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Summary
- Background and early years
- Involvement in the Wars of the Roses
- Influence during Henry VII’s reign and later years
Key Facts And Information
Let’s know more about Margaret Beaufort!
Margaret Beaufort was born into a prominent family with royal connections. Her early years were marked by a series of political alliances and strategic marriages. She was a key figure during the Wars of the Roses, during which she took advantage of the political chaos and worked hard to secure the English crown for her only son. Her efforts led to her son’s decisive victory at Bosworth, ultimately helping establish the Tudor dynasty. Once Henry VII was crowned, she held significant political influence and possessed considerable personal autonomy.
Portrait of Margaret Beaufort by Meynart Wewyck, c.1510
Background and early years of Margaret Beaufort
- Born on 31 May 1443 at Bletsoe Castle in Bedfordshire, Margaret Beaufort came from a prominent family with royal connections. She was the only child of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, and Margaret Beauchamp of Bletsoe. Her father was a member of the powerful Beaufort family, which was descended from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and the son of Edward III of England.
- Somerset’s father was making preparations for an urgent military campaign in France for Henry VI of England at the time of her birth.
- He secured an agreement with the king that if he were to die, the rights to his only child’s wardship and marriage would go only to his wife.
- Following Somerset’s return from France, he had a falling out with the king, leading to his subsequent removal from the royal court while facing accusations of treason. He died not long after.
- As his only surviving child, Margaret inherited Somerset’s substantial wealth and his contested claim to the throne. This likely made Margaret a political player in the unstable environment of the Lancastrian court.
- Somerset’s arrangement was abandoned by the king when Margaret was just one year old. The wardship of Margaret’s vast lands was granted to William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk. She stayed with her mother and remained the sole heir to her father’s estate.
- Margaret’s early life was marked by a series of political alliances and strategic marriages. It is likely that she was promised to marry John de la Pole, Suffolk’s son, when she was still an infant or toddler.
- The wedding ceremony is believed to have taken place in 1450. However, the union was dissolved three years later, after which Margaret’s wardship was given to the king’s own half-brothers, Jasper and Edward Tudor.
- Prior to the annulment of Margaret’s marriage to John de la Pole, the king was already arranging for her to marry Edmund. It is thought that Henry VI intended to strengthen Edmund’s claim to the throne in case he died with no direct heirs.
- Edmund was the eldest son of Catherine of Valois, who was also Henry VI’s mother, and Owen Tudor. He was 12 years older than Margaret.
- At the age of nine, Margaret gave her formal consent to the marriage, claiming she felt it was divinely guided.
- When she turned 12, she married Edmund in November 1455, just as the Wars of the Roses were beginning. She considered Edmund as her first husband. This union linked her directly to the Lancastrian claim to the throne.
- In 1456, Edmund was captured by Yorkist forces and died in captivity. This made Margaret, who was already pregnant with their child, a widow at a young age.
- While under the care of her brother-in-law, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, Margaret gave birth to a son, Henry Tudor, at Pembroke Castle on 28 January 1547.
- It is believed that Margaret had a difficult birth, which may have caused lasting physical damage to her physically underdeveloped body.
- After she recovered and re-entered into society, Jasper helped arrange another marriage for her to ensure young Henry’s future.
- In January 1458, Margaret married the second son of the 1st Duke of Buckingham, Sir Henry Stafford. Due to their status as second cousins, a papal dispensation was first granted in 1457.
- Margaret and her new husband received 400 marks’ worth of land from Buckingham, but her own vast estates remained their primary source of income. Meanwhile, Margaret’s son had been entrusted to Jasper’s care and the couple were only allowed to visit him at Pembroke Castle in Wales.
Margaret Beaufort's Involvement in the Wars of the Roses
- The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic conflicts fought between the rival Houses of Lancaster and York, both of which held claims to the English throne. Margaret’s life became increasingly entwined with the political turmoil surrounding the throne. The struggle between the Yorkists and Lancastrians for power reached its peak at the Battle of Towton in 1461, where the former emerged victorious.
Depiction of the Battle of Barnet
Reign of Edward IV
- Following the Yorkist victory at Towton, Edward IV became the king of England.
- Buckingham was killed in the conflict. Meanwhile, Jasper was forced to escape to Scotland and France to rally support for the Lancastrian cause.
- The new king took control of the lands belonging to Margaret’s son, and granted them to his own brother, Duke of Clarence. Henry was placed under the guardianship of Sir William Herbert, with Margaret only allowed some visits with her son.
- In 1469, a rebellion spearheaded by the disgruntled Clarence and Earl of Warwick resulted in Edward IV being captured after a military defeat.
- Margaret seized this opportunity to initiate negotiations with Clarence, in hopes of regaining custody of her son and his estates. Her plan was thwarted by Edward IV’s return to power.
- Warwick’s ongoing rebellion briefly restored Henry VI to the throne in 1470–71, but the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Barnet ended this.
- When Yorkist rule was reinstated, Margaret was believed to have begged Jasper to take her 13-year-old son with him, as he was forced to flee abroad again. It would be many years before Margaret was reunited with Henry.
- Margaret’s husband, Lord Stafford, fought for the Yorkists and died in 1471 due to the wounds sustained at Barnet. Margaret, now 28 years old, was again left a widow.
- In June 1472, she agreed to enter a marriage again, this time with Thomas Stanley, the Lord High Constable and King of Mann.
- It is believed that her intention to marry into the Stanley family was politically motivated, as this would enable her to return to the court of Edward IV and his wife, Elizabeth Woodville, as well as enhance her image and secure a position from which she could advocate for her son.
