Richard's real intended bride

I'm starting to wonder why people are still discussing Richard's supposed desire to marry Elizabeth or York. Even before Anne's death, his council was pressuring him to marry a foreign bride with impeccable Lancastrian credentials who would also provide a powerful political ally against France. Here is the preferred candidate, who also, conveniently, had a cousin willing to marry Elizabeth of York to provide a second union of the Houses of York and Lancaster:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan,_Princess_of_Portugal

The second candidate was much younger, the eldest daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, also named Isabella, for whom unfortunately, we don't have a decent portrait:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella,_Princess_of_Asturias_%281470%E2%80%931498%29

Richard, who vehemently denied the rumor of poisoning his wife and intending to marry his niece, would have known quite well the folly of such a move and the need for marriage negotiations of the type his council was already arranging, and the negotiators were sent immediately upon the queen's death. It may seem cold-hearted, but Anne herself would have recognized the dynastic and political necessity.

May I recommend Annette Carson's book, "Richard III: The Maligned King," to anyone unfamiliar with these negotiations.

Carol

The planned marriages of Richard to Juana and Elizabeth to Manoel are indeed facts and we have documentary evidence of Brampton being in Portugal on 30 March 1485.
How sad that anyone can believe the unsourced C16 fiction instead.
----- Original Message -----
From: justcarol67
To:
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 11:57 PM
Subject: Richard's real intended bride



I'm starting to wonder why people are still discussing Richard's supposed desire to marry Elizabeth or York. Even before Anne's death, his council was pressuring him to marry a foreign bride with impeccable Lancastrian credentials who would also provide a powerful political ally against France. Here is the preferred candidate, who also, conveniently, had a cousin willing to marry Elizabeth of York to provide a second union of the Houses of York and Lancaster:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan,_Princess_of_Portugal

The second candidate was much younger, the eldest daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, also named Isabella, for whom unfortunately, we don't have a decent portrait:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella,_Princess_of_Asturias_%281470%E2%80%931498%29

Richard, who vehemently denied the rumor of poisoning his wife and intending to marry his niece, would have known quite well the folly of such a move and the need for marriage negotiations of the type his council was already arranging, and the negotiators were sent immediately upon the queen's death. It may seem cold-hearted, but Anne herself would have recognized the dynastic and political necessity.

May I recommend Annette Carson's book, "Richard III: The Maligned King," to anyone unfamiliar with these negotiations.

Carol