Profile: Richard Duke of York. Part 1 1411-1447

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, was arguably one of the most influential figures in 15th century England. 

BIRTHRIGHT 

Royal blood richly coursed through Richard's veins as he was great grandson to King Edward III on his father's side and great, great grandson to the same monarch on his mother's side. Richard's claim to the throne was based on him being the maternal descendant of Edward III's third son, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence.

Edward III outlived his first three sons and his fourth, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, exercised great influence over the minority of King Richard II. Upon John of Gaunt's death in 1399, the king disinherited Lancaster's son, Henry Bolingbroke, from his father's titles. Bolingbroke took up arms, declared himself king and imprisoned Richard II.

Henry IV staked his claim over heir presumptive, eight-year-old Edmund Mortimer, through his direct male line to the throne, instead of Mortimer's descent via his grandmother.

Edmund's sister, Anne Mortimer, married Richard of Conisburgh in 1406 and on 21 September, 1411, they had a son - Richard Plantagenet. Anne, however, didn't live past child-birth.

Richard Conisburgh, father to Richard Plantagenet

Richard would become an orphan four years later when his father was beheaded for treason. Henry IV died in 1413 and his son, Henry V, took the throne. Conisburgh was made Earl of Cambridge in 1414 but had no lands to accompany the earldom. Cambridge lacked resources to equip himself for King Henry V's French expedition and conspired with Henry Scrope and Sir Thomas Grey to place Edmund Mortimer on the throne. Mortimer revealed his brother-in-law's plot to the king and was part of the commission which passed the death sentence on the Southampton Plot conspirators.

Cambridge pleaded the king for mercy but was beheaded on 5 August 1415 and buried in Southampton's God's House chapel. Henry V's fleet set sail six days later for a successful campaign that culminated at the Battle of Agincourt. Cambridge's eldest brother, Edward, 2nd Duke of York, died at Agincourt and his land and titles passed to Richard Plantagenet. 

Richard's uncle, Edmund Mortimer, died in 1425 and the Duke of York inherited his lands. York's vast wealth was now only second to the king.

York was made a ward of the crown in 1417 and the wardship was awarded to Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland. York was placed under the guardianship of Robert Waterton at Pontefract Castle. Neville saw the potential in York and betrothed him at 13 years-of-age to his nine-year-old daughter, Cecily Neville.

Cecily Neville - Richard, Duke of York's wife

York was knighted by Henry V's brother, John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, in Leicester on 19 May 1426. His marriage to Cecily Neville took place in October 1429 and York was able to take control of his estates and inheritance three years later.

Henry V had died suddenly in 1422 and the crown passed to his nine-month old son, Henry VI. The regency council governed England and they were preempted to crown the king on 6 November 1429 after the French had crowned Charles VII four months earlier. The regency council looked to reaffirm England's right to France and Henry VI's French coronation was on 26 December 1431. York was present at both of Henry VI's coronations as he took his place on the king's council.

COMMANDER

Following Bedford's death in 1436, York succeeded him as Lieutenant of France and had to contend with the alliance between France and Burgundy that no longer recognised Henry VI's claim to the French throne. Bedford's former captains assisted York in recapturing Fecamp, maintaining Pays de Caux and keeping order and justice in Normandy.

York was dissatisfied with the terms of his appointment as he had to finance his troops' wages and other expenses. He returned to England in November 1439 to find that he was no longer included in Henry VI's Council. The council looked for peace with France but reappointed York as Lieutenant of France after negotiations had broken down and York was now granted powers similar to what Bedford had before.

Henry VI granted John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset (and self declared Captain-General of Gascony), an army of 7,000 men that was dispatched to the French port of Cherbourg in August 1443. Somerset marched his army south to Gascony and his command denied York of much needed troops and resources at a time when York  was struggling to hold the borders of Normandy in northern France. Somerset's needless campaign antagonised prior peace treaties and he retreated north to Normandy where he would die shortly afterwards.

The remaining two years of York's lieutenancy was spent in routine administration and domestic matters with England looking for peace once again with France. Cecily accompanied him in Normandy and she gave birth to sons, Edward and Edmund, and daughter Elizabeth in Rouen between 1442 and 1444.

The king took council with Cardinal Beaufort and WIlliam de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who advised that peace with France lay with marrying Margaret of Anjou, niece to the French King, Charles VII. The French king drove a hard bargain and the Treaty of Tours allowed the territories of Maine and Anjou to be handed over to France in exchange for the marriage. The terms were kept secret from the English parliament for a year after Henry VI had married Margaret of Anjou at Tichfield Abbey on 23 April 1445.

Henry VI marriage to Margaret of Anjou

York returned to England on 20 October 1445 and was expecting a third term as Lieutenant of France but the appointment went to Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, brother to York's fallen foe, John Beaufort. 

Henry VI and his 17-year-old queen had yet to have a child and York was made heir presumptive when Henry VI's uncle, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, died in 1447. However, York, was unofficially exiled when he was made Lieutenant of Ireland as the 10 year term would rule him out of consideration for any other roles in high office.