- Her efforts paid off, as the queen consort even chose Margaret as the godmother to one of her daughters.
- Edward IV ruled in relative peace in the succeeding years, but Margaret’s son remained a threat to his rule.
Reigns of Edward V and Richard III
- In 1483, Edward IV died, and Richard III subsequently seized the throne from Edward V. Margaret quickly returned to court, where she served the new queen, Anne Neville.
- She also sought to bring her son back to England and appears to have tried negotiating with the king.
- Despite these negotiations, she is thought to have secretly conspired with Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of the two York princes who were imprisoned by Richard III in the Tower of London.
- The two worked to replace Richard III with Henry, and they consolidated their alliance by arranging for Henry to marry Elizabeth of York. This marriage proposal was intended to unite the Yorkists and Lancastrians in support of Henry’s claim to the throne.
- The Buckingham rebellion in 1483 saw Margaret and Elizabeth conspiring to overthrow Richard III. The plan was for Henry to sail from Brittany to join the rebellion, but he arrived too late.
- The rebellion failed, and its main conspirator was executed. Henry was forced to retreat back to the continent.
- Margaret appears to have played a significant role in financing the uprising. In retaliation for her actions, the king passed a law stripping Margaret of her titles and estates, accusing her of high treason for conspiring against him.
- Richard III did not impose a full attainder, and instead transferred Margaret’s property to her husband, Lord Stanley, and effectively confined her to his home in an attempt to prevent her from communicating with her son.
- Despite this, Margaret continued to correspond with Henry. When it was time for Henry to press his claim to the throne, he depended largely on his mother to help garner support in England.
- During the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Lord Stanley remained neutral even though his son was being held hostage by Richard III.
- After Richard III’s defeat, Stanley placed the crown on the new king, Henry VII. Henry VII later rewarded Stanley by making him Earl of Derby, and Margaret was given the title of Countess of Richmond and Derby.
- In 1488, Margaret was also honoured with a position as a Lady of the Order of the Garter.
Influence during Henry VII’s reign and later years
- Following Henry VII’s victory at Bosworth, Margaret was formally addressed as ‘My Lady the King’s Mother’ at court. The attainder against her was soon reversed by her son’s first Parliament. She was also granted the legal status of feme sole, which gave her significant legal and social independence. This status was not afforded by many women at the time.
Portrait of Henry VII
- As arranged by Margaret and Elizabeth, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York. At court, Margaret was reluctant to accept a lower status than Elizabeth, the dowager queen, or even her daughter-in-law, the queen consort.
- Margaret’s substantial political influence was observed by a Spanish envoy in 1498, who claimed that the king was much influenced by his mother in both personal and state matters.
- Her independent status was also reflected in her wardship of brothers, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, and Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire.
- Consequently, Margaret held land, wealth and political leverage, which allowed her to shape policy and have a say in court matters.
- Margaret preferred to live alone later in her marriage. In fact, she took a vow of chastity in 1499, with her husband’s approval.
- She moved to Collyweston, near Stamford, and lived independently, though her husband still visited her.
- She renewed her vow in 1504 and was given a special commission to administer justice over the Midlands and the North from Collyweston.
- She also played an active role in the domestic affairs of the royal family. She helped establish proper protocols for the birth and upbringing of royal heirs, and worked alongside the queen consort to arrange royal marriages.
- She was also involved in the upbringing of her grandson Henry and personally selected members of his household after Henry VII’s eldest son, Prince Arthur, died.
- Margaret was active in the religious and educational spheres. She supported the founding of various religious institutions and was a patron of education, most notably helping to establish Christ’s College and St John’s College at Cambridge University.
- Following Henry VII’s death on 21 April 1509, Margaret, as the chief executrix of his will, worked tirelessly to ensure her grandson Henry VIII’s smooth succession.
- She organised both Henry VII’s funeral and her grandson’s coronation. She was accorded precedence over all other women of the royal family at her son’s funeral.
- She influenced Henry VIII’s early reign, particularly when he selected members of his privy council, many of whom were her suggestions.
- On 29 June 1509, Margaret died in the Deanery of Westminster Abbey after having been ill for several days. This was the day after her Henry VIII’s 18th birthday, five days after his coronation and just over two months after the passing of her son.
Image Sources
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Margaret_Beaufort_Wewyck_Portrait.png
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/MS_Ghent_-_Battle_of_Barnet_retouched.jpg/800px-MS_Ghent_-_Battle_of_Barnet_retouched.jpg
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Enrique_VII_de_Inglaterra%2C_por_un_artista_an%C3%B3nimo.jpg/220px-Enrique_VII_de_Inglaterra%2C_por_un_artista_an%C3%B3nimo.jpg
Frequently Asked Questions About Margaret Beaufort
- Who was Margaret Beaufort?
Margaret Beaufort was an English noblewoman, the daughter of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and Margaret Beauchamp of Bletso.
- What was Margaret Beaufort's role in the Wars of the Roses?
Margaret Beaufort was a key supporter of the Lancastrian cause during the Wars of the Roses. After the deaths of Henry VI and the male line of the Beaufort family, she and her son, Henry Tudor, became the senior representatives of the House of Lancaster.
- How did Margaret Beaufort contribute to the founding of the Tudor dynasty?
Margaret Beaufort was instrumental in securing the throne for her son, Henry Tudor. Her efforts culminated in Henry's victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, leading to the establishment of the Tudor dynasty.