Uncrowned Queen

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

UNCROWNED QUEEN FEATURES A GREAT number of personalities, all of whom had varying impacts on Margaret Beaufort’s life. To help familiarize the reader, I include below a brief biographical sketch of some of the main characters in Margaret’s story.

Beauchamp, Margaret, Duchess of Somerset (c. 1420–1482)

Margaret’s mother was the daughter of Sir John Beauchamp and Edith Stourton. She was married first to Sir Oliver St John, by whom she had seven children. Following her brief marriage to John Beaufort, which produced a single daughter, Margaret, she remarried in 1447. Her third husband was Lionel, or Leo, Lord Welles, by whom she had a son. Margaret Beauchamp died prior to 3 June 1482.

Beaufort, Edmund, Second Duke of Somerset (c. 1406/7–1455)

The younger brother of Margaret’s father, Edmund was granted the dukedom of Somerset in 1448. A favourite of both Henry VI and his queen, Edmund was unpopular with many of his fellow nobles—most significantly the Duke of York, who tried to have him imprisoned on several occasions. Edmund participated in the first battle of the Wars of the Roses at St Albans in 1455, where he was killed.

Beaufort, John, First Duke of Somerset (1404–1444)

Margaret’s father was the grandson of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. Somerset spent much of his youth imprisoned in France as a result of his capture at the Battle of Baugé. He was ransomed in 1438, and in 1442 he married Margaret Beauchamp. In July 1443 he led a military campaign to France, but it ended in disaster. He returned six months later, in January 1444, and was met with disgrace. In May—just days before his infant daughter’s first birthday—Somerset died, possibly by his own hand.

Bray, Sir Reginald (c. 1440–1503)

Margaret met the man who would become one of her most trusted servants and lifelong friends following her marriage to Henry Stafford. Bray acted as receiver general to the couple and managed Margaret’s estates for around two decades. He served Margaret loyally and conspired on her son’s behalf in the Buckingham Rebellion of 1483. Following Henry VII’s accession in 1485, Bray was handsomely rewarded and became one of the king’s most influential advisors. He died childless on 5 August 1503.

Cecily of York (1469–1507)

Margaret was extremely fond of the third of Edward IV’s daughters, who she is likely to have come to know well during her time at the court of the Yorkist king. It was probably under Margaret’s auspices that Cecily was married to John Welles, Margaret’s half-brother, in 1487. Following Welles’s death, Cecily wed Thomas Kyme without seeking Henry VII’s consent. The king was outraged, but Margaret did her best to protect the former Yorkist princess, interceding on her behalf. Cecily lived out the remainder of her days quietly.

Edward IV (1442–1483)

The son and heir of Richard, Duke of York, following a victory at the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross in February 1461, in March Edward declared himself king. His victory was consolidated after the bloody Battle of Towton on 29 March. Edward secretly married Elizabeth Wydeville in 1464, and together the couple would produce ten children—eight of whom survived infancy. In 1470 Edward was briefly deposed and fled abroad, but he returned the following year to fight for his throne. After two successful victories at Barnet and Tewkesbury, he regained his crown. Edward died unexpectedly in 1483, the results of which led Margaret Beaufort to spy an opportunity for her son.

Elizabeth of York (1466–1503)

The eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville, Elizabeth was betrothed to the French dauphin in 1475 as part of her father’s peace negotiations. The betrothal was broken off in 1482, and the following year Margaret plotted to marry Elizabeth to her son, Henry. Their marriage finally took place in January 1486, and in September Elizabeth gave birth to the first Tudor heir, Arthur. Together she and Henry sired seven children, four of whom survived infancy. Elizabeth died nine days after the birth of her final child, Katherine.

Fisher, John, Bishop of Rochester (c. 1469–1535)

The son of a Yorkshire merchant, Fisher first met Margaret in 1494 when he was senior proctor at Cambridge. The two struck up an immediate friendship, and before long Fisher had assumed the role of Margaret’s chaplain and confessor. In 1504 Fisher was created Bishop of Rochester and remained a close friend of Margaret’s for the rest of her life. So much so that he was one of the executors of her will, and it is from him that much of the information about her life stems—largely related by Margaret herself.

