Profile - Margaret of Anjou Part 2 1453-1460

Margaret of Anjou was reputably the most powerful woman in 15th Century England by ruling through her passive husband, Henry VI. 

GRIEF, JOY, DESPAIR

The year 1453 was a turbulent one for Margaret of Anjou. On 28 February, Margaret's mother died and a pregnant Margaret grieved over the death of the influential Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine, through the first half of the year. This grief turned to joy when Margaret gave birth to Prince Edward of Westminster on 13 October but Henry VI didn't join in the celebrations.

Henry VI's domain over France was reduced to just Calais following the heavy defeat at the Battle of Castillon on 17 July 1453 and the king descended into a mental breakdown. Charles VI of France was known for his bouts of insanity and his grandson, Henry VI, showed signs of schizophrenia as paranoid hallucinations plagued him in late 1453.

Prince Edward of Westminster

Margaret tried to protect Henry VI by removing him to Windsor but the queen couldn't keep her husband's malaise secret when Henry VI wouldn't acknowledge his new-born son. The Great Council named Richard Duke of York Protector of the Realm and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, was placed in the Tower of London. The queen and her prince retired to Greenwich Palace until Henry VI regained his senses at Christmas 1454. York relinquished being Protector and Somerset was reinstated as Captain of Calais. 

Orders were sent to convene a Great Council meeting for 21 May 1455 in Leicester, away from York's London supporters, and York saw this as an opportunity for the royal forces to arrest him. York, and his commanders, the Neville-father and son, Earl of Salisbury and Earl of Warwick, gathered troops and marched south to meet the royal forces before they reached Leicester.

Margaret stayed with her son in Greenwich and was dismayed to hear of York's swift victory at First Battle of St. Albans that left Somerset dead and her husband captured. York named himself Constable of England and Protector of the Realm once again when Henry VI had a mental relapse under York's watch.

The king recovered in February 1456 and Henry VI now accepted York's influence at court. Margaret was less accommodating to York and convinced Henry VI to move court to her heartland of Coventry. The royal couple went around the country to display their unity and prince but discontent was rumbling in the north between the feuding Neville and Percy families.

Henry VI tried to nullify the discord and peace talks in 1458 culminated on 25 March in the Loveday celebrations when the king proudly led former enemies out of St. Paul's Cathedral in amicable pairs. Behind the king followed Margaret arm-in-arm with the Duke of York and the queen wasn't ready to end her hostilities with York just yet. 

ANTAGONISER

The Earl of Warwick had since replaced the deceased Somerset as Captain of Calais and the queen looked to antagonise Warwick by supporting French raids on the English south coast and later unsuccessfully charged Warwick with piracy.

York decided to move on the royal forces and gathered with Warwick and Salisbury a Battle of Ludford Bridge in September 1459. Salisbury had earlier beaten Margaret's forces at Battle of Blore Heath but talk of royal pardons to those who would defect to the king spread throughout York's camp. Warwick's 600 men from Calais, led by Anthony Trollope, changed sides on the eve of battle and the Yorkist commanders fled into exile.

Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers and husband to Jacquetta of Luxembourg

York took his second eldest son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, to Ireland whilst Warwick and Salisbury made their way to Calais with York's eldest son, Edward, Earl of March. Warwick still had a ship moored in Sandwich on the English south-east coast and Margaret sent the husband of long-time friend, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, to commandeer the vessel. This expedition would soon backfire when Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, and his son, Anthony, arrived at Sandwich to take the ship but were taken prisoner. Warwick, Salisbury and March each ridiculed their captives in Calais, with Warwick berating Earl Rivers for being a son of a squire who had married himself into the nobility.

Warwick, Salisbury and March returned to England in June 1460 and met the royal forces at the Battle of Northampton on 10 July 1460. Margaret and Prince Edward stayed within the Northampton city walls whilst Henry VI stayed in his royal tent behind the Lancastrian front line. This front-line was soon breached due to Warwick and March bribing a key Lancastrian general, Lord Grey of Ruthin, and the king's troops quickly fled. Henry VI's tent was guarded by his lieutenants who died protecting the king.

Warwick and March greeted Henry VI and escorted him back to London. The queen and prince quickly fled north-west to Cheshire and later Wales. York arrived in England on 9 September to claim the English throne for himself but was balked by those on the council loyal to the royal couple.

