The Reluctant Queen

by Виктория Холт

  There was tension throughout the city. One could not help but be aware of it. The citizens knew that some great event was about to happen, though they were as yet unsure as to what it was.

  There was much coming and going to and from Crosby's Place and Baynard's Castle. I hoped the Duchess of York was unaware of the slander which had been uttered against her, for I was sure that proud lady would have been incensed. Richard insisted that it was a slander and, in any case, what need was there to prove Edward's legitimacy now that he was dead? Suffice it that the young king and his brother were bastards. That was enough to displace them.

  It was arranged that the news should be brought to the people on the following Sunday. The mayor, Sir Edmund Shaa, had a brother Ralph, who was a friar and well known to the people of London because he often preached at Paul's Cross in a most eloquent manner, and crowds flocked to hear him. It was suggested by the mayor that Friar Ralph should make the announcement.

  Richard, with Buckingham beside him, and with all the noblemen and dignitaries of the city, rode in procession to Paul's Cross. Abandoning his customary robes of black, Richard wore purple velvet, for it was not fitting for a king to be attired in sombre black.

  Crowds thronged the streets and there at Paul's Cross, Friar Ralph spoke. He based his words on the text: "Bastard slips shall not take root." Then he told the crowds that Edward the Fourth's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville had been no true marriage because he had pre-contracted himself to another lady, Dame Eleanor Butler, daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury. That lady had been living albeit in a convent when Edward had gone through the ceremony of marriage with the Lady Elizabeth Woodville. Therefore that was no true marriage, and the children of the union were illegitimate. This meant that the boy whom they called king, and his brother, known as Richard, Duke of York, had no claim to the crown.

  On the other hand, there was Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who, since his brother was dead and had left no legitimate offspring, was the next in line to the throne.

  They had all witnessed the fine qualities of Richard. He had proved himself to be a serious man, a great ruler, and he was truly English. Of the sons of the late Duke of York now living, he was the only one who had been born in England. Did the people want an English king? Well, they had one in Richard the Third.

  How I wished that I had been there then! Richard needed me. I could guess his feelings, for the people were deeply shocked by these revelations. They had loved their handsome Edward and were deeply touched by the little king, and ready to love him, too. They went quietly away, no doubt to discuss their thoughts on the new reign in the security of their own homes.

  The people's reception of the news was disconcerting, and it caused Richard a good deal of anxiety.

  "They said nothing," he told me.

  "There was no sign of approval, or disapproval for that matter. They just seemed shocked. It was a most unusual reaction." "The news must have astounded them as it has us all. Perhaps it was that. But I wonder what it means."

  "Richard, if this is true ... you must be the king."

  "If only there were proof... documents ..."

  "Edward would certainly have made sure that they were destroyed."

  "Edward was notoriously careless about some things. He believed that people were sufficiently fond of him not to betray him. You see, it did not occur to him that Stillington would be a danger until he betrayed the secret to Clarence; and he was amazed when your father turned against him."

  "Oh, Richard, if only Edward had never married Elizabeth Woodville!"

  "Oh, it was the same pattern. Eleanor Butler would not submit without a contract and nor would Elizabeth Woodville. And when Edward desired a woman he forgot all else. It was that trait in him which brought so much trouble."

  "What are you going to do, Richard?"

  "Buckingham wants immediate action. He thinks that now Friar Ralph's announcement has been made there should be no delay." Buckingham was firmly beside Richard. He was wildly enthusiastic which was typical of Buckingham. He reminded me of Clarence, and I had learned to beware of such men.

  He took immediate action. First he came to see Richard, who shortly afterwards told me what happened.

  "Buckingham is going to the Guildhall with some of his followers, and he has primed them as to how they should act."

  Heralds went through the streets, announcing that Buckingham would be at the Guildhall and had something of importance to tell them. The people crowded into the Guildhall where Buckingham's men were assembled in some force ... ranging themselves among the people.

  There Buckingham spoke of Stillington's disclosures and made it clear who the real king was. He said they could not have a better. He was the man who had been chosen by his brother Edward to govern the kingdom and care for Edward's son. But we now knew that that young boy had no claim to the throne and he was not the legitimate heir of the House of York. But they had a king, a mature man, a man who had proved himself worthy to take the crown ... a man who had a right to it... a man who was entirely English: King Richard.

  Then he cried in a loud voice: "Will you accept Richard of Gloucester as your King Richard the Third?"

  I was glad I was not there. I was glad Richard was not there. The silence in that hall would have been unbearable.

  One could say that the people had been taken by surprise, and their response was not immediate. They hankered for big golden Edward, and if they could not have him, they wanted their pretty little king. Then Buckingham's men began to shout: "Long live King Richard the Third, the rightful English king!"

  The next day Parliament met and Richard's claim to the throne was raised before both Lords and Commons, who were together for this special occasion. The illegality of Edward's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was referred to and the conduct of the Woodvilles and the havoc they had wrought to the country was stressed. It was God's answer to a union which was repugnant to Him, for that union had been no true marriage and consequently Richard of Gloucester, the undoubted son of the Duke of York, was the true king.

