The Mother Who Ended The War of The Roses | Britain's Bloody Crown | Absolute History

nearly 600 years ago England was torn apart by a series of bloody battles for the throne in just 30 years the crown changed hands seven times tens of thousands were slaughtered it was one of the most turbulent and violent periods in British history it's known as the Wars of the Roses this is Bosworth Field this is where it all ends with the most famous battle of this whole violent time Henry Tudor a minor noble and rank outsider beats the infamous Richard the third at the Battle of Bosworth and becomes Henry to seventh the first Tudor King but how on earth does Henry Tudor a royal nobody come from nowhere to defeat the King of England well I think his victory is engineered by one person not a Duke or a baron but a woman she manipulates and politics her way to the heart of a royal revolution that will change the course of English history her name is Margaret Beaufort Margaret Beaufort's story spans the whole of the Wars of the Roses she works in the shadows through three decades of turmoil to protect her only child unbelievably in a time of warrior Kings it's this woman who ends the conflict when she maneuvers her son Henry Tudor onto the throne of England [Music] [Music] as England descends into bloody chaos in a windswept castle in Wales a thirteen-year-old girl is in labor even by medieval standards Margaret Beaufort is obscenely young to be pregnant the birth is so traumatic she will never bear another child whar her hopes are bound up in this one baby boy she christened him Henry Henry Tudor this thirteen year old girl and her baby son will change the face of England right from the start Margaret and her son are in a struggle for survival as if being a mother at 13 wasn't enough Margaret is also a widow her husband little Henry's father was an obscure nobleman Edmund Tudor who died of plague three months ago in the medieval world power and control are exercised by men without a husband margaret is virtually helpless now her only protector is Edmunds brother Jasper Tudor no no he may enter but Jasper's power to protect her is limited man Margaret's late husband Edmund Tudor and his brother Jasper Tudor are half-brothers of the King Henry unfortunately it's the wrong half Edmund and Jasper share the same mother as the incompetent Henry the sixth but their father was no king he was the Dowager Queens handsome Welsh Squire Owen Tudor basically a nobody because their connection to royalty is through their mother it's so obscure is basically worthless everything the tudor boys have is owed to the grace and favour of their half-brother Henry the sixth as long as little Henry's uncle is on the throne looking favorably on them Margaret and her baby son are relatively safe but Henry the sixth is a useless King his ruled is under a town if the king goes Margaret and baby Henry could lose everything as a medieval Widow Margaret knows what she must do to protect herself and her baby son find a new husband but that decision comes with a heavy price disco under medieval law if she remarries margaret must give up her son to his nearest male relative she can't take him with her but Margaret's smart and at 13 already a ruthless pragmatist she knows her baby will be safe at Pembroke looked after by his trusted uncle Jasper [Music] just two months after Henry's birth Edmund barely cold in the ground Margaret rides out from here with Jasper to find a new husband that's pretty extraordinary she's practically a child she's just been through a traumatic birth and she's riding through a plague-ridden and politically unstable lands plus as a medieval woman the job of finding her a husband would normally be down to her guardian so if this is someone who wants control of her own destiny and what she really wants is the power and the influence to protect herself and her son she's got the perfect match in mind [Music] in January 14 58 after the bare minimum period of mourning Margaret marries her second husband Henry Stafford [Music] they look an unlikely couple she's barely a teenager he's in his 30s but in reality margaret's engineered an incredibly smart match as a man from an important noble family Stafford's got power but as a second son almost no money [Music] Margaret is the sole heir to the Beaufort fortune she's loaded but as a woman she's powerless together they have the essential ingredients to prosper in the medieval world money and power this makes it a marriage of mutual respect even affection this is quite a turnaround for Margaret her estates of flourishing she's in a successful marriage and her son is secure but then just three years into her marriage a comfortable life is turned upside down it all goes wrong for Margaret on a frozen battlefield in Yorkshire Henry the six army is annihilated now there's a young and charismatic new King Edward the fourth Margaret's family is on the losing side a husband Stafford fought against Edward in the battle he's lucky to escape with his life and it just gets worse for Margaret Pembroke castle where her son lives with his uncle Jasper is taken by Edwards men Jasper escapes but Margaret's little boy Henry just five years old is left behind [Music] right [Music] got you boy [Music] Margaret's son Henry Tudor is in the hands of one of the new king's men as a noble child he is at least being honorably brought up and is safe from harm but separated from his family he's effectively a prisoner and worst of all the new king strips little Henry of all his lands the thing to understand is that in the Middle Ages land means security it brings you power it makes you important ultimately it protects you without his lands Henry's position is increasingly shaky and Margaret knows it so now Margaret has