Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou (1430–1482) was queen consort of Henry VI of England and a leading Lancastrian figure during the Wars of the Roses.
Henry VI of England: King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, whose reign was marked by political instability. Her marriage to Henry made her queen consort and tied her fortunes to his contested rule.
Battle of Wakefield: A 1460 battle in which Lancastrian forces defeated the Yorkists and killed Richard, Duke of York. This Lancastrian victory removed Margaret’s leading rival and briefly improved her party’s position.
Wars of the Roses: A series of dynastic conflicts in fifteenth-century England between the houses of Lancaster and York. Margaret’s campaigns formed a central part of the Lancastrian struggle in this wider conflict.
House of Valois-Anjou: A French princely branch of the Valois dynasty that ruled Anjou and produced several influential European nobles. Margaret’s birth into this family gave her a French princely identity before her English marriage.
Edward IV of England: The first Yorkist king of England, who ruled from 1461 to 1470 and from 1471 to 1483. His victories displaced Henry VI and ultimately defeated Margaret’s attempt to restore Lancastrian rule.
Edward of Westminster: The only son of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. His birth strengthened Margaret’s case for a Lancastrian succession, and his death ended it.
Second Battle of St Albans: A 1461 battle in which Lancastrian forces defeated the Yorkists and freed Henry VI from captivity. Margaret’s army won the battle, but its subsequent advance toward London failed to secure the capital.
House of Lancaster: A branch of the English royal family descended from John of Gaunt, which ruled England from 1399 to 1461. Her public cause was the preservation of this dynasty’s claim through Henry VI and their son.
René of Anjou: Duke of Anjou and titular king of Naples, Sicily, and Jerusalem, and Margaret’s father. His dynastic standing and political circumstances formed part of the background to her marriage negotiations.
Tower of London: A historic fortress in London used as a royal residence, prison, and place of execution. Margaret was held there after her capture following the Lancastrian defeat at Tewkesbury.