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You are here: UK History > Royal History > House of York > Edward IV | The War of the Roses and the Start of
The War of the Roses, aka The Cousin’s War was a civil war that was the inspiration behind the ever popular Game of Thrones. It was fought between warring cousins, started by Henry Bolingbroke, the Duke of Lancaster, who usurped the reigning king. Over the following years, Bolingbroke’s descendants had their claim to the throne threatened by the family of the Duke of York, who believed themselves to be the rightful monarchs. One of the central figures was Edward, the Earl of March, who would later be known as Edward IV and Henry VI, who was the reigning king.
Born: 28th April 1442, Roeun, France
Died: 9th April 1483 (aged 40) Westminster
Reign: 4th March 1461 – 3rd October 1470 and then again 11th April 1471 – 9th April 1483
Parents: Richard Duke of York and Cecily Neville
Predecessor: Henry VI (cousin)
Successor: Henry VI (cousin, first time), Edward V (son, second time)
Spouse: Elizabeth Woodville
Children: Elizabeth of York, Cecily Viscountess Welles, Edward V, Richard Duke of York, Anne Lady Howard, George Duke of Bedford, Catherine Countess of Devon, Arthur Viscount Lisle (illegitimate).
Royal House: Plantagenet, York branch
Born on 28th April 1442, Edward grew up surrounded by the nobility as a member of the royal family. He was the eldest surviving son of Richard the Duke of York and Cecily Neville, a noble woman, and until inheriting the Dukedom, was known as the Earl of March. Both his parents were direct descendants of Edward III, giving the family a strong claim to the throne. His father was also the cousin of the king – Henry VI. Prior to the birth of Henry’s son, Edward of Westminster, the Earl of March was in the line of succession as, after the king’s period of mental instability, Richard was named Heir Apparent. The birth of Edward of Westminster and the continuing unpopularity of Henry caused several nobles to suggest the Yorks as being viable alternatives, something that the Duke of York used to his advantage.
Image: Edward IV
Edward, the Earl of March, was born at Rouen in Normandy and spent his early years in the country where his father was the governor. After Richard of York was replaced as governor, the family relocated to Ludlow Castle, where the Yorks were the predominant landowner. There was a hint of scandal about the family as Edward, his brother George (the Duke of Clarence) and his sister Margaret (Duchess of Burgundy) all resembled each other closely, being tall and blonde. Their father on the other hand was short and dark in appearance, as was their youngest brother, who would later become Richard III.
After spending some time in England, the Duke became the Chief Governor of Ireland and then, when the king suffered an episode of mental ill health, he took over the English government, running the country on behalf of the monarch. It was this that really began the conflict between the York and Lancaster families. The nobles insisted that the Duke of York be named as Heir to the throne and many subjects thought York to be a favourable alternative to the king. However, the birth of Henry’s son, Edward of Westminster, changed the line of succession, causing in fighting among the nobles. A battle broke out, and the Duke of York, along with Edward and his brother, Edmund, fled to Ireland.
A series of battles between the different family factions took place in the following years. The Battle of Wakefield saw Edward inherit the Dukedom on the death of his father and the Battle of Towton, saw a York victory, with Henry being captured and imprisoned. Edward took control of the throne, naming himself as Edward IV. The Battle of Towton is believed to be one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on English soil and took place in the middle of a violent snowstorm, perhaps reminiscent of Henry’s own coronation.
With Henry in the Tower of London, Edward’s reign began in 1461, lasting until 1470, when Henry was freed and reinstated and then again from 1471 until his death in 1483 after another victory for the Yorks.
Historians describe Edward as an absolute monarch, who ruled without protest from the people, mostly because he didn’t tax them – instead choosing to fund the country from taking money from the Lancastrians that he defeated.
Edward enjoyed a relatively peaceful reign until 1470, when the former Queen Margaret amassed her own army, which saw Henry freed and reinstated as King. Edward took refuge in Flanders, where he spent a year gathering support. In 1471, he invaded England resulting in the Battle of Tewksbury, where Edward of Westminster, Henry’s son was killed.
