Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset

Edmund Beaufort, the 2nd Duke of Somerset, 4th Earl of Somerset, 1st Earl of Dorset, and 1st Marquess of Dorset, also styled as the 1st Count of Mortain and a member of the Order of the Garter, was a significant English noble during the Hundred Years’ War. His dispute with Richard, Duke of York, played a crucial role in the onset of the Wars of the Roses. Born as the fourth surviving son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, Edmund was a cousin to both Richard, Duke of York, and King Henry VI, placing him at the heart of English nobility and political strife.

Despite being at the helm of a prominent family, Edmund’s inheritance was modest compared to his rival, Richard, Duke of York. His military career was marked by various appointments and commands, but his failures in France during the latter stages of the Hundred Years’ War exposed him to criticism and diminished his standing. As a close ally of Queen Margaret of Anjou, he was deeply involved in the political turmoil of the time, culminating in his death at the First Battle of St Albans, which marked the beginning of the Wars of the Roses.