Great Britain -- History -- Richard III, 1483-1485; Richard III, King of England, 1452-1485
This young lady, Edward's sister, being of the same
name--Margaret--with the queen of old King Henry, was distinguished
from her by being called Margaret of York, as she belonged to the York
family. The queen was generally known as Margaret of Anjou. Anjou was
the place of her nativity.
The next great personage to be named is the Earl of Warwick. He was
the man, as you will doubtless recollect, who was in command of the
sea between England and the Continent at the time when Lady Cecily
wished to send her children, George and Richard, away after their
father's death, and who assisted in arranging their flight. He was a
man of great power and influence, and of such an age and character
that he exerted a vast ascendency over all within his influence.
Without him, Edward never would have conquered the Lancaster party,
and he knew very well that if Warwick, and all those whom Warwick
would carry with him, were to desert him, he should not be able to
retain his kingdom. Indeed, Warwick received the surname of
_King-maker_ from the fact that, in repeated instances during this
quarrel, he put down one dynasty and raised up the other, just as he
pleased. He belonged to a great and powerful family named Neville. As
soon as Edward was established on his throne, Warwick, almost as a
matter of course, became prime minister. One of his brothers was made
chancellor, and a great number of other posts of distinction and honor
were distributed among the members of the Neville family. Indeed,
although Edward was nominally king, it might have been considered in
some degree a question whether it was the house of York or the house
of Neville that actually reigned in England.
The Earl of Warwick had two daughters. Their names were Isabella and
Anne. These two young ladies the earl reckoned, as Edward did his
sister Margaret, among the most important of his political resources.
By marrying them to persons of very high position, he could strengthen
his alliances and increase his power. There was even a possibility, he
thought, of marrying one of them to the King of England, or to a
prince who would become king.
Thus we have for the three great parties to the transactions now to be
described, first, the representatives of the house of Lancaster, the
feeble Henry, the energetic and strong-minded Margaret of Anjou, and
their little son, the Prince of Wales; secondly, the representatives
of the house of York, King Edward the Fourth, the two young men his
brothers, George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester,
and his sister Margaret; and, thirdly, between these two parties, as
it were, the Earl of Warwick and his two daughters, Isabella and Anne,
standing at the head of a vast family influence, which ramified to
every part of the kingdom, and was powerful enough to give the
ascendency to either side, in favor of which they might declare.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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