How A Mother's Love Ended The War Of The Roses | Britain's Bloody Crown | Timeline

Almost 600 years ago England was torn apart by a series of

bloody

battles for the throne in just 30 years the

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changed hands seven times tens of thousands were massacred it was one of the most turbulent and violent periods in British history known as the Wars de las Rosas, this is Bosworth Field, this is where it all ends with the most famous battle of this entire violent era. Henry Tudor, a minor nobleman and ranking outsider, defeats the infamous Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and becomes Henry, the Seventh, the first Tudor. King, but how on earth does Henry Tudor, a royal nobody, come out of nowhere to defeat the King of England?

Well, I think his victory is engineered by one person, not a duke or a baron, but a woman who he manipulates and plays politics with until he gets to the heart of a real revolution that will change the course of English history. Her name is Margaret Beaufort. Margaret Beaufort's story spans the entire War of the Roses. She works in the shadows during three decades of turmoil to protect her only son. Incredibly in a time of warring kings, she is this woman who puts an end to the conflict when she places her son Henry Tudor. on the throne of England as England descends into

bloody

chaos in a windswept castle in Wales a thirteen-year-old girl is in labor even by medieval standards Margaret Beaufort is obscenely young to be pregnant, wow, birth is so traumatic who will never have another child.

All her hopes are tied to this baby. She baptized him Henry Henry Tudor. This thirteen-year-old girl and her son will change the face of England from the beginning. Margaret and her son are in a fight for survival as if being a

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at 13 wasn't enough. Margaret is also a widow, her husband, little Henry's father, was an obscure nobleman, Edmund Tudor, who died of the plague three months ago in power and control of the medieval world. They are exercised by men without husbands Margaret is practically defenseless now the only protector of her is Edmunds brother, Jasper Tudor, no, he can enter, but Jasper's power to protect her is limited.

Margaret's late husband, Edmund Tudor, and his brother Jasper Tudor are half-brothers to the Unfortunately, King Henry is the wrong half. Edmund and Jasper share the same

mother

as the incompetent Henry VI, but his father was not a king, he was the dowager queen's handsome Welsh squire, Owen Tudor, basically a nobody because his connection to royalty is through the his mother. dark is basically useless, everything the Tudor boys have is due to the grace and favor of their half-brother Henry VI, as long as little Henry's uncle is on the throne and looks kindly on them. Margaret and her son are relatively safe, but Henry VI.

He is a useless king, those ruled by him are under attack if the king leaves. Margaret and baby Henry could lose everything as a medieval widow. Margarita knows what she must do to protect herself and her son from finding a new husband, but that decision comes at a high price. According to medieval law, if she remarries, Margaret must give her child to her closest male relative. He can't take him with her, but Margaret is smart and, at 13, already a ruthless pragmatist. She knows that her baby will be safe in Pembroke, cared for by her trusted uncle.

Jasper, just two months after Henry was born, Edmund, barely cold on the ground, Margaret leaves here with Jasper to find a new husband, which is quite extraordinary, she's practically a girl, she's just gone through a traumatic birth and Travel through plagued and politically unstable lands. Also, as a medieval woman, the job of finding her a husband would normally fall to her guardian, so this is someone who wants to control her own destiny and what she really wants is the power and influence to protect herself and her child. . perfect couple in mind on January 14, 58, after the minimum period of mourning, Margaret marries her second husband, Henry Stafford, they seem like an unlikely couple, she is just a teenager, he is in his 30s, but in reality, Margaret has engineered an incredibly intelligent match as a man from an important The noble Stafford family has power, but as a second son he has almost no money.

Margaret is the only heir to the Beaufort fortune she has carried, but as a woman she is powerless. Together they have the essential ingredients to thrive in the medieval world. Money and power. This makes it a marriage. of mutual respect, even affection, this is a big change for Margaret, her estates are flourishing, she has a successful marriage and her son is safe, but then, just three years into her marriage, her comfortable life is turned upside down, everything things go wrong for Margaret on a frozen trip. battlefield in Yorkshire Henry the sixth army is annihilated now there is a new young and charismatic king Edward Margaret's fourth family is on the losing side a husband Stafford fought Edward in battle is lucky to escape alive and things get worse for Margaret Pembroke Castle, where her son lives with his uncle Jasper, is taken by Edwards' men.

