King Edward IV of England
Also known as the Earl of March (and one of the long line of Plantaganet kings), Edward was the eldest surviving son of Richard, Duke of York, who had been the leader of the Yorkist faction in the Wars of the Roses. After his father's death he successfully led the Yorkists in significant battles against the Lancastrians, then claimed the crown from the ineffectual Henry VI, whom he imprisoned. Edward was only 19 when he took the throne.
As king, the tall, attractive Edward was popular but given to drinking and wenching. His marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and his bestowal of court favors on her relatives disrupted his relations with Warwick, "the Kingmaker," who had helped him gain the throne. In 1469, Warwick allied with the Lancastrians in an attempt to depose Edward; the king fled to the continent, gathered support for a fresh invasion and reclaimed his crown in 1471. Warwick died in battle, and once again Edward imprisoned Henry, whose death he most likely ordered.
The second half of his reign was much more productive and prosperous. After an abortive attempt to invade France he established a peace with the Treaty of Picquigny, which brought Edward a yearly pension of 50,000 gold crowns. He fostered efforts in printing, patronizing William Caxton and collecting illuminated manuscripts, and rebuilt St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Edward died unexpectedly of an unknown illness at age 40, leaving behind five daughters as well as two sons whose fate is still hotly debated. He was succeeded by his brother, Richard III.
Important Dates
Born: April 28, 1442
Crowned: June 28, 1461
Died: April 9, 1483
Dynastic Table
Medieval & Renaissance Monarchs of England
Use this table to see the progression of Kings and Queens from Egbert of Wessex in the ninth century to Elizabeth I in the sixteenth. Hyperlinks lead to entries in Who's Who.
At About
The Battle of the Three Suns: Mortimer's Cross
Peter Kilby's article on this ferocious battle originally appeared in British Heritage Magazine and is now online here at the Medieval History site.
On the Web
Edward IV on the Web
In Print
Edward IV in Print
Related Resources
Medieval Britain
Sites that focus on general British medieval history, people, places, events, documents, the Norman Conquest, the Wars of the Roses, and the search for a historical King Arthur.The Wars of the Roses
An index of sites that focus on the complex dynastic war in 15th-century Britain.
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