Edward Stafford (Steven Waddington)

Edward Stafford is the Duke of Buckingham in The Tudors, making him the second most powerful English noble after the King, and one of the few people who challenges King Henry's claim to the throne in favor of himself (though historically, he never did so, even though he was beheaded for treason). He is usually referred to simply as 'Buckingham' or 'Your Grace'. Stafford's mother was the sister of Elizabeth Woodville (Queen of England by her marriage to Edward IV and Henry's grandmother); his father supported House Lancaster during the War of the Roses and was executed for treason under the rule of Richard III of York, though Stafford himself went into hiding. After the battle of Bosworth Field, and the victory of Henry VII (the current Henry's father) Stafford was restored to his titles. However, his resentment towards the House of York apparently continued into the Tudor line, as Henry VIII was a descendant of the House of York through his mother. Thus, in the series, Buckingham decides to usurp Henry and claim the Throne himself, as he is also a descendant of the Plantagenet dynasty.