alternatehistory.com

Let's say that Margaret Beaufort is born male and named John* Beaufort while his father John Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset still dies on schedule in 1444.

In the OTL, the title Duke of Somerset was entailed to the male line and passed to her uncle Edmund Beaufort, but Margaret inherited the majority of the estates and thus became one of the wealthiest heiresses in England. Edmund Beaufort received one of the most prestigious titles in England but a paltry annual income of 300 pounds, by contrast his rival the Duke of York had an annual income of 5,800 pounds. HVI tried to compensate Edmund Beaufort with offices worth an annual income of 3,000 pounds much to the irritation of nobles like the Duke of York. Edmund Beaufort replaced the Duke of York as commander of France in 1448 and by 1450 nearly all of the English possessions in Northern France were lost. Perhaps Edmund Beaufort continued to be paid by the crown who nearly owed the Duke of York 40,000 pounds. Despite his massive military failures in France, by 1451 most of the power and influence over HVI lay with Edmund Beaufort while parties like York were marginalized. But when HVI had his breakdown York became Protector and Beaufort was subsequently jailed in the Tower.

So if the Somerset title and estates are kept together and pass to John* Beaufort, does Edmund Beaufort still have the stature to be given these offices and do HVI and Margaret of Anjou still continue to rely on him to govern? What happens to English possessions in France? Are the War of the Roses delayed by a few years or might this even butterfly them away?
Top