a new mission get her young sons lands restored to him to do that she must turn her enemies into allies and ingratiate herself with the new King Edward the fourth this can't have been easy for Margaret she was allied emotionally and physically with Henry the sixth after all her son is his nephew now in order to protect her son she has to cozy up with Henry's mortal enemy her husband Stafford swears loyalty to the new king and gets them both a pardon finally after five years of hardcore schmoozing Margaret persuades Edward the fourth to return an estate to her that he'd snatched from her beaufort family [Music] [Applause] [Music] this is what remains of Woking palace a place we know was very dear to Margaret's hearts now today it's just a few brick walls but in its time this was a huge and sprawling manor house now the fact that Margaret was allowed all of this splendor and wealth in an age where land equals power is a sign that she'd finally persuaded King Edward the fourth that he could trust her two years later always keen to promote her interests Margaret and her husband Stafford invite Edward to Woking for a hunting party [Music] now 25 margaret dresses for the king in her finest Velvets and orders the very best hospitality my lady margaret your grace we are honored by your presence you are truly the mightiest of hunters the lands our most abundant for the hunt truly there is so much game here perhaps I should regret returning this estate to your care [Music] I do not believe it could be in more loyal hands Margaret must be feeling pretty confident that the restoration of her young sons lands can't be far away but then barely nine months later everything's turned on its head Edward the fourth falls out with his most powerful ally the earl of warwick your move cousin your majesty artic strips are closed they've come in through the Beast Kate Rorick stages a coup the king is forced to run for his life from Warwick's men on October the 3rd 1470 Warwick releases Henry the six from the tower live the king and unbelievably puts him back on the throne this is an incredible opportunity for Margaret she seizes it with both hands with her son's uncle back in power this is Margaret's chance to get her boys lands back so without missing a beat she heads straight to London and comes here to the Palace of Westminster to sort things out with a king himself but after cozying up to Edward the fourth the bloke who kicked Henry off the throne this is a risky play my lady Margaret my liege and true king it gladdens my heart to see you restored to your rightful place after so long but Margaret has an ace up her sleeve my son after nine years she's reunited with Henry now almost 14 she's brought him to meet his uncle and there's a lot riding on his debut port Henry Tudor named for you like closer [Music] out of the blue Henry the sixth makes an astonishing prediction about his young half nephew one day you will assume as a helm of state you are destined to hold everything in your grasp he seems to be suggesting that Henry will one day succeed him as king that's a pretty amazing thing for Margaret to hear but must at least encourage her to know that she's on track to get her sons lands back and after all as the one thing she really cares about but just six months later Margaret's world is turned upside down yet again Margaret's here at Woking when she receives this letter from her husband Henry Stafford now the original visits in John's College Cambridge and is a mere scrap of paper hardly legible but when we blow it up to this size you can see it's been written in a real hurry there's in Stafford's own hand and he says I'd bequeath my soul to Our Lady Saint Mary and to all the holy company of heaven and my body to be buried where as it shall best please God that I'd die so this is Stafford's very hastily made will and the fact that he's sending it here to Margaret is incredibly poignant because he's sending her a message he's telling her that he's going into battle and he might never make it home Edward the fourth has returned to take back the throne from Henry the sixth Stafford swore loyalty to Edward to protect his family now he's got to make good on that promise this is a nightmare for Margaret she's caught between her loyalty to Henry and her husband's pledge to Edward on the 14th of April 1471 Stafford goes into battle alongside Edward at Barnet to crush the man who put Henry the six back on the throne the Earl of Warwick [Applause] Margaret's can't go to the battleground herself but she can't just sit around and wait for news she dispatches a rider from Woking to find out what's happening to her husband [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] when Margaret's rider returns he brings grave news Edward the fourth is back and this time he's not in a conciliatory mood he begins a purge of the old King's allies Tristan he has two of Margaret's closest relatives put to death this is incredibly traumatic for Margaret if Edward the fourth is exterminating the old King's relatives then she must realize that her son Henry the sixth nephew we'll be next on the list so forget fighting for his lands forget about politics now she's just a mother fighting for the life of her son her young son Henry is with his uncle Jasper at Pembroke castle Margaret sends one of her loyal servants to save his life go to my son this instant she sends one very simple message what should I tell him my lady run run for your life fourteen-year-old Henry Tudor flees England is he safely gone he is [Music] exiled in Brittany Henry is safe but Margaret has no idea if she will ever see her son again [Music] [Music] it's a disastrous year for Margaret [Music] she not only loses her son she loses her husband in October Stafford dies of his