Margaret Beaufort: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:52, 2 December 2017

1443-1509. Countess of Richmond and Derby. House of Lancaster. Married four times, but most well-known as wife of Edmund Tudor and mother of Henry VII.

Margaret Beaufort is associated with the House of Lancaster, because she was the great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, from her father's side. She was the only child and heiress of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset and his wife Margaret Beauchamp of Bletsoe (Jones & Underwood xviii).

Margaret´s first husband was John de la Pole. But the marriage was annulled in 1453 by Henry VI, so that his half-brother, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, was able to marry her (ibid. 25). They did so in 1455. Margaret was 12 at the time. Edmund died in November 1456 and left behind his pregnant wife. Their child Henry was born 28 January 1457 (ibid. 28f).

Margaret then married Henry Stafford, the son of the first Duke of Buckingham. Since Margaret and Henry were second cousins, a bishop had to grant a dispensation before the marriage could finally be contracted in about 1459 (ibid. 40f). The marriage lasted for 14 years and turned out to be a good decision, since Stafford was reconciled to the Yorkist King, Edward IV, and lived a prosperous life as they were given a great amount of land by Buckingham and could additionally profit from Margaret´s heritage (Jansen 29; Jones & Underwood 41). Their marriage ended when Stafford died in 1471 in The Battle of Barnet, fighting for the Yorkists.

In 1472 Margaret married Lord Thomas Stanley. Stanley was a Yorkist supporter and so Margaret could return to King Edward IV´s court, despite her being of Lancastrian origin. Supposedly Margaret joined in the unsuccessful rebellion of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, against Richard III. Richard III accused Margaret of treason. Although her husband´s services at Richard´s court saved her from the Act of Attainder, she was no longer allowed to communicate with her son and all her belongings and her person were under the control of her husband (Ross qtd. in Jansen 29f).

After the failed rebellion Margaret tried to undermine Richard III by arranging a marriage between her son Henry and Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV. Margaret cooperated with Edward's widow and was - actually and all in all - successful. Henry and Elizabeth married in 1486 (Jansen 30). Before that, however, another momentous event had to happen: In 1485, Henry defeated Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field and became King Henry VII. Thus Lady Margaret of Richmond and Derby became “the King´s mother” (Jones & Underwood).

Margaret had a lot of influence in the King´s household as well as in the kingdom. In the household she had an influence on e.g. her grandchildren´s education and their marriages. With regard to the kingdom she advised her son, took care of foreign affairs (e.g. with France) and presided at the Royal Court. In addition she maintained her own household. Margaret lived independently at Collyweston, since she had been declared a femme sole by parliament. This meant that she could keep and administer all her belongings without her husband, but Lord Stanley was welcome to visit her (Jansen 33). Through the years of her son´s kingship the relationship between mother and son had always been a strong one. She had also been the right hand of the queen consort and used to travel everywhere with the couple (Jansen 31f).

After Henry VII´s death in 1509, Margaret was “the chief executor of his will” (ibid. 32). Therefore she arranged his funeral and her grandson Henry VIII's coronation, before she died in June 1509 (ibid; Jones & Underwood 251).

Sources

Jansen, Sharon L. The Monstrous Regiment of Women. Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