Jasper escapes, but Margaret's young son Henry, only five years old, stays behind. I got you, boy. Margaret's son, Henry Tudor, is held by one of the new king's men as a nobleman. Boy, at least he is being raised honorably and is safe from harm, but separated from his family he is effectively a prisoner and, worst of all, the new king strips little Henry of all his lands. What you have to understand is that in the Middle Ages land meant security. gives you power, who makes you important, ultimately protects you without his lands. Henry's position is increasingly unstable and Margaret knows it, so now Margaret has a new mission: recover the lands of her young son.

To do this, she must turn her enemies into allies and ingratiate herself with the new King Edward IV, this was easy for Margaret. She was allied emotionally and physically with Henry VI. After all, her son is her nephew. Now, to protect her son, she has to get close to Enrique's mortal enemy. Husband Stafford swears loyalty to the new king and finally gets them both a pardon, after five years of unconditional talk. Margaret convinces Edward IV to return property she had taken from her Beaufort family. This is what remains of Woking Palace. We know that Margaret was very dear to Margaret's heart, today it is just a few brick walls, but in her day it was a huge, sprawling manor house, and the fact that Margaret was allowed all this splendor and wealth in an age when land equals power is a sign that she had finally persuaded King Edward IV that he could trust her two years later, always eager to promote her interests Margaret and her husband Stafford invite Edward to Woking for a hunting party now 25 margaret dresses for the king in his finest velvets and commands the best hospitality my lady margaret your grace we are honored by your presence you are truly the most powerful of hunters the most abundant lands for hunting there really are So much hunting here perhaps I should regret returning this property to your care.

I do. I don't think it could be in more loyal hands. Margaret must feel pretty confident that restoration of her young son's lands can't be far away, but just nine months later everything turns upside down. Edward IV fights with his most powerful ally. the earl of warwick his cousin move his majesty the arctic fringes are closed they have entered through the gate this warwick stages a coup d'état the king is forced to flee from warwick's men for his life 3 october 1470 warwick liberates Henry six of the tower lives the king and incredibly returns him to the throne this is an incredible opportunity for Margaret she seizes it with both hands with her son's uncle back in power this is Margaret's opportunity to recover her children's lands so without missing a beat she heads straight to London and comes here to the Palace of Westminster to sort things out with the king himself, but after flirting with Edward IV, the guy who kicked Henry off the throne, this is a risky move. , my lady Margaret, my lord and true king, rejoices me.

I'm glad to see you restored to your rightful place after so long, but Margaret has an ace up her sleeve. My son, after nine years, has been reunited with Henry and is now almost 14. He brought him to meet his uncle and there is a lot at stake in his debut in Port Henry. Tudor made you my king captain closer to nowhere Henry VI makes an astonishing prediction about his young half-nephew one day you will assume the helm of the state you are destined to have everything at your fingertips seems to be suggesting that Henry will one day succeed him as king, That's a pretty surprising thing for Margaret, but it should at least encourage her to know that she's on her way to getting her son's land back, and after all, it's the only thing she really cares about, but just six months later, Margaret's world turns upside down. turns upside down once again.

Margaret is here in Woking when she receives this letter from her husband Henry Stafford. Now the original visit to John's College, Cambridge is a simple piece of paper, barely legible, but when we enlarge it to this size it can be seen. It has been written in great haste, it is in Stafford's handwriting and it says: "I bequeath my soul to Our Lady Saint Mary and to all the holy company of heaven and my body will be buried where it pleases God best that I should thus die." This is Stafford's very hastily made will and the fact that he sends it here to Margaret is incredibly moving because she is sending him a message, she is telling him that she is going into battle and that she may never come home.

Edward IV has returned to reclaim the throne from Henry VI. Stafford swore allegiance to Edward to protect his family. Now he has to keep that promise. This is a nightmare for Margaret. She is caught between her loyalty to Henry and her husband's promise to Edward. 14 April 1471 Stafford goes to battle alongside Edward at Barnet to crush the man who returned Henry Six to the throne, the Earl of Warwick Margaret can't go to the battlefield herself, but she can't just sit and wait news, send a rider from Woking. to find out what is happening to her husband when Margaret's rider returns, she brings grave news.

Edward the Fourth has returned and this time he is not in a conciliatory mood. A purge of the former king's allies begins. He sure he's done. He has two of Margaret's closest relatives. to death, this is incredibly traumatic for Margaret, if Edward IV is exterminating the old king's relatives, then he must realize that his son Henry, the sixth nephew, will be next on the list, so forget about fighting for her lands, forget about politics, now she is just a struggling mother. For the life of her son, her little son Henry is with her uncle Jasper at Pembroke Castle.

