agreed overwhelmingly. Edward IV: the first Yorkist king.
"Cecily Neville's eldest son, the 'fair white rose' of York, was still only eighteen, but when, three days later, he was acclaimed and enthroned ..."
The Yorkists finally succeeded in putting one of their own on the throne --- and we're only on page 65 of this 325-page narrative. Wow.
Now two kings; London is NOT England.
Towton: probably the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. Outside York. No records of the battle survive; 10-hour slog fest; brother against brother; a true civil war battle. 38,000 dead was probably an exaggeration. But the Yorkists were seen as victors. Lancastrians scatters.
Part II
1460 - 1471 (Four Years)
7: "To Love a King"
Marguerite, Henry VI, and son, back to Scotland where the would stay for a year.
The story of Elizabeth Woodville: widowed daughter of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford; lost her husband John Grey; potential wreck of her whole family. Not only did she have to fight the Grey family for her dower rights, but as leading Lancastrians, she was in deep trouble.
Margaret Beaufort had also struggled, but to a lesser degree. Margaret's husband had also fought for the Lancastrians at Towton; but had been pardoned by King Edward IV.
Remember, Margaret had a young son, Henry (Henry VII, eventually); wardship an issue; not a threat to Edward IV. [Her husband, Edward Tudor, had been taken into custody by a Yorkist, leaving Margaret Beaufort a widow.]
Cecily: lost much of her family in the war, but her son was now king. She regarded herself as the queen dowager, and played the part.
Cecily's sons Richard (Richard III, to be) and George, and14 y/o Margaret (to be Margaret of Burgundy) at Greenwich, luxurious riverside pleasure palace.
Margaret of Burgundy now living in Marguerite's favorite (Greenwich). Margaret of Burgundy - a story of her own (pages 73 - 75) and her relationship to Anne Neville, a cousin.
[Note: George Neville -- later, the Archbishop of York.]
By then, it was obvious that the 9 y/o Anne would be a significant heiress whether or not 13 y/o Richard was mature enough to take note.
The Earl of Warwick contemplated marring his daughters to the king's two brothers (Richard III and George, Duke of Clarence).
And now, the story of Elizabeth Woodville; how she appeared; how she attracted Kind Edward IV: fact vs fiction. A mythic story.
Two mothers involved: of course, Jacquetta (mother of Elizabeth) was all for it but Cecily, mother of Edward was against it.
"The only Englishwoman to become queen consort since the Norman Conquest, Elizabeth Woodville was crowned the following spring. Cecily unhappy, and Early of Warwick unhappy. He wanted his own daughters to marry Cecily's sons; and, now with an entirely new family (the Woodvilles), "more mouths to feed at the trough." -- p. 84
8: "Fortune's Pageant"
So, discord was sprouting in the young Yorkist regime (Edward/Elizabeth Woodville disappointed Cecily and Earl of Warwick; and Richard III was in waiting).
Marguerite moves from Scotland to Rouen, where she started so long ago. Tried to enlist French and Scots to invade England; her campaign was unsuccessful. She was becoming poorer and poorer. Then, her husband, Henry VI, was taken captive in 1465, just months after Elizabeth's coronation. He was in the Tower for five years; Marguerite was the threat that would not go away.
Then, Queen Elizabeth (Woodville) gave birth to their first child, 1466: Elizabeth of York (who would eventually marry Henry VII -- Margaret Beaufort's son by Edmund Tudor (who died before his son Henry VII was born).
A second daughter, Mary, born, 1467, but yet no male heir.
Page 92: there is a case to be made that Edward was elevating Elizabeth (Woodville) to counter the Warwick threat.
The Woodvilles, somewhat of a joke.
Things became worse when Margaret (Edward's sister) was married to Charles, Duke of Burgundy. Warwick had wanted one of his matches, one of several possible candidates in France. The Woodvilles had been elevated beyond all expectations. -- p. 93.