battle wounds at the age of 28 Margaret is a widow for the second time she's alone and vulnerable she's already lived through three regime changes and two husbands every time she blinks the world around her changes but her mission hasn't save her son save herself her son's safe in exile now she needs to survive - she does what she always does takes a deep breath and makes the pragmatic call she's faced with the same problem she has a 13 year old widow she needs security she needs protection in medieval England that means only one thing a husband [Music] in june 1472 Margaret Mary's Lord Thomas Stanley little do they know that their match will change history unlike a previous husband Stanley is immensely rich but that's not really what Margaret's interested in she's got enough wealth of her own what she wants is Stanley's influence because Stanley is steward to Edward the fourths household so virtually every day of his life he's in the same room as the king and that means Margaret now has a hotline direct to Edward the fourth it's an astounding political play Stanley status makes Margaret a royal insider at the court of King Edward and his wife the Queen Elizabeth Woodville a future ally for 11 years England enjoys a period of unparalleled stability under Edward Margaret takes every opportunity to ingratiate herself with anybody fine we feel great [Music] ten years after marrying Stanley margaret's now 40 finally manages to get what she wants for her son we wish had known that Henry Tudor called Earl of Richmond shall receive a settlement of land from his mother the Countess of Richmond to the value of six hundred marks an official agreement with the king himself for her son to have his land back and return to court to be in the Grace and favor of his majesty Margaret must be ecstatic after 20 years her charm offensive has paid off this is Henry's ticket home but life in the Wars of the Roses turns on a dime the wax is barely dry on the agreement seal before disaster strikes [Music] Edward the fourth dies Margaret's back to square one three months later England has a new king Edward the fourth Tsonga brother Richard and July the sixth 1483 rich the third is crowned king of england here at Westminster Abbey it's the de Neumann - one of the most shocking and controversial pieces of political skulduggery imaginable richard has snatched the crown from his nephew Edward the fourth twelve-year-old son and locked him and his brother up in the Tower of London Richard ropes Lord Stanley and his wife Margaret Beaufort into the coronation she carries the new Queens train he carries the Kings mace because Richard needs to shore up his dodgy claim to the throne [Music] so what is Margaret make of Richard well in a sense she could see his rise to power has just another period of political chaos to be safely negotiated but I think she'll see this one rather differently Margaret knows the young prince's from her time at court certainly she knows their mother Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret's a woman with a highly developed instinct for protecting her own son so I think she'll see Richard as her most dangerous opponent yet by September 14 83 pretty much everyone believes that Richard has had his nephews the princes in the tower murdered this changes everything for Margaret richard is a child murdering tyrant who could turn on anyone there is no deal Margaret can do with him that will protect her son now that Margaret can't fall back on simple politics she's forced to think more radically she could run away and live in exile with her son she could stay keep her head down and never see her son again instead she thinks way way outside the box and comes up with an absolutely breathtaking idea Richard must go and she has the perfect replacement her son Henry Tudor it sounds crazy but there aren't really any alternatives almost everyone else on the Royal line has died or been murdered Margaret starts to sniff out potential allies richard has made so many enemies she's spoiled for choice Margaret's decision is one of the pivotal moments in English history what she's planning would be extraordinary for anyone let alone a medieval woman she's going to use up the crown of England this is crazy or it would be for anyone but Margaret her biggest problem is her exiled sons desperately weak claim to the throne all his royal connections come through women they're almost worthless Margaret's plan will be rather brilliant because it hinges on the one person who hates Richard more than anyone else Elizabeth Woodville Edward the fourth widow Elizabeth's father and brother have been executed and her two little boys have disappeared presumed murdered at Richard's hand now Elizabeth's trapped here at Westminster Abbey in sanctuary with her five daughters but Richard has the Abbey surrounded by soldiers luckily Margaret and the old Queen share a physician Lewis Kelly on who can pass freely prayin to good doctor you are most welcome Caerleon puts Margaret's proposition to Elizabeth Margaret wants to plug her son into the royal family her idea is to marry Henry Tudor to Elizabeth's daughter by Edward the fourth Elizabeth of York unites the English nobility and make their children king and queen the old Queen accepts and the deal sets in motion a sequence of events that will end in blood the only question is who's in late September 14 83 Margaret sends a good great sum of money to Henry in France to fund an invasion wait [Music] within a month Henry set sail with seven ships and 515 men but Margaret's grand plan goes disastrously wrong a storm blows up in the channel and Henry's fleet is scattered they end up off the coast of Devon when Richard's men are waiting Henry's forced to scuttle back to France with his tail between