Lady Margaret Beaufort had been consolidating her position. Upon the death of Henry Stafford, she had married another Yorkist sympathiser, Lord Stanley.
Upon the death of Margaret of Anjou, she had become the leader of the Lancastrians. Her son, Henry Tudor, was their new pretender for the crown. His claim was sufficiently obscure that she had deemed it wise to bide her time rather than assert it in battle. The Beauforts were the illegitimate offspring of the Duke of Lancaster, third son of Edward III. Richard II had legitimated the Beaufort line. Henry IV had added some small print to deny them the right to inherit the throne, but no one reads the small print.
With the death of Edward IV in 1483, the time had come to put her patient planning to the test. The strategy was simple: divide and rule. Edward had willed that Gloucester should act as Protector until his son came of age. She would set Gloucester and the old Yorkists against the upstart Woodvilles, let them destroy each other, then take the spoils.
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Showing posts with label Edward IV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edward IV. Show all posts
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
The wine talks
The peace of England that Henry yearned for was, to a great extent, realised in the years following his death.
Gloucester married his beloved Anne and spent most of the time in the north. Edward delegated the government of a large area there to Gloucester, who proved both capable and popular.
The cycle of royal babies, royal mistresses and preferment for the Woodvilles resumed in the south.
One incident marred this steady progress. Clarence was partial to Malmsey wine, and the royal court became accustomed to his drunken orations in the evening. His favourite subject was what he would do if he were king, and he was indulged as a harmless bore setting the world to rights. One night in 1478 his slurred speech took a diversion from its normal course. He began to talk about really becoming king, that when his brother died he would produce evidence that Edward had been married prior to Elizabeth, making Elizabeth's children illegitimate and Clarence the rightful heir to the throne.
To Elizabeth's astonishment, Edward took this outburst seriously and incarcerated Clarence. He was soon joined in prison by Robert Stillington, the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Edward summoned a rare parliament and asked it to attaint Clarence for treason. The mercenary assembly, thankful that it had not been called to raise any taxes, submitted to the king without asking any questions. Clarence experienced Gilbert and Sullivan justice. He was executed privately, drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine, the punishment fitting the crime.
Stillington received mercy. On interrogation, he pointed out to Edward that he had kept the secret of his prior marriage for many years. Edward, in fairness to this loyalty, accepted his pledge to maintain his secrecy.
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Gloucester married his beloved Anne and spent most of the time in the north. Edward delegated the government of a large area there to Gloucester, who proved both capable and popular.
The cycle of royal babies, royal mistresses and preferment for the Woodvilles resumed in the south.
One incident marred this steady progress. Clarence was partial to Malmsey wine, and the royal court became accustomed to his drunken orations in the evening. His favourite subject was what he would do if he were king, and he was indulged as a harmless bore setting the world to rights. One night in 1478 his slurred speech took a diversion from its normal course. He began to talk about really becoming king, that when his brother died he would produce evidence that Edward had been married prior to Elizabeth, making Elizabeth's children illegitimate and Clarence the rightful heir to the throne.
To Elizabeth's astonishment, Edward took this outburst seriously and incarcerated Clarence. He was soon joined in prison by Robert Stillington, the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Edward summoned a rare parliament and asked it to attaint Clarence for treason. The mercenary assembly, thankful that it had not been called to raise any taxes, submitted to the king without asking any questions. Clarence experienced Gilbert and Sullivan justice. He was executed privately, drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine, the punishment fitting the crime.
Stillington received mercy. On interrogation, he pointed out to Edward that he had kept the secret of his prior marriage for many years. Edward, in fairness to this loyalty, accepted his pledge to maintain his secrecy.
Next Chapter
Monday, 11 August 2008
Clarence decides
King Edward sent overtures to his estranged brother via a lady in waiting of the Duchess of Clarence, and prepared for battle with Warwick.
Edward and Warwick were both undefeated in battle. Edward assembled a powerful army, commanding its centre personally and entrusting the flanks to Gloucester and Hastings, but was it a match for the might of Warwick? Clarence was officially loyal to Warwick, but he had given private assurances of support to Edward. Who would he join when matters came to a head?
In the event, Clarence came in on the side of Edward at Barnet. Warwick fought on foot to demonstrate to his own forces that he would not be fleeing on horseback when the going got tough. A thick fog added to the confusion of the battle, but the outcome was decisive. Warwick was defeated and, having deprived himself of the means of a speedy escape, killed.
The victorious team of Edward, Gloucester, Hastings and Clarence headed west to confront the forces of Margaret of Anjou and her son Edward.
Margaret was also nominally in alliance with Warwick, at the insistence of the French King. Margaret and Warwick held the record for the most cynical partnership in history for over 450 years, until superseded by the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. She refused to link up with Warwick at his time of need since if Warwick won without her she would still be on the victorious side, and if he lost she hoped that the Yorkists would be weakened by the encounter enough for her army to prevail against them. Had she miscalculated?
Next Chapter
Edward and Warwick were both undefeated in battle. Edward assembled a powerful army, commanding its centre personally and entrusting the flanks to Gloucester and Hastings, but was it a match for the might of Warwick? Clarence was officially loyal to Warwick, but he had given private assurances of support to Edward. Who would he join when matters came to a head?
In the event, Clarence came in on the side of Edward at Barnet. Warwick fought on foot to demonstrate to his own forces that he would not be fleeing on horseback when the going got tough. A thick fog added to the confusion of the battle, but the outcome was decisive. Warwick was defeated and, having deprived himself of the means of a speedy escape, killed.
The victorious team of Edward, Gloucester, Hastings and Clarence headed west to confront the forces of Margaret of Anjou and her son Edward.