Margaret of Burgundy --> Bruges.
"The prominence of the unpopular Woodvilles was helping to ensure that the Lancastrian threat would never go away." -- p. 95.
Jasper Tudor continues to support Lancastrian Henry VI; landed in Wales in 1468 with French ships, to invade England; too small to accomplish anything. He brought 12 y/o Henry Tudor with him to get taste of the action. Gristwood makes brief mention of the Somerset; that's a long, long story; finally, the king executes Somerset; the question: why did he take so long?
9: "Domestic Broils"
But now: divisions with the Yorkist dynasty a bigger concern for King Edward IV, than the Lancastrian threat. Not happy with the Woodvilles.
Now the great Warwick feels he has been marginalized; and has contempt for the Woodvilles. Warwick had essentially been the family behind the success of Richard, Duke of York, raising military, funds, etc., and now he was being marginalized.
Edward's brother George, Duke of Clarence, also disillusioned, marginalized.
Edward was concerned that his sister was in Burgundy where she might have a foreign army, but George made things even more worrisome for Edward when he (George/Clarence) married Warwick's oldest daughter, Isabel.
Edward with no heir; George/Clarence next in line; Warwick would later earn the moniker "The Kingmaker."
Rumors that Cecily's first child Edward (the king) was conceived in adultery; making George/Clarence next in line.
Warwick and Clarence suggest sedition in the royal house; they were in Calais for the wedding; now sail to Kent, England, and start raising an army.
July, 1469, Battle of Edgecote Moor: Warwick and Clarence defeat Edward's main army; the king farther north, was captured in Yorkshire .... immediately thereafter, who but Marguerite shows up in London. Inter-York feud.
But support for Warwick not enough; Edward IV escapes; returns triumphant to London.
The men publicly iron out their differences, but behind closed doors, very tense.
Cecily and her daughters truly working for a real rapprochement to stop the fighting. Peacemaking suggestion, p. 161 -- but in vain.
Edward's foes flee; he now has two foes in exile: Marguerite and Warwick.
1469: Warwick's forces attack and win; Edward and his other brother Richard sail/flee to the Low Countries to take refuge with his sister, Margaret of Burgundy.
Yorkist regime over, for now. [Warwick cannot be king; he restores, briefly, Henry VI, to the throne.]
10: "That Was a Queen"
LONDON:- Warwick releases Henry VI from prison, though Henry VI has no clue.
- Elizabeth Woodville, no longer queen.
- Cicely, no longer mother of the queen.
- 4 y/o Elizabeth of York, daughter of Elizabeth Woodville.
- Margaret wants to end the "Cousins' War"
- happy to see her Yorkist brothers, Edward IV and Richard III
- Margaret Beaufort happy to see her Lancastrians back in power
- her brother-in-law, Jasper Tudor in favor (he had sailed with Warwick)
- Henry VII (young boy) now being trained by Jasper, Warwick, others
Pages 107 - 109: long, long story, but Clarence defects; turns on Warwick; the three Yorkist brothers (Edward, Clarence, and Richard allies). Some suspect Margaret of Burgundy was the catalyst, go-between. Margaret, after getting her brothers together again, departed as mysteriously as she had arrived. Marguerite erred by staying in France too long.
Edward IV re-took the city of London: Edward, the first Yorkist king, was back on the throne.
Marguerite finally returning to England and Lancastrians tried to reorganize.
Yorkist Edward IV meets the Lancastrians head-on at Battle of Barnet; Yorkists won; Earl of Warwick killed. The Kingmaker was dead.
Marguerite hell-bent on winning. Probably had Anne Neville with her, a 14 y/o cut off from her family and of no use to Marguerite (Anne was married; see below).
Tewkesbury
Now the big battle, the Tewkesbury. Tewkesbury is northwest of London; Oxford is midway between the two. Maybe 50 miles London to Oxford; 50 miles Oxford to Tewkesbury.
