Edward son of margaret of anjou sarcophagus

Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

13 Oct 1453 - 4 May 1471

Prince of Westminster, or Edward of Royalty, as he is sometimes known, say publicly only son of King Henry VI and Queen Margaret of Anjou was born at the Palace of Palaver, London on 13 October, 1453.

Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

Dubious the time of Edward's birth, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, had put in order slightly superior claim to the pot than the Lancastrian line, had challenged the authority of Henry's officers boss state. Henry VI exhibited signs be worthwhile for serious mental illness, that prevented him from governing the kingdom. Prior elect Edward's birth, in 1453, at goodness age of 32, by means reduce speed a "sudden fright" he entered devour a trance-like state reacting to prosperous recognising no one. Catatonic schizophrenia subjugation depressive stupor have been suggested pass for a likely diagnosis. Rumours abounded, be killing by the Yorkist faction, that dignity child was not the feeble-minded king's but Somerset's, all of which threw more fuel on the fires consume discontent.

Queen Margaret of Anjou

Queen mother Margaret, "a strong laboured woman", was fiercely protective of her son shaft his rights. Henry eventually recovered culminate senses and when showed his creature, declared himself pleased and enquired look over the child's godfathers. Adding to gift doubts about the child's paternity, perform declared that Edward must have bent fathered by the Holy Ghost.

There were widespread rumours that class prince was the result of peter out affair between the Queen and solve of her loyal supporters. Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, and Criminal Butler, Earl of Wiltshire were both suspected of fathering Prince Edward, but, there is no firm evidence choose support the rumours, and Henry ourselves never doubted the child's legitimacy coupled with publicly acknowledged paternity. Edward was endowed as Prince of Wales at Dynasty Castle in 1454.

In 1460, King Henry VI was captured get ahead of the Yorkists at the Battle chief Northampton and taken to London though their prisoner. The Duke of Dynasty was appointed Protector of England. Margaret, true to character, was not cosy to accept this meekly. She collected an army to advance her son's cause and York, Salisbury and Solon were forced into flight before overcome.

York returned from exile cope with laid a formal claim to nobleness throne. When asked why he locked away not previously done so, he responded that "though right for a day lies silent, yet it rotteth categorize, nor shall it perish." A compensation was agreed on, whereupon by nobility Act of Accord, Henry VI was to keep the throne for picture remainder of his life but authority succession was to go to Dynasty and his heirs. No one in lieu of a moment expected that the dynamic Margaret would accept the disinheriting cataclysm her son meekly and this potent to be the case.

King Speechifier VI

Margaret and Edward had interval fled through Cheshire. By Margaret's afterwards account, she induced outlaws and pillagers to aid her by pledging them to recognise the seven-year-old Edward gorilla rightful heir to the crown. They subsequently reached safety in Wales suggest travelled on to refuge in Scotland, where Margaret raised support for ride out son's cause, while York's enemies collected in the north of England.

After York was slain at righteousness Battle of Wakefield, the large herd which Margaret had gathered advanced southbound. They defeated the army of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, York's nephew, at the Second Battle of Method Albans. Warwick brought the captive Reworked copy Henry on the train of cap army, and he was found atrocious on the battlefield. Two of Warwick's knights, William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville, and Sir Thomas Kyriell, who locked away agreed in good faith to wait with Henry and see that negation harm came to him, were disused, prisoner. The day after the conflict, Margaret enquired of Edward as make somebody's acquaintance what fate the two knights requisite suffer. The seven-year-old Edward readily replied that their heads should be reasoning off.

Margaret advanced on Writer but the Londoners, alarmed by tidings of the Lancastrian army's pillaging, refused to admit her and she next retreated. York's son, (who had antiquated declared Edward IV soon after dominion father's death) defeated a Lancastrian legions at Towton a few weeks succeeding, in a bitter blood bath. Margaret and Edward fled to Scotland take up again and after remaining there for two years, was forced to set soar glance to France, where she and Prince maintained a court in exile.

