Margaret of Anjou was queen of England as the wife of Henry VI. She defended the Lancastrian succession during the Wars of the Roses, lost her son Edward at Tewkesbury, and spent her later years in France.
Queen of England and Lancastrian leader (1430–1482)
Follow Margaret's life from a dynastic marriage to exile after the Lancastrian defeat.
Margaret was born in 1430, the daughter of René of Anjou and Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine. Her 1445 marriage to Henry VI was part of diplomacy during the Hundred Years' War. The settlement's concessions in France later became a source of criticism in England.
Henry's preference for peace and the collapse of English power in France damaged the standing of his government. Margaret became more politically active as factions competed for access to the king. Her determination was interpreted by supporters as necessary leadership and by opponents as evidence of foreign influence.
Edward of Westminster was born in 1453 during Henry VI's prolonged incapacity. The prince gave the Lancastrian dynasty a direct heir and complicated Richard of York's position as protector and senior adult royal. Margaret's political priorities increasingly centred on safeguarding her son's inheritance.
Margaret became the most persistent organiser of the Lancastrian cause. She built alliances in England and Scotland and sought military support as control of the king shifted between factions. The Yorkist victory at Towton in 1461 forced her, Henry and Edward into exile.
Margaret sought support abroad while the Lancastrian claim remained under pressure. In 1470, Warwick and George, Duke of Clarence, joined her in an alliance against Edward IV. Henry VI was restored briefly, but Edward returned the next year. Margaret and Edward landed in England as the Lancastrian position collapsed.
Edward of Westminster died during or soon after the Battle of Tewkesbury in May 1471. Margaret was captured, and Henry VI died in the Tower soon afterwards. She remained in English custody until Louis XI arranged her release in 1475. Margaret spent her final years in France, where she died in 1482.
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