The Lancastrian forces: Duke of Somerset and Marguerite's son, Edward of Lancaster.
Yorkists: Edward IV and Richard of Gloucester (and Elizabeth Woodville's oldest son) led the rather smaller but more experienced Yorkist troops
A bloody rout; the Lancastrians slaughtered as they tried to cross the River Severn or seek sanctuary in Tewkesbury Abbey.
Among the dead: Marguerite's son -- the Lancastrian prince and Anne Neville's husband;
Henry VI also died, Marguerite's husband, in the Tower and in Yorkist custody. With no son or husband, Marguerite was finally irrelevant. -- p. 112; the first of the seven women, the end.
Marguerite brought back into the fold of aristocratic ladies over time.
Jasper and Henry Tudor had been in Wales when they heard of Lancastrian disaster at Tewkesbury. Jasper had no choice but to flee abroad. Margaret Beaufort begged that 14 y/o Henry Tudor flee also; he was also the last Lancastrian; direct descendent of John of Gaunt (maternal side; father was a Tudor)
So, Henry Tudor and Jasper set sail for Tenby, and it would be another 14 years before his mother saw him again.
Part III
1471 - 1483 (12 years)
11: "My Lovely Queen"
Lancastrians gone "for good."
Only divisions now within the Yorkists. But relatively quiet now.
1471: King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville have a baby boy, Edward V, Prince of Wales, heir to the throne
Richard III marries Anne Neville, the 14-y/o (now a bit older) -- Anne had been married to Marguerite's son (who was killed at Tewkesbury) [Shakespeare describes Richard as quite ugly and lame, though Gristwood argues that is unlikely; was Sir Henry Neville upset that Richard forced Anne to marry him?]
Anne Neville is the most mysterious all of the seven women; the least written about; strange; even in 15th century England, a woman married to a future king should have had more written about her; Richard needed Anne Neville to legitimize his inheritance of Neville authority in the North.
Margaret Beaufort (a Lancastrian) working to get in good graces of the Yorks. Her husband had been killed at the Battle of Barnet (just before Tewkesbury); she married Lord Stanley, a favorite of the Yorkists. It was her third (technically, her fourth) marriage; marriage strictly for business;
Now back to war.
The English had a long-standing claim to the French crown.
King Edward IV and Stanley (Margaret Beaufort's husband) set off for France. Edward IV put his 4 y/o Edward V in charge as "Keeper of the Realm" and under his mother's tutelage. The will, how Edward IV divided up his lands, if he were to die in France, p. 127.
Margaret of Burgundy welcomed them to France. War short-lived. Peace-loving Edward quick to come to terms; Richard III very, very upset.
Marguerite ended up back in France, dying alone and poor.
12: "Fortune's Womb"
"These were the mature years of Edward IV's reign."
Reburial of Richard, Duke of York.
More on Anne Neville, pages 136 and following. She had one child, by Richard III.
Cecily's daughters:
- Anne, the eldest daughter, died in 1476, childbirth (husband Clarence).
- Cecily's second daughter, Elizabeth, not much interested in political affairs.
- Cecily's youngest and grandest daughter: Margaret of Burgundy: much interested in political affairs.
Then, "the Yorkist dynasty and its matriarch, Cecily, were wracked by the fate of her second son, Clarence." -- p. 140
13: Mother of Griefs
"George, Duke of Clarence, had long been a disaffected stirrer of trouble." -- p. 141
Ten years in waiting as heir to his brother, Edward IV.
Clarence's wife Isabel Neville dies in childbirth, 1476. (Note: Cecily was mother of two kings; aunt of Isabel who was married to third brother of these two kings; wow, she was the matriarch of the Yorkists).
Margaret of Burgundy's daughter Mary ends up marrying the Archduke of Austria and son of the Holy Roman Emperor in 1477.
