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Margaret of York ( May 3, 1446 - November 23, 1503) was the sister of Edward IV of England and wife of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. She was born at Fotheringay Castle, Northamptonshire, and died at Mechelen near Antwerp, Belgium. William Caxton, who introduced the new art of printing into England, was a staunch Yorkist, who counted Margaret as one of his patrons. The single surviving copy of The Recuyell of the Histories of Troy, his first English book, has a specially made engraving showing Caxton presenting the book to Margaret. The volume is now in the Huntington Library, San Marion, California.
Her marriage to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy at Bruges, July 9, 1468, was a dynastic marriage that was long delayed by Charles' enemy, Louis XI of France, who entertained alternate matches for each of the partners with the royal senior line of Valois. Extravagant even by the standards of the most extravagant and cultured European court of its day, the celebrations surrounding the marriage constituted one of the undisputed pinnacles of display in the history of the court of Burgundy. Included in the wedding celebrations was the Tournament of the Golden Tree. The tournament was arranged around an elaborately detailed allegoryAn allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos "other", and αγορευειν, agoreuein "to speak in public") is a figurative representation conveying a meaning other than and in ad, designed to honor Margaret.
Margaret wore a beautiful coronet (now in the treasury of Aachen CathedralThe Aachen Cathedral frequently referred to as the "Imperial Cathedral" (in German: Kaiserdom of Aachen, is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. Charlemagne began the construction of the Palace Chapel in 786. When he died in 814, he was buried in his). trimmed with pearls and decorated with precious stones, and enamelled white roses for York between red, green and white enamelled letters of her name, with gold Cs and Ms, entwined with lovers' knots.
The parades, the streets lined with tapestry hung from houses, the feasting, the masques and allegorical entertainments, the jewels, impressed all observers as the marriage of the century. It is annually reenacted today at Bruges for tourists.
Later, following the deaths of her brothers, Edward IV and Richard III of EnglandRichard III ( October 2, 1452 August 22, 1485) was the King of England from 1483 until his death and the last king from the House of York. After the death of his brother Edward IV, Richard briefly governed as a regent for Edward's son Edward V, but he imp, Margaret as Dowager Duchess of Burgundy became a staunch supporter of anyone who challenged Henry VIIHenry VII ( January 28, 1457 April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland ( August 22, 1485 April 21, 1509), was the founder of the Tudor dynasty and is generally acknowledged as one of England's most successful kings. King of England, Lord of Irelan's hold on the throne of England, including Lambert SimnelLambert Simnel circa 1477 circa 1534) was a child pretender to the throne of England. Together with Perkin Warbeck, he was one of two impostors who threatened the rule of Henry VII of England (reigned 1485 1509) during the last decade of the 15th century. and Perkin WarbeckPerkin Warbeck (c. 1474 November 23 1499) was a pretender to the English throne during the reign of King Henry VII of England. He was an impostor, a Fleming born in Tournai in about 1474. He pretended to be Richard, Duke of York, the younger son of King E. Although Warbeck was undoubtedly an impostor, Margaret acknowledged him as her nephew, Richard, Duke of YorkThis article is about Richard, Duke of York, son of King Edward IV who was imprisoned in the Tower of London. For the article about Edward IV's father see Richard, Duke of York. Richard, Duke of York ( August 17, 1473 1483?) was the second son of Edward I.
Of the many splendid manuscripts commissioned by Margaret as Duchess of Burgundy, the richest, most powerful and stylish Duchess of Europe, pride of place goes to the illuminated Visions of Tondal illuminated by Simon Marmion (now at the Getty Museum; a facsimile has been published).