George, Duke of Clarence (1449–1478)

A younger brother of Edward IV, it was to Clarence that Henry Tudor’s title of Richmond was given in 1462. Clarence was treacherous and rebelled with the Earl of Warwick against his brother in 1469. He was later reconciled with Edward IV and became a recipient of the king’s favour. He was married to Isabel Neville, and the couple had two surviving children: Margaret, later married to Sir Richard Pole, and Edward, Earl of Warwick, executed in 1499. Following the death of his wife in 1476—probably as a result of childbirth—Clarence’s behaviour became increasingly erratic. He was arrested and tried on charges of treason, of which he was found guilty. He was executed on 18 February 1478, reportedly by being drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine.

Henry VI (1421–1471)

Margaret’s kinsman was the only child of Henry V and Katherine of Valois. Gentle and pious by nature, Henry was completely unsuited to the task of ruling a country. Under his rule, the Wars of the Roses broke out in 1455. Henry was deposed in 1461 and spent the next nine years either in hiding or imprisoned. Though he was briefly reinstated in 1470, the following year he was deposed once more and murdered in the Tower of London on 21 May 1471.

Henry VII (1457–1509)

Margaret’s only son was born at Pembroke Castle two months after the death of her husband, Edmund Tudor. His birth was traumatic, but in spite of this Henry grew to be a healthy boy. Much of his early life was spent under the protection of his uncle, Jasper Tudor, but in 1462 Henry became the ward of William Herbert. He was treated kindly, and kept in contact with his mother, though he seems to have seen her but rarely. In 1471, at Margaret’s urging, Henry fled abroad with Jasper Tudor, spending fourteen years in exile in Brittany and France. He returned at the head of an army in August 1485 and successfully defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. In January 1486, Henry married Elizabeth of York, thereby uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York. The couple had four children who survived infancy, chiefly his successor, Henry VIII. Henry died at Richmond Palace on 21 April 1509.

Henry VIII (1491–1547)

Henry was the second of Margaret’s grandsons and was raised with his sisters, primarily at Eltham Palace. As with all of her grandchildren, Margaret was fond of Henry, and her accounts show that she sometimes bought gifts for him. Following the death of his elder brother Arthur in 1502, Henry became Henry VII’s sole surviving male heir. He succeeded his father as Henry VIII in April 1509 and married Katherine of Aragon soon after. At the time of his death in 1547, he had married six times and produced three legitimate children.

Herbert, William, Earl of Pembroke (c. 1423–1469)

In 1462 William Herbert, a loyal supporter of Edward IV, became the guardian of Margaret’s son, Henry Tudor. The boy was brought to live with Herbert and his family at Raglan Castle and was treated kindly by his guardian and his wife, Anne Devereux. Herbert eventually hoped to arrange for Henry’s marriage to his daughter, Maud. In July 1469, Herbert partook in the Battle of Edgecote, taking young Henry with him. He was captured and executed the day after the battle.

Katherine of Aragon (1485–1536)

The Spanish bride of Margaret’s eldest grandson, Arthur, arrived in England in October 1501. The following month, Katherine and Arthur were married in a lavish ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral, but the marriage was cut short when Arthur died in April 1502. Katherine was then betrothed to Margaret’s younger grandson, Henry, but he repudiated this in 1505. She nevertheless remained in England, despite being poorly treated by Henry VII and forced to endure a great deal of financial hardship. Shortly after his father’s death, Henry VIII resolved to marry Katherine, and the couple were quietly married on 11 June 1509. In spite of numerous pregnancies, Katherine produced just one surviving child, a daughter named Mary. By 1526 her marriage to Henry had begun to fall apart, and she was later forced to endure a very public and painful separation from him. In 1533 Katherine and Henry’s marriage was declared invalid, and three years later she died a lonely death at Kimbolton Castle.