Clarence, long story, arrested by his brother the king and sent to the tower for treason; sentenced to death. Almost everybody benefited from this death: King Edward IV, Richard III, and even Elizabeth Woodville. One historian puts most blame on Queen Elizabeth Woodville -- afraid Clarence's heir would usurp the throne. Bottom line: Queen Elizabeth Woodville may have had big role in getting Clarence executed to prevent him/his heirs from usurping the throne.
What was Cecily saying or doing with regard to the execution of Clarence. Nothing is known. But at this very time, the "little Duke of York" was marrying Anne Mowbray. (Anne, child bride at age 4; died at age 8; married younger son of Edward IV). 1478, I believe.
After Clarence's death, Cecily not seen much at court; retired at Berkhampsted. Essentially became a nun, albeit retiring without a convent.
14: "A Golden Sorrow"
Margaret (the meddler) of Burgundy. She and her stepdaughter, Mary. Very wealthy in Burgundy; traded in tapestries, cultivated with books.
Stepdaughter Mary married Archduke Maximilian of Austria; bore fruit. A tendency to "see herself as the beleaguered heroine of the story." Long story of Margaret of Burgundy, pages 153 - 158, but not much substance, as far as I can tell.
Then, 1477: Elizabeth Woodville, a third son, George, dies in infancy, 1479. Her 6th daughter, Katherine was born in 1479, and her last child born in 1480, named Bridget after Saint Bridget who had founded the Bridgettine order.
All-in-all, the royal family (Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, their daughter Elizabeth of York, their brother Richard III) were all happy and doing well.
Now, we're starting to get the story of the daughter Elizabeth of York, her upbringing, beginning on page 160 and following.
But still wheeling and dealing.
King Edward IV "betrothed his oldest son, the Prince of Wales to Anne, the young heiress of Brittany, Louis of France struck back by encouraging the Scots to attack northern England." -- p. 162.
Now, Mary of Burgundy dies from a riding accident. Two children left behind.
Elizabeth of York, age 17, quite old for an heiress/princess not to be married. -- p. 163. Edward IV having problems getting his children married; due to circumstances, a match between Henry Tudor, still in exile in Brittany, and Elizabeth of York suggested. Then the back story begins on page 163, about match between Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York.
There was now a new alliance between France and Burgundy, which threatened England. Perhaps Edward IV thought Henry Tudor too loose a cannon to be in France. Marrying him into the royal family would be a way to neutralize him. Margaret Beaufort, perhaps thought this would work and agreed that Henry's Lancastrian roots would not bear fruit -- p. 163.
King Edward IV known for his infidelity. Elizabeth Woodville very, very aware of this. Edward IV becoming exceedingly obese. In 1483, Edward IV falls ill. At age 40, he died. Edward V, his heir, but young, and younger to his sister, Elizabeth of York. He left two sons, and "daughters, that do not concern us." Turned out to be wrong. pp. 166.
One year earlier, Marguerite of Anjou had died (1482). Apparently Henry Tudor had visited her and she urged him to continue his struggle against the House of York. Wow.
Marguerite, once one of the most powerful and forceful women, dies incredibly poor and without family support. "Shakespeare has her at the beginning of Richard III returned from exile like a vengeful ghost to curse Elizabeth Woodville (remember, the Nevilles would have hated Woodville) .... p. 166.
Edward IV dies suddenly, and all of a sudden Elizabeth has to fight for her "life" -- the heir is a 12-y/o and she is disliked by many.
Part IV
1483 - 1485 (only 2 years)
15: Weeping Queens
Death of Edward IV; heir is a 12-y/o Edward V.
Five centuries of argument: who started the new round of fighting?
Richard III, (Richard of Gloucester) was away in Scotland; unable to act quickly.
Two parties moving quickly, south to London.
