Constance of York
| Constance of York | |
|---|---|
| Baroness le Despencer Countess of Gloucester |
|
| Born |
c. 1374 Conisburgh Castle, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 28 November 1416 (aged 41–42) Reading Abbey, Berkshire, England |
| Spouse | Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester |
| Issue |
Richard le Despenser, 4th Baron Burghersh Elizabeth le Despenser Isabel le Despenser, Countess of Worcester and Warwick |
| House | York |
| Father | Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York |
| Mother | Isabella of Castile |
Constance of York, Countess of Gloucester, (c. 1374 – 28 November 1416) was the only daughter of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York and his wife Isabella of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile and his favourite mistress, María de Padilla.
Constance was born about 1374, the only daughter of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and his wife, Isabella of Castile, the youngest daughter of King Peter of Castile and his favourite mistress, María de Padilla.
Shortly before 7 November 1379, Constance married Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester. Despenser was created Earl of Gloucester by King Richard II on 29 September 1397, but after Richard's deposition and the accession of King Henry IV some of his lands were seized and he was degraded from the earldom. In consequence in late December 1399 he and others joined in a plot, known as the Epiphany Rising, to assassinate King Henry and restore King Richard to the throne. According to a French chronicle the plot was betrayed to the King by Constance's brother, Edward; however contemporary English chronicles make no mention of Edward's alleged role. Gloucester escaped immediate capture, but was eventually turned in to the authorities at Bristol, where he was beheaded on 16 January 1400. After her husband's death, Constance was granted a life interest in the greater part of his lands and custody of her son.
In February 1405, during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr, Constance herself instigated a plot to abduct the young Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, and his brother, Roger Mortimer, from Windsor Castle, apparently intending to deliver the young Earl, who had the best claim to the throne of any of Henry IV's rivals, to his uncle Sir Edmund Mortimer, who was married to Glyndwr's daughter. The young Edmund Mortimer and his brother were recaptured before entering Wales. Constance implicated her elder brother, Edward, in the plot, as a result of which he was imprisoned for 17 weeks at Pevensey Castle, but was eventually restored to Henry IV's favour. When Constance died in 1416, she was buried at the High Altar in Reading Abbey.
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