Margaret of Anjou Timeline 1430-1482

Margaret of Anjou was born to Rene of Anjou and his wife, Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine at Pont-a-Moussson.

Treaty of Tours
This treaty agreed peace between Henry VI and Charles VII of France. It was to be sealed with the marriage of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou.

Margaret was formally betrothed to Henry VI.

Margaret made the journey to England accompanied by William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk.

Margaret of Anjou married Henry VI at Titchfield Abbey, Hampshire.

Margaret was welcomed into London with a pageant and procession. She stayed in the Tower of London to await her coronation.

Margaret of Anjou was crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey by John Stafford, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Battle of Formigny
The French, having broken the terms of the Treaty of Tours, turned on the English in France. This battle was a major victory for the French who defeated the last English army in Normandy.

William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, Henry’s chief minister and friend to Margaret, was accused and found guilty of treason. However, he was pardoned by the King and sent into exile. Unfortunately for Suffolk, he was murdered on his way to his ship.
Suffolk’s death meant there were now only two descendants of the Plantagenet line and both wanted positions in the country. The Duke of Somerset was, like the King, of Lancastrian descent. His rival and heir presumptive to the throne was Richard Duke of York.

Battle of Dartford
Richard Duke of York wanted to be named as heir to the throne. He raised a force against the King but was defeated by the Royalist army. York was forced to swear an oath that he would not oppose the King again.

Battle of Castillon
This battle was fought between the French and English and was a victory for the French. The battle marked the end of the Hundred Years’ War.

Henry VI suffered a mental breakdown and was unfit to rule. Richard Duke of York as heir presumptive felt he should replace Henry on the throne. However, Margaret made it clear that she did not support the Duke of York and preferred the advice of Somerset.

A son, Edward, was born to Margaret and Henry at the Palace of Westminster. He was created Duke of Cornwall. There were widespread rumours that Somerset was the father of the child.

Margaret’s son, Edward, was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.

King Henry VI recovered and regained control of the country. He publicly acknowledged Prince Edward as his son.

First Battle of St Albans
This was the first battle in the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. Fought between the Yorkist forces of Richard Duke of York, supported by Richard Neville Duke of Salisbury and his son, Warwick the Lancastrians led by the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of Northumberland were defeated.

Henry VI became insane again.

Margaret took Henry to Lancastrian strongholds to rally support against the Yorkists.

Richard of York claimed the throne but the landowners refused to accept him as anything other than heir to the throne.

Act of Accord
Richard Duke of York was named successor to the throne over Henry VI’s son, Edward.

Battle of Wakefield
Queen Margaret, unwilling to accept the disinheritance of her son Edward, raised an army in the north. Richard of York was forced to march north where he was defeated and killed by the Lancastrian force.

Henry VI was released from captivity but was still mentally unstable and as a consequence was unfit to rule.

Warwick, known as the Kingmaker due to his meddling in matters of the succession, put forward Richard of York’s son, Edward, Earl of March as claimant to the throne.

Battle of Mortimer’s Cross
The Earls of Pembroke and Wiltshire led an army of Welsh Lancastrians and French mercenaries to join Margaret of Anjou’s advance on London but they were intercepted by a Yorkist army led by Edward Earl of March and defeated.

Second Battle of St Albans
Warwick attempted to block Margaret of Anjou’s southward advance on London but his defensive position was surprised. After a long and bloody battle the Yorkists fled. Henry VI was recaptured but the Lancastrians failed to secure London and returned north.

Henry VI was deposed by Edward Duke of York who took the throne as King Edward IV.

Battle of Towton
Edward pursued the Lancastrians north and attacked them near Tadcaster. After a long fight in heavy snowfall, the Lancastrians were defeated having suffered heavy casualties.

Following the Lancastrian defeat at the Battle of Towton, Margaret and Prince Edward fled to Scotland where they were given refuge before sailing for Brittany. King Henry was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Edward IV was crowned King at Westminster Abbey.

Margaret agreed a treaty with Louis XI of France whereby she agreed to cede Calais to France if Louis helped her to restore Henry VI to the English throne.

Margaret invaded the north of England, near Bamburgh Castle, with a small army. Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh all surrendered to her.

Margaret was forced to flee north to Scotland when Edward IV sent a large army north to intercept Margaret’s force.

Margaret and her son, Edward fled to France.

Edward IV agreed a treaty with France whereby both countries agreed not to give any assistance to the other’s enemies. This was a blow to Margaret who had hoped to gain French support for her cause.

Edward agreed a truce with Scotland at York.

Warwick and George Duke of Clarence with Lancastrian support rebelled against Edward IV but were defeated.

Louis XI persuaded Warwick and Margaret of Anjou to set aside their differences and remove Edward IV from the throne of England.

As part of the agreement between Warwick and Margaret, Prince Edward was betrothed to Warwick’s daughter, Anne Neville at the Cathedral of Angers.

Warwick and the Duke of Clarence at the head of an army returned to England and defeated Edward who was forced to flee to Burgundy. King Edward’s wife, Elizabeth Woodville, and her children sought sanctuary in Westminster Abbey.

King Henry VI was restored to the English throne.

Margaret’s son, Edward of Lancaster was married to Anne Neville at the Chateau d’Amboise.

Edward IV returned to England at the head of a Burgundian Yorkist army.

Battle of Barnet
Edward set out to attack Warwick’s larger Lancastrian force at dawn. After a three hour fight, two Lancastrian divisions mistakenly attacked each other and the army broke and fled. Warwick was killed in the flight.

Margaret and her son, Edward landed at Weymouth with the intention of supporting Warwick, but they had arrived too late.

Battle of Tewekesbury
Margaret of Anjou’s forces were leaving for Wales when they were attacked by Edward IV and his brother, Richard Duke of Gloucester. They were defeated and Edward, Prince of Wales, was killed. Margaret of Anjou was captured.

Edward returned triumphant to London. It is believed that King Henry VI was murdered in the Tower of London on the same day. Margaret was placed under house arrest.

Treaty of Picquigny
This was a seven year peace treaty between Louis XI and Edward IV. The treaty agreed that Louis would pay a yearly sum of money to keep the English away from France. Louis also agreed to pay a ransom to free Margaret of Anjou.

Margaret returned to France after King Louis XI paid a ransom for her release. She lived in relative poverty in France in the castle of Dampierre-sur-Loire in Anjou which was owned by Francis de Vignolles.

Margaret died in France.