- 12 y/o Edward V and a small Woodville entourage
- Richard of Gloucester (Richard III); leaving his wife, Anne Neville behind; strange to be left behind for a coronation; perhaps Richard was not telling her of his plan
Buckingham upset with Woodville clan; Buckingham had Richard move Anthony Woodville and Richard Grey back to one of Richard's castles back in the north.
When Elizabeth Woodville heard the news, her first thought: a coup.
Elizabeth and her oldest Grey son, Dorset, began raising an army to defend themselves. Others say Elizabeth fled to the Westminster sanctuary when men would not follow a female queen; when there was a male heir.
May 4, young Edward, protected by Richard, enters London; should have been crowned but coronation delayed until June. (Remember: Richard III was his uncle; he was the brother of Edward IV, but he was to the right; Edward V, though very young, was to the left, and thus the heir/king.)
Elizabeth's power was draining away; Richard III proclaimed that he would be the young king's protector. Richard III (a Yorkist); Elizabeth Woodville, a Lancastrian, if anything.)
For more space, Buckingham suggested the young heir be moved to the Tower.
June 10/11, Richard writes to city of York and to Lord Neville for military assistance to take the crown. At the "governing" council, Richard accuses Elizabeth Woodville of being a witch, etc.
Richard, the uncle, to become Richard III, demands that the other young son, in sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville, must be brought out to join his 12 y/o brother. In the end, the two young princes out in the open and vulnerable. They were both placed in the Tower by Richard, the uncle (Edward was already there, now the younger Richard would join him).
Richard, the uncle, continues to raise questions whether Edward the IV was legitimate (pp 184 - 185, much back story).
Be that as it may, we are brought back to the two young princes in the Tower.
Cecily, remember, is cloistered in retirement, practically a nun. She has great animosity toward Elizabeth Woodville, and may be tacitly supporting Richard III but is probably not worried about the two young princes. Historically, such young heirs had not been harmed, even in such situations.
Be that as it may, in northern England, Anthony Woodville was executed; Richard Grey, her son, was also executed. Buckingham went to Baynard's Castle, begging Richard to assume the throne.
16: "Innocent Blood"
Richard assumes the throne June 26, 1483; crowned July 6; Anne Neville arrives and is crowned Queen. It was to be the first DOUBLE CORONATION in almost two centuries (generally seaparate affairs). Perhaps this was done to reinforce the commitment of northern England/Scottish borders to be loyal to new king.
Queen Elizabeth was demoted from the dowager Queen Elizabeth to Dame Elizabeth Grey. -- p. 189.
King Richard III and Anne Neville had one son, Edward, now Prince of Wales.
Now, came word of problem with the princes in the Tower.
Long discussion of what happened to the princes at this time. A piece on the boys' thoughts of escaping -- p. 195. In any event, the boys died while in the Tower. Some suggest there was a conspiracy between Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville to have the two princes killed. -- p. 195.
Elizabeth Woodville: possibly/probably knew the princes were dead; she would gain from their deaths
Margaret Beaufort: her position, more equivocal;
Buckingham's position is even more puzzling; for many, he is the scapegoat, and being executed, makes him even more convenient as a scapegoat
The author says that it is "impossible" to say for sure that Richard III murdered his nephews (Edward V and Richard); despite Shakespeare saying that (here it is important to know who the "real" Shakespeare was; if one agrees it was Sir Henry Neville, then one must ask the question: would he "lie" in his play for "art's sake" or was he using the play to record history? What motive would he have had to name Richard III the murderer of his nephews?
Page 200: with the assumption of Richard's guilt -- "it was the first two Tudor monarchs who would, one by one, eliminate all the rival Yorkist line with chilling efficiency."
At the end of the day: no one knows who killed the young princes, if indeed, they were even killed.
17: "Look To Your Wife"
Parliament, October, 1483, Henry Tudor attainted; he was safe in Brittany. His mother, Margaret Beaufort and her husband, Stanley, were in a precarious position.
