Hi! Welcome to our third lesson!
This lesson is about Margret of Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville. Their stories are set against the larger backdrop of the War of the Roses so at some points we will be focusing on the time period rather than the people to have an understanding of what they managed to survive.
Also, we need a warning. In the Middle Ages most people would name their sons and daughters after them so it was very possible to have 3 people with the same name in a family as sometimes they named two children with the same name as protection against one of them dying. In addition among the English nobility only a select few names were popular so if you read fast like I do, slow down and try to keep them straight.
Margret of Anjou was born in France on March 23, 1429. There is nothing written about her childhood besides the fact that she must have been given a good education to fulfill her later role of the Queen as she did.
When she was 16 she was shipped off to England to marry Henry the Sixth, a Lancastrian King. The houses of Lancaster and York were two competing royal houses and the marriage of King Henry to Margret defeated Yorkist hopes of getting one of their own on the throne. Henry and Margret had one child together, Prince Edward.
This lesson is about Margret of Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville. Their stories are set against the larger backdrop of the War of the Roses so at some points we will be focusing on the time period rather than the people to have an understanding of what they managed to survive.
Also, we need a warning. In the Middle Ages most people would name their sons and daughters after them so it was very possible to have 3 people with the same name in a family as sometimes they named two children with the same name as protection against one of them dying. In addition among the English nobility only a select few names were popular so if you read fast like I do, slow down and try to keep them straight.
Margret of Anjou was born in France on March 23, 1429. There is nothing written about her childhood besides the fact that she must have been given a good education to fulfill her later role of the Queen as she did.
When she was 16 she was shipped off to England to marry Henry the Sixth, a Lancastrian King. The houses of Lancaster and York were two competing royal houses and the marriage of King Henry to Margret defeated Yorkist hopes of getting one of their own on the throne. Henry and Margret had one child together, Prince Edward.
Elizabeth Woodville was born in 1437 to a country knight and his duchess wife. The two of them had eloped so they weren't very high in the King's favor but he would work his way up to become the Baron Rivers. By all accounts Elizabeth was a bright, intelligent child who was close to her parents. When she turned 13 she married Sir John Grey and they had two sons before he was killed fighting for the Lancastrians.
But why did the Lancastrians need to fight? The Duke of York, Earl of Salisbury and their friends had decided that Henry wasn't a great king. That was true enough-Henry was prone to bouts of insanity where he shut down. During these periods he was no more capable of ruling the country then a two year old was. So Margret ruled the county for him.
That went over well. Not. There were two qualities that Margret had that made her unpopular. 1. She ruled the country something that Queens were not supposed to do as the job of the Queen consort was solely childbearing. 2. She was French. The English hate the French.
So the Duke of York and the Earl of Salisbury decided that the mature and responsible way to express this displeasure was to declare war on Henry.
This was the start of the War of the Roses, the house of York (represented by a white rose and the Duke of York’s side) and the house of Lancaster (red rose and Henry VI’s side.) The Duke of York won, however he and most of his allies were killed while Henry, Margret and their son fled to Scotland. Long story short French forces under Margret’s command soon attacked England again but Henry was imprisoned and sent to the tower of London while Margret and her son Edward fled to France.
At this point we meet a couple of new people who all have different first names! (YAY!) The Duke of York's eldest son was called Edward and after the battle he was crowned Edward IV by The Earl of Warwick, who would earn the nickname kingmaker. Edward IV had 2 brothers, George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester who sadly for your memory actually are important.
Elizabeth's husband had died in this war and she had two young sons that she couldn't support. She decided that she would get remarried -- that was good and all but she needed support to make her new marriage happen. Elizabeth waited under a tree as the King went past and asked him to help her. He asked her to sleep with him, she refused to unless he married her, and so he did.
And thus Elizabeth Woodville became Queen of England. Elizabeth was not very popular. It was viewed that the king should have married to create an alliance not for love. It was also viewed that Elizabeth was taking control of the country as all of her brothers and sisters needed to be promoted to a status that fit members of the Queen's family and she had 12 siblings. But she hadn't been murdered and she had given birth to a daughter (Elizabeth of York) so all was good. There was no war, this king could actually stay awake...
