Lady Margaret Beaufort

Souvent me souviens Entirely history based.

[glorianas]

Margaret was born on the 31st of May 1443, she was the only child of John Beaufort and his wife Margaret Beauchamp, Margaret’s father died when she was less than a year old, leaving her a great heiress of the Beaufort family. As a young girl her her marriage was an important matter, and King Henry VI granted Margaret’s wardship to his own half brothers Edmund and Jasper Tudor with the intention that Margaret would marry Edmund, which took place when Margaret was 12 and Edmund 24.  Surprisingly, Edmund consummated the marriage with Margaret, something he was not expected to do until Margaret was in her mid teens, for Margaret became pregnant soon after their wedding.

The dynastic conflict known as the War of the Roses broke out not long after Margaret was married and her husband died barely a year after they were married leaving Margaret widowed, alone with a bleak future, she was only 13. Margaret gave birth to her only son Henry on the 28th of January 1457 in Pembroke Castle, the birth nearly took the life of both mother and child. Margaret did not stay with her son long for she arranged herself a marriage to Henry Stafford and was married again in 1458, this was likely Margaret’s happiest marriage, even though they would have no children together Margaret would rebuild the house they shared Woking Palace in her later years.Henry was killed in the Battle of Barnet in 1471 during the short lived restoration of Henry VI, this led to Margaret’s son Henry being exiled with his uncle Jasper in Brittany, Margaret would not see either of them for 14 years.

In 1483 Richard III usurped the throne from his nephew Edward V, while Margaret was intentionally supportive of Richard by September of 1483 she had begun to support her son Henry’s bid for the English throne, an act that led to Richard confiscating Margaret’s property and given it in control of her third husband Thomas Stanley.

In August of 1485 her son Henry landed in Wales and marched to met Richard’s forces in Bosworth Field on the 22nd of August, Henry was the victor and became Henry VII. While Margaret up until that point had little time to know her only son, the two would reconnect strongly and Henry would respect Margaret’s advises and opinions for the rest of his life, Margaret was given the title ‘My Lady the King’s Mother’. Margaret would found her own school at Cambridge University, Christ’s College, which still bears the Beaufort arms, John Fischer said of Margaret that she was “Of singular easiness to be spoken unto”.

Henry ruled for nearly 25 years, he would endure two rebellions against his rule and the death of his oldest son Arthur, he died on the 21st of April 1509. Margaret lived to see the peaceful succession of   her grandson Henry being crowned as king on the 9th of June 1509, Margaret died on the 29th of June 1509 aged 66, only two months after her beloved son and knowing she had left England in a stable and peaceful condition, Margaret was buried in Westminster Abbey with her son and would be joined by the kings and queens of the dynasty she had helped create.

[jezabelofthenorth]

it’s margaret beaufort’s birthday today so

there’s no evidence margaret had any intentions of her son becoming king prior to 1483, she worked instead with both edward iv and richard iii to obtain a pardon for him and a return of his ancestral lands, but these attempts never got far

margaret arranged her marriage to henry stafford herself, the marriage lasted 13 years and they were reported to be happy together, margaret would rebuild their home woking palace in her later years

there’s no evidence margaret ever personally plotted against the yorkist regime until the fall of 1483, after it had become rumored that richard had murdered his nephews which then gave henry the advantage he needed to make an official claim to the english throne, there’s nothing to suggest margaret influenced this decision at all

margaret and henry got along notably well, there was after all barely a 12 years difference between them and it is thought they were both eager to make up the lost time, margaret’s did not control or manipulate her son, he respected her advice and wisdom, in fact in henry’s later years when he reputation grew worse margaret had begun to live away from court, she had her own life and estates

margaret was known for her piety and charity and also her friendliness and humour, margaret founded schools in oxford and cambridge and was highly educated and intelligent herself

margaret was a survivor and certainly had a nerve of steel that she would hand down to her son and her great grandaughter elizabeth, but she is not the fanatical schemer she is so often misrepresented as but a woman who despite all the odds against managed to flourish in a violent era and help work to create peace to a troubled realm

[lentelente]

I love that while I’m no longer able to log in here as often as I like, people are still reblogging my history rants, most especially on Margaret’s birthday. The notes for yesterday are insane!

