Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby
| Lady Margaret Beaufort | |
|---|---|
Lady Margaret Beaufort at prayer.
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| Born | 31 May 1441/1443 Bletsoe Castle, Bedfordshire, England |
| Died | 29 June 1509 (aged 68 or 66) London, England |
| Burial place | Henry VII Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey |
| Title | Countess of Richmond and Derby |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Henry VII of England |
| Parent(s) | |
Lady Margaret Beaufort (usually pronounced: /ˈboʊfərt/, BOH-fərt; or /ˈbjuːfərt/, BEW-fərt), later Countess of Richmond and Derby (31 May 1441/1443 – 29 June 1509), was the mother of King Henry VII and paternal grandmother of King Henry VIII of England.
She was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses and an influential matriarch of the House of Tudor. She is credited with the establishment of two prominent Cambridge colleges, founding Christ's College in 1505 and beginning the development of St John's College, which was completed posthumously by her executors in 1511.
She was the daughter and sole heiress of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (1403-1444), KG (a great-grandson of King Edward III through his third surviving son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster) by his wife Margaret Beauchamp, daughter of Sir John Beauchamp, de jure 3rd Baron Beauchamp of Bletsoe, Bedfordshire. Margaret was born at Bletsoe Castle, Bedfordshire, on 31 May 1441 or 1443. The day and month are not disputed, as she required Westminster Abbey to celebrate her birthday on 31 May. The year of her birth is more uncertain. William Dugdale, the 17th-century antiquary, suggested that she may have been born in 1441, based on evidence of inquisitions post mortem taken after the death of her father. Dugdale has been followed by a number of Margaret's biographers; however, it is more likely that she was born in 1443, as in May 1443 her father had negotiated with the king concerning the wardship of his unborn child should he die on campaign.
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