And then the Earl of Warwick decided he did not like the man he had crowned king. He was unhappy with Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth and decided that a much better candidate for the throne was Edward IV's brother George. Warwick had no luck, they were crushed. But, Warwick escaped and he went to Margret of Anjou and asked for her forgiveness and when it was granted he said he'd restore Henry VI to the throne.
While Edward IV was trying to put down a rebellion in Northern England, Warwick marched on London and released Henry while Elizabeth fled into sanctuary (taking protection in a church) where her first son Edward was born. It was mentioned that during this time Elizabeth was stoic and acted exactly as a Queen should with grace and dignity.
Well, Warwick was killed in battle but the next day Margret and Edward landed in England. Margret’s son Edward was killed and Margret was taken prisoner before being shipped back to France where she would die penniless in 1482.
Elizabeth and Edward soon entered the calmest years of their reign. Elizabeth was well accepted and liked; she was praised for her charm, beauty and grace on numerous occasions.
This all came to an end on the 9th of April 1483 when Edward IV died. Edward V, Elizabeth's son, was declared king however there were still those who wanted the throne for themselves.
We are going to stop here and cover the last few years of Elizabeth Woodville’s life with the life of her daughter Elizabeth of York.
But why did the Lancastrians need to fight? The Duke of York, Earl of Salisbury and their friends had decided that Henry wasn't a great king. That was true enough-Henry was prone to bouts of insanity where he shut down. During these periods he was no more capable of ruling the country then a two year old was. So Margret ruled the county for him.
That went over well. Not. There were two qualities that Margret had that made her unpopular. 1. She ruled the country something that Queens were not supposed to do as the job of the Queen consort was solely childbearing. 2. She was French. The English hate the French.
So the Duke of York and the Earl of Salisbury decided that the mature and responsible way to express this displeasure was to declare war on Henry.
This was the start of the War of the Roses, the house of York (represented by a white rose and the Duke of York’s side) and the house of Lancaster (red rose and Henry VI’s side.) The Duke of York won, however he and most of his allies were killed while Henry, Margret and their son fled to Scotland. Long story short French forces under Margret’s command soon attacked England again but Henry was imprisoned and sent to the tower of London while Margret and her son Edward fled to France.
At this point we meet a couple of new people who all have different first names! (YAY!) The Duke of York's eldest son was called Edward and after the battle he was crowned Edward IV by The Earl of Warwick, who would earn the nickname kingmaker. Edward IV had 2 brothers, George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester who sadly for your memory actually are important.
Elizabeth's husband had died in this war and she had two young sons that she couldn't support. She decided that she would get remarried -- that was good and all but she needed support to make her new marriage happen. Elizabeth waited under a tree as the King went past and asked him to help her. He asked her to sleep with him, she refused to unless he married her, and so he did.
And thus Elizabeth Woodville became Queen of England. Elizabeth was not very popular. It was viewed that the king should have married to create an alliance not for love. It was also viewed that Elizabeth was taking control of the country as all of her brothers and sisters needed to be promoted to a status that fit members of the Queen's family and she had 12 siblings. But she hadn't been murdered and she had given birth to a daughter (Elizabeth of York) so all was good. There was no war, this king could actually stay awake...
And then the Earl of Warwick decided he did not like the man he had crowned king. He was unhappy with Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth and decided that a much better candidate for the throne was Edward IV's brother George. Warwick had no luck, they were crushed. But, Warwick escaped and he went to Margret of Anjou and asked for her forgiveness and when it was granted he said he'd restore Henry VI to the throne.
While Edward IV was trying to put down a rebellion in Northern England, Warwick marched on London and released Henry while Elizabeth fled into sanctuary (taking protection in a church) where her first son Edward was born. It was mentioned that during this time Elizabeth was stoic and acted exactly as a Queen should with grace and dignity.
Well, Warwick was killed in battle but the next day Margret and Edward landed in England. Margret’s son Edward was killed and Margret was taken prisoner before being shipped back to France where she would die penniless in 1482.
Elizabeth and Edward soon entered the calmest years of their reign. Elizabeth was well accepted and liked; she was praised for her charm, beauty and grace on numerous occasions.
This all came to an end on the 9th of April 1483 when Edward IV died. Edward V, Elizabeth's son, was declared king however there were still those who wanted the throne for themselves.
We are going to stop here and cover the last few years of Elizabeth Woodville’s life with the life of her daughter Elizabeth of York.