[lentelente]

Margaret Beaufort; Hero or Villain?

Margaret Beaufort is the villainess that readers of historical fiction love to hate. Often depicted as a frigid fanatic, she is the ultimate tiger mother. A woman willing even to commit child murder as she plots her son Henry Tudor’s path to the throne. But this is a depiction shaped by centuries of sexual and religious bigotry, and by our still ambivalent attitudes to powerful women.

Female historians and novelists may claim a sisterly empathy for historical women, but all too many of them are willing to plunder misogynistic myths to write their lives. And Margaret Beaufort is not their only victim.

I first noticed how readily writers will-use and re-work old myths when I was researching the life of the so-called ‘Nine Day’s Queen’, Lady Jane Grey, executed aged sixteen in 1553. Eighteenth and nineteenth century stories and images depicting Jane’s mother as a man eating child abuser were being re-hashed. They claimed her ambition led to her daughter’s death, casting her in the role of a wicked Queen to Jane’s Snow White. It is a version of history that sends out a message that good girls are helpless, while bad ones are ambitious.

In the Tudor period, and for centuries afterwards, it was considered wrong and unnatural for women to wield power. It followed that the kind of woman who sought power was also unnatural – so how to depict them? Well, what could be more unnatural, more against a woman’s proper nature, than the abuse of children? It seems no co-incidence that Margaret Beaufort stands accused of planning the deaths of the ‘White Queen’s’ – Elizabeth Woodville’s – young sons, the so-called ‘Princes in the Tower’, to clear the path for Henry Tudor to be King.

The irony is that the real Margaret Beaufort was what we would consider to be an abused child. She was married at twelve and was so small and slight that her son’s birth when she was thirteen nearly killed her. She proved unable to have further children and for the next twenty-five years Margaret was a pawn and a victim of vicious power politics.It was the beginning of the Wars of the Roses, a struggle between cousins, in which the ‘White Rose’ House of York, fought for supremacy over the ‘Red Rose’ House of Lancaster - the family from which Margaret came. When the white rose triumphed Margaret’s sole hope for Henry was that he have the right to inherit his father’s properties and titles, and live in safety in England. But this was denied her. Aged fourteen Henry was forced to flee into exile from the Yorkist king Edward IV in fear of his life. 

Margaret worked hard to get a royal pardon for her son so he could come home. She had not succeeded when in 1483 Edward IV died after catching a cold while out fishing. But everything now changed. Shockingly, Edward IV’s sons, aged twelve and ten, were placed in the Tower by their uncle, who claimed the throne as Richard III.Richard showed no more inclination than Edward IV to allow Henry Tudor home. But, when the princes vanished that summer and rumours emerged that Richard had ordered their deaths, Margaret saw an opportunity. She suggested to the mother of the princes– the ‘White Queen’, Elizabeth Woodville - that she agree to marry her eldest daughter to Henry Tudor. Edwardian loyalists could then combine with remaining Lancastrians to overthrow Richard and make Henry King.

Less than two years later Richard III was killed in battle at Bosworth, and Henry Tudor was crowned. Margaret – 'the Red Queen' – would gain huge political influence and become one of the richest women in England. Clearly she had benefited from the disappearance of the princes. But it would not be until 110 years after her death that she would be accused of child murder: the accusations first arose only during the reign of the witch-burning misogynist, James I.

