To not understand why anyone would want to be King.

[softlysoftly]

Yes the white Queen again! Why when everyone wanted to kill you, infertility was scrutinised and you had to spend the entire time killing other people, would you want to be Queen/King?

I think I'd rather be a duchess, big pile in the country, a few peasents. Much nicer.

Even a duchess was chattel, the property of her husband.

Dowager Duchess then with a handsome stable man and independent fortune?

I think more to the point who'd want to be a woman? Rich better than poor, I guess, but I'm reading "The Red Queen" at the moment and poor Margaret Beaufort had more stuff to deal with than "The White Queen" implies. Especially since the actress who played her couldn't quite convey how very, very young she was. She was thirteen when she had Henry!!!

Or a man actually-death in battle, anyone? Okay being king these days. Dealing with press intrusion is small fry compared to fighting for your right to rule.

YANBU! I was thinking this the other day. Just doesn't seem worth it.

I'm not living anywhen without antibiotics and anesthetic. Rich or poor, man or woman.

I read up a bit on Margaret Beauofrt and OMG her life was horrific, it's amazing she survived childbirth at 13 considering how damaged it left her.

I think if you were seen to be in the line of succession then you were in a very vunerable position. Just look at all the bods who were killed (princes in the tower, richard of york etc.). Therefore by being king you were the one dictating whose head got chopped.

Or the whole period was just a case of sibling rivalry gone wrong.

Better a king than a peasant I suppose