Margaret Beaufort Part 2

3rd June 1482; King Edward IV had reigned for 10 years when Margaret could finally say she was given what she wanted. After being in exile for many years Henry Tudor was given land from the King and was welcomed back to court. Margaret must have felt such a relief, she was married to an influential man who was able to look after her, her son had reclaimed what had been taken from him and they were all able to go to court. Sadly this didn't last.

On 9th April 1483 King Edward died, his son Edward V (who was 12 at the time) was named King. As he was so young his uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester, was named Lord Protector to the boy and he escorted him to London. Edward's coronation should have taken place on 22nd June 1483 but Richard kept pushing the date back. We now know this is because Richard was planning to usurp the throne.

(King Richard III)

A declaration by Ralph Shaa on 22nd June announced that Edward IV had actually been contracted to marry Lady Eleanor Butler before he had married Elizabeth Woodville. This would mean any children by the couple were illegitimate and therefore unable to rule. The crown would go to Richard, Edward IV's brother.

(Elizabeth Woodville)

Richard then had his two nephews Edward V and Richard Duke of York (later known as the Princes of The Tower) locked in The Tower of London and on the 6th July 1483 he was crowned King Richard III.

Margaret's old tactic of switching sides came in handy as her and her husband Sir Thomas Stanley were included in the coronation. Margaret carried the Queen (Anne Neville's) train and Stanley carried the King's mace. She had seen how heart broken Elizabeth Woodville had been, when her son's had been taken to the Tower so she knew once more she must protect her son and again Henry Tudor fled to France.

In October 1483 rumours began that Richard III had had his nephews murdered while in the Tower, Margaret knew that even though Henry's claim to the throne was tenuous, he could still be considered a threat to Richard. She had to think of a way Henry could come back home and have his lands returned. The only way was for Henry to become King but he would need a better connection to the crown, he would need to marry a royal.

(Richard and Edward, The Princes in The Tower)

Elizabeth Woodville and her daughters had gone into hiding in Westminster Abbey claiming sanctuary, so they were unable to be taken away on Richard's order. As luck would have it Margaret and Elizabeth shared the same doctor, who was able to go into the abbey to check the health of the former royal family. Margaret asked him to talk to Elizabeth regarding Henry marrying her daughter, Elizabeth of York, and finally joining the Lancaster and York families. Elizabeth agreed.

(Elizabeth of York)

Margaret was able to send some money to Henry in France to pay for a small army to stand against Richard, unfortunately the King discovered the plan, Henry stayed in France and Margaret was stripped of all her land and titles. Her husband however was still useful to Richard and so instead of Margaret being killed, her husband was ordered to keep his wife locked up at home. Within a few years Henry had gathered more troops and supporters and on 7th August 1485 he landed in Milford Heaven, Wales, for his second attempt to defeat Richard.

It was expected that Sir Thomas Stanley would stand with the King but Margaret had asked her husband and his brother (Sir William Stanley) to be faithful to Henry. Stanley did not answer and on 22nd August 1485 at The Battle of Bosworth he still had not picked a side. Richard had 15,000 troops, Henry had 5,000 and the undecided Stanley brothers had 6,000. It looked like Henry would be defeated once again, but at the right moment Stanley backed his step son and Richard III was killed. Henry was crowned by Thomas Stanley in the field and by the age of 42 Margaret's dream became a reality, she was now the matriarch of the new Tudor royal dynasty.

Margaret would take on the role of ''over bearing mother in law'' to Queen Elizabeth (of York). She was referred to as ''My Lady the King's Mother'', she did not want to be known as the dowager queen as it was a lower title than her daughter in law's, the Queen consort. She took over the education of her grandchildren and when signing letters she was known to use ''Margaret R'' which is the sign of the sovereign.

In 1490 a young man claimed to be Richard Duke of York, the second son of King Edward IV and brother to the Queen, he was backed by many people including Sir William Stanley, the brother of Margaret's husband. Later he confessed to being an impostor, named Perkin Warbeck, he was eventually hanged and Sir William was beheaded for his part in the deception. This put a strain on Margaret and Thomas's marriage and by 1499 Margaret took a vow of chastity with her husband's permission.

(Perkin Warbeck)

Margaret died on 29th June 1509, outliving her son by 2 months, she died 5 days after her grandson was crowned King Henry VIII. She was buried on the south aisle of Henry VII's chapel in Westminster Abbey on the 9th July.

To me Margaret was very ahead of her time, she was a strong-willed women in a time when men made all the decisions, but she went from a 13 year old mother to being the women who began the Tudor royal family. Her legacy will live on not just in her family but also with Christ's College in Cambridge which she founded, she may have been domineering once her son took the throne but I think that was out of fear and love. Fear thinking she would no longer be needed in Henry's life but also love that she showed by bringing power to her family.

The History Chronicle
See you next time.