Agnes de Launcekrona
| Agnes de Launcekrona | |
|---|---|
| Born | Unknown Bohemia |
| Died | Unknown |
| Known for |
Lady of the Bedchamber to Anne of Bohemia, Queen consort of England Second wife of Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford |
| Spouse(s) | Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, Marquess of Dublin, Duke of Ireland |
Agnes de Launcekrona was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen consort Anne of Bohemia (1366 – 1394). She became the second wife of Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, a favourite of King Richard II of England.
Nothing is known about the origins of Agnes. She is often described as having been a landgravine or landgravissa; however, the rumours that she was the daughter of a Flemish saddler can be dismissed because she was a Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen consort of England.
Agnes accompanied Anne of Bohemia, the future consort of King Richard II to England in December 1381. She served in the capacity of Lady of the Bedchamber, and was also the custodian of the jewels and valuables given to Queen Anne by her mother, Elizabeth of Pomerania. Anne was duly married to King Richard and crowned Queen consort on 22 January 1382. On an unknown date, Agnes caught the eye of the King's favourite, Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, Marquess of Dublin, Duke of Ireland. She has been described as "dark and lively, with a foreign kind of prettiness". She became de Vere's mistress, and then in 1387, he repudiated and subsequently divorced his wife, Philippa de Coucy and promptly married Agnes. This created a scandal throughout the kingdom, especially as Philippa was the first cousin of the King, being the youngest daughter of his aunt, Isabella of England. Her royal uncles, the Dukes of Lancaster, , and York were especially angered. Even his own mother, Maud de Ufford took Philippa's side against her son, saying that she held Philippa "more dear than if she had been her own daughter", and cursed Robert for his actions. She took Philippa into her own household, while Robert brought Agnes to live with him in Chester.
As for Queen Anne's reaction to the scandalous conduct of her Lady of the Bedchamber, there are two versions. The first is that the Queen disapproved of de Vere's repudiation of his highborn wife to marry her Lady of the Bedchamber. The second version is that Queen Anne, through genuine fondness for Agnes, wrote to the Pope, urging him to grant the divorce. The latter story was circulated throughout England, with the result that Anne lost some of the popularity she had previously enjoyed. The divorce was granted to de Vere upon false evidence which he had submitted to the Pope. It was his love for Agnes that had kept de Vere from taking up his duties in Ireland where there was rebellion, which he had been given regal powers to quell.
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