Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty

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Beaufort exerted considerable political influence within the Tudor court. The power she exercised was evidently obvious; a report from Spanish envoy Pedro de Ayala dating to 1498 claimed Henry was "much influenced by his mother and his followers in affairs or personal interest and in others." In the earlier years of her son's reign, records indicate Margaret usually accompanied the royal couple when they traveled. [45]

Tallis, Nicola (2020). Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch. London: Michael O'Mara Books Limited. p.9. ISBN 978-1-78929-258-9. Despite what these negotiations may suggest, Lady Margaret is known to have conspired with Elizabeth Woodville, mother of the two York princes whom Richard confined to the Tower of London, after rumours spread of the boys' murder. It was at this point, according to Polydore Vergil, that Beaufort "began to hope well of her son's fortune". However, Lady Margaret's immediate petitions were not for queenly powers of rule over others, but were two succinct demands for independence and liberty of self, which were products of expert legal advice, as opposed to a desperate desire to rule. [47] He looks up from his seat at the table, his quill poised over the silver inkpot. ‘You told me when we married that you were given to God and to your cause,’ he reminds me. ‘I told you I was given to the furtherance of myself and my family. You told me that you wished to live a celibate life, and I accepted this in a wife who brought a fortune, a great name, and a son who has a claim to the throne of England. There is no need for affection here, we have a shared interest. You are more faithful to me for the sake of our cause, than you would ever be for any affection, I know that. If you were a woman who could be ruled by affection you would have gone to Jasper and your son a dozen years ago. Affection is not important to you, nor to me. You want power, Margaret, power and wealth; and so do I. Nothing matters as much as this to either of us, and we will sacrifice anything for it.’Margaret whose husband, Lord Stafford died at the battle, realised the severity of the situation and thus implored Jasper Tudor to taker her son Henry abroad to safety. This he did, an act which led to her not seeing her son for another fourteen years. After Elizabeth's death in 1503, Margaret became the principal female presence at court. When Arthur died, Margaret played a part in ensuring her grandson Henry, the new heir apparent, was raised appropriately by selecting some members of his new household. [59] In August 1485, with an army of mercenaries at his side, Henry sailed to England and met Richard at the Battle of Bosworth. Keen to rally morale, Richard entered the battle on foot, determined to quash this rebellion as he had done many times before. Alas, the “turn of fortune’s wheel,” as Norton puts it, was not on Richard’s side, and he fell in battle. There are tactical reasons for his defeat, but it is important to note that Stanley’s force did not enter the fray until the middle of the clash. It was their involvement on the side of Henry’s army that won the day. Margaret’s influence over her husband, while not absolute, must have been strong, swaying his decision to support her son’s claim to the throne. Richard’s defeat and Henry’s ascension began a new, earned chapter in Margaret’s life: her role as My Lady, the King’s Mother.

After Edward IV died, Richard III seized the throne and Margaret remained in the royal court, now in the service of Anne Neville.

She was a co-ruler of England, housed in every royal palace in the best rooms often with interconnecting doors to her son. She wrote the Book of the Royal Household, determining how state and private occasions should be performed. She was a keen landlord of her vast lands, and took an active part in the government of the kingdom. She outlived her adored son and survived long enough to see her grandson Henryinherit the throne. I take the note to the window for the light, and as the river gurgles beneath the window I read it. It is sealed with the crest of the Beauforts. It is from Margaret Stanley, my former lady-in-waiting. Despite being Lancaster born and bred, and mother to their heir, she and her husband Thomas Stanley have been loyal to us for the last eleven years. Perhaps she will stay loyal. Perhaps she will even take my side against Duke Richard. Her interests lie with me. She was counting on Edward to forgive her son his Lancaster blood and let him come home from his exile in Brittany. She spoke to me of a mother’s love for her boy and how she would give anything to have him home again. I promised her that it would happen. She has no reason to love Duke Richard. She might well think her chances of getting her boy home are better if she stays friends with me and supports my return to power. Jones & Underwood, Michael & Malcolm (1985). "LADY MARGARET BEAUFORT". History Today. 35: 23 – via JSTOR. Wood, Diana (2003). Women and religion in medieval England. Oxbow. ISBN 1-84217-098-8 . Retrieved 25 July 2009. Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history. Based in Kent and a lover of all things historical.