EDWARD IV

He was born on 28 April, 1442, at Rouen, France. He was styled Earl of March during his father’s lifetime. In November, 1459, he forfeited all his honours by Act of Attainder, but was restored to them in October, 1460. He succeeded his father as Duke of York, Earl of Ulster and Earl of Cambridge on 30 December, 1460. He was proclaimed King of England by Parliament on 4 March, 1461, after the deposition of Henry VI, and was crowned on 28 June, 1461, at Westminster Abbey.

Edward IV was deposed in favour of Henry VI on 3 October, 1470, but restored to the throne on 11 April, 1471.

Edward IV married, on 1 May, 1464, at the Manor of Grafton Regis, Northants.:

Elizabeth

She was the daughter of Richard Wydville (or Woodville), 1st Earl Rivers, by Jacquetta of Luxembourg (v,

see here), and she was born in c.1437 at Grafton Regis, Northants. She married firstly Sir John Grey of Groby (killed 1461) in c.1452, and had issue:

1  Thomas, Marquess of Dorset ( c.1455–1501); he married firstly Anne ( c.1455–1475), daughter of Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, by Anne, sister of Edward IV. He married secondly Cecilia, Baroness Bonville and Harington ( d.1529), daughter of William Bonville, Baron Harington, and had issue.

2  Richard (1456?–executed 1483), a knight.

Elizabeth was crowned Queen Consort on 26 May, 1465, at Westminster Abbey. Her marriage to Edward IV was declared invalid by Act of Parliament in 1484, on the basis of Edward’s alleged precontract to Lady Eleanor Butler; her children were at the same time declared illegitimate, and unfit to inherit the crown. The marriage was ultimately recognised as valid in October, 1485, by the first Parliament of Henry VII, and its issue were restored in blood accordingly. Elizabeth died on 8 June, 1492, at St Saviour’s Abbey, Bermondsey, London, and was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Issue of marriage:

1   Elizabeth

(under Henry VII, whom she married,

see here).

2   Mary

She was born on 11 August, 1467, at Windsor Castle. She was made a Lady of the Garter in 1480. She died on 23 May, 1482, at Greenwich Palace, Kent, and was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

3   Cecily

She was born on 20 March, 1469, at the Palace of Westminster. She married firstly John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles, K.G. ( d.1498), between 25 November, 1487, and 1 January, 1488, and had issue:

1  Elizabeth ( d.young before 1498).

2  Anne ( d.young in c.1499).

Cecily married secondly Thomas Kyme, Kymbe or Keme, either of Wainfleet and Friskney, Lincs., or of the Isle of Wight, between 13 May, 1502, and January, 1504, by whom she may have had issue, although the earliest evidence for this is as late as 1602, and may be suspect:

3  Richard; he married a lady called Agnes, and had issue.

4  Margaret or Marjorie; she married John Wetherby, and had issue.

Cecily was made a Lady of the Garter in 1480. She died on 24 August, 1507, at Quarr Abbey, Isle of Wight, where she was buried.

4   Edward V(

see here).

5   Margaret

She was born on 10 April, 1472, at Windsor Castle, and died on 11 December, 1472. She was buried in Westminster Abbey.

6   Richard

He was born on 17 August, 1473, at the Dominican Friary, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was created Duke of York on 28 May, 1474, thereby establishing the tradition (which continues to this day) that the second son of the sovereign is always made Duke of York. He was made a Knight of the Garter on 15 May, 1475, and a Knight of the Bath during that same year. He was created Earl of Nottingham on 12 June, 1476, and Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Surrey and Warenne on 7 February, 1477. He was declared illegitimate and deprived of his titles by Act of Parliament in January 1484. York was probably murdered with his brother Edward V (

see here) on the night of 3 September, 1483, in the Tower of London, on the orders of Richard III. In 1674, bones discovered in the Tower were thought to be those of the two Princes, and were reburied in 1678 in Westminster Abbey.

Richard married, on 15 January, 1478, at St Stephen’s Chapel in the Palace of Westminster:

Anne

She was the daughter of John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, by Elizabeth, daughter of John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, and she was born on 10 December, 1472, at Framlingham Castle, Suffolk. She was recognised and styled as Countess of Norfolk in her own right on 16/17 January, 1476, after the death of her father. She died between 16 January, and 19 November, 1481, at Greenwich Palace, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. When Henry VII’s Chapel was under construction, her body was moved to the Minoresses’ Convent at Stepney, where her coffin was found during excavations in 1965. She was then reburied in Westminster Abbey.

7   Anne

She was born on 2 November, 1475, at the Palace of Westminster. She married Lord Thomas Howard (afterwards Earl of Surrey, then Duke of Norfolk) (1473–1554) on 4 February, 1495, at Greenwich Palace, and had issue:

1  Thomas ( c.1496 or 1508–1509).

2  Son ( d.young before baptism).

3  Daughter ( d.young before baptism).

4  Daughter ( d.young before baptism).

Anne died after 22 November (23 November?), 1511, and before 1513, and was buried in Thetford Priory, Norfolk. Her remains were later removed to Framlingham Church, Suffolk.

8   George

He was born perhaps in March, 1477 (certainly before January, 1478), either at Windsor Castle, or at the Dominican Friary, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and was perhaps styled Duke of Bedford. He died in March, 1479, at Windsor Castle, and was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

9   Katherine

She was born on 14 August, 1479, at Eltham Palace, Kent. She married William Courtenay, later Earl of Devon (1475–1511), in c.October, 1495, and had issue:

1  Henry, Marquess of Exeter (1496?–executed 1538); he married firstly Elizabeth ( d.1516?), daughter of John Grey, Viscount Lisle, and secondly Gertrude ( d.1558), daughter of William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy, and had issue.

2  Edward (1497?–1502).

3  Margaret (1499?–1519?); she married William, Baron Herbert.

Katherine took a vow of perpetual chastity upon her widowhood in 1511. She died on 15 November, 1527, at Tiverton Castle, Devon, and was buried in Tiverton Parish Church.

10   Bridget

She was born on 10 or 20 November, 1480, at Eltham Palace, Kent. She became a nun at Dartford Priory, Kent, in c.1487 (and certainly before 1492). She died probably before 1513. John Weaver, writing in the 17th century, states she died in 1517, but Thomas More, writing in 1513, does not say that she is alive, although he mentions that her only surviving sister, Katherine, was then still living. Bridget was buried in Dartford Priory, Kent.

Edward IV also had the following illegitimate issue:

By Eleanor Talbot or Butler ( d.1468), to whom Edward is alleged to have been precontracted:

1  Edward de Wigmore ( d. in infancy, 1468).

By Elizabeth Lucy (née Waite), or Elizabeth (sometimes, but erroneously, called Jane) Shore:

2  Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle (1461/4–1542); he married firstly Elizabeth Grey, Baroness Lisle ( d.1525/6), and had issue. He married secondly Honora (1493/5–1566), daughter of Sir Thomas Grenville.