The Red Rose of Anjou is a wonderful story
of the life of Margaret of Anjou who marries King Henry VI of England.
It gives a fascinating account of the life of Margaret in her early
years at the castles of
Saumur and Angers and her visits to the
French Court during the reign of Charles VII of France. The story of
Charles VII, his life as the Dauphin and his subsequent crowning at
Rheims Cathedral by Joan of Arc all comes alive in this wonderful
story of the times. As a Dauphin, Charles VII lacked confidence but
gradually he became a strong king over time.
Margaret was the daughter of Isabelle
of Lorraine and King Rene of Naples and Sicily and grand-daughter of
Yolande of Aragon. Margaret did receive the title of princess which
was beneficial for her when arragements for her marriage were being
made. Her parents were a king and queen in title only and not in
possession of their kingdom. Her mother was the daughter of the duke
of Lorraine but because of the Salic law she was unable to inherit
her father's castle or title and the dukedom went to a male relative.
This did not occur without hostility from both sides of the family
and whilst in battle King Rene was taken prisoner.
The Duke of Burgundy, who was a
powerful ally for the Vaudemont family which was claiming the
inheritance and title of the duchy of Lorraine, had disapproved of
Rene and Isabelle succeeding to the duchy of
Lorraine. They were already in
possession of the castle and duchy which greatly improved their
standard of living and Margaret's childhood had been quite
impoverished. Rene (subsequently known as Good King Rene, who had a
love of painting, poetry and the arts) had shown himself to be loyal
to King Charles VII of France previously and not shown his loyalty to
the Duke of Burgundy. After a lengthy time of imprisonment, in which
he had occupied himself by painting beautiful portraits and stained
glass at Dijon Castle, he finally was granted his freedom on the
condition that he allow his elder daughter, Yolande, to marry a son
of the family,
whom Yolande ended up growing up with,
befriending and eventually wishing to marry. It was very sad for all
concerned when Rene's daughter, Yolande, left the family home. Rene
always stalled the marriage until at the time of Margaret's wedding,
of which the celebrations were arranged by Charles VII, that Yolande
and Ferri de Vaudemont made it be known that they did wish to marry.
The processions through France and the
magnificent pageantry are described in great detail when
Margaret eventually makes the journey
to England to become the new queen. An English party come to France
to escort her on her journey and she befriends the Marquess and Marchioness of Suffolk,
who become loyal allies for her and the
king. It is interesting to read of the customs at the time and what
was expected of a queen on a royal procession.i.e. to look like a
queen and to give dresses and shoes away for the number of years of
her age in one town as was a tradition. Margaret was grateful for
the kindness and assistance shown her by the Marchioness of Suffolk in
these matters.
I love the descriptions of old towns of
England where the sense of history gives an added measure to the
story, as for example, the descriptions of Coventry, which was an old
town named for a convent which had been destroyed before the time of
William the Conqueror and the Norman conquest. However the earl of
Leofric and Lady Godiva had founded a Benedictine monastery. Henry
VI enjoyed and loved this city and was responsible for various of the
buildings there, as for example, St Mary's Hall with its fascinating
style of carvings and figures and a beautiful coloured tapestry.
There was also a St Michael's Church which had dated to the time of
the first Henry and had been given to the monks of Coventry by Earl
Randulph. It was a wonderful peaceful time at Coventry in which
Henry VI recovered from his debilitating illness. His
new born baby, Prince Edward of Wales,
was also brought to him at the castle of Coventry.
The book gives vivid and compelling
descriptions of the times, the politics and the family of Richard,
Duke of York and his wife, Cecily, the Duchess of York, the parents
of the future Edward IV. The characters represented in the story are
quite fascinating in themselves and the author has written of
riveting times. The story flows with characters of history written
as though the writer had an inside knowledge. Many of the chracters
are likeable in their own way and the story is set amongst a
background of conflict and aspirations, belief of a true claim to the
throne of England which of course causes controversy, resulting in
the wars of the Roses.
For aficionados of the genre of
historical fiction this book is a gem.
The stories of kings, the history of
the conflicts in France, the wars of the Roses and settings in
historical towns of England make for a fascinating tale. In all of
this Margaret is a compelling character of strength and tenacity in
her role as the queen, often having to take matters into her own
hands when the need arose because of the recurring illness of Henry
VI. In this she had her role models in her own mother and
grand-mother who were also strong women. The story is quite
compelling and well recommended.
