Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1473-1541), Noblewoman

Sitter associated with 2 portraits
The niece of both Edward IV and Richard III, Margaret Pole was one of the last surviving members of the House of York. A devout Roman Catholic, she was a member of Catherine of Aragon's household and governess to Princess Mary (later Mary I). The pro-papal activities of her son Reginald (later cardinal) gave Henry VIII an excuse to destroy the remaining members of the House of York, and she was beheaded. She was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1886.