Margaret sends one of her loyal servants to save her life. Go with my son right now. She sends a very simple message. What should I tell him? My lady, run, run. For your life Fourteen-year-old Henry Tudor flees England Miley, has he left safely? He is exiled in Brittany. Henry is safe, but Margaret has no idea if she will ever see her son again. It is a disastrous year for Margaret; She not only loses her son. she loses her husband in October Stafford dies from his battle wounds at the age of 28 Margaret is widowed for the second time she is alone and vulnerable she has already lived through three regime changes and two husbands every time the world around her blinks changes but her mission has not saved her son save herself the safety of her son in exile now she needs to survive - she does what she always does takes a deep breath and makes the pragmatic call she faces with the same problem a widow has 13 year old who needs security needs protection in medieval England that only means one thing a husband in Margaret Mary's June 14 72 Lord Thomas Stanley little do they know that their partner will change history unlike a previous husband Stanley is filthy rich but That's not really what Margaret is interested in. she has enough wealth of her own what she wants is Stanley's influence because Stanley is butler to Edward IV's household so practically every day of her life she is in the same room as the king and that means Margaret now has a line direct direct with Edward IV.

It is an amazing political work. Stanley's status makes Margaret a royal member of King Edward's court and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. Woodville in a future ally for 11 years. England enjoys a period of unparalleled stability under Edward's rule. Margarita takes every opportunity to ingratiate herself with Eduardo through Move Her Excellency Ten years after marrying Stanley, Margaret now 40 years old finally manages to get what she wants for her son. We wish it to be known that Henry Tudor, called the Earl of Richmond, will receive a settlement of lands from his mother, the Countess of Richmond, to the value of six. one hundred marks an official agreement with the king himself for his son to recover his lands and return to court to be in the grace and favor of his majesty Margaret must be elated after 20 years of her charm offensive having borne fruit This is Enrique's return ticket, but life in theWars of the Roses changes in an instant the wax is barely dry on the seal of the agreement before disaster strikes Edward IV dies Margaret returns to square one three months later England has a new king Edward IV younger brother Richard on 6 July 1483 Rich the third his

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King of England here in Westminster Abbey is Neumann's - one of the most shocking and controversial pieces of political deception imaginable Richard took the crown from his twelve-year-old nephew Edward the fourth son and imprisoned and his brother in the Tower of London Richard ties Lord Stanley and his wife Margaret Beaufort to the coronation.

She runs the new Queens train. He carries the King's mace because Richard needs to shore up his dubious claim to the throne. So what does Margaret think? Richard well, in a sense she could see that her rise to power had just happened. Another period of political chaos can safely be negotiated, but I think she will see it quite differently. Margaret meets the young prince from her time at court. She undoubtedly knows her mother, Elizabeth Woodville, and Margaret is a woman with a highly developed instinct to protect her

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d ones. son, so I think she will see Richard as his most dangerous opponent, however, in September 1483, almost everyone believes that Richard had his nephews, the tower's printers, murdered.

This changes everything for Margaret. Richard is a child-killing tyrant who could turn on anyone. There is no agreement Margaret can make with him that will protect her son now that Margaret cannot resort to simple politics. She is forced to think more radically. She could flee and live in exile with her son. She could stay, keep her head down and she'll never see her son again, instead she thinks really outside the box and comes up with an absolutely awesome idea. Richard must go and she has the perfect replacement. Her son Henry Tudor's. He sounds crazy, but there are really no alternatives.

Almost everyone else in the world. The royal line has died or been murdered Margaret begins to sniff out potential allies Richard has made so many enemies that he has many options to choose from. Margaret's decision is one of the pivotal moments in English history, but what she is planning would be extraordinary for anyone, much less a medieval woman. is going to wear the crown of England this is crazy or it would be for anyone except Margaret her biggest problem is that her exiled children are desperately weak they claim the throne all her royal connections come through women they are almost useless Margaret's plan is quite brilliant because it depends on the one person who hates Richard more than anyone else Elizabeth Woodville Edward the fourth widow Elizabeth's father and brother have been executed and two young children have gone missing presumed murdered at the hands of Richard now Elizabeth is trapped here in the Abbey of Westminster in the sanctuary with his five daughters, but Richard has the Abbey surrounded by soldiers.

Fortunately, Margaret and the former Queen share a doctor, Lewis Kelly, who can freely pass by praying to the good doctor. You are welcome. Caerleon makes Margaret's proposal to Elizabeth. Margaret wants to connect her son with the royal family. The idea is to marry Henry Tudor to the daughter of Elizabeth of Edward, the fourth Elizabeth of York unites the English nobility and makes her children kings. The former queen accepts and the deal sets in motion a sequence of events that will end in blood. The only question is. which is the end of September 14, 83 Margaret sends a large sum of money to Henry in France to finance an invasion in one month.

