On 20 February 1447 Humphrey Duke of Gloucester was arrested. He was taken into custody, where he died in suspicious circumstances on 23 February.
Good Duke Humphrey
Duke Humphrey, the King’s uncle, was a hugely popular figure with the general population, and he was a constant thorn in the side of two of the most powerful men in the Council: Cardinal Beaufort and the Duke of Suffolk.
They clashed over the direction of the campaigns in France. Another source of conflict was Beaufort being a senior representative of both the King and the Church.
Eleanor Cobham
In 1441 Humphrey was forced to take a back seat in national politics. His wife, Eleanor Cobham, was found guilty of necromancy. The scandal was too damaging to his reputation, and so he avoided court.
Humphrey challenged the Duke of Suffolk
In 1447 the Duke of Suffolk had a policy in France that was incredibly unpopular. Civil unrest was on the rise, and the people were whispering of a return of ‘Good Duke Humphrey’ to lead a challenge on Suffolk.
A Parliament was called for February 1447. As Humphrey approached Bury St. Edmunds, where Parliament was being held, he was met with a message commanding him to go straight to his lodgings and stay there.
Arrest of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester
Shortly after, Viscount Beaumont, the Duke of Buckingham, the Marquis of Somerset, Earl of Salisbury, and Lord Sudeley arrived at his lodgings. They arrested Humphrey on a charge of treason and imprisoned him. He died in custody days later so the full nature of the charge can only be assumed. It was possibly a conspiracy charge of planning uprisings against Suffolk, perhaps with additional charges of wishing to overthrow the King in his own favour.
Featured Image
Humphrey Duke of Gloucester in the frontispiece of the Talbot Shrewsbury Book, 1445