The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line That Captured the Crown

For Tudor lovers, there are a plethora of books available about the Wars of the Roses, the rise of the Tudor dynasty, and the reigns of King Henry VIII and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I. Less material exists on a few precursor subjects such as Henry VI, Henry VII and especially the Beauforts in which Henry Tudor’s claim to the throne was based. Without Beaufort blood running through his veins, Henry Tudor would have had absolutely no part in the line of succession and the Tudor dynasty never would have existed.I have read nearly 100 books on the Wars of the Roses and the reign of the Tudors and in all of these books, the Beauforts were interwoven among the stories of the kings, queens, dukes, and earls, but always treated as minor characters…until now. Nathan Amin’s fabulous book focuses specifically on the triumphs and failures of the Beaufort family through two centuries of loyal service to the kings of England and to the Lancastrian branch of the royal family. Nathan writes that he “hopes this book will finally bring the family out of the shadow of kings to stand alone as one of England’s mightiest dynasties” and without a doubt he has achieved his goal.The Beaufort family was born out of an adulterous relationship between John of Gaunt and his mistress Katherine Swynford. John of Gaunt was the third surviving son of King Edward III and as such received massive amounts of titles, land, and riches, including the duchy of Lancaster. He was the mightiest prince in the kingdom during his father’s reign as well as the successive reign of his nephew Richard II. Although he was espoused twice in politically advantageous marriages (to Blanche of Lancaster and Constance of Castile), it was his mistress Katherine Swynford that he truly loved. The two were together for more than 20 years and produced four children between 1372 and 1379: John, Henry, Thomas, and Joan. Due to the fact that the children were illegitimate, they could not take the name of either of their parents so instead Gaunt bestowed on them the name of one of his French land holdings, a chateau called Beaufort in the north-eastern region of France. When Gaunt’s second wife died, he made the bold and rather unpopular move of marrying his mistress Katherine and petitioned the Pope to legitimize their children which was completed in 1397. This paved the way for his children to be brought into the fold of the royal family which gave them nearly unlimited possibilities of career and marriage options. Gaunt’s children took full advantage of their new status and it was clear this ambitious family had big plans for themselves.Gaunt’s eldest Beaufort son, John, was created earl of Somerset and inducted into the Order of Garter. He was trusted upon by his half-brother, King Henry IV, to lead military campaigns in France during the Hundred Years War and was appointed to the King’s council.Second son Henry was given a religious education and held many ecclesiastical appointments throughout his lifetime including the bishopric of Lincoln but the pinnacle of his career was being named Lord Chancellor in 1403. He now had a heavy influence in government matters, both domestic and foreign, and was entrusted to see that the king’s business was done. As the throne changed hands from Henry IV to Henry V and again to Henry VI, the bishop often clashed with those relatives and noblemen who vied for the new kings’ attention and favour.Third son Thomas served as one of the king’s knights and made a lucrative marriage to Margaret Neville, the sole heiress to the Neville estates and lordship of Hornby. He became a revered military commander and had bestowed upon him by the king many titles including the Captain of Ludlow Castle, the Marshall of England, the earl of Dorset, the King’s Lieutenant, and the Admiral of England, Ireland, and Aquitaine. He was given the extensive authority by King Henry V to raise troops and levy taxes for his efforts in reclaiming England’s French territories.Fourth-born child Joan married Ralph Neville, earl of Westmorland, who owned lands in Middleham, Sheriff Hutton, Brancepeth, and the magnificent Raby Castle. Together they had an impressive 14 children including Cecily who married Richard, duke of York, and became mother to two kings: Edward IV and Richard III.Any hardcore Tudor fan will love this book and the depth of information it provides on the very important but often neglected Beauforts. I specifically love reading Tudor non-fiction and this is one of the most informative and most readable books I have ever encountered. Nathan’s writing style is very fluid and easy to comprehend. He doesn’t succumb to the trappings of a highly academic book which can be heavy and boring to trudge through. Yet his book is highly researched as you can tell by his extensive bibliography. I thought I knew nearly everything there was to know about this time period but there were several passages where Nathan brought about new evidence or new interpretations. I like how he contrasts different reports, chronicles, and writers to discern what was most likely to be the truth. He presents the facts and then draws the most logical conclusion in an unbiased manner.Nathan is a very talented writer and I cannot recommend this book enough to Tudor lovers. I look forward to reading Nathan’s future books. According to his website he is currently working on his fourth book entitled “Pretenders to the Tudor Crown” which is due to be released some time in 2019.

