Unfortunately, her younger brother Edward became a focus for those seeking an alternative claim as he was the only legitimate male Plantagenet heir to the throne. The new Tudor king was already grappling with insurrection and attempted invasions, and Edward was executed in 1499, just prior to Katherine of Aragon’s arrival in England, in what was deemed a necessary act to secure the Tudor throne. Margaret wisely remained silent.
Richard Pole first served as Lord Chamberlain for Prince Arthur, and Margaret served as lady-in-waiting to the young princess, Katherine, as trusted members of the court and the fortunes of their four sons, Henry, Arthur, Reginald and Geoffrey, and daughter, Ursula, showed every promise. With Arthur’s death in 1502, Katherine’s household was dissolved, and Margaret lost her position. Her fortunes waned further when her husband died just three years later, leaving her with five children and very little else. On the brink of ruin, Margaret took lodgings at Syon Abbey, possibly with her two youngest children. Her eldest son, Henry, was made a royal ward, while Reginald was destined for a life in the Church.
But these noble families were never entirely without resources, and with the ascension of Henry VIII, the Poles enjoyed a swift return to wealth and prestige. Margaret returned to serve Queen Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII granted her a hereditary title, Countess of Salisbury, which made Margaret one of the wealthiest peers in the country. Her eldest son, Henry, was created Baron Montagu and Arthur would serve as one of six Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber, until his death in 1526.
Henry VIII was especially fond of Reginald and, after the latter graduated from Oxford University, Henry heaped ecclesiastical rewards on him, despite the fact that Reginald was not yet ordained as a priest. Henry went on to fund his cousin’s matriculation at the University of Padua, a beneficence he would later come to regret.
After 20 years of marriage, Henry’s determination to divorce Katherine had far-reaching effects. The loyalties of many noble families, particularly the Poles, lay with Katherine. Henry must have recognized that his relationship with Anne Boleyn was unpopular and so he tried to bribe Reginald to gain his support, offering him the lucrative Archbishopric of York and the Diocese of Winchester. But Pole rebuffed him and returned to Europe, dividing his time between Italy and France. In The Mirror and the Light, Cromwell gives a rather acerbic appraisal of Reginald: ‘The plain exterior gives no idea of the elaborate, useless nature of his mind, with its little shelves and niches for scruples and doubts.’ Reginald had many grave doubts about his royal cousin, from his divorce to his title of Supreme Head of the Church. He was under the illusion that he could publicly criticize and attack Henry while remaining out of reach – but his family were not.
T
HE
C
OURTENAYS
While the family could trace their roots to France, unlike so many others, the Courtenays did not come to England following the Norman invasion; their story is rather less glorious. In the 12th century, Reginald de Courtenay quarrelled with the French king, Louis VII, and was forced to flee to England. He left behind several members of his family, including his daughter, who was promptly married, along with her family titles, to the king’s younger brother, Peter, who became Peter I of Courtenay. The family was now divided in two, with both branches connected to their respective crowns. Successive generations of Courtenays built on the family foundations, earning titles, wealth and status for their military prowess. They became an integral part of the royal fabric, with Sir Hugh Courtenay esteemed as one of the founding members of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, firmly establishing the family as part of England’s noble elite.
By the 15th century, there were two main branches of Courtenays derived from the two sons of Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon, the eldest – and heir – Hugh Courtenay, and his younger brother, Philip. The latter formed what was known as a cadet line, and Cromwell would work well with William Courtenay, one of his descendants. With marriage still the best route to power, a marriage was arranged between William’s widowed daughter-in-law Catherine St Leger, a cousin of Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell’s nephew, Richard, which Anne objected to. Cromwell’s relationship with the main branch of Courtenays, however, could not have been more different.
This line, descended from Hugh Courtenay, was considered one of the most noble and influential families in the country and, like the Poles, they could point to a very special royal lineage when, early on, William Courtenay married Catherine of York, the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. His son, Henry Courtenay, was a close childhood friend and cousin of the future Henry VIII, who appointed him as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, and he also held a position on the Privy Council. Henry was an ideal companion for the young King Henry – both were athletic and physically fit. The two young men were inseparable, and Henry indulged his cousin with the traditional hereditary titles and positions which had previously belonged to the family, such as High Steward of the Duchy of Cornwall. But the pinnacle of Courtenay’s career came with his elevation as Earl of Devon, and Marquess of Exeter, re-establishing the titles of his forebears.
Courtenay was highly influential at court, and though the family publicly supported the regime – even when it came to the dangerous matters of the Oath of Succession and the Act of Supremacy – they despised Thomas Cromwell, and he them. Courtenay and his wife, Gertrude, were close to Katherine of Aragon, taking her side in the divorce matter. They made clear their distaste for Anne by refusing to attend her coronation. Henry was furious and demanded proof of loyalty by choosing Gertrude as godmother to Anne’s daughter, Princess Elizabeth. But it was a poor choice.
Privately the Courtenays regarded Mary as the true heir to the throne, and