  "We shall humbly beg and beseech his noble Grace to accept and take the crown and royal dignity."

  Thus ran the proclamation and it was unanimously approved.

  The result of this meeting and the agreement reached there was that a great company arrived at Baynard's Castle. It was composed of nobles and leading churchmen; and there the Duke of Buckingham read out the proclamation which had been approved by Parliament.

  It must have been an impressive scene, with Richard standing at one of the battlements of the castle, looking down on the assembly below.

  When Buckingham had finished reading the proclamation, Richard said he would accept the crown. He descended from the battlements and rode at the head of the cavalcade to Westminster Hall. There he sat in the marble chair assigned to the king and swore to dispense justice without fear or favour and to do all within his power to serve them well as their king and ruler.

  A new reign had begun. Edward the Fifth was no longer the accepted king. The people had accepted Richard the Third.

  Queen of England

  So I found myself Queen of England, and I think I must have been one of the most reluctant to wear the crown. There was nothing I wanted so much as to return to Middleham, for Edward to have come miraculously alive so that we were no longer in the centre of the stage. I wanted to be with my son, to nurse him back to health. I worried continually about him; as for myself, I was both physically and mentally exhausted.

  There was to be a speedy coronation for a king was not recognised to be a true monarch until he had been anointed and crowned.

  My gown had to be produced at the utmost speed and my seamstresses worked unceasingly through the days and nights to complete it. It was made of purple velvet and cloth of gold, and it was quite magnificent, but I felt no great interest in it, so full was my heart of foreboding.

  I was undoubtedly in a nervous state, likely to be easily upset and see portents of ev
il in the most ordinary happenings.

  We were to leave Baynard's Castle for the Tower where we would spend the night in accordance with the custom, and the two young princes who were still there occupying the state apartments had to be hastily moved out so that we could occupy them. It seemed symbolic.

  The two boys were lodged in a tower near the Water Gate. I wondered what they thought, particularly little Edward who had been brought up to regard himself as the heir to the throne. He had been treated with special homage since the death of his father and a boy would surely relish such treatment. I wondered how he was treated now. From king to bastard must be rather shocking in his young mind.

  I should not be thinking such thoughts. I should remember I was the queen now. All eyes would be on me. That made me worry about my appearance. Did I look pale and wan? I was far too thin and getting more so. How I wished I were strong and healthy like Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of many children. How she had enjoyed her role!

  Richard was constantly enquiring about my health. Sometimes I thought he was asking himself if I would ever be pregnant again. Then my thoughts switched to that other subject which was of greater concern to me than anything: my son's health.

  I doubt we could have been ready for the magnificent display which our coronation turned out to be if preparations had not already been made for another that of young Edward the Fifth.

  London was in a merry mood. Coronations are always welcome. They provide a holiday and interesting sights, free wine, dancing, singing, carousing in the streets an excuse to make a colourful occasion in their drab lives.

  Because Richard had been lord of the north and his most faithful followers came from that part of the country, several thousands of them came south to share in his triumph. They created quite a stir in their rusty armour and their shabby uniforms; their rough manners were regarded with contemptuous amusement by the southerners. They camped in Moor Fields and were quite a side attraction.

  Richard was glad to see them and went out to greet them, and tell them how pleased he was that they had come to his coronation. He brought them into the city, riding at the head of them and they settled round Baynard's Castle.

  They are my friends," Richard said.

  "I could trust them to serve me to the end. They may lack elegant uniforms and graceful manners, but their honesty and fidelity is unquestionable."

  I believe he was enthralled by what was happening to him. He was as ambitious as his brothers. Though he would never have attempted to take the throne as Clarence had, but since it came to him as his right, he rejoiced in it. He was born to govern and he could now use his talents to their full. I could see the rising excitement in him. I told myself I must suppress my fears and try to be a worthy consort. I would pray every night that I might have a family of strong boys.

  "Soon, oh Lord," I begged.

  "It is time I had children and I have great fear for Edward."

  The day before the coronation, when we came to the Tower, Richard looked magnificent. In the past I had been used to seeing him in sombre black; now he was in blue cloth of gold with a cloak of purple velvet trimmed with ermine. Alas, I was forced to ride in a litter drawn by horses.

  I stood with Richard at the High Altar. Our gowns were removed so that we were both naked from the waist while we were anointed with the sacred Chrism. It was a solemn moment. Scenes from the past kept flashing through my mind. Isabel, so excited because she was hoping to marry Clarence and she believed she might be queen; that haunting burial of a baby at sea; myself in the cookshop kitchen; the news of my father's death; the death of the Prince of Wales ... the grief of his mother. There was so much tragedy to be thinking of while they were proclaiming me queen.

  Then we were arrayed in cloth of gold and crowns were put on our heads: the trumpets sounded, and as I listened to the loyal shouts, I was brought out of the past to the dazzling present.

