Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Beauchamp
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| 16th Countess of Warwick (suo jure) Countess of Salisbury |
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Drawing of Anne from the Rous Roll, c. 1483
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| Born | Lady Anne Beauchamp 13 July 1426 |
| Died | 20 September 1492 (aged 66) |
| Noble family | Beauchamp |
| Spouse(s) | Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick |
| Issue | Isabel, Duchess of Clarence Anne, Queen of England |
| Father | Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick |
| Mother | Isabel Despenser |
Anne Beauchamp (born July 13, 1426 – died September 20, 1492) was a very important English noblewoman. She lived during the Late Middle Ages, a time of many changes in England. Anne was the daughter of Richard Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick. Her mother was Isabel le Despenser.
Anne Beauchamp became the mother of two famous daughters. Her first daughter was Isabel Neville. Isabel married George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence. Her second daughter was Anne Neville. Anne later became Queen of England. She married King Richard III.
Becoming Countess of Warwick
Anne Beauchamp was born at Caversham Castle in Oxfordshire. In 1436, she married Richard Neville. He was later known as 'the Kingmaker'. At the same time, Anne's brother, Henry, married Richard's sister, Cecily.
Anne's father died in 1439. Her brother Henry died in 1446. Then, Henry's young daughter, Lady Anne, died in 1449. Because of these deaths, Richard Neville inherited the important title of Earl of Warwick. He also gained control of many large estates. He received these through his wife, Anne.
However, Anne's three older half-sisters disagreed with this. They were from her father's first marriage. One of them, Lady Eleanor, was married to Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. There was a long legal fight over the Warwick inheritance. This disagreement made the families of the Nevilles and the Beauforts dislike each other even more.
The law decided that Anne Beauchamp was the rightful heir. She was the full aunt of the last countess. This made her more eligible to inherit than her older half-sisters. Richard Neville managed to keep the Warwick and Despencer lands together.
Her Daughters' Marriages
Anne Beauchamp's elder daughter, Lady Isabel, married George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence. George was the younger brother of King Edward IV of England.
Her younger daughter, Lady Anne, first married Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. He was the only son of King Henry VI. After Edward of Westminster died in the Battle of Tewkesbury, Anne Neville married Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Richard later became King Richard III of England.
Even though their mother, Anne, was still alive, her two sons-in-law fought over her inheritance. To finally get his brother George's agreement, Richard gave up most of the Warwick lands. This included the earldoms of Warwick and Salisbury. He also gave up the important job of Great Chamberlain of England to George.
In 1474, to end the argument, Parliament declared Anne legally dead. This meant her inheritance was then divided between her two daughters. After George was executed in 1478, his son Edward became the Earl of Warwick. Richard's son was called the Earl of Salisbury.
Later Life
Anne Beauchamp lived a quiet life in her later years. She outlived her husband and both of her daughters. She also outlived her sons-in-law, who had taken away most of her lands.
In 1486, she was staying at Beaulieu Abbey. She asked King Henry VII to give her estates back. She did get a small part of her lands back. But she had to agree to give most of them to King Henry VII. Her own family lands, known as the 'Warwick and Spencer lands', then became part of the royal family's property.
Fictional Stories
Anne, Countess of Warwick, appears in several historical novels. She is a main character in the books The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory. In the TV show The White Queen, she is played by Juliet Aubrey. In these stories, she is shown as a very ambitious mother. She is also a strong supporter of her husband.
Other books show her in a different way. The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman shows her more kindly. The Reluctant Queen by Jean Plaidy shows her as a caring mother. Novelist Sandra Worth shows her as her husband's good conscience in her books about the Wars of the Roses. Another book, Wife to the Kingmaker by Sandra Wilson, also shows Anne Beauchamp in a kind way.