This book is brilliant in its meticulous research and approachable writing.With the glut of all things Tudor (books, television, novels, series) this book fills a void going to the genealogical root, back to the bastard line of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford (his mistress, later wife) where it all began…the House of Beaufort.A family whose members rose high in secular and religious society, guiding England during the tumultuous 15th century (the War of the Roses); their fall was as low as any heights they attained. With details about the life, character and motivations of each individual, a story emerges of intrigue, switched loyalties, and scandal as this family became companion to Kings and other noble families, eventually ending with King Edward IV “crushing the seed”. But did he and how would the future unfold for this line in the person of a young widow named Margaret and her son, Henry?The author’s grasp of time and place, along with insight from contemporary and nearly contemporary writing not only enlivens these historical figures for the reader, but gives their actions credence.Along with a detailed index, giving both name and title of key figures, equally detailed notes and bibliography, make this work accessible to the non-historian reader.But, what was most intriguing for this reader, was the reversal of fortune into misfortune and events that with one small shift, might have altered history. A history that continues after this book ends, but not before a final paragraph which gave this reader the chills.

I enjoyed reading this book on the Beauforts, a family that has long been deserving of their own historical analysis. The author painstakingly laid out their origins (the affair and then marriage between John of Gaunt, third son of King Edward III, and Katherine Swynford, daughter of a Flemish immigrant of good family) and the lives of each of its members. He showed the essential part they played in the deposing of Richard II and the establishment of the Lancastrians, their close kinsmen, on the English throne. He describes their close involvement in some of England greatest military victories during the Hundred Years War and their eventual decline and eradication during the War of the Roses. As a devotee of women's history I was especially pleased that there was a chapter devoted to Joan Beaufort and the importance of her descendents, particularly the Nevilles, who proved to ironically be instrumental in the downfall of their Beaufort cousins; as well as the mentioning of other important Beaufort ladies, such as another Joan Beaufort who became Queen of Scotland. I was disappointed though that Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, was barely mentioned and that once the last male member of the Beaufort line had died out, the author considered the house extinct, even though Margaret confined to live on, as did an illegitimate son of one of the last Beauforts, who assisted Henry VII in taking the English throne at Bosworth. I feel the author stopped just a little short and I also would have like a conclusion chapter in which he could have summed up what he felt was most important when looking at the Beauforts. This book was still a treasure trove of fascinating and new antidotes. There was so much that I was unaware of when it came to this fascinating family, making this a worthwhile read all the same. My final criticism is sloppy formatting, or at least that is what I'm assuming it is. Throughout the work there is either words printed out twice in a row or words left out. Also, the footnotes are lacking the proper punctuation. Strangest of all, the final footnote in each chapter includes the name of the next chapter. Since I only have the kindle version of this book and not the printed copy, I'm assuming that these are due to formatting issues. Still, it would have been nice if the editor or author had checked for these mistakes before the book's release. As someone who dealt with sloping formatting when writing her own master's thesis, these kinds of things drive me up the wall.