  Richard and I had a short respite alone in the privacy of our chamber before the banquet began.

  I saw that Richard was exultant.

  "This seems unreal to me," I said.

  "Tis real," he said.

  "Sometimes I think it was always meant to be."

  "You ... the king!"

  "Edward would understand," he said.

  "He knew his son had no right. Who could know that better than he did?"

  "But he hoped no one would ever question that right."

  "That is true. But right is right and truth will come out."

  "You should not be thinking of your brother on a day like this," I told him.

  "I think of him every day."

  "You will be a good king, Richard."

  "I shall do my best. Are you feeling well, Anne? You look very tired."

  How those words depressed me! I strove so hard not to look tired, and when they were so solicitously said they hurt the more.

  I talked of Buckingham, who had been much in evidence.

  "One would have thought it was his coronation," I said.

  "How he would have liked that!"

  "He was certainly the most brilliantly attired person present."

  "That is Buckingham."

  "That blue velvet, blazing with gold decorations!"

  "Well, he is a handsome man and likes to call attention to the fact."

  "He certainly did."

  "He has been a good friend."

  "So," I said, "a little flamboyance can be forgiven him."

  "A thousand times," said Richard.

  Then we went to Westminster Hall where tables had been set out to accommodate the guests. Richard and I took our places at that one which had been placed on the dais, there to be served by the greatest nobles in the land.

  It was a nice touch that Richard ate from dishes of gold and silver offered to him by two men whom I knew well but had not seen for many years. One was Francis Lovell and the other Robert Percy, those boys who had learned the arts of war and gracious living at Middleham when Richard was there.

  It was a thrilling moment when Sir Robert Dymmock rode in as King's Champion. He looked splendid in white armour and his horse was decorated in red and white. When he made the challenge, I saw the look that passed across Richard's face and I knew of the turmoil within him. I guessed he was still thinking of his brother Edward, wondering if he were looking down and seeing him in what he would think of as his son's place.

  But it had been proved. Edward had not been married in truth to the boy's mother and Richard was the rightful king of England.

  I longed more deeply than ever for the peace of Middleham.

  No one challenged the King's Champion, and there was a cry of "King Richard!" which echoed through the hall. I sank back in relief listening to the loyal shouts.

  And I saw the pleasure steal across Richard's face. He was the accepted King of England.

  A newly appointed king must show himself to his subjects all over the kingdom, and as soon as London settled down after the coronation, we set out on a royal progress.

  The highlight of this was our arrival in Yorkshire, the stronghold of the House of York and where Richard knew the most loyal of all greetings could be expected. I was happier than I had been for some time, because my son Edward was to come to us there that he might join in the welcome that was given. The people would want to see their Prince of Wales with the king and queen, said Richard.

  I could scarcely wait to see him.

  We reached Pontefract where Edward was to join us.

  He had not yet arrived but messengers were waiting to tell us that he was close by.

  What joy it was to see him when he came to the city! But that joy was tinged with fear, for he had not come on horseback as I should have expected, but in a chariot. The doctor had said the ride would be too great a tax on his strength.

  To my tortured imagination, it seemed that he looked more pale, more frail than when I had last seen him.

  After the formal greeting, I was alone with him in the chamber which h
ad been prepared for him. He was a little breathless.

  "It is exciting, my lady." he said.

  "My father king and my mother queen, and I the Prince of Wales!"

  "I think you should be resting, Edward. It has been a tiring day."

  "I am well, my lady mother," he replied, apologetically, trying to suppress his breathlessness.

  I put my arms round him and said: "Edward, my darling son, tell me just how you feel. Is there any pain? You may tell me, you know."

  He hesitated, then he said: "Oh no, my lady. It is nothing. I am well... really well. Just a little tired."

  "Dearest Edward," I said. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Good health is given to us by God. It is His will and we should not seek to excuse our weakness."

  I held him against me and he put his arms round me.

  "I want to be big and strong," he said.

  "That is what my father wants me to be."

  "When your father was about your age he used to get tired ... even as you do. And see now, he is big and strong ... a king."

  He nodded and gave me a tender, pathetic smile which touched me deeply and made me sad.

  Tomorrow," I told him, "we shall ride into York. That is your father's favourite city."

  "It is because we are of the House of York."

  That is true. How is Middleham, Edward?"

  "It is as ever, my lady."

  "Do you think of me when you are there?"

  "All the time. When I hear horses approaching, I always hope that it is you ... or a message to say that you are coming."

  "I would I could be with you more... or you with us."

  He smiled at me a little sadly, and I guessed he was thinking of the strain of the journey and the demands which would be made on a Prince of Wales at court.

  He is too serious for his age, I thought: and I longed for him to be carefree as other boys of his age.

  "In York, we shall be meeting many old friends, Your cousin is going to join us."

  "Which cousin is that, my lady?"

  "Your cousin Edward. Oh, how many Edwards there are! They are all named after Edward the king. He was such a well-loved person in the family. Your cousin, Warwick, perhaps I should say."