White Boar and the Red Dragon, The (44 page)

I look forward to your next letter. Events are moving so fast now, I wish that I had you by my side, along with my dear Uncle Jasper, to advise and support me!

Your loving son,

Henry Tudor

Margaret Beaufort, Woking Old Hall, 15 July 1483

My Dear Henry,

Thank you for your letter in reply to my news about the usurpation, which I received today. I am pleased that you are now so excited by the possibilities opening up for you and that you have started preparations for your great adventure! The sooner it can be accomplished, the better. Uncle Jasper will be a great help to you in this, I know.

On 6 July, I had the questionable honour of being the new queen’s train-bearer at the Coronation. Poor lady, I could not help being sorry for her. None of this is her doing, that is evident. She looked very ill at ease and so white I am sure she is physically ill too. At one point, her other ladies and I had to support her during the never-ending ceremonies, or I think she might have collapsed. At the feast afterwards, she hardly ate or drank a thing. I think it was all too much for her. She is obviously most reluctant to take on her new position. But she is bound to support her husband in this. There is no way out for her. I have heard that she is desperately worried about the poor health of her only son, now the Prince of Wales, little Edward, but eight years old, and, if reports be true, unlikely to live into his teenage years. Again, I am very sorry for him, but if he does die young, which seems likely, then that is one more obstacle removed from your ascent to kingship!

The coronation was the grandest and most expensive that has ever taken place, at least in my lifetime. It was far grander and more elaborate than either Henry VI’s or Edward IV’s, both of which I attended. The cost must have been enormous! This Gloucester does not skimp or economise on himself. He is obviously determined to make a statement. But when you come into your own, my son, your coronation will be the grandest ever, I will see to that. You will outshine even this usurper’s glory! And you will have a right to it, unlike him.

I am in communication with Bishop Morton, in Brecknock Castle, as I told you I would be. He is working hard on your behalf, believe me. He knows my determined aspirations for you, and, as a loyal Lancastrian, will do all in his power—which is considerable still, though he be Buckingham’s prisoner—to bring them into being!

I shall be visiting the erstwhile queen in Westminster Sanctuary tomorrow. I have an idea in my head which is most persistent and will not go away, and I plan to discuss it with her. There is no love lost between her and the new king, and I feel sure she will acquiesce to my proposition that you and her eldest daughter Elizabeth wed when you become king and bring the Houses of York and Lancaster together. Think about this—would it not be the perfect answer to everything—especially the chance it would offer to heal forever the dissension between Lancastrians and Yorkists which has torn this country apart for so long? I am sure you will agree that it could be a very good thing for all!

Meanwhile, my son, I send you my love as always. I will let you know the reaction of Elizabeth Grey to my proposition when I next write. I am almost certain that she will agree to the marriage—as I am sure you will also wish to do!

Your loving mother,

Margaret Beaufort,

Countess of Richmond

Anne, Queen of England, Westminster Palace,
Late July 1483

My Dear Edward,

How I long to see you and be with you! Your father and I would have come home to Middleham weeks ago if he had not decided to take the throne, when it was pressed on him, which he felt was necessary at the time, though I was not happy about it and still am not. But he made me understand that it was the only course of action open to him if the good of the realm was to be considered above all else and the future of its people. As far as I am concerned, I must now support your father in all things, as being a king is a very difficult job, and you must too, my son!

And because of this happening, it means that you too will one day be king! A long time in the future, I hope, but you are now the Prince of Wales and will be given a great ceremony by your father soon to mark that and to install you in your new high estate.

Your father has decided that we must go on a king’s Progress through the country, especially to parts where the people do not know him, so that he can meet them and persuade them of his good intentions for the country. But we will visit York, where people know him and have always loved him, and there, in York Minster, you will be made Prince of Wales! I am not sure of the date set yet, but it will be soon.