Ce livre est passionnant a lire et il est pleins d’informations et de belles photos.Je suis bien satisfaite.Je le recommande.Merci beaucoup

Dr Amin has made an excellent job of bringing a family often maligned and mostly unknown to the public at large into the light of historical knowledge and truth.He has revealed the kind of father John of Gaunt was, one who provided for his legitimate as well as illegitimate children, the Beauforts and his devotion to his long-term mistress, Katherine Swynford, even after he was forced to abandon her for several years. Dr Amin has researched these early years in detail and made the lives the Beaufort children of Gaunt accessible.Dr Amin traces the rise of the Beauforts through the reigns of Henry iv, v, and vi and into the first reign of Edward iv until the end of the male line at Tewkesbury 1471. He has expertly put to bed the myth that the Beaufort family had always been barred from the throne, showing that official contemporary documents gave them the same rights of inheritance as if they were legitimate. Gaunt had his sons and dtr legitimated after he married their mother in 1397. However, in the early reign of Henry iv, their legitimate half brother, someone altered the Parliamentary documentation by adding, four words "excepting the royal dignity" changing their status forever and technically barring them from the crown.The Beauforts went on to serve the House of Lancaster mainly, as Dukes of Somerset and as favourites. They became the focus of hatred from the upwardly mobile House of York, rivals for the English crown, in the shape of Richard, iii Duke of York, who forced Edmund Beaufort out of the Court of Henry vi and imprisoned him while Protector of England. It was against a restored Edmund, 2nd Duke of Somerset and later his sons that York and his son, Edward iv would fight and destroy. Dr Amin traces the rise and fall of three generations of Beauforts, their place in history, their influences here and in France and their service during the wars of the roses. They were soldiers, advisers, kingmakers and companions, they made several glorious marriages, especially Joan, Countess of Westmorland, grandmother of 2 York Kings, they found themselves on the losing side and paid the price for treason. They were married into great Houses like the Howards and Nevilles and even produced a Queen of Scots. They conjure up immigration of schemers and allegations of being the lovers of Queens. Yet they are captivating and their House stole the English crown. Their story is intriguing and here Dr Amin brings these influential men and women to life. By 1471 their direct legitimate male line had been wiped out but their future lay in the hands of a young man and his mother.Margaret Beaufort was the dtr of John, 1st Duke of Somerset, the 2nd son of the original John Beaufort, son of John of Gaunt. At the age of 12 she was married off to Edmund Tudor, half brother to King Henry 6th and gave birth to the hope of the Beaufort line, Henry Tudor a yr later. It was this young man who fled abroad after Tewkesbury in 1471, carrying the last Beaufort hopes with him. He would return 14 yrs later and take the crown as King Henry vii. Margaret is only a footnote in this book but that's deliberate as her story is left to others and it's the main rise and fall of a family at its height which is masterfully traced here.I only have one negative point. The paperback has print which is tiny. But then again you have a choice of hardback, audio, paperback and kindle, so really this isn't a problem.I really enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough.5 stars isn't enough. I would definitely give it more.

Interesting topic and well written, a good read about one of the most interesting families in british history

Arrivato con largo anticipo. Ottimo libro per chi vuole approfondire l'argomento Wars of the Roses.

There is a real place for a readable but scholarly history of the Beauforts as a family. Sadly, this book is not it. It is reasonably scholarly, although not up to solid academic standards. The writing, however, is appallingly dense at times, badly disjoined, and excessively repetitive. Much of the time it is not easy to figure out exactly which member of the family is being talked about in a given passage: most of them had a number of different titles or names at different times and sometimes at the same time: the author uses all the various possible titles and names for a given individual with what almost seems to be random interchangeability even within the confines of a single paragraph. No doubt this alleviates the boredom of repetition, but only to replace it by utter confusion. This suggests not only poor writing but very poor editing as well. The proof reading is also very poor: a seriously excessive number of spelling errors, grammatical solecisms, duplicated words and what would seem to be omitted words. I have other historical books from this publisher that do not suffer from any of these defects, so I am not sure where the blame lies.So: 4 stars for a great idea and a borderline 1 or 2 stars for poor execution.