Henry set sail with seven ships and 515 men, but Margaret's grand plan goes disastrously wrong, a storm breaks in the channel and Henry's fleece is scattered and they end up off the coast of Devon when Richard's men are waiting. Henry is forced to flee to France with his tail between his legs. Margaret's rebellion has been a disaster and worse. Richard now knows exactly who her enemies are. Margaret Beaufort and a son Henry Tudor Richard orders Stanley to isolate his wife, eliminate all his servants and prevent her from communicating with his son Margaret has committed high treason Richard the Third has murdered his enemies for less but needs powerful men like him Margaret's husband on her side in the end What saves her is her intelligent marriage to Stanley.

Margaret can actually consider herself lucky to have been married to anyone else. She would be in even bigger trouble, but inside she must be boiling because she has lost her land and a status that has reduced her to a mere wife. It's not really her style, so more than ever before she's determined that Richard has to go and Margaret isn't the only one who thinks that way. Richard has also stripped his rebel allies of his lands and titles. Now in exile they have nothing to lose and no turning back. While on the throne after the rebellion's failure, most of the nobles involved fled straight into the arms of Henry Tudor, now that he has effectively established an alternative royal court in France with him at the center, the failed rebellion certainly won't. has done. dented Henry's confidence as evidence here at the British Library reveals that this is a 17th century copy of a letter originally sent by Henry Tudor to his supporters in England and is an impassioned call to arms in what he describes as my just he fights the unnatural tyrant Richard but what's really interesting is the way he signed it: it's an H and an R and the H is obviously his name, but R stands for Rex.

He calls himself Henry, the king. Margaret's work in preparing her son to be king has clearly paid off. He prepared everything. What he has to do now is pull the trigger. She sends a message to Henry to land in Wales. She will have money and men waiting for her on August 7, 1485. Loyal servant Christopher Eric is sent to Margaret by her son, but he has not done so. comes from France comes from the port of Milford Haven in Wales Henri returns with an army to avoid Richards' men in South Wales Henry marches north and then east crosses into England by the River Seven here in Shrewsbury when he arrives at the gates of Margaret's town and the land Returns to it in mid-August.

The Wieck from Earth comes to Henry with a huge amount of money from his mother to pay his soldiers. This is open defiance of Richard's orders. Stanley is supposed to keep his wife under house arrest. He has been prohibited from using his servants to communicate with his son and lead his insurrection. Margarita's husband status will not save her from Ricardo a second time. She knows that soon she will be the mother of the king of England or they will both be dead on the way. On August 22, 1485, Henry and Richard finally meet here at Bosworth Field. Henry has an army of around 5,000 men.

Richard has not outnumbered him. Lee is outnumbered with up to 15,000 soldiers guarding the battlefield. Lord Stanley with his brother William and 3,000 men biding their time no one knows which side they will take although Margaret is the architect of the entire rebellion when she receives news from the battlefield her fate has already been decided the battle began early Henry took the initiative and his troops They marched along this Track at first light, leaving Richards' men fighting in battle order, the fighting is fierce, both Richard and Henry are in the center of the battle, then, in the heat of the battle, Richard sees Henry just a stone's throw away, almost unprotected, he knows that if he kills him, he's one up.

Rising, the Stanleys are still sitting on their hands when Richard seizes his moment and attacks Henry Tudor. In the next minute the future king of England will be decided and there is a delicious irony in what happens next despite Margaret being absent from the field. the battle dep

ended

on her actions because she delivered her husband Stanley to Henry's side because it was Stanley's intervention that decided the outcome. Richard is only seconds away from Henry when the Stanleys finally make their move. Stanley's men ran down from that rise. Richard was charging towards Henry. drawn when Stan Lee's men entered the Malay Richard was felled yes, the end was swift and it was brutal Henry Tudor 28 a minor noble and an outsider of absolute rank in the royal line has taken the throne Margaret Beaufort has triumphed The crown of Richard has been taken from on the battlefield and placed on the new king's head by Margaret's own husband, Stanley, long live the king Margaret Beaufort, her mother of the king of England, is still only 42 years old.

Margaret protected herself and her son during one of the bloodiest periods in our country's history and Not only did she survive Henry and be here at Westminster Abbey at the coronation of her grandson Henry VIII, but she died within days later and this splendid tomb is a monument to a thirteen-year-old single mother who founded Britain's most famous dynasty. a whole woman