It is a pity that you were not well enough to come down to London for the coronation on 6 July, which was an incredibly grand affair. It went on for hours and hours and was almost too much for me, so I know the day would have proved too much for you too. The children who were there were falling asleep in their seats at the great banquet afterwards, which went on late into the night! Still, I expect you were very disappointed that we would not let you travel so far, as you were unwell. I hope you understand that it was only for your own good, and all we were trying to do was protect your health, not deprive you of anything?

I do hope you are feeling better now and that your nasty cough has gone? You must try to keep well for your great day at York soon! Get plenty of fresh air, and if you go out on wet days, make sure you are well wrapped and never get soaked. It is not good to let wet clothes dry on one. I know, for this happened to me on my December journey to London, and I had a bad chest for weeks afterwards.

Your father is incredibly busy and works all day and often far into the night on important state papers and at meetings with his councillors. Some days, I hardly see him at all!

It will be good to get away from London, which I hate, and get some fresh air when we go on Progress, though all the travelling will be tiring, I know, especially for me. Your father is used to it. I hope John is well too and that you enjoy playing together? It is good that you have a companion, even if he is a little older than you. We are also sending Edward Warwick to live at Middleham with you soon, as he is your father’s ward, being the son of his brother, the Duke of Clarence, who is dead. With both his parents dead, he and his elder sister Margaret are orphans unhappily. He is rather a sad boy. I hope you and John will try to cheer him up. He has been staying in London for a short while, but it is more healthy at Middleham for children, so he will soon be with you. What fun that will be for you—a new cousin to get to know! I am sure you will like him. He is quiet like you and does not like very boisterous games.

I know you will be a good boy until we come, your father and I, and do as your nurse tells you. She is there to guard you, after all, so knows best what is good for you and what is not!

I look forward to seeing you soon, my darling child. I think of you every day. I hope you miss me too?

Your loving mother,

Anne of Gloucester,

Queen of England! (I can hardly believe I must sign myself so now. It still seems very strange and unbelievable!)

Henry, Duke of Buckingham, London, Late July 1483

I do not want to do this. But I see it makes good sense. My aunt, Lady Margaret Beaufort, has assured me that she will make it easy by drugging the boys heavily so that they are fast asleep and are unaware of anything when I come with my henchmen. They will pass easily into perpetual sleep when the pillows are placed over their faces.

Afterwards, my men will bury them quickly within the Tower precincts. It will be late in the evening. No one will think anything of my being there, as I can gain access any time. Being Lord High Constable of England, I have a right to enter any fortress in the country without let or hindrance. And, as the king is away, as second in command to him, I am in charge of the capital. No one dare gainsay me. After all, many visit the boys: Richard, the king, and Anne, his wife, before they went on Progress; various members of the king’s council. Also, my aunt has been a lot lately with her potions for the boys, as they are sick and, of course, her doctor, Lewis.

I am not sure whether he or she will give them the heavy dose of opium which will make them sleep so deeply that they do not know when they pass into the next world. I do not want to know. It is bad enough to have this awful task placed upon me.

But I know I must do it. My aunt assures me that the Woodvilles are stirring insurrection against the king again, determined to wrest power once more while the king and queen are away and set young Prince Edward on the throne after all. That cannot be allowed to happen in any circumstances. My life, and the lives of the king and queen and many others would soon be forfeit! Those hated Woodvilles must never rule this country!

King Richard will thank me for this. It is another great service I am prepared to do for him. I was the one who supported him most strongly from the first and argued his case for taking the throne most vehemently, even eloquently, people said. I am his chief supporter and chief minister. He has rewarded me handsomely, I must admit. Who knows what honours he will heap upon me now? Maybe he will bypass the act of Parliament needed to reinstate my inheritance of the entire Bohun estates, which were ceded to the Crown when I was a teenager by King Edward after my father was attainted? They do belong to me by the laws of inheritance. Even the king has admitted that, though he has not reinstated me yet.

