Britain has always been a land of myths and legends. From St George and the Dragon to
Robin Hood. Dick Whittington and his Cat to the Loch Ness Monster. But nothing
has captured the imagination of the populous quite like King Arthur and his
Knights.
Let’s
take a trip back in time…
For
thirty years, England had suffered a terrible civil war. It was the ultimate
family argument. And that argument was all about legitimacy. The House of York argued
that the Lancastrian King, Henry VI, had no right to the throne. The House of
Lancaster disagreed.
In
the year of our Lord, 1485, Henry Tudor marched from Wales, under the battle
standard of King Arthur — the famous red dragon — and met King Richard III at
Bosworth Field.
 |
A stained-glass window in St. James Church, Sutton Cheney, commemorates the Battle of Bosworth and the leaders of the combatants, Richard III (left) and Henry VII (right). ~ Wikipedia
|
This battle changed the course of history and while the last of
the Plantagenet Kings screamed:
“Traitor! Traitor!
Traitor!”
Henry
Tudor seized the throne of England for himself.
 |
| Finding Richard's circlet after the battle, Lord Stanley hands it to Henry. ~ Wikipedia |
But,
being victorious does not make one King. For Henry to be crowned King he had to
provide a legitimate claim.
Henry
Tudor was a Lancastrian, but he had a problem. It was argued, that Henry had
not an ounce of English Blood. Henry’s Father, Edmund Tudor, was the son of the
French Queen Dowager Katherine of Valois. Edmund’s father, Owen Tudor, was a
Welsh groom. Their marriage was a scandal that had rocked the nation. Henry’s
mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a direct descendant of Edward III, but the
Beaufort’s had been barred from the throne, so her blood did not count.
Henry
had to prove his claim and to do that he employed genealogists who traced his
family back to Cadwaladr, a Welsh King, who in turn was a direct descendant of
King Arthur. You couldn’t get more English than King Arthur. Henry presented
his pedigree to the court.
With
King Arthur as an ancestor, the nobles could not argue Henry’s claim to the
throne.
Long Live King Henry…
 |
| Henry holding a rose and wearing the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, by unknown artist, 1505. ~ Wikiepedia |
Henry then married Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV of England — thus uniting the House of York and Lancaster and bringing an end to the Cousins War. But, like Edward III before him, Henry had fallen for the romance of King Arthur.
 |
| Elizabeth of York, 16th century copy of a 15th century portrait. ~ Wikipedia |
It is worth mentioning that Bosworth was not the only noteworthy event to happen in the year 1485. Sir Thomas Malory, who was at the time languishing in prison, penned his great work, Le Morte d’Arthur. Arthur fever once more took hold of the nation, and now they had a king who claimed to be a direct descendant of Arthur. The future looked promising.
Henry’s
firstborn child was born at Winchester — which, at the time, was widely
believed to be the place where Camelot had once stood tall and proud. His
firstborn child was a son, and he named that son Arthur.
 |
| Arthur, Prince of Wales, Anonymous portrait, c. 1501. ~ Wikipedia |
But
Henry’s dream of an Arthurian future took a fatal blow when his son, Arthur,
became ill and died at the age of 16. It was said that Henry and Elizabeth were
devastated by his death. Elizabeth died the following year.
In
the subsequent reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, Arthurian legend and Arthurian
prophecy continued to play its part in the monarchy’s dynamics. But from this
day forward there has never been another King Arthur. We are still waiting for
the Once and Future King to reclaim his throne…
References:
A stained-glass window in St. James
Church, Sutton Cheney, commemorates the Battle of Bosworth and the leaders of
the combatants, Richard III (left) and Henry VII (right). ~ Wikipedia
Finding Richard's circlet after the
battle, Lord Stanley hands it to Henry. ~ Wikipedia
Henry holding a rose and wearing the
collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, by unknown artist, 1505. ~ Wikipedia
Elizabeth of York, 16th century copy of a
15th century portrait. ~
Wikipedia
Arthur, Prince of Wales, Anonymous
portrait, c. 1501. ~
Wikipedia
Travel back in time to the land of King Arthur...
War
is coming…
The
ink has dried on Amandine’s death warrant. Her crime? She is a du Lac.
All
that stands in the way of a grisly death on a pyre is the King of Brittany.
However, King Philippe is a fickle friend, and if her death is profitable to
him, then she has no doubt that he would light the pyre himself.
Alan,
the only man Amandine trusts, has a secret and must make an impossible choice,
which could have far-reaching consequences — not only for Amandine, but for the
whole of Briton.
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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx