There's no evidence whatsoever (unless you count the movie Braveheart as
evidence) that any of Isabella's four children were fathered by anyone other
than Edward II. The couple were together at the necessary times; and Edward II
acted in all respects as if the children were his, giving Isabella gifts,
rewarding the messengers who brought him news of the children's births, and
coddling Isabella during her pregnancies. Isabella didn't begin her relationship
with Roger Mortimer until after the last of the children were born. Edward II
was sufficiently interested in women to father an illegitimate child, Adam,
probably before his marriage to Isabella. You might want to check out Kathryn
Warner's excellent blog on the subject of Edward II and the various myths
surrounding him.

http://edwardthesecond.blogspot.com/

As for Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI was sane at the time of the conception, and
the couple were together at Greenwich at the time Edward of Lancaster would have
been conceived. Henry VI gave an annunity to the man who brought him news of
Margaret's pregnancy, bought her an expensive girdle known as a "demicent"
during her pregnancy, and gave her a generous grant of land. A letter in the
Paston collection indicates that after his recovery from madness, he expressed
pleasure (not surprise) in learning of the birth of his son:

January 9, 1455.

Right welbeloved cosyn,—I recomaund me to you, latyng you wite such tidings
as we have.

Blessed be God, the King is wel amended, and hath ben syn Cristemesday, and
on Seint Jones day comaunded his awmener to ride to Caunterbury with his
offryng, and comaunded the secretarie to offre at Seint Edwards.

And on the Moneday after noon the Queen came to him, and brought my Lord
Prynce with her. And then he askid what the Princes name was, and the Queen told
him Edward; and then he hild up his hands and thankid God therof. And he seid he
never knew til that tyme, nor wist not what was seid to him, nor wist not where
he had be, whils he hath be seke til now.

And he askid who was godfaders, and the Queen told him, and he was
well apaid.

. . .

And my Lord of Wynchestr and my Lord of Seint Jones were with him on the
morrow after Tweltheday, and he speke to hem as well as ever he did; and when
thei come out thei wept for joye. And he seith he is in charitee with all the
world, and so he wold all tho Lords were. And now he seith matyns of Our Lady
and evesong, and herith his Masse devoutly . . .

As for the old story that Henry VI, unable to comprehend how he could have been
the father of Margaret's child, declared that it must be the work of the Holy
Spirit, this tale comes from a dispatch on March 27, 1461, from Prospero di
Camulio, Milanese Ambassador in France, to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan.
Writing from Brussels about the latest English news, Camulio reported that it
was being "said that the King of England had resigned his crown in favour of his
son, although they say his Majesty remarked at another time, that he must be the
son of the Holy Spirit, etc." What writers who latch onto this statement almost
never quote is the rest of Camulio's sentence: "but these may only be the words
of common fanatics, such as they have at present in that island." Certainly the
timing of this gossip, circulating just a few weeks after Edward IV had taken
the throne—and more than seven years after Edward of Lancaster's birth—should
make us suspicious, as it did Camulio. Incidentally, on March 15, 1461, Prospero
di Camulio had also passed along the rumor that Margaret of Anjou had poisoned
Henry VI, who in fact was very much alive.

You might want to read Helen Maurer's book about Margaret, and especially the
chapter in which she discusses the various rumors about Edward of Lancaster's
parentage.

Susan Higginbotham


--- In richardiiisocietyforum@yahoogroups.com, "vermeertwo" <hi.dung@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> For those familiar with the affairs of Katherine Howard while married to Henry
VIII, as illustrated by the Tudors: soft pornography wrapped up in historical
clothing, it does beg the question whether some queens gave birth to children
who didn't belong to the King?
>
> Candidates for being cuckolded would be:
>
> the apparently gay Edward II
>
> And the often mad Henry VI.
>
> Both Isabella and Margaret of Anjou seemed fiery type females who may well
have `dumped' their inadequate husbands.
>
> Isabella seems to have been instrumental in the cruel death of Edward II and
Henry VI seems to have been surprised that Margaret gave birth to a son.
>
> We know that kings like Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VIII had
extra-marital or out of marriage relationships, so why not the Queens?
>
>
> `Mother's baby, Father's maybe?'
>