Margaret of Anjou (1430–1482)

Henry VI’s French-born queen was the daughter of René of Anjou and Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine. Married to Henry VI in 1445, she rather than her husband came to be a dominant force in the Wars of the Roses. Following the Lancastrian defeat at Tewkesbury in 1471 that saw the death of Margaret’s only child, Prince Edward, Margaret became Edward IV’s prisoner. In 1475 she returned to France, having been ransomed to Louis XI, and died there in poverty on 25 August 1482.

Morton, John (c. 1420–1500)

Hailing from Dorset, Morton rose steadily to prominence under Henry VI and was appointed chancellor to his heir, Prince Edward, on 26 September 1456. Following the Lancastrian defeat at Towton, Morton was captured while attempting to flee to Scotland and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Incredibly, he managed to escape and hurried to join Margaret of Anjou in France. He remained there until Henry VI’s readeption, but after his master’s murder he reconciled with Edward IV and was pardoned in July 1471. He became one of Edward’s most trusted advisors but was later imprisoned by Richard III. Morton supported Henry Tudor’s claim and was a key conspirator in the Buckingham Rebellion. Following Henry VII’s accession, Morton was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1486 and Lord Chancellor the following year.

Neville, Richard, Earl of Warwick (1428–1471)

The man who became known as the Kingmaker supported Edward IV during the first years of his reign. He became the most powerful noble in the realm but was incensed when he discovered that Edward had married Elizabeth Wydeville in 1464. Five years later, he rebelled against Edward and succeeded in capturing him, but an attempt to rule in Edward’s name failed. Though he and Edward were reconciled, it was short-lived, and in 1470 Warwick supported the readeption of Henry VI. When Edward IV returned to claim his throne the following year, his army met with that of Warwick at Barnet on 14 April. During the course of the battle, Warwick was killed.

Richard III (1452–1485)

The younger brother of Edward IV, Richard—following the king’s unexpected death in April 1483—moved quickly to take control of his nephew, Edward V, and eventually, the realm. He was proclaimed King of England on 26 June and crowned alongside his wife, Anne Neville, on 6 July, with Margaret in attendance. Three months later, Richard was forced to deal with the Buckingham Rebellion, of which Margaret was one of the leading conspirators. The rebellion was a failure, and Richard confiscated all of Margaret’s goods. The remainder of his reign was plagued by unrest, and in the summer of 1485 Richard prepared to face Henry Tudor on the battlefield. He was killed in the battle, and his naked body slung over the back of a horse—several humiliation wounds were inflicted after his death. Richard’s remains were discovered in 2012 and identified the following year. He was interred in Leicester Cathedral in 2015.

Stafford, Henry (c. 1425–1471)

Margaret’s third husband was the second son of Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. He and Margaret were married in January 1458, and they seem to have enjoyed a genuinely happy marriage. The couple spent a great deal of time together, but after thirteen years of marriage Stafford died in October 1471 as a result of injuries inflicted at the Battle of Barnet.

Stafford, Henry, Second Duke of Buckingham (1455–1483)

As the grandson of Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, Henry was Margaret’s nephew by marriage and also her cousin through his mother. Following the death of Edward IV in 1483, Buckingham became the chief ally of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and fully supported his usurpation of the throne in June. Before long, though, Buckingham began plotting with Margaret for Richard’s overthrow, and he planned a rebellion. When this failed, Buckingham was captured and executed on Richard III’s orders on 2 November 1483.

Stanley, Thomas, Earl of Derby (c. 1433–1504)

Margaret married her fourth husband in June 1472, a match made—as with her other marriages—for political advantage rather than personal preference. Stanley was a man of dubious political allegiance, but following Henry VII’s accession he was richly rewarded as the king’s stepfather. Though Margaret was declared femme sole (a sole person) in 1485 and later took a vow of chastity, she and Stanley remained on good terms and continued to work together. Following his death on 29 July 1504, Stanley was laid to rest in Burscough Priory, Lancashire.