Jones, Michael K. & Underwood, Malcolm G. The King´s Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Coutness of Richmond and Derby. Cambridge University Press, 1999.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (1443-1509).
+-1509. Countess of Richmond and Derby. House of Lancaster. Married four times, but most well-known as wife of [[Edmund Tudor]] and mother of [[Henry VII]].
-Margaret Beaufort was the only child and consequently the only heiress of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset and his wife Margaret Beauchamp of Bletsoe. Margaret´s father was a grandson of King [[Edward III]] and the son of [[John of Gaunt]], Duke of Lancaster, therefore Margaret was a relative to the King and had [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrian]] roots. Lady Margaret Beaufort was married four times in her life, but is most mentioned with regard to her marriage with [[Edmund Tudor]] and being the mother of [[Henry VII]].
+Margaret Beaufort is associated with the House of Lancaster, because she was the great-granddaughter of [[John of Gaunt]], Duke of Lancaster, from her father's side. She was the only child and heiress of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset and his wife Margaret Beauchamp of Bletsoe (Jones & Underwood xviii).
-Margaret´s first husband was John de la Pole. But the marriage was annulled in 1453 by [[Henry VI]], so that his half-brother, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, was able to marry Margaret (Jones & Underwood 25).
+Margaret´s first husband was John de la Pole. But the marriage was annulled in 1453 by [[Henry VI]], so that his half-brother, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, was able to marry her (ibid. 25). They did so in 1455. Margaret was 12 at the time. Edmund died in November 1456 and left behind his pregnant wife. Their child Henry was born 28 January 1457 (ibid. 28f).
-Hence, Margaret was married to her second husband, Edmund Tudor, in 1455 at the age of 12. It is likely that the King wanted Edmund Tudor as his heir, in the right of Margaret, due to her Lancastrian roots (qtd. in Jansen 28) [name of author that is qtd. in Jansen?]. But the marriage did not last long, since Edmund already died in November 1456. He left behind his wife and his unborn son. Margaret´s only child, Henry VII was born on the 28th of January 1457 (ibid. 28f). From this point on Margaret´s main interest was to keep her son safe. In order to do so she took an active role in arranging her following marriages (Jones & Underwood 40).
-As Margaret wanted protection for herself and her son by Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham [source?], she married his second son Henry Stafford. Since Margaret and Henry were second cousins, a bishop had to grant dispensation, before the marriage could finally be contracted in 1450 (ibid. 40f). The marriage lasted for 14 years and turned out to be a good decision, since Stafford was reconciled to the [[House of York|Yorkist]] King, [[Edward IV]], and lived a prosperous life as they were given a great amount of land by Buckingham and could additionally profit from Margaret´s heritage (Jansen 29; Jones & Underwood 41). Their marriage ended as Stafford died in 1471 in the [[Battle of Barnet]], fighting for the Yorkists.
+Margaret then married Henry Stafford, the son of the first Duke of Buckingham. Since Margaret and Henry were second cousins, a bishop had to grant a dispensation before the marriage could finally be contracted in about 1459 (ibid. 40f). The marriage lasted for 14 years and turned out to be a good decision, since Stafford was reconciled to the Yorkist King, [[Edward IV]], and lived a prosperous life as they were given a great amount of land by Buckingham and could additionally profit from Margaret´s heritage (Jansen 29; Jones & Underwood 41). Their marriage ended when Stafford died in 1471 in The Battle of Barnet, fighting for the Yorkists.
-In 1472 Margaret married her fourth and last husband, Lord Thomas Stanley. Stanley was a Yorkist supporter and so Margaret could return to King Edward IV´s court. As Stanley´s wife, the Lancastrian Margaret was involved in the Yorkist court, despite her ancestry. Nevertheless it is her who is said to have initiated the rebellion of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, against [[Richard III]]. But the rebellion failed and Richard III wanted to pass an Act of Attainder in [[Parliament|parliament]] against her. He accused her of treason, by having sent messages to her son that aimed to overthrow the King by supporting the rebellion. Although her husband´s good and trustworthy services at Richard´s court saved her from the Act of Attainder, she was no longer allowed to communicate with her son and all her belongings as well as Margaret herself were to be controlled by her husband (Ross qtd. in Jansen 29f).
+In 1472 Margaret married Lord Thomas Stanley. Stanley was a Yorkist supporter and so Margaret could return to King Edward IV´s court, despite her being of Lancastrian origin. Supposedly Margaret joined in the unsuccessful rebellion of [[Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham]], against [[Richard III]]. Richard III accused Margaret of treason. Although her husband´s services at Richard´s court saved her from the Act of Attainder, she was no longer allowed to communicate with her son and all her belongings and her person were under the control of her husband (Ross qtd. in Jansen 29f).
-After the failed rebellion Margaret tried to defeat Richard III by arranging a marriage between her son and a daughter of Edward IV. So Margaret and King Edward IV ´s widow arranged the marriage between their children and Henry, Earl of Richmond and [[Elizabeth of York]] married in 1483 (Jansen 30).
+After the failed rebellion Margaret tried to undermine Richard III by arranging a marriage between her son Henry and Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV. Margaret cooperated with Edward's widow and was - actually and all in all - successful. Henry and Elizabeth married in 1486 (Jansen 30). Before that, however, another momentous event had to happen: In 1485, Henry defeated Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field and became King Henry VII. Thus Lady Margaret of Richmond and Derby became “the King´s mother” (Jones & Underwood).
-In 1485, Henry defeated Richard III in the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]] and became King [[Henry VII]]. Thus Lady Margaret of Richmond and Derby became “the King´s mother” (Jones & Underwood [page?]).
+Margaret had a lot of influence in the King´s household as well as in the kingdom. In the household she had an influence on e.g. her grandchildren´s education and their marriages. With regard to the kingdom she advised her son, took care of foreign affairs (e.g. with France) and presided at the Royal Court. In addition she maintained her own household. Margaret lived independently at Collyweston, since she had been declared a femme sole by parliament. This meant that she could keep and administer all her belongings without her husband, but Lord Stanley was welcome to visit her (Jansen 33). Through the years of her son´s kingship the relationship between mother and son had always been a strong one. She had also been the right hand of the queen consort and used to travel everywhere with the couple (Jansen 31f).
+After Henry VII´s death in 1509, Margaret was “the chief executor of his will” (ibid. 32). Therefore she arranged his funeral and her grandson Henry VIII's coronation, before she died in June 1509 (ibid; Jones & Underwood 251).
-Margaret had a lot of influence in the King´s household as well as in the kingdom. In the household she had an influence on e.g. her grandchildren´s education and their marriages. With regard to the kingdom she influenced and advised her son, took care of foreign affairs (e.g. with France) and presided in the Royal Court. In addition she maintained her own household (Collyweston). Margaret lived independently at Collyweston, since she had been declared a [[femme sole]] by parliament. This meant that she could keep and administer all her belongings without her husband, but Lord Stanley was welcomed to visit her (Jansen 33). Through the years of her son´s kingship the relationship between mother and son was a strong one. She ''had also been the right hand the queen consort'' [?] and used to travel everywhere with the couple (Jansen 31f).
-After King Henry VII´s death in 1509 Margaret was “the chief executor of his will” (ibid. 32). Therefore she arranged his funeral and her grandson´s ([[Henry VIII]]) coronation, before she passed away in June 1509 (ibid; Jones & Underwood 251).
@@ Line 25: / Line 24: @@
 Jansen, Sharon L. ''The Monstrous Regiment of Women. Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
-Jonse, Michael K. & Underwood, Malcolm G. ''The King´s Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Coutness of Richmond and Derby''. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
+Jones, Michael K. & Underwood, Malcolm G. ''The King´s Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Coutness of Richmond and Derby''. Cambridge University Press, 1999.