#john of lancaster duke of bedford

[historicconfessions]

[eddyoffrance]

Thinking about the pictures in the Bedford Hours once again and I know that most of you already know this but it is obvious that Bedford had his brother depicted as St. George due to-

1) The resemblance in appearance between Bedford and George

2) St George being dressed in the robes of the Sovereign of the Order of the Garter ( which was the King of England) rather than slaying the dragon. ( Perhaps, the dragon was already slain).

3) The bowl cut and the age of St George which with 1) and 2) allows us to narrow it down to Henry V.

Which makes it obvious that St. George is Henry V. However, it is interesting that Henry V is shown with a beard which is at stark contrast with virtually every other portrayal of him.

This taken along with the expressions of John, Duke of Bedford and St. George which is a combination of love, devotion, duty, solemnity and sorrow implies to me that Henry V may have grown a beard in the final few months of hie life and this was against his will and entirely due to his illness which rendered him incapable of shaving considering the fact that there is no evidence of either John or Humphrey growing a beard in their lives ( both of them looked upto their brother Harry a lot).

[eve-to-adam]

Book illustration - Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland with her daughters.

[une-sanz-pluis]

The thing that strikes me as extraordinary about Henry V and his brothers is how there's no real comparative case to make about English kings who were universally supported by their brothers. Edward II alienated his brothers and stepmother by favouring his favourites at their expense. Edward III's only brother, John of Eltham, died young and Edward was rumoured to have murdered him. Of the "three sons of York", George Duke of Clarence attempted to usurp his brother and was later executed for treason by Edward IV while Richard III usurped his brother's sons and had them declared bastards. The Devil's Brood was, well, the Devil's Brood.

Yet whatever could be said for the rivalry between Henry V and Thomas, Duke of Clarence in their father's reign, or the fractious relationship between John, Duke of Bedford and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester in their nephew's reign, they worked as a team. They were all loyal to Henry V and he rewarded their loyalty. There is no sign of faction or discontent between them.

[dreamconsumer]

Anne of Burgundy, Duchess of Bedford (1404-1432).

She was a daughter of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy.

[themidnightcircusshow]

On one hand, John probably would have been a great king and could have potentially mitigated a lot of factors that lead to the war of the roses

On the other hand, John had no legitimate children, and no one, no one wanted King Humphrey I

[henryfitzempress]

Miniature of Anne of Burgundy, duchess of Bedford, kneeling before Anne, the Virgin, and Christ. British Library Add MS 18850, f. 257v.

[elephantlovemedleys]

medieval women week (day two)

favourite non queen or queen-adjacent woman: jacquetta of luxembourg (1415/1416-1472)

Jacquetta was a prominent figure doing the War of The Roses, and was firmly allied to the House of Lancaster via her first marriage to the John, Duke of Bedford, who was Henry V's brother, their marriage bore no children and John died at Rouen on September 15 1435. Soon on her journey to England, Jacquetta met Richard Woodville who was commissioned by Henry VI, they fell in love and were married in secret, without permission from the King. Theirs was a fruitful marriage that resulted into fourteen children, including the future Queen consort Elizabeth Woodville, and by the mid 1440's the Woodvilles would be in a powerful position at court.

(no known portrait of Jacquetta survives, above is a depiction of a 15th century Burgundian woman by the artist Petrus Christus that dates from 1450-1460)

[whencyclopedia]

Henry VI of England

Henry VI of England ruled as king from 1422 to 1461 CE and again from 1470 to 1471 CE. Succeeding his father Henry V of England (r. 1413-1422 CE), Henry VI was crowned the king of France in 1431 CE but he could not prevent a French revival led by Charles VII of France (r. 1422-1461 CE) and such figures as Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431 CE). The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453 CE) was ultimately lost and with it all England's territory in France except Calais. Back in England, the king's weakness of character and mind, and the intense rivalry between his barons led to the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487 CE) between the rival houses of Lancaster and York. After an episode of insanity, Henry VI had, in effect, a regent, Richard, the Duke of York in 1454 CE. Despite military victories by Henry's wife, Queen Margaret, the king was ultimately deposed by Richard's son Edward in 1461 CE. Henry would make a brief return to the throne in 1470 CE before Edward, now Edward IV of England (1461-1470 & 1471-1483 CE), was once more victorious on the battlefield and able to declare himself king for a second time. Henry was then murdered in the Tower of London in May 1471 CE.

