William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke facts for kids

William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (5 March 1451 – 16 July 1491) was an important English nobleman and a leader in politics during his time.

Early Life and Family Connections

William Herbert was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Devereux. His family had strong connections in Wales. His grandparents included William ap Thomas and Gwladys, who was the daughter of Dafydd Gam. On his mother's side, his grandparents were Walter Devereux, who was a top legal official in Ireland called the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and Elizabeth Merbury.

Losing and Gaining Titles

William became the Earl of Pembroke in 1469 after his father passed away. An "earldom" is a title of nobility, and it often comes with land and power.

However, in 1479, King Edward IV made William give up his title as Earl of Pembroke. The king wanted to give this important title and the lands in Wales to his own son, who would later become Edward V. To make up for this, King Edward IV gave William a new title: Earl of Huntingdon. This new title came with lands in the south-west of England, which meant William's family influence moved away from Wales.

William was a supporter of the House of York, one of the main families fighting for the English throne. He married Mary Woodville, who was the sister of Queen Elizabeth Woodville. They had one daughter named Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert.

Loyalty and New Roles

William Herbert stayed loyal to King Richard III. After a major uprising in 1483, William was given the job of Chief Justice of South Wales. This was a very important legal position that had belonged to the Duke of Buckingham.

In 1484, William married his second wife, Katherine. She was a daughter of King Richard III. After this marriage, William received an extra £1,000 a year, which almost doubled his income. Katherine is thought to have died by 1487. This is because when William attended the crowning of Elizabeth of York, who was his first wife's niece, records show he was a widower (meaning his wife had died).

When Henry of Richmond (who later became King Henry VII) landed in south Wales in 1485, William Herbert's strong position in the area forced Henry to take a longer, indirect route into England. It is likely that someone working for William Herbert was the first to tell King Richard III that Henry had landed. However, William Herbert did not fight in the famous Battle of Bosworth Field, where Henry of Richmond won the throne.

The End of His Life

When William Herbert died, his only child, Elizabeth Herbert, inherited the family lands, including Raglan Castle. However, she did not get his title as Earl of Huntingdon. His earldom also did not pass to his younger brother, Walter Herbert. This was because the title had already been taken back by the Crown (the king).

The title of Earl of Pembroke was given to the Herbert family again in 1551. This time, it went to William's nephew, Sir William Herbert. Sir William was the son of Sir Richard Herbert, who was a half-brother to William Herbert. The Herbert family still holds the earldom of Pembroke today.