Margaret Beaufort, the Red Queen

Philippa Gregory's The Red Queen was the first book of the Cousins' War I read and I loved it from the very first page. In the tv series, Margaret is portrayed by Amanda Hale. I was not overly fond about the way they made Margaret appear. I can't really explain it, but she comes across different than in the book. And even though I drew her in an outfit she wears in the show, I highly doubt she would have looked like this.

A little information about Margaret. She was married at a very young age to Edmund Tudor. The marriage didn't last very long, because Edmund got sick and died, but not before getting his child bride pregnant. Margaret gave birth to a son, the future Henry VII, when she was only 13 years old. Her young age caused complications during the process and as a result Margaret would never be able to get pregnant again. Margaret did remarry twice: first to sir Henry Stafford and after he died to lord Thomas Stanley. 

After the death of king Henry VI during the Wars of the Roses, Margeret and her son were the last heirs of the Lancaster line and thus a danger to the York kings. Young Henry went into exile in France with his uncle Jarper Tudor, but never gave up his claim to the throne. He returned to England in 1485 and during the battle at Bosworth Field defeated king Richard III and won his crown. To end the Cousins' War he married princess Elizabeth of York, daughter of king Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville (the White Queen). Margaret would have a very strong influence on her son for the rest of his life. She outlived Henry by a two months and died just a day after her grandson, Henry VIII, turned 18.

For more information about Margaret, visit her wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret…

Margaret Beaufort was a very pious women. When you read The Red Queen you feel how important religion was to her and I had to incorporate it in my drawing of her. So I drew her hand together, almost like she is praying. I don't think she smiled very often, but I imagine her doing so when she's looking at her son.

I kept the background the same as in Elizabeth Woodville's picture, but switched the white rose of York with the red rose of Lancaster of course. 

More The White Queen:

Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen 

Anne Neville, the Kingmaker's Daughter

Jacquetta of Luxembourg, the Lady of the Rivers


Elizabeth of York, the White Princess