Succession

Henry was born on 6 December 1421 CE in Windsor Castle, the son of Henry V of England and Catherine of Valois (l. 1401 - c. 1437 CE), the daughter of Charles VI of France. The reign of Henry's father was short but brilliant. Pressing his claim to the French throne, which had started with Edward III of England (r. 1327-1377 CE), Henry V had won a famous victory against a French army at the Battle of Agincourt in October 1415 CE and then conquered Normandy between 1417 and 1419 CE. This was to be the peak of English fortunes during the on-off conflict between the two countries known to history as the Hundred Years' War. The victories allowed Henry V to sign the 1420 CE treaty of Troyes with Charles VI of France (r. 1380-1422 CE) which made Henry the French king's heir while the blood heir, the Dauphin Charles, was disinherited. All this happened while France was split between two rival factions: the Burgundians and the Armagnacs.

The English barons would entangle themselves in a spiral of competition to see who could hold most power while Henry remained a minor.

Henry V died, probably of dysentery on 31 August 1422 CE at Bois de Vincennes in France. The English king had missed the chance to become the king of France by less than two months as Charles VI died on 21 October 1422 CE. Prince Henry, not even one year old, became the new king of England and the youngest to hold such a title before or since. He would not receive his coronation until 6 November 1429 CE in Westminster Abbey, officially becoming Henry VI of England. In the meantime, the infant had two regents, appointed by Henry V before his death: Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (l. 1390-1447 CE) for England and John, Duke of Bedford (l. 1389-1435 CE) for the territories in France, where, at least according to the Treaty of Troyes, he was also now the king. Another important figure was the king's great-uncle, Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester. These three men and others would entangle themselves in a spiral of competition to see who could hold most power while Henry remained a minor.

The Wars of the Roses were not over yet, though. Edward, the Duke of York's son, backed by the Earl of Warwick, was promoted as a replacement to his father and to King Henry. When Edward won the bloody Battle of Towton in March 1461 CE, the largest and longest battle in English history, this is indeed what transpired. Henry VI was deposed, and he, Queen Margaret, and their son Edward (b. 13 October 1453 CE) all fled to Scotland. Edward of York, just 19 years of age, was crowned Edward IV of England at Westminster Abbey on 28 June 1461 CE. Even this was still not the end of the civil war, merely a pause.

Continue reading...

[letsgostealthelouvre]

In the Louvre’s records, the title of this translates to English as “Crying” and you know what, legit. I feel you, bud. 

The Louvre tells me that this is a decoration from the tomb of Anne of Burgundy, daughter of John the Fearless and wife of John of Lancaster, the Duke of Bedford. Her brother commissioned the monument; this figure was one of the “mourners” adorning the tomb prior to the church’s destruction (I believe during the Revolution). 

[ID: A small figurine of a person; their body is concealed under a bulky robe capped with a cowl, and only their face is visible. Their eyes are closed and their mouth is frowning slightly; they appear to be crying, but very elegantly so.]

[womenwhochangedhistory]

ELIZABETH OF YORK, THE WHITE ROSE

The eldest child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York was born at Westminster on 11th February, 1466. She was christened by George Neville, Archbishop of York and her godparents were Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, Cecily Neville, Dowager Duchess of York and Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford. Elizabeth’s parents had married secretly at Grafton Manor, soon after her father’s accession to the throne. Her mother, Elizabeth Woodville was the daughter of Sir Richard Woodville, (later created Earl Rivers) and Jacquetta of Luxemburg, the widow of John, Duke of Bedford (the brother of Henry V). Edward IV had met Elizabeth’s mother, the widow of Sir John Grey, a Lancastrian knight who was killed at St. Albans in 1461, when she came to petition him for the return of her husband’s estates. Edward had wanted to make her his mistress, but she held out for marriage. Following the death of her father and the usurpation of Richard III, Elizabeth and her siblings, including Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, the so-called Princes in the Tower, was declared illegitimate by the Act of Titulus Regius. Her young brothers disappeared inside the Tower of London amidst rumours that they had been murdered. How Elizabeth herself reacted to their demise has gone unrecorded, but she had at the time taken sanctuary with her mother at Westminster Abbey. Rumour suggested that Richard III was planning to marry her himself. Her mother, in secret correspondence with Margaret Beaufort, agreed to the marriage of Elizabeth and Margaret’s son, Richard’s rival and the exiled heir to the House of Lancaster, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who took a public oath to marry Elizabeth should he became King of England. Richmond became King Henry VII after his victory over Richard III at Bosworth Field and the Princess was brought back to London from Sheriff Hutton Castle in Yorkshire. Henry was crowned at Westminster alone on 30th October, to underline that he ruled in his own right. Parliament petitioned the king to honour his promise to marry the Yorkist heiress and the marriage of Elizabeth of York and Henry VII was finally celebrated on 18th January 1486 at Westminster Abbey. As the eldest daughter of King Edward IV with no surviving brothers, Elizabeth of York had a strong claim to the throne in her own right, but she did not rule as queen regnant. The rule of a queen regnant would not be accepted in England for another sixty-seven year until the ascension of Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Mary I. Nine months later, the new Queen was delivered of a son. He was given the symbolic name of Arthur, in honour of the legendary Dark Age British King. Elizabeth was finally crowned Queen Consort on 25 November 1487. Elizabeth was tall, fair haired, attractive and gentle in natured. Despite being a political arrangement, the marriage proved successful and both partners appear to have genuinely cared for each other. Elizabeth was generous to her relations, servants and benefactors, and she enjoyed music and dancing, as well as dicing. The Queen’s household was ruled byLady Margaret Beaufort. The Queen’s own mother, the meddlesome and grasping Elizabeth Woodville, suspected of involvement in Yorkist plots, was shut up in a nunnery and stripped of all her belongings. The marriage of Elizabeth of York and Henry VII was to produce seven children, of which only four survived the perils of infancy in Tudor times. One of these was the future Henry VIII. Elizabeth of York  died tragically on her 37th birthday, after a long and difficult labor that produced a baby girl, Katherine, who also perished. According to records, in addition to the entire kingdom and the royal court, the king fell into deep mourning, and became more reclusive, avoinding public appearances.  Elizabeth was buried at Westminster Abbey, within an magnificent effigy created by the Renaissance sculptor Pietro Torrigiano. Henry VII would be buried at her side, only six years later.

