We've already had a look at the English kings that ruled over the period of civil war, when the houses of Lancaster and York wrestled for control over the crown. But what about the queens that ruled at their sides? What roles did they play, what did their subjects think of them and what major events of the conflict did they oversee? It's time to examine the queens of the Wars of the Roses in more detail...
![]() |
Margaret of Anjou, Wikimedia Commons |
Margaret of Anjou
Queen of Henry VI, Margaret and Henry married at Titchfield Abbey near Southampton in 1445, in a politically-arranged match. Henry, the son of the iconic and legendary Henry V of Agincourt fame, couldn't have been more different from his father. He had inherited the throne as a baby, when his father unexpectedly died young on military campaign in 1422, relying on powerful and ambitious nobles to govern in his place. Even when Henry came of age, he was overly-merciful as a king and seemed uninterested in state business, preferring to be at prayer or contemplation instead. In addition, the king suffered with mental illness, which was believed to have been inherited through his mother's side of the family. He would, at various times, appear lethargic, and unable to speak. There is even one account of Margaret presenting Henry with their newborn son, and he was said to have sat, with his head down, refusing to speak to her or acknowledge the child. This was something that did Margaret no favours. Henry's refusal to acknowledge his son cast the child's paternity publicly into question, with (almost certainly false) rumours of her infidelity at the time spread by York supporters.
But, realising her husband was losing his grip on the kingdom, Margaret stepped up. She was ruthless after battle, commanding troops from the sidelines and personally ordering executions of enemies after the Second Battle of St Albans in 1461. She negotiated with the Scottish queen, Margaret of Denmark, to provide cash and soldiers for the Lancastrian cause, along with the provision of a place of safety for the royal family to base themselves from. However Margaret's confidence and proactive approach triggered a wave of negativity among her subjects, and contemporaries thought it unnatural that a woman should behave in this way. She was advisor, commander and negotiator during the Wars of the Roses, continuing after her husband's death in 1471, which was likely at the hands of the Yorkist government. Turning to the cause of her son, she continued to fight for his right to the throne until his own death the same year at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Following the battle, Margaret was captured and later ransomed back to France, where she died in 1482, in her fifties.
Elizabeth Woodville, Wikimedia Commons |
Elizabeth Woodville
In 1464, Edward IV, the new Yorkist king, married his bride in secret. She was the widow of a Lancastrian soldier and the daughter of Jacquetta Duchess of Bedford, a gentlewoman who had served Margaret of Anjou. The new bride's first public appearance was at Reading in September of that year, when Edward introduced the assembled nobility to his wife.
Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville angered the nobles and his advisors because it was believed, as king, that he should have married for the good of his realm and not for love. Richard Neville Earl of Warwick in particular was said to have been angry about the wedding, and one ambassador noted that Reading town was full of nobles trying to figure out how to annul the marriage. Despite this, Elizabeth proved to be an intelligent and capable queen. She bore Edward ten children, and the couple remained married until his death in 1483. She showed a tolerance for his mistresses, such as Jane (her real name was Elizabeth) Shore, and advanced many members of her family to positions of power and aristocracy. She could also be haughty and firm if needed. One letter from the queen survives admonishing William Stonor for hunting deer in one of her parks.
In 1470, Elizabeth and Edward's fate changed and the Lancastrian party secured the upper hand, and captured Edward. He managed to escape to Burgundy, where he raised support and ships from his brother in law to mount his return the following year. Elizabeth was heavily pregnant, and fled with their children to sanctuary in Westminster Abbey during these uncertain times. She remained there while Henry VI was proclaimed once again as king. It was while in sanctuary that she gave birth to their son Edward. She fled there again after Edward’s death in 1483 with her children after Edward was escorted to London by his uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester (the future Richard III). Elizabeth was also involved, with Margaret Beaufort the mother of Henry Tudor, in paving the way for the marriage of Beaufort’s son Henry, and Woodville’s daughter Elizabeth. The plan was successful and Woodville watched as her daughter served as queen from 1486. Elizabeth lived out her later years in Bermondsey Abbey, away from her previous trappings of wealth and indulgence and lived a modest and humble life, where she died in 1492.
![]() |
Anne Neville, Wikimedia Commons |
Anne Neville
Anne was crowned Queen of England in July 1483, at the side of her husband, Richard III. History has struggled in many ways to identify Anne’s character and contribution because there is generally little evidence regarding her, particularly when compared with the other queens of the conflict. However, we can gain some context to her life by tracing her family history. She was the daughter of Anne Beauchamp and Richard Neville, Countess and Earl of Warwick, her father also known as The Kingmaker. Her first marriage in 1470 to Prince Edward the son of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou cemented the alliance between Warwick and the Lancastrian cause. After the prince’s death at the Battle of Tewkesbury however, she was widowed. In around 1480 she married Richard Duke of Gloucester, the younger brother of Edward IV and the so-called 'baddie' (I don't believe it by the way) of Tudor propaganda.
Anne is often interpreted as a timid, quiet and uninvolved queen, but traces of her influence do exist. It is likely that she had a stronger temperament than she is often credited with, her father and mother both assertive and politically agile. There were other strong women characters in her family too, that would have been Anne's role models growing up, including Alice Montacute and Margaret Talbot. Anne and Richard had one son together, named Edward of Middleham, before they came to the throne. Unfortunately he died in his youth and Anne died soon afterwards, in March 1485. Despite rumours that Richard poisoned his wife, this was Tudor propaganda and there is no evidence for this. In fact, everything points to them being a capable and well-functioning royal couple. Richard III was to die at the Battle of Bosworth five months after his wife.
![]() |
Elizabeth of York, Wikimedia Commons |
Elizabeth of York
This fair-haired young queen was the wife of Henry VII, or Henry Tudor (as he was before he was crowned). Together, they established the dynasty that ruled over England for more than a century. Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, and although her personality is sometimes thought of as shy and timid, there are suggestions that she did in fact play a large role in areas of government alongside her husband. There is even some evidence that she very much helped engineer their marriage in the first place, and was later involved in diplomatic negotiations with Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. She certainly took care over her correspondence and wrote and received letters from them personally.
Elizabeth and Henry knew that to forge a new dynasty and ensure peace in the realm, they needed to pass their throne onto a legitimate successor. They therefore worked hard to top up the royal nursery with princes and princesses who would in turn become leaders of their own realms.
Tragedy struck in 1501 when their eldest son and successor, Prince Arthur, died and was buried in Worcester Cathedral. However, they had three more children to pass the realm onto. Mary would later become Queen of France, Margaret would be Queen of Scotland, and their brother Henry was, in 1509, crowned Henry VIII. Henry VII is often credited with ending the Wars of the Roses, but there were occasional Yorkist-based disputes, pretenders to the throne and battles even after 1485. Regardless, he was able to pass the crown to a Tudor successor. Elizabeth of York also needs to be acknowledged for her work in ending the Wars of the Roses, not only for providing an heir with the blood of both York and Lancaster, but for her other efforts in cementing the foundation of the new monarchy.
Enjoyed this? You might also like my book Forgotten Women of the Wars of the Roses, a look at the roles of women - royal and non-royal - during the conflict. Order your copy here at the Pen and Sword website.
0 Comments