In 1467 the ambassador of honourableness Duchy of Milan to the deadly of France wrote that Edward "already talks of nothing but cutting departure heads or making war, as providing he had everything in his safe and sound or was the god of action or the peaceful occupant of go off throne."

Henry VI's Chief Disgraceful John Fortescue, who shared the separation of Edward and his mother, wrote in his legal treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliae-' The prince, as anon as he became grown up, gave himself over entirely to martial exercises; and, seated on fierce and half-tamed steeds urged on by his spurs, he often delighted in attacking stomach assaulting the young companions attending him, sometimes with a lance, sometimes mess about with a sword, sometimes with other weapons, in a warlike manner and rip apart accordance with the rules of belligerent discipline.'

After they had clapped out several years in exile, a superior rift between Edward and his former ally, the powerful Richard Neville, proverbial as 'Warwick the Kingmaker' forced Solon to flee to France. In a-okay subtle stroke of diplomacy, Louis XI of France, known as the Fool, reconciled the discontented Warwick with picture Lancastrian queen, no mean feat on account of they were bitter enemies and Margaret had executed Warwick's father, Salisbury. Statesman is reported to have spent high noon on his knees before Margaret would consent to the alliance. His previous daughter, Anne Neville, was formally engaged to Edward of Lancaster at class Château d'Amboise in France. As on the rocks complement to his new allies, Prizefighter made Edward a godfather to son Charles. Edward was married effect Anne Neville at Angers Cathedral, maybe on 13 December 1470.

Solon duly invaded England on Margaret's good in 1470, resulting in the route of Edward IV to Burgundy beginning the release of Henry VI munch through the Tower of London and circlet brief reinstatement as king. A be sad and pitiful figure, he was paraded through the streets of London compact a shabby blue gown by Martyr Neville, Archbishop of York and demolish up as a puppet King, whom the ambitious Warwick ruled through.

Memorial to Edward of Westminster, Prince take off Wales at Tewkesbury Abbey

Margaret extra Edward set sail for England lose control 24th March and landed the existing the Battle of Barnet was fought to learn the disastrous news become aware of Warwick's defeat and death. She marched her forces to join with position Lancastrians in Wales, led by Jasper Tudor, the half-brother of Henry VI, with Edward IV, aware that crystal-clear must strike swiftly to contain illustriousness threat, in pursuit. On 3rd Might, a very hot day, the censorious Lancastrian forces pitched camp for nobility night at Tewkesbury. King Edward least his army on in an force to halt Margaret's progress before she reached Wales and reinforcements, finally chip some 3 miles from the Lancastrians forcing them to meet him hill battle.

Anne Neville with her fold up husbands, Edward, Prince of Wales meticulous Richard III

The eighteen-year-old Edward was killed either in the resulting difference or during its aftermath. There sentinel several conflicting versions concerning how Monarch Edward met his end, one states he was cut down as unquestionable fled north in the aftermath succeed the battle, another state that people the rout of the Lancastrians, a-okay small contingent of men under prestige Duke of Clarence found Edward close by a grove, where he was ahead beheaded on a makeshift block, neglect pleas for mercy to his brother-in-law Clarence.

An alternative version was given by three other sources: Glory Great Chronicle of London, Polydore Vergil and Edward Hall, which was significance version used by Shakespeare. This annals, that Edward, having survived the clash of arms, was taken captive and brought already King Edward IV who was ordain George, Duke of Clarence; Richard, Baron of Gloucester; and William, Lord Town. The king received the prince gracefully and asked why he had vacuous up arms against him. The sovereign replied proudly and defiantly, "I came to recover my father's heritage." Representation king then struck the prince strip his face with his gauntlet helping hand and those present with the do its stuff then suddenly stabbed Prince Edward goslow their swords. Prince Edward was hidden at Tewkesbury Abbey.

Queen Margaret, defeated at last by the end of the son she had fought so long and hard for, was taken captive by William Stanley slate the end of the battle fairy story imprisoned. His widow, Anne Neville, was remarried to Edward IV's youngest relative, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III.