This was the era of the Stuarts, the Tudor line was defunct and so it was possible to re-assess Henry Tudor’s enemy, Richard III, in a more positive light. That meant finding someone other that Richard responsible for the disappearance of his nephews. Cases in which children disappear are haunting, as we have seen in such modern mysteries as the vanishing of Maddie McCann – and no one had forgotten the story of the Princes in the Tower.Margaret was an easy target, in part because of the praise that had been lavished on her by her priestly confessor, John Fisher. England had undergone the Reformation. Stuart England was thoroughly Protestant and Margaret’s Catholic spirituality was now condemned, while her intelligence and toughness of character were regarded with equal suspicion.

In 1646, the con man, George Buck Esquire, who was passing off a history composed in 1619 by a great uncle as his own work, published his uncle’s accusation that Margaret was a ‘subtle and politic lady’ who had sought to kill the princes with poison and sorcery to clear the way for Henry. And, as we saw in the White Queen TV drama, based on Philippa Gregory’s novels, it is as a child murderer that she is being portrayed again today.

Margaret had become immensely powerful after Henry was crowned, and powerful women are still judged unsympathetically. There also remains a visceral anti Catholicism in England that has been re-enforced by modern fears of Islamism. In the White Queen, Margaret is depicted as a fanatic, ever invoking God. Yet the strict religious devotions of Margaret Beaufort’s old age were commonplace amongst noblewomen of her time. They marked an effort to look beyond the ruthless political culture into which they had been born, to understand Christ’s example of love.

 Portraying Margaret as a nutcase shows an arrogant blindness to the culture of our past. That is worrying in a shrinking world when we need to be able to understand other viewpoints, other beliefs.We should remember the thirteen-year old Margaret Beaufort who bore Henry Tudor with a little more generosity. Here was a girl who took control of her destiny, who saved her son from exile and danger, and who helped to found the Tudor dynasty. Not a villainess at all, but a survivor and a heroine.

-Leande De Lisle

[medieval-rose]

When people on Facebook are trying to argue that Margaret Beaufort killed the princes cause well, they read it in a novel so it must be true.

[yennefers-geralt]

The Lady Margaret was often at court, especially in the earlier years of the reign. Although she played no formal role in politics, her influence in the domestic sphere was strong, and Elizabeth rarely acted independently of her—and possibly was glad of her advice. Yet as Elizabeth was soon to find, Margaret was frequently at her side, or never very far away. Wherever the King and Queen were, there his mother would usually be too, and she often accompanied Henry and Elizabeth on their travels and progresses around the kingdom. Sometimes she appeared in public with Henry when Elizabeth was absent. His household ordinances provided for lodgings to be kept for her at all the royal residences, often next to his private apartments. At Woodstock, their apartments were linked by a shared withdrawing chamber, and at the Tower they adjoined Henry’s bedchamber and council chamber. It was soon accepted that the King, the Queen, and the King’s mother formed an inviolable triumvirate.

Thus it was soon made clear to Elizabeth that from now on she was invariably to be associated with her formidable mother-in-law. It was to be expected that Margaret, an experienced and capable woman of forty-three, would take the young Queen under her wing and act as her mentor. That they enjoyed a harmonious relationship is evident from various sources, and the fact that they collaborated on several occasions when they were of one mind about something. The impression one gets is of two women who got on well working in unison together for everyone’s benefit. As Fisher testified, everyone who knew Margaret loved her, and there is no reason why Elizabeth should have been an exception. Furthermore, Margaret had a sense of humor and could provide congenial companionship: she kept two fools, Skip and Reginald the idiot, and enjoyed gambling at cards and chess, as did the Queen.

[thecatsaesthetics]

“As I have spoken her praises in a funeral oration, I will not pursue the subject here, though she never could be praised too much. This only will I add, that though she chose me as her director, to hear her confessions and guide her life, yet I gladly confess that I learnt more from her great virtue than I ever taught her.”- Bishop John Fisher on Margaret Beaufort.

