March 4th 1471: Burgundian Concerns
Charles Duke of Burgundy in the robes of the Order of the Golden Fleece
(from a manuscript in the British Library)
Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy had inherited lands along the borders between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire. His predecessors had expanded what was originally a county of France to include Flanders and his ambition was to expand further and create a Kingdom of his own. In France he was known as Charles le téméraire, which translates as “the Rash”, which maybe better describes his temperament. Louis XI, his cousin, was intent on removing the danger on his Eastern border.
Charles’ mother was Isabella of Portugal, daughter of Phillipa of Lancaster, John of Gaunt’s daughter. His sympathies were therefore with the Lancastrians, though he lived in a world of Realpolitik and alliances were dependent upon the objectives of the day, which were usually expanding his empire or second-guessing Louis XI.
On the death of his wife, Isabella of Bourbon, he married Edward IV’s sister, Margaret of York in a ceremony in Bruges which eclipsed most king’s weddings. The fountains flowed with wine.
Philip de Comyns explained the position:
I have formerly mentioned the reasons that prevailed with the Duke of Burgundy to marry the sister of Edward, King of England, and it was principally to strengthen his alliance against the King of France ; otherwise he would never have done it, for the love he bore to the house of Lancaster, to which he was allied by his mother, who was Infanta of Portugal, but her mother was the Duke of Lancaster's daughter; wherefore his kindness for the house of Lancaster was as great as his hatred to that of York.
Burgundy also provided a refuge for fleeing Lancastrians. The Duke of Exeter and the Duke of Somerset both fled there after Edward took the throne in 1461, living in somewhat reduced circumstances but fighting Burgundian battles as part of the Burgundian army.
Those that survived were fugitives, and lived in the Duke of Burgundy's court; all of them young gentlemen (whose fathers had been slain in England) whom the Duke of Burgundy had generously entertained before this marriage, as his relations of the house of Lancaster. Some of them were reduced to such extremity of want and poverty before the Duke of Burgundy received them, that no common beggar could have been poorer. I saw one of them, who was Duke of Exeter (but he concealed his name), following the Duke of Burgundy's train bare-foot and bare-legged, begging his bread from door to door. This person was the next of the house of Lancaster; he had married King Edward's sister [Anne], and being afterwards known, had a small pension allowed him for his subsistence. There were also some of the family of the Somersets, and several others.
Edward’s arrival in the Burgundian lands was very unwelcome, and it took a long time for Charles to receive him. However, his mind was made up when he heard that King Louis of France had sided with Warwick and the Lancastrians, adding to the external threats to Burgundy.