Anne de Mortimer
Encyclopedia
Anne de Mortimer, Countess of Cambridge (27 December 1390 – c. 21 September 1411) was an English
noblewoman in line of succession for the throne of England
. She was the mother of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
, and through him she was the grandmother of English kings Edward IV
and Richard III
, the eldest daughter and child of Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (1373–1398) and Lady Alianore Holland
. She had two younger brothers, Edmund and Roger, and two younger sisters, Eleanor and Alice. She was thus granddaughter of Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster, the daughter of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence
, second (surviving) son of Edward III of England
, and hence represented a Plantagenet line senior to that of her husband or the Lancastrian
kings. It was through her that Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
claimed the throne.
, who was also descended from Edward III through a younger son Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York
.
They had two children:
on 21 September 1411 or shortly after. She was buried in Kings Langley
Church, Hertfordshire
.
to depose Henry V
, Anne's cousin and the reigning king of England, and place her brother, Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March on the throne. (The Earl of March had been the heir presumptive of Richard II
. In 1399 Richard was forced to abdicate in favour of Henry IV, and for the next few decades Mortimer served as a focal point for conspiracies aimed at removing Henry IV and his heirs from the throne). The plot failed and Cambridge was duly executed in August 1415. His then four-year old son, Richard Plantagenet
, ultimately championed his father's cause, which evolved into the Wars of the Roses
and the Yorkist claimants achieving the throne.
The Earl of March was not involved in the Southampton Plot
which, despite its failure, successfully promoted the claim of Anne's descendants, especially the Yorkists, to the throne of England.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
noblewoman in line of succession for the throne of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She was the mother of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
, and through him she was the grandmother of English kings Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
Birth and lineage
Lady Anne was born on 27 December 1390 in New Forest, Westmeath, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the eldest daughter and child of Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (1373–1398) and Lady Alianore Holland
Alianore Holland
Alianore Holland, Countess of March was an English noblewoman, and the wife of Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March the heir presumptive of her half-uncle King Richard II of England, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. She was the mother of Anne Mortimer, and Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March...
. She had two younger brothers, Edmund and Roger, and two younger sisters, Eleanor and Alice. She was thus granddaughter of Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster, the daughter of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence
Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence
Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, jure uxoris 4th Earl of Ulster and 5th Baron of Connaught, KG was the third son, but the second son to survive infancy, of Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
, second (surviving) son of Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
, and hence represented a Plantagenet line senior to that of her husband or the Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
kings. It was through her that Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
claimed the throne.
Marriage and issue
In May 1406, she married Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of CambridgeRichard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge
Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge was the younger son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York and Isabella of Castile....
, who was also descended from Edward III through a younger son Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, 1st Earl of Cambridge, KG was a younger son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, the fourth of the five sons who lived to adulthood, of this Royal couple. Like so many medieval princes, Edmund gained his identifying nickname from his...
.
They had two children:
- Isabel (1409 - 2 October 1484), married Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of EssexHenry Bourchier, 1st Earl of EssexHenry Bourchier, 5th Baron Bourchier, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, KG , was the eldest son of William Bourchier, 1st Count of Eu and Anne of Gloucester...
, by whom she had eleven children. - Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of YorkRichard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of YorkRichard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
(21 September 1411 – 30 December 1460), married in 1429 Cecily Neville, by whom he had thirteen children.
Death in childbirth
It is believed that Anne died giving birth to her son RichardRichard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
on 21 September 1411 or shortly after. She was buried in Kings Langley
Kings Langley
Kings Langley is a historic English village and civil parish northwest of central London on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills and now part of the London commuter belt. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum and the east is in the Three Rivers district, both in the county of...
Church, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.
The Southampton Plot
In 1415 Anne's husband Cambridge plotted with Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of MashamHenry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham
Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham KG was a favourite of King Henry V of England but he was executed for his involvedment in the Southampton Plot.-Biography:...
to depose Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, Anne's cousin and the reigning king of England, and place her brother, Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March on the throne. (The Earl of March had been the heir presumptive of Richard II
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...
. In 1399 Richard was forced to abdicate in favour of Henry IV, and for the next few decades Mortimer served as a focal point for conspiracies aimed at removing Henry IV and his heirs from the throne). The plot failed and Cambridge was duly executed in August 1415. His then four-year old son, Richard Plantagenet
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
, ultimately championed his father's cause, which evolved into the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
and the Yorkist claimants achieving the throne.
The Earl of March was not involved in the Southampton Plot
Southampton Plot
The Southampton Plot of 1415 was a conspiracy against King Henry V of England, aimed at replacing him with Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March. The three alleged ringleaders were Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, Mortimer's brother-in-law; Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham The...
which, despite its failure, successfully promoted the claim of Anne's descendants, especially the Yorkists, to the throne of England.