[feuillesmortes]

“Vox Populi” by Edmund Blair Leighton (1904)

This painting is an early 20th-century depiction of Margaret Beaufort and a young Henry Tudor. By looking at a label on the reverse of the canvas we see that the artist gives an alternative title for the painting:

“A Little Prince likely in Time to bless a Royal Throne”

The title derives from Shakespeare’s play Henry VI part II, which ends with the restoration of Edward IV to the English throne. The visual depiction of the young boy comes from an excerpt from the sixth scene:

KING HENRY VI

My Lord of Somerset, what youth is that, Of whom you seem to have so tender care?

SOMERSET

My liege, it is young Henry, earl of Richmond.

KING HENRY VI

Come hither, England’s hope.  [Lays his hand on his head]

If secret powers Suggest but truth to my divining thoughts, This pretty lad will prove our country’s bliss.  His looks are full of peaceful majesty, His head by nature framed to wear a crown, His hand to wield a sceptre, and himself Likely in time to bless a regal throne. Make much of him, my lords, for this is he Must help you more than you are hurt by me.

This prophetic reference to the future of the young Henry of Richmond gains a visual form in the hands of the pre-Raphaelite artist. In the scene, Henry’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, holds her son aloft on a stone parapet for all to see. There is a soft contrast between the physical strength of the armour-clad soldiers and the innocent moral strength of the young heir. 

The colour scheme of the painting also lends symbolism to the scene. Red, the colour of the House of Lancaster, is abundantly present; but white, the colour of the House of York, can also be spotted. The two are harmoniously combined as a foresight of the fate of the warring houses under the Tudor dynasty.

[anneboleyns]

[winterhalters]

history + mother and son (requested by anonymous).

[lentelente]

bossbitchqueens:

#if your baby is crying it’s because you do not have a maggie b approved nursery

How many times do you think Lizzie had this exact convo with her MIL.

She controls because she cares, Lizzie. 

[lentelente]

Okay, as I said I would do, I have been reading more into everything to try and gauge my own opinion/theory on how M.B would react to the split from Rome, and while I remain mostly convinced that actually the split itself would not be the issue (as it allowed full control and with her major issues, control is always a need for her, even her confessor John Fisher was aware of the corruption in the church and was working against it, so this is a way to cut clean of that corruption and start fresh, it makes her grandson technically closer to God), but it’s the events around it and the reasoning that she would abhor.

For one the treatment of Mary (and of all his blood kin for that matter) would not be approved at all, and naming her illegitimate, having her serve under Lady Shelton who could beat her, having Anne talking of marrying her off to a commoner etc, all very much bad and evil and not approved. Also the treatment of Katherine would not be approved, as well as the fact it is casting aside an important alliance. Then the blatant execution of those even slightly commenting they don’t like the split from Rome, especially men of God, would not be approved because, especially in the case of John Fisher, these are men she viewed as Godly and good and to execute them for simply questioning things would be a sin in her eyes, no matter what church you clung to. 

And then, the icing on this cake of badness, the burning of the monastaeries. Not only is this horrendous because they’re sacred grounds etc, but all the books and papers and knowledge and beauty that was burned. Margaret who was so high-key into these things would literally have been turning in her grave at this I feel.

I’m still doing more in depth stuff for this (and seems I am in motions for doing something more official with Margaret and I am actually off to the National Archives in the summer so whoop), but at the moment it seems in principle very little issue but in the practicality and consequences major, major issue. 

Henry’s treatment of his family, his own children, though is the number one unforgiveable thing for her I think. 

[lentelente]

I have found a description of Margaret, talking about her when she was stood next to both EoY and Henry, when Margaret was in her 50s, and she’s described as a ‘small, energetic’ woman. And that may be my favourite images.

Just these ambassadors from Italy coming and being like ah, rich solemn king, very beautiful queen all dressed in gold, and then this small, energetic woman beside them. 

It makes me laugh that she’s constantly described as small by EVERY contemporary, especially when she’s next to others (as someone who is petite and a thin frame myself, I know how ridiculous it looks when you’re next to taller, larger people) but the added energetic is just the icing on the cake. 