Stanley escaped punishment. Margaret was attainted in 1483; but all her lands were given to her husband Stanley; Stanley was too powerful for Richard III to attaint. She was in an emotional sea -- despite being attainted, she knew that a rebellion in her son's name (Henry Tudor) meant she was very close to being the Queen Mother.
In Brittany, Christmas Day: Henry Tudor says he will marry Princess Elizabeth of York (now that the York family was severely divided).
Elizabeth of York in sanctuary with her mother Elizabeth Woodville; she was almost 18 years old; pretty old not to be married yet.
So, now, Henry Tudor beginning his offensive; Richard III begins his next offensive.
Richard III, AGAIN, claims that Elizabeth Woodville and Edward V were adulterers, and all children were illegitimate, including Elizabeth of York. But he also add an accusation of witchcraft to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and the women around her were in deep financial trouble. They had to work with Richard III. He makes a deal, p. 206 - 207. Elizabeth Woodville agrees.
Back to the "dead" princes. The author notes that at this point, and for the rest of the reign of Richard III, Elizabeth Woodville completely disappears from the historical record. Did she leave with her young sons, the princes, and go into the "Witness Protection Program"? Regardless, Elizabeth Woodville never heard from again, the older prince could have died of natural causes (he was ill in the Tower); and despite all the claims by others of their right to the throne, no one claimed they were the young prince.
But Elizabeth Woodville's daughters still safe somewhere, and active.
Things in Yorkdom seem quiet for awhile.
Unfortunately for Richard III and the Yorkists, the new Prince of Wales, the only child of Richard and Anne died of natural causes. Anne had a very short reign as queen; the death of her only son would serve to alienate her even more from the family; she must have had a most rotten husband who could have murdered his nephews.
Richard III's position now precarious again; no heir; succession was again in doubt.
All of sudden, Henry Tudor again seen as a possible king. And, of course, importance of Elizabeth of York also rose.
Henry, in Brittany, raises the ante. Refers to himself as Henry Rex.
Now, Stanley, re-enters the picture. Henry's stepfather seems to end his long-standing policy of neutrality and starts to side with Henry Tudor.
The kingdom was quiet for Richard (a Yorkist) but he could see trouble.
18: "Anne My Wife"
1845: Epiphany, the celebration of the revelation of Christ to the Magi; Richard learns that his adversaries in France would invade.
Anne was ill; in the company of her older nieces: Elizabeth of York and her older sisters.
Exchange of clothing between Anne (the Queen) and her niece: Anne would have felt the competition.
It was already being whispered: if Anne dies, Richard III could marry Elizabeth -- although from the York side of the family, close to the Beauforts, the Lancastrians, or at least neutral, daughter o Elizabeth Woodville. Richard III was even thinking along those lines, maybe even divorcing Anne to marry Elizabeth of York. Chroniclers thought it "foulest."
Henry Tudor, of course, would be the big loser.
Some hints that Elizabeth of York, almost 19, wanted to marry her uncle, Richard III. Perhaps it was Richard III keeping Elizabeth from getting married. Elizabeth saw Richard III as the enemy of her family -- p. 117, but that was written 25 years later when Richard had become the antagonist in the Tudor dynasty.
Henry, in Brittany, heard the rumors. A marriage between Richard III and Elizabeth would end the feud within the York family.
Anne dies, early 1485. Most likely TB.
The author feels that Anne's death was a blessing for Anne who had led a very, very tough life, even by the standards of the 15th century.
Then, all of a sudden, Richard not interested in marrying his niece. Decides he wants to marry the foremost Lancastrian, 33 y/o Infanta Joana, Portuguese, and descendent of John of Gaunt. Marrying a Lancastrian of that rank would make it difficult for the rest of her York family to undo. Marrying the foremost Lancastrian then living, Richard would be setting himself up to reunify the splintered Plantagent family.
The plan would cut off Margaret Beaufort and her son's Lancastrian claim.
