Cicely Duchess of York

If Cecily was involved in Richard's bid for the throne, could it be
because, like Eleanor of Aquitaine after her son Richard's death,
she preferred an adult son as king to defending the rights of a
grandson who was a minor? A son might be more under her influence
than a grandson ruled by his mother's family (Eleanor didn't seem to
like her daughter-in-law Constance much either).

--- In , "susannewoodman"
<woodmans@b...> wrote:
> If Cecily was involved in Richard's bid for the throne, could it
be
> because, like Eleanor of Aquitaine after her son Richard's death,
> she preferred an adult son as king to defending the rights of a
> grandson who was a minor? A son might be more under her influence
> than a grandson ruled by his mother's family (Eleanor didn't seem
to
> like her daughter-in-law Constance much either).

It is always a possibility, of course. She must have been aware of
the vulnerability of a minority especially one with rivals claimants
lurking abroad. Re Cecily I keep finding myself coming back to the
issue of her adultery, and the fact that if Richard had accused her
of it in 1483 unjustly what would she be doing supporting him later?
Is the forgiving type? I doubt it, she would have had to be a saint
to forgive that one were there no truth in it. I would imagine that
her own sin, Edward's dodgy wedding, the nature of the Woodvilles
and the worries over a minority all played their part in her
decision to back Richard. Besides, there is always the outside
possibility that she liked him..... ;-)
B