Catelyn Stark and Cecily Neville: Two Powerful Women
Catelyn Stark is one of the characters who hasn’t been talked about as much as she should be. She desperately tried to keep the Starks together after Eddard’s murder. Catelyn is a strong, brave woman who loves her family very much. Remember House Tully’s motto? “Family, Duty, Honor.” Catelyn took those words very seriously.
There could be a parallel between Catelyn Stark and another interesting historical character, Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV and Richard III, who did everything humanly possible to protect her children during the turbulent War of the Roses. Cecily was part of the English nobility; two of her sons became kings of England (Edward IV and Richard III). Cecily was the aunt of one of her generation’s most important military leaders and commanders, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. She was also the aunt of a queen (Anne Neville) and a relative of Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Catherine Parr.
Like Catelyn, Cecily Neville was once a great beauty. Contemporaries called her Cecily’ the Rose of Raby’ after the castle where she was born. Cecily was called “Proud Cis” because of her pride and fiery temper. When she was only nine, her father (Ralph Neville) engaged her to Richard of York, whom she married five years later. Together, they had eight children, and Cecily lived to be 80. Her life was not without scandal. Not only was Cecily a beauty of her time, but she also had extravagant tastes. Some historians have suggested that Cecily enjoyed looking her best to garner men’s admiration.
Unlike Catelyn, who was very upset over Ned Stark’s alleged adultery, Cecily is said to have had an affair with an archer named Blaybourne while her father was on a march a day away in Rouen. There is some debate on the topic, but historian Michael Jones claims to have found evidence to support this hypothesis, also featured in the BBC series “Britain’s Real Monarch.”
There are rumors (Joanna Laynesmith) that after her father’s death, at a time when her family was in danger, Cecily stayed in London. She was aware of the threat, so she sent her younger sons to Burgundy but remained close to her son Edward to protect his interests and help him fulfill the family’s ambitions of kingship. We remember that Catelyn Stark did the same: she stayed by her son Robb’s side and helped him as much as possible in his new role as King of the North. In fact, Catelyn stayed with her son until the end.
Cecily was a powerful woman. She was involved in politics, a family leader, and constantly exerted her influence over her sons. In 1461, a contemporary wrote of her that she could make what she wanted of the king. If we were to analyze her correspondence with her sons, she often told them what to do, and they usually heeded her advice.
Like Catelyn, Cecily tried to arrange a marriage for her son-turned-king for different reasons. Finding a suitable wife, if possible from abroad and from a royal family, was Cecily’s primary job at one time. Unlike Catelyn Stark, who did not particularly approve of the marriage between Robb and Talisa Maegyr, Cecily vehemently opposed the secret marriage between Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Her anger was so great that she even threatened Edward that she would claim to be his illegitimate son, proclaiming herself queen in her own right.
This story of Edward IV’s illegitimacy was often questioned, even during King Edward’s lifetime and later. It was rumored that Cecily’s husband, Richard of York, was away from her at the time of the child’s conception and christening. Furthermore, the christening was carried out swiftly and without much celebration. Others say that, on the contrary, Cecily’s husband could visit her at any time despite his warlike activities. As for the baby’s baptism, the fact that it was done hastily and without the usual pomp and circumstance is more likely to indicate fears for the child’s survival. In any case, Richard of York recognized the child as his own, so discussions on the subject should be considered mere speculation.
According to the National Archives, there is evidence that Cecily actually wanted to carry out her threat and declare Edward illegitimate. With Warwick’s help, Cecily allegedly sought to crown her next son, George, Duke of Clarence. This behavior damaged the relationship between Edward and his mother, so she stayed away from the royal court from 1471 until her son’s death in April 1483. During that time, she attended only to her own private interests.
Cecily’s relationship with Edward was shaken not only by his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville but also by the rebellion of her favorite son, George, and especially by his execution on a charge of treason.
The conflict between Catelyn Stark and Robb, set up after Jamie Lannister’s release, is similar to the strained relationship between Edward IV and his mother, Cecily.
Catelyn/Lisa Tully vs. Isabel/Anne Neville
The relationship between the Tully sisters, Catelyn and Lisa, may have been inspired by the real-life relationship between sisters Isabel and Anne, Warwick’s daughters. When the girls were growing up at Middleham Castle, their father’s castle was also home to two boys, the future Richard III and Francis Lovell. Lovell was clearly Richard’s shadow. In fact, Francis was known for his loyalty to Richard (he was nicknamed ‘Lovell, the dog’) and for the friendship he showed him. Notably, he is not known to have been in love with any Neville girls.
The relationship between the two brothers, George and Richard, and the Neville sisters inspired Martin to create Littlefinger’s obsession with Catelyn. Conversely, Brandon Stark’s confrontation with Littlefinger may have been inspired by George and Richard’s confrontation with Anne Neville. The competition between the two was not for reasons of love, as we might think today, but for money and power. Could Littlefinger be a darker version of Richard III? Martin may have reimagined Anne Neville as Shae. The historical truth is that George attempted to protect Anne Neville from Richard to maintain her inheritance.
Life’s tragedies
So, while the inspiration for Catelyn seems to have been Anne Neville (for the Littlefinger story), the primary influence seems to have been Cecily. She had far from a happy life but rather a dramatic one. She saw her children’s lives destroyed by the age in which they lived. Edmund, her second son, was disgracefully executed at the age of 17 in the battle in which her husband had lost his life (the Battle of Towton). Her adulterous daughter Anne died in childbirth. Repeatedly, Cecily had to fight not to see her remaining sons kill each other. She failed to convince her son, King Edward IV, to not execute her favorite child, his brother George, for treason. Edward himself was to die young of mysterious causes. Richard III was accused of murdering his nephews. He eventually died on the battlefield at the Battle of Bosworth at the age of 32. As a result, Cecily, the Rose of Raby, lived to see her husband and four sons killed. But she also lived to see her niece Elizabeth of York become the wife of Henry VII and thus Queen of England. Cecily later devoted herself to religious duties.
As for Catelyn Stark, she didn’t have a happy life either; she lived to see her children scattered all over Westeros.
Conclusion
Catelyn Stark and Cecily Neville are powerful examples of women who, despite living in very different eras and contexts, share several common traits and experiences. Both were devoted mothers and did their best to protect and support their families during great hardship. Their strength, courage, and influence have left a lasting impression on those around them and continue to inspire generations through their real or fictional stories.
