Anne of Gloucester
A Plantagenet heiress whose inheritance and strategic marriages shaped the power struggles of 15th-century England.
1383–1438 (age 55)·Countess of Stafford·Birthday: April 30
Biography
Born into the turbulent final decades of the Plantagenet dynasty, Anne of Gloucester was a woman whose life was defined by inheritance and alliance. As the sole surviving child of Thomas of Woodstock, youngest son of King Edward III, she carried a significant portion of the royal bloodline and its attendant wealth. Her first marriage, to Thomas Stafford, 3rd Earl of Stafford, embedded her in the English nobility, but his early death shifted her fate. She subsequently married his brother, Edmund Stafford, and later, William Bourchier, Count of Eu, each union a calculated move to consolidate and protect her vast estates. Through her children, she became the matriarch of several powerful noble lines, including the dukes of Buckingham. Her life unfolded against the backdrop of the Hundred Years' War and the domestic unrest that would erupt into the Wars of the Roses, with her descendants playing pivotal and often fatal roles in those conflicts.
#1 When Anne Was Born
The biggest hits of 1383
Anne's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1383Born
1388Started school
1396Became a teenager
1399Could drive
1401Could vote
1404Turned 21
1413Turned 30
1423Turned 40
1433Turned 50
1438Died at 55
Key Achievements
- Became the sole heiress of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, concentrating a major Plantagenet inheritance.
- Through her marriages, she linked the royal bloodline to the powerful Stafford and Bourchier families.
- Was the grandmother of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, a key figure in the Wars of the Roses.
- Her descendants through multiple lines held significant titles and influence for generations in England.
Did You Know?
She was a great-granddaughter of King Edward III of England.
She was married three times, twice to brothers from the Stafford family.
One of her direct descendants was Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, who rebelled against King Richard III.
“My father's lands and titles are mine by right, and I will hold them.”
