One of the key figures in the dynastic civil wars, which are better known as the Wars of the Roses, was Margarita of Anjou. It was she who personally led the Lancaster faction. Being the wife of Henry VI, she took his place because of the constant bouts of insanity of her husband. In fact, it was the consort queen of England who led the country.
Margarita of Anjou: biography
The future ruler was born in the east of France, in the feudal imperial possession of Pont-à-Mousson, duchy of Lorraine in March 1430. She was the fifth child in the family of Rene of Anjou. Her mother Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine, paid great attention to the education of her children. Antoine de La Salle, a then-famous French writer, now belonging to the late Middle Ages, studied with her.
Margarita's father, better known as the "good king Rene", was the titular king of Sicily, Naples and Jerusalem. He was considered a man with several crowns, but not one kingdom. The daughter was baptized in Lorraine. Being in the care of her father's nurse, Margarita of Anjou spent her childhood in a castle on the Rhone River, and when she was six years old, she was transferred to Capua, to the old royal palace in the kingdom of Sicily. In childhood, the future wife of King Henry was called la petite creature.
Marriage
In April 1445, in Margaret of Anjou County, Hampshire married Henry VI, who was eight years older than her. Then he only claimed the throne. The future king controlled some areas of the northern part of France. Henry's uncle, Charles VII, also claiming the crown, agreed to Margarita’s marriage with her rival relative, on one condition: instead of the usual dowry, the father of the bride had to transfer to him the duchy of Anjou and the county of Maine.
Coronation
The British government, fearing an extremely negative reaction from society, decided to keep this agreement secret. On May 30, 1445, Archbishop of Canterbury crowned Margarita of Anjou in Westminster Abbey. The Queen of England, as her contemporaries described her, although she was too young, but differed in those traits that should be inherent in the ruling person. She was considered beautiful and passionate, but strong-willed and proud. At court, many hoped that Queen Margarita of Anjou would live up to their expectations and understand her duty.
Interesting Facts
Henry VI was always more interested in religion and teachings than in military matters. Apparently, therefore, he was not considered a successful ruler. Having become king at an early age, he was under the control of his guardians and regents from the very beginning. Moreover, when Henry married, his mental state, according to the chroniclers, was very unstable. And the birth of Edward, his only son with Margarita, in 1453, completely undermined the king’s health and psyche.
There were even rumors at the court that he was not able to give birth to an heir, and therefore the newborn prince of Wales is the result of adultery. According to some reports, Edward's father could have been either the Duke of Somerset or the Earl of Wiltshire. Margarita of Anjou considered them both their faithful allies.
The biography of the Queen of England, who fully shared her husband’s addiction to culture and science, was closely connected with Cambridge University. Here she founded a college, sponsored by her until her death.
Victory over the Duke of York
Moving from the capital to the magnificent Greenwich Palace, Margarita Anzhuiskaya fully devoted herself to caring for her son. But once having realized that her husband was threatened with the overthrow of the Duke of York, appointed during the period of her husband’s mental disability (1453-1454) as his regent, she decided to certainly preserve the crown for her descendants. A strong rival claimed the English throne for good reason, all the more so since there were a lot of powerful relatives on his side who were preparing to support him.
Historians say that at that time Margarita of Anjou, although defiantly unpopular, was nevertheless considered a powerful enough force in politics. Trusting, bent and unstable Henry became a plasticine in the hands of his wife when she wanted to do something. Margarita was able not only to convince him to withdraw the duke from the post of governor in France, but also to send him to Ireland. It was she who repeatedly tried to kill her husband's rival in 1449 and 1450. However, she did not succeed.
History of the Rose War
Ambitiousness and authority of Margarita of Anjou became one of the main reasons for the rebellion of the Yorkists. It was from him that the war of the Red and White Roses began, which lasted thirty years - from 1455 to 1485. The reasons for this internecine feudal conflict between two powerful representatives of the royal dynasty of England, Lancaster and York, are considered not only the difficult economic situation after the Hundred Years War, but also public discontent with the policies pursued by Margarita Anzhuiskaya with her favorites. King Henry himself, suffering from dementia, periodically falling into unconsciousness, was unable to personally govern the country.
An open war between two aristocratic families - Red and White roses in the coat of arms of England, began in 1455. In the first battle, which took place near St. Albans, the victory was won by representatives of the Yorkists. They were able to ensure that the parliament declared the Duke of York the heir to Henry VI. Margarita had to flee to the north of the country. Here, the consort queen was able to assemble a fairly large army. In one of the following fights, Richard was killed. His severed head with a paper crown erected on it was exposed on the tower of the city wall in York County.
Defeat
After the death of Richard, Edward, his own son, stood at the head of the York party. At the beginning of 1461, he, supported by Count Warwick, was able to triumph twice over the troops of the Lancastrians. He managed to occupy London, where he declared himself king of England. Edward IV imprisoned the overthrown Henry VI at the Tower. And Queen Margarita of Anjou escaped from England.
King Edward IV, who came to power as a result of the War of the Roses, began to limit the freedom of the feudal nobility in order to strengthen his power. Thus, he earned the distrust of his former associates. Former allies led by Count Warwick revolted. The king had to escape from England, and the overthrown Henry VI was released from prison and returned to the throne.
But Edward, who returned to England in 1471, was able to defeat twice the troops that became allies of Warwick and Margarita of Anjou. During the fighting, both the count and the queen's son, Prince Edward, died . Henry was again imprisoned in the Tower, where he died in May 1471.
Death
Margarita to the last tried to fight for the throne of her husband. And only the death of her only son forced the queen to abandon the war. She was captured by the Yorkists, but was bought in 1475 by Louis XI. The king asked her about this. Margarita of Anjou spent her last years of her life in France. For seven years she lived as a poor relative at court. The consort queen died in August 1482. She was only fifty two years old. Margarita was buried in Angers Cathedral, next to her parents, however, during the French Revolution, both the cathedral and its grave were looted.