his legs Margaret's rebellion has been a disaster and worse Richard now knows exactly who his enemies are Margaret Beaufort and a son Henry Tudor [Music] [Music] richard orders stanley to isolate his wife remove all her servants and prevent her communicating with her son margaret has committed high treason richard the third has murdered his enemies for less but he needs powerful men like Margaret's husband on his side in the end what saves her is her smart marriage to Stanley Margaret can actually count herself lucky she'd been married to anyone else she'd be in even bigger trouble but inwardly she must be seething she's lost her lands and a status she's reduced to a mere wife it's not really her style so more than ever before she's determined that richard has to go and Margaret's not the only one thinking that way richard has stripped her rebel allies of their lands and titles too now in exile they have nothing left to lose and no way back as long as he's on the throne after the failure of the rebellion most of the nobles involved fled straight into the waiting arms of Henry Tudor now he's effectively set up an alternative Royal Court in France with him at the center the failed rebellion certainly hasn't dented Henry's confidence as evidence here at the British Library reveals this is a 17th century copy of a letter originally sent by Henry Tudor to his supporters in England and it's a passionate call to arms in what he describes as my just quarrel against the unnatural tyrant Richard but what's really interesting is the way he signed himself it's an H and an R and the H is obviously his name but R stands for Rex he's calling himself Henry the King Margaret's work preparing her son to be King has clearly paid off he's primed all she has to do now is pull the trigger she sends a message to Henry to land in Wales she'll have money and men waiting for him on the 7th of August 1485 loyal servant Christopher eric is sent to margaret by her son but he hasn't come from france he's come from the port of milford haven in wales Henri's back with an army to avoid Richards men in South Wales Henry marches north then East he crosses into England by the river seven here at Shrewsbury when he reaches the city gates Margaret's and earth swing back to him in mid-august Earth's wick reaches Henry with a huge amount of money from his mother to pay his soldiers this is open defiance of Richards orders Stanley is supposed to be keeping his wife under house arrest instead she's been doing absolutely everything she's been banned from using her servants communicating with her son directing his insurrection Margaret's husband status won't save her from Richard a second time she knows that soon she'll either be mother of the king of England or they'll both be dead on the 22nd of August 1485 Henry and rich had finally come head to head here at Bosworth Field henry has an army of around 5,000 men the Richard hasn't comprehensive Lee outnumbered with as many as 15,000 troops watching over the battleground is Lord Stanley with his brother William 3,000 men waiting for their moment nobody knows which way they will side although Margaret is architect of the whole rebellion by the time she hears back from the battlefield her fate has already been sealed [Music] the battle began early Henry seized the initiative and his troops marched along this track at first light leaving Richards men scrambling into battle order the fighting is ferocious both Richard and Henry are in the thick of it then in the heat of battle Richard spots Henry just a stone's throw away almost unprotected he knows if he kills him he's won upon the rise the Stanley's are still sitting on their hands when Richard seizes his moments and charges at Henry Tudor in the next minutes the future king of England will be decided and there's a delicious irony to what happens next even though Margaret was absent from the field that battle hinged on her actions because she turned her husband Stanley to Henry's cause there was Stanley's intervention who decided the outcome richard is only seconds away from Henry when the Stanley's finally make their move Stanley's men raced down from that rise richard was charging towards Henry saw drawn when Stan Lee's men waded in in the Malay Richard was unhorsed [Applause] [Music] the end was quick and it was brutal [Music] Henry Tudor 28 a minor noble and an absolute rank outsider in the Royal line has taken the throne [Music] Margaret Beaufort's has triumphed [Music] Richard's crown is taken from the battlefield [Music] and placed on the new Kings head by Margaret's husband Stanley himself long live the king [Applause] Margaret Beaufort is mother of the king of England she's still only 42 years old [Music] margarit protected herself and her son through one of the bloodiest periods in our country's history and not only that she outlived Henry and was here at Westminster Abbey the coronation of her grandson Henry the eighth she died a few days later and this splendid tomb is a monument to a thirteen year old single mum who founded the most famous dynasty in Britain now that's quite a woman [Music]

Channel: Absolute History

Views: 203,959

Rating: 4.9064622 out of 5

Keywords: history history documentary funny history fun history school, timeline, history documentary, full length documentaries, documentary history, documentary movies - topic, bbc documentary, absolute history, tudor dynasty, tudor dynasty documentary, the wars of the roses, the wars of the roses documentary, the wars of the roses by dan jones audiobook, tudor documentary, Britains Bloody Crown, henry tudor and elizabeth of york, henry tudor documentary, battle of bosworth

Id: kozTJPH9UWM

Length: 45min 8sec (2708 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 02 2019