Margaret was also nominally in alliance with Warwick, at the insistence of the French King. Margaret and Warwick held the record for the most cynical partnership in history for over 450 years, until superseded by the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. She refused to link up with Warwick at his time of need since if Warwick won without her she would still be on the victorious side, and if he lost she hoped that the Yorkists would be weakened by the encounter enough for her army to prevail against them. Had she miscalculated?
Next Chapter
The strategem succeeds
The royal marriage settled into a regular cycle. Elizabeth would announce that she was with child, Edward would remove her from the royal bedchamber and summon "Jane Shore" to take her place and Elizabeth would obtain preferment for members of her family as the price of this humiliation. By this means Woodvilles married into many families of the nobility and attained positions of prominence in the royal council.
Elizabeth was happy enough with this existence. She thought that no man could ever take the place of John Grey in her heart, so her expectations of Edward were not high. She found fulfilment in caring for her children, and satisfaction in helping others in her family.
One day, though, she found the king's younger brother Richard Duke of Gloucester looking uncharacteristically despondent. Elizabeth was fond of the young man, and asked the reason for his unhappiness. Immediately his mood changed to one of anger.
"I hate you Woodvilles. Warwick has turned against us because of you, he has turned our brother George Duke of Clarence against us and now he is giving his daughter Anne in marriage to Edward, son of Margaret of Anjou."
Even in his rage, he could not speak Anne's name without tenderness. After the death of his father, Gloucester had been brought up in Warwick's home. His childhood friendship with Anne had obviously become something more.
In his anguish, Gloucester had forgotten that Warwick had executed Elizabeth's father and brother not so long before, and that she would therefore be a sympathetic hearer. Elizabeth, thinking more clearly than Gloucester, saw an implication that offered hope. If Anne married Edward, they would almost certainly have children, making the likelihood of Clarence becoming king much more remote. If this was pointed out to Clarence, perhaps he could be persuaded to rejoin Edward against Warwick.
Next Chapter
Elizabeth was happy enough with this existence. She thought that no man could ever take the place of John Grey in her heart, so her expectations of Edward were not high. She found fulfilment in caring for her children, and satisfaction in helping others in her family.
One day, though, she found the king's younger brother Richard Duke of Gloucester looking uncharacteristically despondent. Elizabeth was fond of the young man, and asked the reason for his unhappiness. Immediately his mood changed to one of anger.
"I hate you Woodvilles. Warwick has turned against us because of you, he has turned our brother George Duke of Clarence against us and now he is giving his daughter Anne in marriage to Edward, son of Margaret of Anjou."
Even in his rage, he could not speak Anne's name without tenderness. After the death of his father, Gloucester had been brought up in Warwick's home. His childhood friendship with Anne had obviously become something more.
In his anguish, Gloucester had forgotten that Warwick had executed Elizabeth's father and brother not so long before, and that she would therefore be a sympathetic hearer. Elizabeth, thinking more clearly than Gloucester, saw an implication that offered hope. If Anne married Edward, they would almost certainly have children, making the likelihood of Clarence becoming king much more remote. If this was pointed out to Clarence, perhaps he could be persuaded to rejoin Edward against Warwick.
Next Chapter
The eyelids flutter
It was a glorious day, so Edward IV decided he would spend it out hunting in the Northamptonshire countryside, leaving the dull paperwork to his faithful Lord Chamberlain Hastings.
Amongst the day's supplicants was the widow of a Lancastrian knight, because Elizabeth Grey was in such dire financial straits that she had no option but to comply with Somerset's scheme. She requested the confirmation of her jointure by the king. Hastings was the master of such technicalities and worked out a deal, securing for himself an agreement that one of the widow's sons would marry his (as yet unborn) daughter.
After his day in the field, the time came for Edward to ratify the terms that Hastings had agreed. The Lord Chamberlain outlined the proposal as Elizabeth Grey came before the king. With face cast down, she slowly closed and opened her eyelids, drawing attention to her fabulous eyes. A heart melting smile of encouragement was not necessary on this occasion, as there was not even a hint of inhibition in Edward's six foot four inch frame. He granted the requested provision, supplementing it with an invitation to the royal bedchamber.
Elizabeth declined. In truth, this was not simply because she was following her script. She would not have yielded her honour to such a man in any case. She skilfully deployed the arguments she had learnt from Henry's court about the virtues of chastity and the consequences of mortal sin. Edward could see that she was in earnest. What, though, was the point of being the king of England if he could not have the most beautiful woman in England? Warwick could keep his French princesses, he would marry Elizabeth.
Next Chapter
Amongst the day's supplicants was the widow of a Lancastrian knight, because Elizabeth Grey was in such dire financial straits that she had no option but to comply with Somerset's scheme. She requested the confirmation of her jointure by the king. Hastings was the master of such technicalities and worked out a deal, securing for himself an agreement that one of the widow's sons would marry his (as yet unborn) daughter.
After his day in the field, the time came for Edward to ratify the terms that Hastings had agreed. The Lord Chamberlain outlined the proposal as Elizabeth Grey came before the king. With face cast down, she slowly closed and opened her eyelids, drawing attention to her fabulous eyes. A heart melting smile of encouragement was not necessary on this occasion, as there was not even a hint of inhibition in Edward's six foot four inch frame. He granted the requested provision, supplementing it with an invitation to the royal bedchamber.
Elizabeth declined. In truth, this was not simply because she was following her script. She would not have yielded her honour to such a man in any case. She skilfully deployed the arguments she had learnt from Henry's court about the virtues of chastity and the consequences of mortal sin. Edward could see that she was in earnest. What, though, was the point of being the king of England if he could not have the most beautiful woman in England? Warwick could keep his French princesses, he would marry Elizabeth.
Next Chapter
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