Also, there is a contemporary account of the time Margaret Beaufort and Margaret of Burgundy were in the same room, during Edward IV’s reign, and there’s mention of MoB towering over her and being much larger in general (hence Margaret later sassing about large hands years later ha). 

The thing is, she shares birthday-ness with my Mum, who is short as I am, and is a bundle of energy herself even though she’s in her 60s,  and will just randomly do stuff  and take charge and take over with full enthusiasm, and I’m like if Margaret was anywhere near the ‘energetic’ my Mum is, dear God, both terrifying and hilarious. And it also adds to the understanding why people who knew her warmed to her so much and speak about her being easy to speak to, because people who are like that are very easy to talk to, and very approachable. 

The more I get into my research for Margaret, the more I learn on top of all I already know, the more angry and defensive I get about the PGregory bullshit and TWP and all that shit, because this small, energetic woman needs protecting from the 20th/21st century bullshittery. 

[lentelente]

Well, the portrayal of Margaret as a judgemental, murderous, manipulative, selfish, pro-rape bitch has won an award from an awards board that’s all about celebrating roles of women and promoting strong images of women in media.

Fan-fucking-tastic. 

Behold my sarcasm 

[bxrnqueen]

You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning. However, of all losses time is the most irrecuperable for it can never be redeemed.

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[lentelente]

Of singular easiness to be spoken unto

Just a nice reminder that Margaret was considered incredibly easy to talk to by numerous contemporary accounts as well as kind and generous, and that the severe, overly pious, judgemental woman is an image created from the religious and sexual prejudice her memory has suffered over the following centuries. 

[lentelente]

Also, I’ve just been reading some interesting stuff about Margaret that I’ve never had the chance to read before, about while she had great faith and had her own favourite saints to which she was very devoted, Margaret was not a woman afraid to challenge the church itself. She was able to divide the man from the divine, that is a monk is not God, a priest is the radio but he is not the controller etc. 

When there is a conflict over land (particularly when the land in question is hers or her Mother’s) she doesn’t hesitate in challenge the monastery in question, she doesn’t hesitate in challenging the church over money, over issues she has and she is not blind to the fact humans are flawed and the church is made of humans and therefore made of flaws.  Margaret was dedicated to her faith, but that didn’t mean she followed the faith blindly. In some ways I feel in today’s society, where absence from church is not considered damning, she might be someone who says she has faith but not religion, or those who say their prayers are in their hearts not their knees.

But some historians believe that it was her ability to see the church in a realistic, non-divine manner that lay the groundwork for Henry VIII eventually defying the church. That when it came down to it, he knew the Pope was a man and only a man (after all Henry does not turn from God, he only turns from the Church and CofE (considered High Church now) is practically identical to Catholic practice (modern protestant in the UK is a different thing and follows the more puritan, plain attitude) and while his burning of the monasteries and convents was horrendous, and that he kept all the money taken for himself (replacing an old evil with a new one, like marc anthony stepping into place after caesar’s assassination, like the revolutionaries taking the place of the tsar) I can’t help but wonder now, in new thoughts and ponderings, if the actual splitting off into their own church would bother Margaret so much.

She definitely would not be pro-burning, but we know she was acquisitive, so some of that gold would be going in her pocket (but that said, we know she was always generous with it as well, so not quite the same effect), but the actual principle of choosing to follow God in their own way, being free of the confines and rules, to be, in theory, even closer to God (and the eventual idea that mass would be in English so everyone could understand it, everyone could be taught it, would definitely be a good thing in Margaret’s eyes, I think, considering her own frustration over not knowing Latin and her encouragement for others to be learned)

So now I’m blowing my mind that perhaps actually splitting from the Pope would not be as horrendous to her mind, as long as they were still true to God. 

I will have to go into this in more depth, read things repeatedly, get more sources and see if I can come up with a more definitive personal opinion on the matter.