Devoted Duchess or Devious Witch?
Jacquetta of Luxembourg was at her peak as far as wealth, power and position went. She was the Jackie O of the 14th Century. She was a great influencer, but she put her husband, Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, and her children, one of them being the queen of Edward IV. There will be another post about her, and I’m telling you, she really went through it. Now back Jacquetta.
Jaquetta, like all working what is now called working royals, was a patron of the arts, especially literature. She worked tirelessly, running the castles, doing what was required for her duchy, and estates. She also was involved in the running of the Earldom of Rivers.
When you can’t find anything wrong with a Dutchess who conducts herself as one, you accuse them of witchcraft. Am I wrong?
But again the irony was that a witch (Joan Waterden) testified that she saw Jacquetta with a wax effigy of King Henry VI. She told the court that she saw for herself. Jacquetta was chanting as she stuck pins into the wax doll. Don’t hold candles on the way to church ladies.
Based on that claim, Jacquetta was sent to the Tower for several months before her release. Jacquetta was tried by a commission of bishops and nobles. She was found not guilty of witchcraft, but she was found guilty of treason for supporting her son-in-law, Edward IV. She was sentenced to life in prison, but as before, she was out again in four months.
This deeply affected Jacquetta. Once released, she chose to live in obscurity, unable to leave the castle, she spent the rest of her life caring for her children and grandchildren. Not realizing that she played a major role in creating the monarchy we see today.
Her story is also a reminder of the political power of witchcraft accusations. In Jacquetta’s case, the allegations were likely used to discredit her son-in-law, Edward IV, and remove him from power. Do you think Jacquetta’s life was hard? Her daughter Elizabeth’s life was a true nightmare.
Here are a number of sources I used to learn more about Jacquetta of Luxembourg.
- The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
- Jacquetta of Luxembourg: The Mother of the Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir
- The Lives of the Queens of England by Agnes Strickland
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about Jacquetta of Luxembourg and her witchcraft.