The power behind Henry’s throne

Lauren Johnson’s article (Henry V’s Fatal Legacy, September) was of timely interest to me. I’m currently reading Alison Weir’s Lancaster & York, and recently reached the point at which Henry VI’s sad reign is about to come to its second and final end. Henry is a fascinating character: pious but occasionally vindictive, and eschewing war at a time when it was seen as a fundamental of kingship.

What is most fascinating about Henry VI is not that he was overthrown but the lengths to which people went to restore his crown, and for how long they did so. This man – so clearly unfit to be king – was the beneficiary of countless plots and coups intended to put him back on the throne, even when he had lost all strongholds and possessed no army or money.

His wife, the irrepressible Margaret of Anjou, must be regarded as one of the strongest, most determined and most powerful queens that this country ever had. The lengths that she went to in order protect the rights of her husband and son are beyond impressive.

The story of her attempts to achieve Henry’s restoration during his years of exile and hiding are worthy of greater awareness. These included negotiations with figures such as the French king, the dukes of Burgundy and even the Earl of Warwick, her greatest enemy apart from Edward IV. She was a true proponent of the saying: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

She was relentless in her drive and belief that she could overcome the odds and permanently restore Henry – and in 1470, she nearly achieved it.

Richard Cole, Whitley Bay