[eve-to-adam]

How to make Richard of York angry, Season 7, Episode 12

Cecily Neville: What do you do when York sends you annoying letters? Isabel Plantagenet: I'll give him a tailored answer. Cecily Neville: Do you write even more annoying letters? Isabel Plantagenet: No. I send him lines from the Canterbury Tales, an answer he won't understand a word of. This makes him lose his mind.

[une-sanz-pluis]

Detail from Calendar Pages (March and August) from the Salisbury Breviary (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, MS Lat. 17294, fol. 3r, 5v) showing the anniversaries of Henry IV, Thomas Duke of Clarence, Henry of Grosmont, Constanza of Castile and Henry V.

The commemoration of dates of birth and death in calendars became widespread in France and England from the second half of the fifteenth century. The phenomenon was prevalent mainly in books of hours because of their character as personal collections of prayers, whose particular contents and organizational structure were usually determined by their patrons or owners. Moreover, the commemoration of deceased relatives coincides with one of the traditional liturgical functions of the book of hours, which contained the Office of the Dead. Therefore, the choice to include the anniversaries in the Salisbury Breviary’s calendar is interesting, since the breviary follows the standard Sarum rite without the Office of the Dead and no textual adjustments that could express Bedford’s personal preferences. Nevertheless, this choice is consistent with the inclusion of the English rite as well as the emphasis on the Duke’s personal patron saint within the manuscript. Orly Amit, "Appropriating the Archive: Promoting Legitimacy and Shaping Historical Memory through the Library of John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford", New Approaches to the Archive in the Middle Ages (Routledge, 2024)

[heartofstanding]

Hi! I'm not not as familiar with 14th/15th century English history as I am with earlier and later periods, and I'm getting conflicting information online, so I wanted to ask: Where Philippa of Hainault and Joan of Navarre formally regents during Edward III and Henry V's reigns? I know Isabella of France technically wasn't, but I'm a little confused regarding Philippa and Joan since different sites are telling me different things, and the book "Later Plantagenet consorts" that I recently read doesn't specify anything.

I wasn't sure whether to send this ask to this blog or your Lancaster side blog so I'm really really sorry if it's inconvenient

Thank you!

No worries, I'll take asks on either of my blogs. 💖 And I'm sorry it took me awhile to answer this; I was trying to finish off the ask about Jacqueline of Hainault and wanted to check some references because I'm not very familiar with Philippa's life. It's actually a very simple answer: neither Philippa or Joan were officially regents for their husband and stepson respectively.

I'm not sure where the story of Philippa's regency comes from; possibly from Froissart who wrote about her leading the English army at the Battle of Neville's Cross but in 1346, England was nominally led by Lionel of Antwerp (who was seven years old) and Philippa had joined Edward III in Calais the month before the Battle of Neville's Cross. It does seem like she had a great deal of authority when Edward was away but lacked the formal position of regent. From Lisa Benz St. John's Three Medieval Queens:

There were never any queen regents or keepers in England, as there were in France. However, fourteenth-century English queens acted in administrative capacities when the king was absent from the realm. Isabella [of France] and Philippa were never officially made regents or custos [keepers], but they played a significant part in ruling the kingdom as one of the king’s central administrators. They administered the kingdom in several ways: they aided the king and chancellor in the chancery; and they acted as part of the institution supporting the regent, who was often one of their sons.

