3rd July 1509, Westminster Abbey - the body of a woman lies in state in the Abbey Refectory. The light of a thousand flickering candles falls upon nun-like clothing, hands clasped as if in prayer, a lined face testament to a life of battle, a life of uncertainty, a life of unflinching duty. This woman was the King’s mother …
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Literature
has not been kind to Margaret Beaufort. She was not a pretty woman, but she was
pious, and she was resilient. It is not easy to turn a strong, plain woman into
a romantic heroine and so, in fiction at least, she has become a harridan, a
half-mad zealot. Feminists today celebrate the few medieval women who stepped
from beneath the thumb of masculine authority but Margaret is seldom among
them.
Due
to their illegitimate roots, the Beauforts were barred from succession but that
did not prevent them from becoming one of the most powerful families in
England. From the day of her birth Margaret was a prominent player in the story
of what we now know as the wars of the roses.
In
the first year of her life Margaret’s father, out of favour with the king after
a failed campaign in France, took his own life and Margaret was placed in the
protection of the Duke of Suffolk, William de la Pole. When she was six-years-old
she was married to the Duke’s son, John, a boy of seven.
Shortly
after this the Duke himself fell into trouble and was killed trying to flee the
country. Margaret and John’s marriage was quickly dissolved. As the country
deteriorated into civil war the king’s brothers, Edmund and Jasper Tudor, were
given the wardship of Margaret. At the age of twelve she became the wife of
Edmund, the Earl of Richmond. She followed him to Wales where Edmund battled on
the king’s behalf against Gruffyd ap Nicolas. They made their home at Caldicot
Castle and Lamphey Palace which Edmund used as a base for his military
operations. It must have been an alien environment for Margaret so fresh from
the nursery at her mother’s home at Bletsoe.
After
winning back Carmarthen castle, Edmund fell into dispute with the Yorkist, William
Herbert, who imprisoned him at Carmarthen. Edmund died there, either of wounds,
or plague, or a combination of both. He left his twelve-year-old widow,
Margaret, six months pregnant with his child.
Margaret,
vulnerable and alone, turned to protection to her brother-in-law, Jasper, who
took her to Pembroke castle. It was in his cold, lofty fortress that Margaret
gave birth to her only child, a son, whom she named Henry after her cousin the
king.
Within
weeks of his birth Margaret had taken her life into her own hands and arranged,
with Jasper’s assistance, to marry Henry Stafford, a younger son of the Duke of
Buckingham. Henry remained in the care of Jasper but, when Edward IV won the
throne, he was placed in the hands of William Herbert to be raised at Raglan
Castle in Wales.
How
Margaret must have felt at handing her beloved son into the custody of the man
responsible for her husband’s death can only be surmised. Henry maintained his
title of Richmond but his lands and properties went to the new king’s brother,
George, Duke of Clarence. As soon as she was able Margaret began to campaign
for the return of Henry’s birthright. Henry was well treated by the Herberts, and
given a place almost as a family member. Margaret maintained good relations
with Herbert and his wife, wrote to him often and visited Henry on several occasions.
In
1469, after the Battle of Edgecot, Herbert was executed by the rebel Warwick, and
Jasper took back control of his nephew until the Lancastrian defeat at
Tewkesbury when he and the boy took flight to France, ending up in Brittany. They
rode away without saying goodbye, and Margaret was not to see her beloved son
for fourteen years.
Margaret
seems to have been happy with Henry Stafford who sought peace with Edward IV,
winning positions at court. Their main residence was at Woking where they made
several improvements to the palace but Henry Stafford was wounded at Barnet in
1471 fighting for York. He died shortly afterwards, never recovering from his injuries.
Wasting no time, before the year of mourning was up Margaret again made a
strategic match, marrying Thomas Stanley in 1472.
