Richard Guildford

Sir Richard Guildford was an English courtier, soldier and administrator who supported Henry Tudor against Richard III and entered royal service after the victory at Bosworth in 1485. He became a trusted servant of Henry VII and held important household and military offices, including responsibility for royal ordnance.

Guildford married Joan Vaux, later known as Lady Guildford, and their family remained close to the Tudor court. In 1506 he joined a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and died in Jerusalem before the expedition returned to England.

In Joanna Hickson’s The Queen’s Lady, Joan Vaux, now Lady Guildford, remains a confidante of Elizabeth of York while her husband Sir Richard Guildford advances through Henry VII’s court.