After the death of her husband, Margaret was left to navigate the treacherous waters of English politics as a widow. With her son Henry still a child, she sought to protect his future and her own position within the royal circles. During this period, Margaret’s strategic alliances became crucial to her survival. She actively supported the Lancastrian cause, despite the growing power of the Yorkists under King Edward IV.

In 1461, Margaret found herself forced into the role of an exile when the Yorkists secured victory at the Battle of Towton, and Henry VI was temporarily deposed. Her son Henry, still in infancy, was sent to France for safety. Margaret, ever resourceful, remained loyal to her family’s cause, and after the brief restoration of Henry VI to the throne in 1470-1471, she returned to England.

However, her efforts proved ultimately futile as the Yorkists reclaimed the throne after the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, in which Margaret's cousin, the Duke of Somerset, was killed. The Lancastrian cause was dealt a fatal blow, and Margaret’s son, Henry, found himself as one of the last legitimate heirs to the throne. Once again, Margaret was forced into political exile, though she never gave up hope for her son’s future.

 The Survivor: Margaret’s Return to Power (1471-1485)

Margaret's true political genius emerged during the 1470s and 1480s. Though the Yorkists remained in power, Margaret refused to surrender her claim to her son’s rightful place on the throne. In 1472, she remarried, this time to Sir Henry Stafford, the second son of the Duke of Buckingham. Their marriage was politically advantageous and helped to strengthen her position, but it was also a union marked by personal tragedy. Her second husband died in 1471, and Margaret once again found herself a widow, with her son still in exile.

But Margaret’s ability to survive and thrive in the face of adversity was unparalleled. In 1483, when King Edward IV died, the succession crisis that followed offered her the perfect opportunity to reassert her claim. Margaret strategically supported her son Henry, who was still in France, and worked tirelessly to build an alliance with other discontented Yorkists, including Richard III's former allies, disillusioned with his rule.

Margaret played a pivotal role in Henry Tudor’s landing in England in 1485, which culminated in the Battle of Bosworth Field. There, Henry defeated Richard III, and Margaret’s son ascended the throne as Henry VII. Margaret's support and her efforts to unite key factions were instrumental in Henry’s victory, and she emerged as one of the most powerful women in England. shutdown123