One of the key figures in the dynastic civil wars, better known as the Wars of the Roses, was Margaret of Anjou. It was she who personally led the Lancaster faction. Being the wife of Henry VI, she took his place because of her husband's constant bouts of insanity. In fact, it was the Queen Consort of England who led the country.
Margaret of Anjou: biography
The future ruler was born in the east of France, in the feudal imperial possession of Pont-a-Mousson of the Duchy of Lorraine in March 1430. She was the fifth child in the family of René of Anjou. Her mother Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine paid great attention to the education of her children. Antoine de La Salle, a well-known French writer at that time, now belonging to the late Middle Ages, studied with her.
Margarita's father, better known as "the good King René", 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. Beingin 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, the old royal palace in the kingdom of Sicily. As a child, the future wife of King Henry was called la petite creature.
Marriage
In April 1445, in Hampshire, Margaret of Anjou married Henry VI, who was eight years older than her. Then he still only claimed the throne. The future king controlled some territories of the northern part of France. Henry's uncle, Charles VII, also claiming the crown, agreed to Margaret's marriage to his rival relative on one condition: instead of the usual dowry, the bride's father had to give him the Duchy of Anjou and the County of Maine.
Coronation
The government of England, fearing an extremely negative reaction from society, decided to keep this agreement secret. On May 30, 1445, Margaret of Anjou was crowned Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey. The Queen of England, as her contemporaries described her, although she was too young, she was distinguished by those features 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 Margaret of Anjou would live up to their expectations and understand her duty.
Interesting facts
Henry VI was always more interested in religion and doctrine than military matters. Apparently, therefore, he was not consideredsuccessful ruler. Having become king at too early an age, he was from the very beginning under the control of his guardians and regents. Moreover, when Henry married, his mental state, according to the chroniclers, was very unstable. And the birth of Edward, his only son with Margaret, in 1453, finally undermined the he alth and psyche of the king.
There were even rumors at 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 sources, either the Duke of Somerset or the Earl of Wiltshire could have been Edward's father. Margaret of Anjou considered them both her faithful allies.
The biography of the English queen, who fully shared her husband's passion for culture and science, was closely connected with the University of Cambridge. Here she founded a college, which she sponsored until her death.
Victory over the Duke of York
Having moved from the capital to the luxurious Greenwich Palace, Margarita Anzhuyskaya devoted herself entirely to caring for her son. But once realizing that her husband is threatened with overthrow by the Duke of York, appointed during the period of her husband's mental incapacity (1453-1454) as his regent, she decides to keep the crown for her descendants by all means. A strong rival claimed the English throne not without reason, especially since there were quite a lot of powerful relatives on his side who were preparing to support him.
Historians say that at that time Margaret of Anjou, although she wasdefiantly unpopular, nevertheless it was considered quite a powerful force in politics. Trusting, bendable and unstable, Heinrich became plasticine in the hands of his wife when she wanted to do something. Marguerite was able not only to convince him to recall 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 failed.
History of the Wars of the Roses
The ambition and authority of Margaret of Anjou became one of the main reasons for the Yorkist uprising. It was from him that the Wars of the Scarlet 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, Lancasters and Yorks, are considered not only the difficult economic situation after the Hundred Years War, but also public dissatisfaction with the policy pursued by Margaret of Anjou with her favorites. King Henry himself, who suffered from dementia and periodically fell into unconsciousness, was unable to personally rule the country.
Open war between two aristocratic families - the Scarlet and White Roses in the coat of arms of England, began in 1455. In the first battle, held near St. Albans, representatives of the Yorkists achieved victory. They were able to get Parliament to declare the Duke of York the heir to Henry VI. Margarita had to flee to the north of the country. Here the queen consort was able to gather a fairly large army. In one of the following battles, Richard was killed. His severed head, with a papercrown was displayed on the tower of the city wall in York County.
Defeat
After Richard's death, Edward, his own son, became the head of the York party. At the beginning of 1461, he, supported by the Earl of Warwick, was able to twice defeat the troops of the Lancastrians. He managed to occupy London, where he declared himself King of England. Edward IV imprisoned the deposed Henry VI in the Tower. And Queen Margaret of Anjou fled from England.
King Edward IV, who came to power as a result of the War of the Roses, began to restrict the freedom of the feudal nobility in order to strengthen his power. Thus, he earned the distrust of his former associates. The former allies, led by the Earl of Warwick, rebelled. The king had to flee England, and the deposed Henry VI was released from prison and returned to the throne again.
But Edward, who returned to England in 1471, was able to twice defeat the troops of Warwick and Margaret of Anjou, who became allies between themselves. During the fighting, both the earl and the queen's son, Prince Edward, were killed. Henry was again imprisoned in the Tower, where he died in May 1471.
Death
Margarita until 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 ransomed by Louis XI in 1475. Her father asked the king about this. Margaret of Anjou spent her last years of her life in France. For these seven years she lived like a poor relative at court. The queen consort died in August 1482. She was onlyfifty two years. Marguerite was buried in the Angers Cathedral, next to her parents, but during the French Revolution, both the cathedral itself and her grave were looted.