It is said that the news of the defeat and death of his son caused Henry’s own demise, though popular theory is that Edward had him killed to avoid any further contest over the throne. He was once again crowned and spent the next 12 years in relative peace. In that time, the only real threat to his reign was Henry Tudor, the only remaining Lancastrian claimant, who was exiled to France.
In contrast to Henry VI, who was deemed to be ineffective and besieged with health issues, Edward was considered to be a competent ruler. His court has been described by historians as being the most splendid in all of Christendom and it is said that he had an eye for style, with a collection of jewels and fine clothes. Edward was thought to have had an interest in history and scholarship, decorating his royal residences with books. In fact, books were so important to him, that it is noted that he had a Yeoman of the Guard simply to look after them. It is thought that at least forty books from his personal library are still in existence and can be found at the British Library.
He preferred to spend the majority of his time as King at Eltham Palace, which he also invested heavily in. Eltham Palace is thought to have been the family home, where he somewhat unusually, spent a lot of time with his wife and children. Historians believe that unlike many monarchs, and indeed, noble born men of his time, Edward chose a love match rather than an advantageous one. He was supposed to marry Anne of France as a way of legitimising his claim to the English throne, but instead chose to marry Elizabeth Woodville, who was not only the widow of a Lancastrian that had died at the Battle of Towton but had two sons from that marriage. Contemporaries at the time also claimed that she was descended from witches and that she had bewitched Edward into the match, it didn’t help that she was not of noble birth, unlike the other women that had been presented to him. It was an unwise and unusual marriage, though not unheard of, after all, Henry VI’s mother married someone who wasn’t noble. The true reasoning for the marriage continues to be debated, with historians arguing over whether it was one of love or one of cunning by gaining some kinship with the Lancastrians. The pair went on to have ten children, seven of whom outlived him, he also had a number of mistresses and acknowledged several of his illegitimate children, including Elizabeth Plantagenet, Arthur Plantagenet and Grace Plantagenet.
Aside from being a key player in the War of the Roses, Edward IV is remembered for another enduring legacy – the Black Book. During his reign, Edward had his staff create the Black Book which featured a comprehensive review of government finances, something that remained in use a century later. Much like his father, who had stepped in to help the country’s finances during Henry VI’s periods of illness, Edward was keen to keep the country economically viable. He invested heavily in the city of London and transferred the Duchy of Lancaster into ownership of the crown, where it remains to this day.
Edward died suddenly in April 1483, he named his eldest son, also Edward, his heir. The young prince had been made Prince of Wales at seven months old and had his own household by the age of three, which was supervised by his maternal uncle, Anthony Woodville. He was just 12 at the time of his succession.
Because of his young age, his uncle Richard, the youngest brother of the king, was named Lord Protector. On his journey to London to bring the young Edward to his coronation, Richard had two of his protectors executed on grounds of treason. He moved young Edward into the royal rooms at the Tower of London, supposedly for his own protection. He then had Anthony Woodville arrested and moved his other nephew, another Richard, who was just ten, into the Tower. Over the course of the year, Richard moved into a royal residence and declared his brother’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville invalid in an act called Titulus Regius. This meant that all Edward’s children were considered to be illegitimate and paved the way for Richard to be crowned King. Shortly after this, the two princes were moved to less comfortable quarters and were never seen again. Historical consensus is that they were killed on the orders of Richard to eliminate them as potential claimants, though there is some debate about this. Other historians think that they may have been killed on the orders of Henry Tudor, who would usurp the crown from Richard. Whatever happened to the princes has never been truly explained, though two bodies of young children, believed to be the princes were discovered in 1674 when work was being done on the Tower. They have never been proven to be the princes and there have been stories that at least one of them survived.
Middleham Castle, Yorkshire
The home of Richard Neville, also known as the King Maker. He cared for the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, the younger brothers of Edward IV after the death of their father, the Duke of York. Edward was held prisoner there after his second defeat by Henry VI and the Duke of Gloucester, who would become Richard III, met and married his wife there.
Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire
The Battle of Tekesbury which cemented Edward’s claim to the throne took place on the abbey’s doorstep. The abbey’s doorway features a design made from the armour of fallen soldiers.
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