OCR Specification focus:
‘Government of Margaret of Anjou; the ‘love-day’ (1458); the role of Neville.’
Margaret of Anjou’s regency, the Neville family’s influence, and the symbolic Love-day of 1458 together reveal England’s deepening factional divides in the Wars of the Roses.
Margaret of Anjou’s Regency
After the First Battle of St Albans (1455), Henry VI was incapacitated and politically weak, leaving his wife, Margaret of Anjou, to play a dominant role in government. Her regency, though informal, was marked by determination to protect her son, Prince Edward, and maintain Lancastrian power. Unlike her husband, who was known for passivity, Margaret actively built alliances and exerted influence at court.
Key Characteristics of Her Regency
Factional alignment: Margaret consistently favoured the Somerset-Beaufort faction, opposing Richard, Duke of York.
Political assertiveness: She attempted to exclude Yorkist influence from court politics, particularly after York’s first Protectorate ended.
Dynastic motivation: Her actions were primarily aimed at ensuring her son’s inheritance and preserving the Lancastrian monarchy.
Regency: A period of rule carried out by someone other than the monarch, often due to the monarch’s minority, illness, or incapacity.
Margaret’s regency created controversy, as English political tradition offered little precedent for a queen consort exercising such power. Her assertiveness provoked resentment among many nobles, especially those already alienated by Henry VI’s weakness.
Margaret’s court asserted her de facto authority through public ritual and carefully targeted patronage to rally Lancastrian support in London.
Full-page presentation miniature from the Talbot Shrewsbury Book (Royal MS 15 E VI, f.2v), with John Talbot offering the manuscript to Queen Margaret of Anjou beside Henry VI. The image highlights Margaret’s ceremonial role and public visibility in royal ritual, reinforcing her regency authority. Source
The Role of the Neville Family
The Nevilles became decisive powerbrokers during this period. Their family network was extensive, linking to both Yorkist and Lancastrian camps. Central figures such as Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (later known as “the Kingmaker”), played a crucial role in shaping events.
Neville Influence
Marriage alliances: The Nevilles’ marriages expanded their connections, especially through Warwick’s union with the heiress Anne Beauchamp.
Political mediation: The family often acted as intermediaries between rival factions, though Warwick leaned increasingly toward York.
Balance of power: Their military strength and landed wealth allowed them to influence national politics, making them indispensable in attempts at reconciliation.
The Nevilles’ dual role—sometimes conciliators, sometimes factional leaders—demonstrated the volatile nature of noble politics in mid-15th-century England.
Neville leverage derived from wide family connections, service networks and reputation, allowing Warwick in particular to mediate and at times dominate political negotiations.
Quartered arms of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, showing heraldic symbols of his family’s wide-reaching alliances. This diagram aids recognition of Neville influence within the Wars of the Roses, even though it includes extra heraldic details beyond the syllabus scope. Source
The ‘Love-day’ of 1458
Perhaps the most striking event of Margaret’s regency was the Love-day of March 1458, an orchestrated public ceremony in London. It aimed to reconcile warring factions, particularly those divided by the bloodshed at St Albans.
Symbolism and Organisation
Procession to St Paul’s Cathedral: Nobles from both factions walked in pairs, symbolising reconciliation; for example, the Duke of York was paired with Queen Margaret.
Clerical influence: Senior churchmen, including Archbishop Thomas Bourchier, promoted the idea of forgiveness and unity.
Royal endorsement: Henry VI supported the event, reinforcing his image as a pious and peace-seeking monarch.
Love-day: A ceremonial occasion of reconciliation between political enemies, emphasising harmony through symbolic gestures rather than resolving underlying disputes.
Reality Beneath the Symbolism
Surface unity: The event temporarily reduced tensions and demonstrated a desire to avoid open conflict.
Persistent hostility: Despite outward shows of friendship, rivalries between Yorkist and Lancastrian nobles remained bitter.
Margaret’s stance: She appeared conciliatory but continued working behind the scenes to marginalise York.
The Love-day was thus more theatrical than practical, a ritual that underscored rather than solved England’s deep political fissures.