Likewise, Joan of Navarre did not serve as regent during Henry V's absence. From Elena Woodacre's Joan of Navarre: Infanta, Duchess, Queen, Witch?:

In June, before Henry's departure, he formally bid Joan farewell and gave her leave to stay in several royal residences during his absence. He did not, however, entrust her with the governance of the realm—while later sixteenth-century chronicles claim this was the case, it is clear that Henry named his brother John, duke of Bedford, as lieutenant in the king's absence.

[mary-tudor]

“It was not just good looks that made Edward IV a popular king. He excelled Henry VI in nearly every way, especially as a statesman and a general. He was a firm and resolute ruler, shrewd and astute, and had real ability and business acumen, as well as the willingness to apply himself. He was successful in his determination to restore the authority of the monarchy and make it an institution that once more inspired reverence and respect.

Edward was "of sharp wit, high courage and retentive memory, diligent in doing his affairs, ready in perils, earnest and horrible to the enemy, and bountiful to his friends and acquaintances . .. Humanity was bred in him abundantly."

Handsome, affable, and accessible, he was also "given to bodily lust," and consequently "would use himself more familiarly among private persons than the honor of his majesty required."

Edward's chief vice was his sensuality, and his debaucheries were soon notorious. "He thought of nothing but upon women, and on that more than reason would, and on hunting, and on the comfort of his person."

Dominic Mancini, an Italian visitor to England, thought him "licentious in the extreme. It was said that he had been most insolent to numerous women after he had seduced them, for as soon as he had satisfied his lust, he abandoned the ladies, much against their will, to the other courtiers. He pursued with no discrimination the married and unmarried, the noble and the lowly. However, he took none by force. He overcame all by money and promises."

It was not long before lust would lead Edward into a situation that would have far-reaching consequences for himself and his children.

‘Now take heed what love may do!' All went well between the King and Warwick until 1464, when Edward —"led by blind affection and not by rule of reason"—married an impoverished Lancastrian widow, Elizabeth Wydeville, Lady Grey.

The Wydevilles were an old established family in Northamptonshire, where they owned the manor of Grafton Regis. Elizabeth's father, Sir Richard Wydeville, had boldly aspired to wed Jacquetta of Luxembourg, daughter of Peter of Luxembourg, Count of St. Pol, and "of the blood of Charlemagne."

In 1433 she had made a highly prestigious marriage with John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford (the younger brother of Henry V), who had governed France in the name of the infant Henry VI.

In 1435, whereupon the childless Jacquetta inherited all his estates. With almost indecent haste, she married Richard Wydeville, a member of Bedford’s staff. Immediately Jacquetta’s French relations cut her off, despising Wideville as a mere "simple knight," and she was fined £1,000 [£469,350] by the English Council for remarrying without permission. But that scandal was long past now and Wydeville had been raised to the peerage as Baron Rivers in 1448.

Legend has it that Edward IV first encountered Elizabeth Wideville under an oak tree in Whittlebury Forest, where she and her two young sons fell on their knees before him and she begged him to restore is her he lands of her late husband, Sir John Grey of Groby, who had been killed fighting for Henry VI. Sadly, there is no truth in the tale: Grey was never attainted, so his lands had not been confiscated. Ever so, a big oak tree at Yardley Hill is still known as the Queen's Oak.

Elizabeth Wydeville was "a woman more of formal countenance than of excellent beauty, of sober demeanor, lovely looking and feminine smiling, neither too wanton nor too humble. Her tongue was so eloquent and her wit was pregnant."

She was "moderate of stature, well made and very wise." Her portraits show a poised, elegant, blond woman with the shaven forehead fashionable at that time, a slender figure, and facial features that would be considered striking in any age. Elizabeth of York was to inherit her mother's looks.

Elizabeth Wydeville wasn't interested in money or promises, but held out for marriage. Rumors abounded in the 1460s and beyond that she had refused to become Edward's mistress, or had threatened to stab herself when he tried to rape her, or that he had held the dagger to her throat to force her to submit, or that her mother had used witchcraft to ensnare him.

Whatever the tactics, they proved successful. The marriage took place in secret, probably after August 30, 1464. When it was made public that September, it provoked a furor. In an age in which kings married foreign princesses for political advantage, marrying for love was regarded as akin to insanity, and choosing the widow of a man who had fought for the King's enemies was almost worse.

Moreover no English king since the Norman conquest of 1066 had wed a commoner, one of his own subjects, and it was seen as scandal.”

Weir, A. “Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World”.