When the unpleasant deed is done, which is costing me dear too—my two henchmen have demanded incredibly high rewards for their work and their silence afterwards and will probably blackmail me for more later if they get the chance—I will to horse at once and ride to Gloucester to meet the king there and inform him that he is at last safe in his new position and that it is all down to me—my loyalty and concern for his person! He will be told nothing of Lady Margaret Beaufort’s hand in it and the underlying reason why she wants the princes dead—the claim of her son, Henry Tudor, to the throne. She has promised me very high office and many more estates if and when he becomes king, for my help in clearing the way for Henry now.

After informing the king that the princes are no more, I will continue with him on his triumphal Progress; take my honoured part in the Prince of Wales’ investiture at York. There is even the possibility that Richard will have another coronation in York for the benefit of his beloved Northerners. They are his most loyal followers, always have been.

And now I must prepare myself for the night’s work. I must set my mind to it. And it is hard. I have killed in battle. All men must or be killed themselves. But this is different. It is repugnant and I just want to forget I ever agreed to it and ride for Wales and the wide open spaces. Will I ever erase it from my mind afterwards or will it haunt me forever?

Francis Lovell, With King Richard’s Progress,
Gloucester, 29 July 1483

A day or so ago, we came into Gloucester on my Lord King Richard’s Progress. Many other lords and I have accompanied him from Windsor, from which we set out on 20 July, among them the Earl of Northumberland and of course Lord Stanley. Richard is never happy about him unless he is close by, as he has shown himself to be untrustworthy more than once. There is something about the man which makes one uneasy, though he is ostensibly loyal to the new king. A great train of lords, bishops, justices, and officers of the royal household came too. The queen will join him later on, as she begged him to let her visit their sick little son Edward at Middleham first. A mother’s pleas have been listened to! Probably, she will join him with Edward before they arrive at York, where a great reception is sure to await them. It has ever been Richard’s favourite city, and the people of York love their master greatly too. I know he intends to have Edward invested as Prince of Wales in the Great Minster there.

On 13 July, he honoured me with one of the greatest posts in England, that of Lord Chamberlain. I was humbled by being raised so high, but Richard insists I deserve it as his loyal and loving friend and supporter since we were children together. Many great positions were poured upon the head of Harry, Earl of Buckingham too. He is now even stronger than the Earl of Warwick was. Another kingmaker, in effect!

I understand that Richard is deeply grateful to him for his zealous and enthusiastic support in helping him to become king, especially the eloquent speeches he made in Richard’s defence when he decided to take the throne. But I admit I have never liked the man and cannot understand what Richard sees in him. His high-vaunting arrogance and grandiose attitude, also his immense charm—which has completely won over Richard—leave me cold. He is too much like George of Clarence—and he was never to be trusted! So much about Harry Buckingham reminds me of that traitorous brother to King Edward and Richard that I am always uneasy and on my guard in his presence, but Richard is completely won over by him and trusts his loyalty completely. But I am not so sure. The man makes too many protestations of loyalty somehow. He works too hard at it.

He also arrived here in Gloucester today, on his way home to Brecon Castle in Wales, he said, where he holds Bishop Morton prisoner. For some reason, he did not accompany Richard when we set out on Progress on 20 July. I wonder why. What can have detained him in London that was so much more important than being with his king, as his chief and most powerful minister, as Richard goes to present himself to his people? He offered no explanation publicly why nor the reason he is not joining us now, at this late stage, for the Progress onwards, but chooses to return to Wales instead. What is the urgency for him to do that, I ask myself. Richard and he met only briefly today, I know, but I was not there. Richard met him privily, so I do not know what passed between them and whether Richard asked him for an explanation of his actions. Perhaps Richard will confide in me later what was said? I hope so. I cannot press him to tell me. Richard is a deep one and a man of few words. Even though I am his closest friend, I know that he will tell me if he chooses to, or not. But he usually takes me into his confidence about important matters.