Page "Margaret of York" Paragraph 5

By 1467, the situation had changed again.

Philip the Good had died, and Charles the Bold had become Duke of Burgundy.

Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, had turned against Edward IV, and was plotting against him with French support.

Edward in such circumstances needed the support of Charles, and provided no further obstacles to the marriage negotiations, formally agreeing to it in October 1467.

Negotiations between the Duke's mother, Isabel, and the King of England's brothers-in-law, Lords Scales and Rivers, then proceeded between December 1467 and June 1468.

During this time, Louis XI did all he could to prevent the marriage, demanding that the Pope refuse to give a dispensation for the marriage ( the pair were cousins in the fourth degree ), promising trade favours to the English, undermining Edward's credit with the international bankers to prevent him being able to pay for Margaret's dowry, encouraging a Lancastrian invasion of Wales, and slandering Margaret, claiming that she was not a virgin and had borne a bastard son.

He was ignored, however, a dispensation was secured after Burgundian bribes secured Papal acquiescence, and a complex agreement was drawn up between England and Burgundy, covering mutual defence, trade, currency exchange, fishing rights and freedom of travel, all based on the marriage between the Duke and Margaret.

By the terms of the marriage contract, Margaret retained her rights to the English throne, and her dowry was promised to Burgundy even if she died within the first year ( often, the dowry would return to the bride's family under such circumstances ).

For his own part, Charles dowered Margaret with the cities of Mechelen, Oudenaarde and Dendermonde.