Bitchstory Lesson 35 - Margaret "Badass" Beaufort - how strong women are villainized in history

After binging several seasons of Phillipa Gregory's historical dramas, I started to feel some kinda way about my family tree.  I am a descendent of Margaret Beaufort, who was mother of King Henry VII (grandmother of King Henry VIII who we all remember!).  She dedicated her life to protecting her son's claim to the throne, and didn't let anything get in her way. Yet in some historical accounts, she is villainized and painted as a terrible, murderous women. Some depict her as a religious zealot.  Others, however, depict her in more human terms.  And after I found a couple of the latter accounts, I felt a sense of pride in my family tree again.   Even though Phillipa Gregory's books and TV Series have stoked a fire in me to understand my ancestry, her historical "fiction" takes some pretty glaring liberties with actual history and Beaufort is one of the victims of this.  Much of what I was feeling bad about was just false!  She was just a woman with ambition and dedication, so obviously...a bitch.  We present to you, one of history's early, amazing, badass, dedicated Bitches - Margaret Beaufort! https://www.philippagregory.com/characters/margaret-beaufort https://www.royalhistorygeeks.com/5-of-the-ways-the-spanish-princess-distorted-margaret-beaufort/ https://tudortimes.co.uk/guest-articles/lady-margaret-beaufort-hero-or-villain#:~:text=Margaret%20Beaufort%20is%20the,s%20path%20to%20the%20throne.