About Edward:
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Edward Stafford was born at Brecon Castle in Wales on 3rd or 4th February 1478 to Henry, duke of Buckingham and Katherine Woodville (or Wydeville), his duchess. Katherine was the sister of Edward IV’s queen and came from a family outside the old nobility; Edward IV, his brothers and their following labelled them “popinjays”, rebuking them as upstarts. Nevertheless, Edward IV, as king, heaped wealth and honours on them, causing further resentment |
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Duke Henry, as part of the old nobility, and a direct descendant of Edward III, resented being married to a popinjay. In common with the earl of Warwick and Richard III he feared the crown would fall into ignoble hands and the whole senior nobility would be displaced (their concepts of rank are difficult to understand or accept for modern minds, brought up on equality and democracy).
As to the legitimacy of these concerns, the popinjays mounted no real resistance against either Richard III or Henry Tudor, despite Edward IV leaving them in a much stronger position than he had, himself, after the battle of Wakefield.
Duke Henry’s wealth and background made him a significant figure; but he took no major hand in government until the death of Edward IV, and had no military experience before the Buckingham Rebellion.
After the rebellion, Edward was, in deed “the son of the widow”, as the Grail Knights in Sir Thomas' legend.
Here is some music from Edward's childhood:
Religious, Popular, Public and Private (an old standard in Edward's time).
There is mystery and magic in Edward’s adult life also, consider just two episodes:
The court case for the de Bohun Inheritance would not only confirm him as heir general at Law to both Edward III and Henry VI (in other words the true legal claimant to the crown) but confirm him as High Constable of England (it is claimed) successor to Sir Percival as keeper of the Holy Grail. Making the claim was highly dangerous, Sir Thomas More expected Henry VIII to execute Edward because of it - to Edward the Grail claim was more important than the risk of his own death.
The historically unique tournament to settle international disputes, known as the "Field of the Cloth of Gold”, was it set up for Edward to use his special powers? to win all for King Henry VIII. Edward refused to join in the jousting and only used his money for lavish entertainment, was this the true reason why he was judicially murdered the following year?
BUT – these are matters for another book.
Different historical accounts of Edward vary, particularly in detail. Where I give considerable factual detail it has been verified, against primary sources, in some cases, commissioned or approved by Edward himself – this is particularly true of his escape after the rebellion.
“Edward” is not an academic treatise and the scholarship that went into it is left behind closed doors. All the same, there is enough (e.g. the Crowland Chronicle) to show academic history should not be above debate. Although the chapter entitled “The Kings of England” is a summary, I hope it’s enough to set the record straight and challenge both popular and academic misconceptions.
The main source referred to is The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, this is a subscription site but you might access it free through your library.
In recent years Wikipedia is ever improving, try it, for Edward Stafford, Margaret Beaufort, Henry, duke of Buckingham, and Richard III, you can even try it for Reincarnation, Past-life Regression, Channeling, and The Holy Grail.
What further research will show you is what historians and writers don’t know; though they struggle mightily to cover the gaps. No historian will acknowledge the Grail, or any of the other metaphysical elements in Edward - some are even reluctant to acknowledge the practice of witchcraft. The following are only a selection of academic writings, but a good representative sample:
J Barbara. Harris “Edward Stafford third Duke of Buckingham, 1478-1521”, 1986, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California,
C. Rawcliffe, “The Staffords, earls of Stafford and dukes of Buckingham, 1394–1521”, 1978, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
Michael K. Jones and Malcolm G. Underwood, “The King's Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby” 1992 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Geoffrey Richardson, “The Popinjays”, 2000, Baildon Books, Shipley,
Louise Gill, “Richard III and Buckingham’s Rebellion”, 1999 Sutton Publishing, Stroud
David Baldwin, “Elizabeth Woodville Mother of the Princes in the Tower”, 2002, Sutton Publishing, Stroud,
John Band, “The Battle for Stafford”, 1985, Staffordshire County Library, Stafford
Please note: Assertions in "Edward" are not drawn from these texts, which often do not support them. The texts simply give you an idea of what historians think - I do not always agree with the historians - Mike Voyce
As to the legitimacy of these concerns, the popinjays mounted no real resistance against either Richard III or Henry Tudor, despite Edward IV leaving them in a much stronger position than he had, himself, after the battle of Wakefield.
Duke Henry’s wealth and background made him a significant figure; but he took no major hand in government until the death of Edward IV, and had no military experience before the Buckingham Rebellion.
After the rebellion, Edward was, in deed “the son of the widow”, as the Grail Knights in Sir Thomas' legend.
Here is some music from Edward's childhood:
Religious, Popular, Public and Private (an old standard in Edward's time).
There is mystery and magic in Edward’s adult life also, consider just two episodes:
The court case for the de Bohun Inheritance would not only confirm him as heir general at Law to both Edward III and Henry VI (in other words the true legal claimant to the crown) but confirm him as High Constable of England (it is claimed) successor to Sir Percival as keeper of the Holy Grail. Making the claim was highly dangerous, Sir Thomas More expected Henry VIII to execute Edward because of it - to Edward the Grail claim was more important than the risk of his own death.
The historically unique tournament to settle international disputes, known as the "Field of the Cloth of Gold”, was it set up for Edward to use his special powers? to win all for King Henry VIII. Edward refused to join in the jousting and only used his money for lavish entertainment, was this the true reason why he was judicially murdered the following year?
BUT – these are matters for another book.
Different historical accounts of Edward vary, particularly in detail. Where I give considerable factual detail it has been verified, against primary sources, in some cases, commissioned or approved by Edward himself – this is particularly true of his escape after the rebellion.
“Edward” is not an academic treatise and the scholarship that went into it is left behind closed doors. All the same, there is enough (e.g. the Crowland Chronicle) to show academic history should not be above debate. Although the chapter entitled “The Kings of England” is a summary, I hope it’s enough to set the record straight and challenge both popular and academic misconceptions.
The main source referred to is The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, this is a subscription site but you might access it free through your library.
In recent years Wikipedia is ever improving, try it, for Edward Stafford, Margaret Beaufort, Henry, duke of Buckingham, and Richard III, you can even try it for Reincarnation, Past-life Regression, Channeling, and The Holy Grail.
What further research will show you is what historians and writers don’t know; though they struggle mightily to cover the gaps. No historian will acknowledge the Grail, or any of the other metaphysical elements in Edward - some are even reluctant to acknowledge the practice of witchcraft. The following are only a selection of academic writings, but a good representative sample:
J Barbara. Harris “Edward Stafford third Duke of Buckingham, 1478-1521”, 1986, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California,
C. Rawcliffe, “The Staffords, earls of Stafford and dukes of Buckingham, 1394–1521”, 1978, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
Michael K. Jones and Malcolm G. Underwood, “The King's Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby” 1992 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Geoffrey Richardson, “The Popinjays”, 2000, Baildon Books, Shipley,
Louise Gill, “Richard III and Buckingham’s Rebellion”, 1999 Sutton Publishing, Stroud
David Baldwin, “Elizabeth Woodville Mother of the Princes in the Tower”, 2002, Sutton Publishing, Stroud,
John Band, “The Battle for Stafford”, 1985, Staffordshire County Library, Stafford
Please note: Assertions in "Edward" are not drawn from these texts, which often do not support them. The texts simply give you an idea of what historians think - I do not always agree with the historians - Mike Voyce