Agnes de Launcekrona
Encyclopedia
Agnes de Launcekrona, was the Czech Lady of the Bedchamber
to Queen consort Anne of Bohemia
who became the second wife of Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, a favourite
of King Richard II of England
.
. 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, Gloucester, 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.
By this time, de Vere had made many enemies amongst the nobles who resented the high favour in which de Vere was held by the King. In point of fact, it was his close relationship to King Richard which was the catalyst for the formation of the Lords Appellant
which was an organised group of noblemen who seized political control of the kingdom from King Richard. In the same year of his marriage to Agnes, de Vere led royal forces against the Lords Appellant but the former were defeated at Radcot Bridge
on 20 December 1387, and de Vere, after escaping by leaping into the river on horseback and galloping away on the other side, made his way to London. He was forced into exile by Parliament
in 1388 and went to live in Louvain
, Brabant
. Robert de Vere was subsequently declared a traitor, and his honours and properties were forfeited.
Agnes never held the titles of Countess of Oxford or Duchess of Ireland, as Philippa continued to use those titles after the divorce. Pope Urban VI declared de Vere's divorce to Philippa invalid on 17 October 1389. It is likely that Agnes returned to Bohemia
instead of having accompanied her husband into exile in Brabant.
In 1392, Robert de Vere died of the injuries he had sustained during a boar hunt. He was succeeded as Earl of Oxford by his uncle, Aubrey de Vere
, as neither of his two marriages had produced children.
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
to Queen consort Anne of Bohemia
Anne of Bohemia
Anne of Bohemia was Queen of England as the first wife of King Richard II. A member of the House of Luxembourg, she was the eldest daughter of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and Elizabeth of Pomerania....
who became the second wife of Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, a favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
of King Richard II of England
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
.
Origins
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.Marriage to the Earl of Oxford
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 PomeraniaElizabeth of Pomerania
Elizabeth of Pomerania was the fourth and final wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia. Her parents were Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Elizabeth of Poland,...
. 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
Philippa de Coucy
Philippa de Coucy, Countess of Oxford, Duchess of Ireland was a first cousin of King Richard II of England and the wife of his favourite, Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford, Marquess of Dublin, Duke of Ireland....
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
Isabella de Coucy
Isabella of England, also known as Dame Isabella de Coucy , was the eldest daughter of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault and the wife of Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy, by whom she had two daughters.She was made a Lady of the Garter in 1376.-Early years:Isabella was the royal...
. Her royal uncles, the Dukes of Lancaster, Gloucester, 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
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
.
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
Pope Urban VI
Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...
, 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.
By this time, de Vere had made many enemies amongst the nobles who resented the high favour in which de Vere was held by the King. In point of fact, it was his close relationship to King Richard which was the catalyst for the formation of the Lords Appellant
Lords Appellant
The Lords Appellant were a group of nobles in the reign of King Richard II who sought to impeach some five of the King's favourites in order to restrain what was seen as tyrannical and capricious rule. The word appellant simply means '[one who is] appealing [in a legal sense]'...
which was an organised group of noblemen who seized political control of the kingdom from King Richard. In the same year of his marriage to Agnes, de Vere led royal forces against the Lords Appellant but the former were defeated at Radcot Bridge
Radcot Bridge
Radcot Bridge is a crossing of the River Thames in England, south of Radcot, Oxfordshire and not far north of Faringdon, Oxfordshire . It carries the A4095 road across the river on the reach above Radcot Lock...
on 20 December 1387, and de Vere, after escaping by leaping into the river on horseback and galloping away on the other side, made his way to London. He was forced into exile by Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
in 1388 and went to live in Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
. Robert de Vere was subsequently declared a traitor, and his honours and properties were forfeited.
Agnes never held the titles of Countess of Oxford or Duchess of Ireland, as Philippa continued to use those titles after the divorce. Pope Urban VI declared de Vere's divorce to Philippa invalid on 17 October 1389. It is likely that Agnes returned to Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
instead of having accompanied her husband into exile in Brabant.
In 1392, Robert de Vere died of the injuries he had sustained during a boar hunt. He was succeeded as Earl of Oxford by his uncle, Aubrey de Vere
Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford
Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford was the second son of John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford and Maud de Badlesmere, daughter of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Lord Badlesmere....
, as neither of his two marriages had produced children.
Works cited
- Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Earls of Oxford
- Thomas B. Costain, The Last Plantagenets, Popular Library, New York, 1962
- Barbara W. Tuchman, A Distant Mirror, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1978
- Linda Clark, Authority and Subversion, Google Books, retrieved 6 November 2009