The Reign of Edward IV

[Diamond]

This came from a random thought I had the other day: under what circumstances could Henry Tudor and Richard III possibly be allies? Here's my answer:

THE REIGN OF EDWARD IV

Born: April 28, 1442
Acceded to the throne: March 4, 1461
Married: May 1, 1464; four children
Died: October 2, 1515

The oldest son of Richard, Duke of York, Edward was eighteen when his father claimed the English throne from Henry VI and was subsequently slain at Wakefield in December of 1460. Edward vowed to continue the struggle; he was proclaimed king in March of 1461 and left the same week to inflict a devastating defeat on the main Lancastrian army at Towton, south of York. Henry was captured four years later and placed in the Tower of London, where he lived out the last eight years of his life.

In 1464 Edward made a decision that nearly undid him: he married Elizabeth Woodville, a choice which alienated one of his chief supporters, Richard Neville, the earl of Warwick. By 1467, Warwick was in contact with the Lancastrians. An uprising in 1469, led by Warwick’s cousin, resulted in the defeat of a royalist force near Banbury, where Edward nearly fell into Warwick’s hands.

It was rumored that Edward’s brother George, the duke of Clarence, had planned to throw in his lot with the rebels, but those rumors were never proven. Despite his recent marriage to Warwick’s daughter, George gave his full support to his brother. Whether George’s wife’s death in a horse-riding accident had anything to do with this is open for debate, but seems to be the deciding factor in George’s decision to remain loyal.

After the defeat of Warwick’s army in March of 1470, Warwick and his compatriots were captured and executed.

Margaret of Anjou, Henry’s wife, led an ill-equipped invasion with her son Edward, the Prince of Wales in 1472. Forewarned by spies, king Edward’s forces utterly destroyed those of Margaret mere hours after their landing at Weymouth. The prince of Wales was killed, the queen captured. With the prince dead, there was no advantage in keeping Henry alive, and he was killed in the Tower three weeks later. This victory finally solidified Edward’s reign.

In 1474 Edward underwent a spiritual rebirth following the death of his wife in childbirth. Previously a self-indulgent, corpulent man who drank heavily, the death of his queen, whom he loved dearly, caused him to withdraw almost completely from the public eye for nearly eight months. When he emerged he was a changed man. He foreswore drink and overindulgence in food and other vices, and dedicated himself fully to building England’s power and influence. He took sole responsibility for raising and educating his only son and heir, the future Edward V, something almost unheard-of in that day and age.

In 1476, when France’s King Louis XI demanded the release of Margaret of Anjou, Edward led a massive invasion of France and laid claim to the French throne, with Burgundy and Brittany in support. After battles at Rouen, Gisors, and La Rochelle (all English victories), Edward and Louis came to terms. France would pay England a yearly tribute, England would gain the County of Poitou and the Duchy of Gascogne, and the County of Anjou would be partitioned between Brittany and England.

The regaining of some of the territories lost during the disastrous reign of Henry VI gained Edward immense popularity at home, and the French tributes boosted the drained treasury. Even better (to Yorkist eyes) was the successful campaign against the Scots in 1482 led by the duke of Clarence, which resulted in the recovery of Berwick, which had been surrendered to the Scots by the Lancastrians.

More important than the territorial gains were the increased efficiency of the government, the reassertion of monarchical power, and major donations to the church and various universities.

Edward faced his next challenge in 1489, when his brother Richard mounted a coup. Richard, growing increasingly bitter with his minimal role in the running of the kingdom and the growing closeness between Edward and George (who may have been a traitor and was probably viewed as one by Richard), sought help wherever he could find it.

Help came in the form of Henry Tudor, the earl of Richmond. Henry, the latest in a long line of Lancastrian supporters, sought to take advantage of the split between his enemies, and raised an army for Richard which won a major victory at Tewkesbury in March of 1490. But squabbling between Richard and Henry soon led to increasing royalist victories, and Henry was killed during the Battle of Oxford in August, a resounding victory for the royalists (led by the king’s son and heir, the 19 year-old Edward). Richard escaped and fled to France, where he lived out the rest of his years in Paris. He died in 1511, a broken, bitter man.

Under Edward’s reign Ireland, long a Yorkist bastion, drew even closer to England. Further victories against the Scots in 1496 and 1502 gained England more territory in the north.

The souring of relations between England and Burgundy was Edward’s only true failure as a monarch. Despite the fact that his sister Margaret had married Charles of Burgundy in 1468, the failure of Edward to guarantee Burgundy any territories during the war with France in 1476 resulted in Burgundy falling gradually into France’s camp. Mary, the daughter of Margaret and Charles, oversaw the union of Burgundy and France in 1489.

Edward IV died in his sleep on the morning of October 2, 1515, at the age of 73. He left his heir, Edward V, a kingdom with a sizable and solid presence in Poitou and Gascogne, a wealthy treasury, a modern army and growing navy, and peace across the British Isles with the exception of Scotland, where trouble continued to simmer.