Stanley
was a prominent member of Edward IV’s court who offered her the position she
craved. She seems to have remained loyal to King Edward but, on the accession
of Richard III in 1483, she began to plot against him. There is no evidence she
had anything to do with the disappearance of the princes in the tower but she
was behind a series of rebellions. After a failed attempt involving the young
Duke of Buckingham, despite her clear involvement, Richard was merciful and
placed her in the custody of her husband – where she continued to conspire
against the king. Her machinations eventually paid off and with her help Henry
and Jasper raised an army in France and landed at Milford Haven in 1485. The Battle
at Bosworth marks the beginning of the end of the Wars of the Roses and, like
it or not, on that day Margaret achieved her life’s ambition. Not only did she
finally see the ultimate victory go to Lancaster but she witnessed her only
son, Henry Tudor, crowned King of England.
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An
objective look at the Wars of the Roses reveals no saints, no sinners; each
side was as much at fault as the other. It is clear to me that Henry VI and his
queen, Margaret of Anjou, were ineffective and unsuitable rulers. I can
understand the frustrations of the ambitious Duke of York. On the other hand it
is also clear that Edward IV became a lazy king, too fond of his leisure and exasperating
his most loyal brother, Richard of Gloucester. In the few short years he ruled Richard
III showed promise as king, he may have made a decent job of it given the chance.
It would be a different world today had the outcome at Bosworth been different.
Henry
Tudor, a complete opposite of Edward IV, cared nothing for the favour of the
people. He ruled as he saw fit, his decisions often dictated to by his
experiences as an exile. He made tough, sensible decisions regardless of
contemporary opinion. On his death the royal coffers were full, riches that
were quickly depleted by his son Henry VIII who seems to have inherited the
love of excess from his grandfather, Edward IV.
During
his reign Henry Tudor was guided by his mother, a woman who never for one
moment faltered in her support for him, and to listen to her was probably one
of his best decisions. She was a woman to be reckoned with, a wise politician,
and a formidable opponent. Henry owed her everything. When he died in 1509 the future
of the Tudor dynasty rested with his son, Henry VIII, a virile, golden prince
whom everybody loved.
Margaret
died seven days after the coronation of her grandson, Henry VIII. She had taken
a prominent part in the upbringing of all her grandchildren, perhaps finding
some solace for only having given birth to one son. It seems that on the death
of her son and the accession of her grandson, her job was done. She had lain
down her life for the Tudor cause, worn herself out for her cause, and for
England. It was time to go.
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Margaret
Beaufort was a diminutive, self-reliant, determined woman whose piety was outstanding
even in the devout days of medieval England. Most historic female achievers are
saluted today. We see them as early feminists, pioneers for modern women to
emulate, but Margaret is seldom celebrated. In her day she was a hallowed
figure (she made sure of that) but today she is tainted with ignominy. I can
only think it is her lack of romance, her lack of prettiness, her lack of sexiness,
yet Margaret was awesome!
During
my research for The Beaufort Chronicles I have discovered a new respect for
Margaret Beaufort; I salute her metamorphosis from pawn to the most powerful
person in England beneath the king.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The
Beaufort Bride: Book one of The Beaufort Chronicles – out now
The
Beaufort Woman: Book Two of The Beaufort Chronicles – pre-order now
The
King’s Mother: Book Three of The Beaufort Chronicles – to follow.
The Beaufort Bride
The Beaufort Woman
A Song of Sixpence
The Winchester Goose
The Kiss of the Concubine
Intractable Heart
The Song of Heledd
The Forest Dwellers
Peaceweaver
mybook.to/thebeaufortbride
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Tudor_Rose.svg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Margaret_Beaufort_2.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Henry_Seven_England.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Lady_Margaret_Beaufort_from_NPG.jpg
I felt the same way about her after researching her life Judith. It is most impressive how she played both sides during the Wars of the Roses. And I admire how she joined forces with Elizabeth Woodville to end the bloodshed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this interesting insight into the life of a remarkable lady. You have given me plenty to add to my explanation of her influence when I am guiding visitors in Westminster Abbey, where Margaret, her son and daughter-in-law are buried.
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