Stanley, William (c. 1435–1495)

The younger brother of Margaret’s husband Thomas Stanley, William was instrumental in Henry Tudor’s success at the Battle of Bosworth. He was rewarded for his good service, being appointed Chamberlain of the king’s household and becoming immensely wealthy. At the beginning of 1495, however, Stanley was arrested on suspicion of supporting Perkin Warbeck. He was executed on 16 February.

Tudor, Arthur (1486–1502)

Margaret and her family had high hopes for the firstborn child and heir of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York—Margaret’s grandson. In 1493 Arthur was sent to Ludlow Castle to continue his education and prepare for the task of kingship that awaited him. He rarely came to court, and thus Margaret saw little of her eldest grandson. On 14 November 1501, Arthur married the Spanish princess Katherine of Aragon, and soon afterwards the newlyweds returned to Ludlow. Tragically, before long Arthur fell ill and died on 2 April 1502.

Tudor, Edmund, Earl of Richmond (1428/30–1456)

Through his mother, Katherine of Valois, Edmund was the half-brother of Henry VI. It was thanks to the king that Edmund was granted the earldom of Richmond, and it was under his auspices that Edmund’s marriage to Margaret Beaufort was arranged in 1455. The newlyweds moved to Wales, but their marriage was short-lived; on 1 November 1456 Edmund died of plague at Carmarthen Castle, leaving Margaret pregnant at the age of thirteen.

Tudor, Jasper, Earl of Pembroke and Duke of Bedford (c. 1431–1495)

The younger brother of Edmund Tudor, Margaret’s brother-in-law was a devoted and trusted figure in her life. Not only did he support Margaret throughout the trying days that followed Edmund’s death in 1456—including offering her shelter at Pembroke Castle, where she gave birth to her son—he also guarded Henry Tudor and stayed by his side following their foreign exile in 1471. Jasper remained loyal to Henry following his accession to the throne in 1485 and was greatly loved by both his nephew and Margaret. He died childless in December 1495.

Tudor, Margaret (1489–1541)

Margaret always held an especial fondness for her eldest granddaughter and namesake, and showed great concern for her welfare. In 1503 Margaret left England and travelled to Scotland to marry James IV. Her husband was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, leaving Margaret a pregnant widow with a small son—James V. She endured a turbulent marital history, marrying twice more—as a result of her marriage to Archibald Douglas, she had a daughter, also named Margaret. She died at Methven Castle, Perthshire, on 18 October 1541.

Tudor, Mary (1496–1533)

The youngest surviving daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York joined Margaret to entertain Philip of Castile at Croydon in 1506. The following year she was betrothed to his son, Charles, but the negotiations never came to fruition. Instead, in October 1514 Mary married Louis XII of France, but he died after just three months of marriage. Shortly after—probably in February 1515—Mary clandestinely married Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Their union produced two surviving daughters, Frances and Eleanor. Frances was the mother of Lady Jane Grey and her two sisters.

Welles, Lionel or Leo (c. 1406–1461)

Margaret’s stepfather married her mother in 1447, having been previously married to Joan Waterton. He was a strong supporter of the House of Lancaster and served as Joint Deputy of Calais in the 1450s. Welles was created a Knight of the Garter in 1457 and fought for Henry VI at the Battle of Towton in 1461. It was there that he was killed, and later that year he was attainted by Parliament. Welles was buried alongside his first wife in St Oswald’s Church, Methley.

Wydeville, Elizabeth (c. 1437–1492)

The first commoner to become Queen of England was married secretly to Edward IV in 1464. Though her union with Edward was successful, Elizabeth and her family managed to alienate many of her husband’s nobles. The result was that, following Edward’s death, the Wydeville family had little support in their attempts to secure power in the name of Elizabeth’s son, Edward V. Elizabeth and her remaining children fled to sanctuary, where she plotted with Margaret to overthrow Richard III. Following Henry VII’s accession and the marriage of her daughter, Elizabeth of York, to the king, Elizabeth reappeared at court. However, in 1487 she removed to Bermondsey Abbey, and it was there that she died in 1492.

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