The Broader Political Context
The years leading up to 1458 were shaped by recurring crises. Margaret’s regency, the rise of the Neville influence, and the symbolic Love-day must be understood against this backdrop.
Continuing Sources of Division
Legacy of St Albans (1455): The Yorkist victory left enduring grievances, especially among Lancastrians whose leaders had been killed.
Weak royal authority: Henry VI’s inability to arbitrate effectively forced nobles and Margaret herself into political prominence.
Economic discontent: Financial strains from the loss of Normandy and poor governance further destabilised politics.
These factors meant reconciliation, however well-staged, could not permanently contain noble rivalries.
Significance of Margaret’s Regency and the Love-day
The events of 1458 highlight the fragility of peace and the deep-seated nature of factional hostility.
Historical Importance
Precedent of female authority: Margaret’s role demonstrated that, in times of crisis, a queen consort could become a political leader, even if unwelcome to many nobles.
Neville prominence: Their growing influence foreshadowed Warwick’s later pivotal role in the Wars of the Roses.
Failure of reconciliation: The Love-day was significant less for its success than for its failure to prevent renewed conflict by 1459.
Long-Term Impact
Escalation of conflict: Attempts at mediation failed, paving the way for further battles such as Blore Heath (1459) and Ludford Bridge.
Polarisation: Margaret’s intransigence and the Yorkists’ ambitions meant peaceful compromise was virtually impossible.
The Love-day and Margaret’s regency thus serve as crucial turning points, showing both the possibilities and limitations of reconciliation in a kingdom teetering on the edge of civil war.
FAQ
London was chosen because it was politically symbolic and practically central.
The city represented royal authority, commerce, and national visibility.
Holding the procession at St Paul’s Cathedral provided a sacred setting that reinforced the message of reconciliation.
The Crown relied heavily on maintaining stability in London, as unrest in the capital often spilled into wider rebellion.
Contemporary chronicles suggest mixed reactions.
Some citizens welcomed the attempt at peace, as civil conflict threatened trade and daily life. However, scepticism was widespread: many Londoners doubted the sincerity of noble reconciliation, particularly since violence between retinues often broke out in the streets before and after such ceremonies.
The Nevilles were linked to both sides:
Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, leaned towards York.
Other branches, like the Nevilles of Westmorland, had Lancastrian sympathies.
This made them appear ideal mediators, but their split loyalties also created suspicion. Their balancing act could be interpreted as opportunism, undermining lasting trust in peace efforts.
The event was framed in religious terms to emphasise forgiveness and unity.
Clergy, including Archbishop Thomas Bourchier, acted as organisers.
Processions to St Paul’s and public prayers reinforced the sacred duty of reconciliation.
The church’s visible involvement was meant to give the settlement moral weight, even though political rivalries persisted.
The Love-day failed because it addressed symptoms, not causes.
Nobles remained divided over patronage, land disputes, and rival claims to royal favour.
Margaret continued excluding York from meaningful power, undermining reconciliation.
The deaths at St Albans (1455) left blood feuds that symbolic gestures could not heal.
The ceremony smoothed over conflict temporarily but could not prevent renewed warfare by 1459.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Who organised and promoted the Love-day of 1458, and what was its purpose?
Mark scheme:
1 mark for correctly identifying that it was promoted/organised by Henry VI and supported by senior churchmen such as Archbishop Thomas Bourchier.
1 mark for stating its purpose was to reconcile Yorkists and Lancastrians after the violence of St Albans (1455).
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain how Margaret of Anjou’s regency and the influence of the Neville family shaped political divisions in England by 1458.
Mark scheme:
1–2 marks: Basic description with limited detail, e.g. mentions Margaret’s involvement in government or that the Nevilles were powerful nobles.
3–4 marks: Some explanation of Margaret’s assertive role in opposing York, or Warwick’s growing prominence, showing awareness of factional rivalries.
5–6 marks: Clear and developed explanation that covers both Margaret and the Nevilles. Points may include:
Margaret’s attempts to exclude York and protect her son, intensifying divisions.
Warwick’s position as mediator but growing sympathy with York.
The Nevilles’ broad marriage and land-based power allowing them to dominate court politics.
How both Margaret’s regency and Neville influence made reconciliation fragile, even during the Love-day.