Rumors now rampant: King Richard III may have poisoned his wife Anne to hurry her death; and may have murdered his two young nephews. Margaret Beaufort could see the stage was set for her son, Henry Tudor.
19: "In Bosworth Field"
Richard III's kingdom in trouble; Henry in Brittany looking more robust.
Elizabeth of York now playing a very, very active role. She tells her stepdad, Stanley, to send a message to Henry Tudor that she will marry him; Stanley refuses. [Remember, after Anne's death, Richard III was preparing to marry into European royalty.]
Henry, from France, lands in Wales, far away from Richard in the Midlands.
The armies and wavering supporters meet at Bosworth Field, pp 227+. "Richard III was the first English king since the Norman Conquest to die in the red heat of battle; and he was also the last English king to do so."
Henry Tudor crowned king.
Part V
1485 - 1509 (24 years)
20: "True Succeeders"
1485: Bosworth Field; Henry VI defeats Richard III.
Bosworth Field: considered the starting place of the modern age.
Many English had vested interesting in the Yorkists, and this was not necessarily good news. The Tudors would continue to "clear the decks" of Lancastrians. Of Cecily's six adult children, four were dead -- 3 sons, one daughter). Yorkists would still make Henry VII's life miserable (Margaret of Burgundy would continue to interfere in English affairs from France; descendants of Elizabeth, the Duchess of Suffolk would be an issue as well.
The Yorkists too young (even if the young princes were still alive); the last Plantagenet, a cousin of Warwick, Clarence's 10-year-old son too young to be seen as a threat.
Henry moved fast. The first thing he did -- knowing there was one surviving Plantagenet lurking -- was move Warwick into Margaret Beaufort's custody; his mother would make sure Warwick would not harass Henry VII.
Margaret Beaufort's world turned upside down: the man she opposed for so long was vanquished; her son to be king.
Henry VII to London; stayed at Bakynard's Castle, Cecily's former home. She was at Berkhampsted.
Margaret Beaufort apparently never thought of taking the throne herself. Henry Tudor justified his reign on three things:
- marriage to Elizabeth of York
- birth (his descent from John of Gaunt, son of Edward III)
- right of battle
Starting with chapter 20 I lost interest in the book. The story had pretty much been told. Maybe later, I will come back to finish the book.
NEED TO COMPLETE
Epilogue
Margaret Beaufort has a fairly visible resting place in Westminster Abbey.
"None of the other women in this story has a tomb as visible as the ones in [that] chapel of Westminster Abbey.
Elizabeth Woodville, interred with so little ceremony, at least got to share, almost unnoticed, her husband's tomb at Widsor;
"Anne Neville is at least known to be buried in Westminster Abbey, although the site is not recorded.
"Although Cecily Neville is buried as she desired at Fotheringhay, the place never became the memorial to the Yorkist dynasty she had planned; indeed, by Elizabeth 's day, the tombs had fallen into such disrepair she ordered them removed and replaced by a simple plaque elsewhere in the church.
"Even Margaret of Burgundy's tomb in Malines was ransacked in the sixteenth century -- by local iconoclasts, Spanish troops, or English mercenaries -- so that no trace of any memorial can be seen today.
"Marguerite of Anjou was buried as she requested with her parents at Angers, her final resting place serving as evidence that war in the country that should have been her marital home had not gone her way.
"But everything we know about these women suggests that their main imperative was dynastic -- genetic. And the blood of Elizabeth Plantagent and Henry Tudor -- and therefore the blood of Margaret Beaufort, Elizaabeth Woodville, and Cecily Neville -- still runs in Britain's royal family. The establishment of this legacy, surely, for them, outweighed whatever personal price they had to pay. .... Among the women of this Cousins' War, Margaret Beaufort fought hardest and most successfully for her bloodline. She is also the only one to leave another sort of legacy -- a legacy of works -- but even for her, that can only have been a secondary matter."
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