30th May 2017
On this day in 1472 Jacquetta of Luxembourg died. She was a prominent figure throughout the Cousins’ War in the courts of both Lancaster and York, but one that is often overlooked. Through her first marriage to the Duke of Bedford, brother of Henry V, she was aligned to the house of Lancaster. He died just over two years into their marriage, leaving Jacquetta, still known as the Duchess of Bedford, a very eligible widow.
As a member of the royal family Jacquetta was not allowed to marry without permission. However, she did exactly that. Her second marriage was to Richard Woodville, a squire of her first husband. They had to beg the pardon of Henry VI and pay a fine, but were eventually restored to favour and were important figures of the court. Jacquetta was only outranked at court by one other woman – and that was the queen, Margaret of Anjou, of whom Jacquetta was a personal favourite.
Her marriage to Richard Woodville was by all accounts a happy one. They raised twelve surviving children, the eldest of which was Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth’s marriage to Edward IV that caused Jacquetta and her family to switch their allegiances to the house of York. This surprise marriage, carried out in secret with only Jacquetta as a witness, caused allegations of witchcraft to be levied at the Woodville women. This was an accusation that could have very dangerous consequences for women in the 15th century, even a high-ranking woman with influence, and Jacquetta was tried for witchcraft during a time when the king was captured. Upon Edward IV’s release the case fell apart and Jacquetta was cleared of charges, but suspicions of witchcraft followed both her and her daughter during their lives.
Jacquetta's family are said to trace their ancestry to the water goddess Melusina, and this element of magic was something I chose to weave into my books about Jacquetta and her family. However, despite her prominence she is all but absent from the records and much about her is still unknown. For my novel, The Lady of the Rivers, my research into Jacquetta was done from original documents – there had been no biography written about her. This spurred me to write a non-fiction essay about her in the book The Women of the Cousins’ War. I wanted her story to be told, and I still hope that more research will be done into this fascinating woman.