DISINHERITED

York was able to have an Act of Accord passed that disinherited Prince Edward and recognised York, and his subsequent heirs, as successors to Henry VI's throne. Henry VI was still King of England but York was named Protector of the Realm once again.

James III of Scotland, potential ally to Margaret of Anjou 

Margaret and her disinherited son journeyed from Wales to Scotland and met with the new Scottish King, James III, to gain support. The border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed was offered up by Margaret in exchange for James III's support. Forces loyal to the royal couple grew south of the Scottish border and York marched north from London on 9 December 1460 to meet them. The two forces clashed at the Battle of Wakefield on 30 December 1460 which saw the deaths of York, Rutland and Salisbury. 

Margaret was overjoyed to hear the death of her fiercest adversary and how his claim to the throne was ridiculed with a paper crown adorning York's decapitated head on a spike overlooking the city of York.

Battle of Northampton 1460

Battle of Northampton as depicted by Matthew Ryan

After nine months in exile, Yorkist commanders Earl of Warwick and Edward, Earl of March, led their forces to victory in the Battle of Northampton on 10 July 1460.

 BACKGROUND

After fleeing the Battle of Ludford Bridge, Yorkist commanders Duke of York, Earl of Salisbury and Earl of Warwick were able to consolidate in exile despite having their lands and titles forfeited in an act of attainder. 

The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Earl of Rutland, was able to learn more about his office when he accompanied his father, Duke of York, to Ireland. The Irish welcomed York and he peacefully received Warwick in March 1460 in order to plan their return to England.

Warwick had enjoyed exile in Calais and was accompanied by his father, Earl of Salisbury, and York's eldest son Edward, Earl of March. Henry VI had previously replaced Warwick as Captain of Calais with Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, but Calais rallied behind Warwick and denied Somerset entry into the city. 

Somerset eventually made landfall at Guisnes and appointed Andrew Trollope the town's bailiff. This appointment was mainly due to Trollope's knowledge of the area before he betrayed Warwick at Ludford. Somerset had several skirmishes with Warwick's men but his presence in France was more of an irritant than a threat to Warwick.

Warwick still had a ship moored at a dock in Sandwich on the English south coast and Margaret of Anjou sent the husband of long-time friend, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, to commandeer the vessel. Richard Woodville, who was now Earl Rivers, and his son, Anthony, arrived at Sandwich but were later taken prisoner by Warwick's men and taken across the English Channel to answer to Warwick. Warwick, Salisbury and March each ridiculed their captives, with Warwick berating Earl Rivers for being a son of a squire who had married himself into the nobility to become a lord.  

Sandwich was to be the location of the return of Warwick, Salisbury and March to England on 26 June 1460. The three commanders gathered support in the south-east and Salisbury stayed behind to garrison the Tower of London. Warwick and March marched further north and their forces of 10,000 men met the royal forces at Northampton. 

BATTLE

Northampton battlefield map

The royal forces took up a defensive position in the grounds of Delapré Abbey behind a water-filled ditch topped with spikes, and in front of the River Nene near Northampton. 

Warwick had previously sent three emissaries to present the Yorkist grievances to the king but were denied by Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham sent word back that "The Earl of Warwick shall not come to the King's presence and if he comes he shall die." Upon arriving at Northampton, Warwick replied to Buckingham with the message that "at 2 o'clock I will speak with the King or I will die."

Warwick's army was twice the size of the Lancastrians and the Yorkists advanced at 2 o'clock into hard wind and rain. They were met with a fierce hail of Lancastrian arrows but the rain had made the royal artillery near useless. March took the vanguard up to the ditch guarding the Lancastrian right flank and his men were pleased to see Lord Grey of Ruthin offer a helping hand over the defences. 

Ruthin had personal gain from his treachery as March had previously agreed to support Lord Grey in a land dispute with Lord Fanhope.  The battle lasted just half an hour once the Yorkists were behind the Lancastrian front lines as the royal troops fled the king's defence. Henry VI had remained in his tent behind the frontline and his four lieutenants of Buckingham, Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord Egremont and Lord Beaumont, all died trying to stop the Yorkist approach to the royal tent.

A victorious Warwick kneels to Henry VI as depicted by Graham Turner

WIth the death of the despised royal councillors, Warwick and March respectfully greeted Henry VI, swore their loyalty to the crown and escorted the king to London. 

York now readied a return to England to claim the English throne for himself.