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Thoughts? Comments?

[Grey Wolf]

Its very interesting - I'm not sure what to comment on That must mean it reads pretty good !

Grey Wolf

[Diamond]

I threw it together pretty quickly, and I've had a few beers, so:

[HunterX]

Interesting timeline. However, shouldn't England own Calais also?

[Faeelin]

Burgundy joining france is pretty implausible; a palatinate candidate would make more sense.

Edit: Also works better to avoid the combined house of vlaois conquering europe, which you gave them the resources to do.

Pretty cool though.

[Diamond]

Originally Posted by HunterX

Interesting timeline. However, shouldn't England own Calais also?

Yes.
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I'm surprised no one had anything to say about the Richard-Henry alliance. Did it seem feasible? How about its outcome? Logical?

RE Burgundy joining France, yes that was probably a little unlikely, but not outside the realm of possibility. With a still-threatening neighbor next door and chillier relations with England, it seems plausible to me that Burgundy would say "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

And although I know its inherently wrong to give Valois and France the wherewithall to conquer Europe, it could be interesting...

[Faeelin]

Originally Posted by Diamond

RE Burgundy joining France, yes that was probably a little unlikely, but not outside the realm of possibility. With a still-threatening neighbor next door and chillier relations with England, it seems plausible to me that Burgundy would say "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

But this wasn't Burgundy's foreign policy; burgundy's goal was to become a kingdom and gian the imperial title (either or). This accomplishes neither and makes them puppets of France.

[bill_bruno]

[QUOTE=Diamond]In 1476, when France’s King Louis XI demanded the release of Margaret of Anjou, Edward led a massive invasion of France and laid claim to the French throne, with Burgundy and Brittany in support. After battles at Rouen, Gisors, and La Rochelle (all English victories), Edward and Louis came to terms. France would pay England a yearly tribute, England would gain the County of Poitou and the Duchy of Gascogne, and the County of Anjou would be partitioned between Brittany and England.
[QUOTE]

Burgundy isn't going to be much help in 1476 as it was bogged down in a war against the Swiss. Charles the Rash gets his army shattered at Morat in June of that year is going to be too busy fighting for his duchy to get involved against France. With just Brittany supporting him, can Edward IV get that much territory from France? (I'm thinking, at maximum some cities adjoining Calais)

Likewise, is Edward IV really stupid enough to get involved in the Hundred Years War quagmire again? England just came out of decades of civil war and I don't see France handing over that much territory just after a few victories (and I don't see France giving Edward any more Agincourts).

One other note, Francis II of Brittany's sole child is his daughter Anne. Prince Edward is only six year older than her (he was born in 1470, her in 1476). Perhaps some years down the line Edward IV arranges a dynastic marriage to establish a long-term Anglo-Breton link.

[Diamond]

Thanks for the insight and advice, guys. I'll revamp some things and post version 2.0.

[Grey Wolf]

One note - don't forget Scotland ! This is the age of James III and increasingly of James IV, and they are not going to sit by and do nothing. IIRC one of Edward IV's daughters was betrothed as a child to James IV - as often nothing came of this, but it may well have done had Edward IV lived longer and the girl been brought up as a royal princess into adulthood.

Grey Wolf

[Diamond]

Originally Posted by Grey Wolf

IIRC one of Edward IV's daughters was betrothed as a child to James IV - as often nothing came of this, but it may well have done had Edward IV lived longer and the girl been brought up as a royal princess into adulthood.

Do you happen to know which daughter it was? In this TL, Edward IV's wife dies giving birth to the daughter born after Edward V... IIRC May? ... the kid also dies. So from his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, he only has 4 kids, Edward V being the last, and the only son. The older three were daughters.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Edward could marry one of her daughter with the heir of Scotland, the other one with the heir of Burgundy and the last with the heir of Castille, and France gets surrounded.

Too foolish?

[Kurt_Steiner]

My mistake: Edward IV had two sons, Edward V and Richard, duke of York, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, not 3.

[Grey Wolf]

Originally Posted by Kurt_Steiner

My mistake: Edward IV had two sons, Edward V and Richard, duke of York, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, not 3.

No Edward IV had THREE sons, one of whom died in infancy (aged 2 or so ?). he also had about 5 or 6 daughters, IIRC the youngest was Cecilia pledged to the Duke of Rothesay *future James IV

Grey Wolf

[Grey Wolf]

Originally Posted by Diamond

Do you happen to know which daughter it was? In this TL, Edward IV's wife dies giving birth to the daughter born after Edward V... IIRC May? ... the kid also dies. So from his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, he only has 4 kids, Edward V being the last, and the only son. The older three were daughters.

Cecilia, she was one of the youngest

Don't forget his middle son, he might survive

And are you still online and around anyway ?

Grey Wolf

[Kurt_Steiner]

Sorry, in my readings the family tree only includes two sons and two daughters. I remember something about the child who died too young, but I cannot recall exactly what I read. Thanks for the info, anyway.