Edward IV, King of England.

WI: He had lived 7 to ten years longer? By then, his son would have been of age when he died..What happens with Richard, the Woodvilles, and possibly even Henry Tudor?
 
Tudor most likely remains a mainly unknown exiled British Nobleman trying to make trouble for the House of York. There is no widespread (European wide, as well as England) revulsion against the rule of Richard from the death of the princes in the tower (whether he ordered it or not, it was believed to be at Richard IIIs behest), preventing Tudor from gaining the support and momentum for an invasion.

The Woodvilles are going to continue entrenchnig themselves in power - the young Kings uncles and cousins would be trusted by him and retain there positions. However, this may lead to a backlash from Richard - similar to that of his Father that kicked off the War of the Roses. He has already learnt the ruthlessness (from the actions and deaths of his father, Henry VI and the Prince of Wales at Teweksbury) that would allow him to imagine violence as a legitimate means to his ends, and if he is not granted a (probably the) senior position within government he will likely use it to support his claims. If this is successful against an adult monarch, Richard should keep the throne.
 
I spent a term of my degree writing Alternate History on just this subject, a very useful tool it was too :)

You have the Greys in the mix, and the potential for Tudor to eventually be allowed to return as Earl of Richmond

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Indefinate Glorious summer?

Shakespeare would have written his plays differently and would not have written one of his most famous plays. There would have been no Tudor dynasty and the Yorkists would have written history. Maybe Richard would have tried to exert power behind the scenes but if his excesses were curtailed the only rising would be by Richard. Stanley would have remained loyal to the crown and the Earls of Derby would have retained the influence they had in the present timeline.

With no Tudor dynasty and no Henry V111 Britain may well have remained a catholic country so there would have been no Armada of piratical merchant adventurers maybe even no Empire and no Cromwell.
 
Its an interesting departure point - partly because much of the early Tudor period was in fact a continuation of Yorkist policy.
You have senior peers closely related to the throne - Anthony 2nd Earl Rivers, Edward Duke of Buckingham and Richard Duke of Gloucester. You also have the children of George Duke of Clarence - The Earl of Warwick and Lady Margaret growing to adulthood and the Queen's two children by her first marriage Thomas Marquess of Dorset and Richard Grey.
Richard's resentment of the Woodville's before his brother's death is just not in evidence (despite the views of many Ricardians) in this scenario you have an adult succession so no arguement over Protectorship or Regency. Buckingham on the other hand does resent the Yorkist regime he is married to the Queen's sister, but resents the fact that much of the political influence that should have been his has been kept from him. Anthony 2nd Earl Rivers has been the guardian of the young Prince of Wales in Ludlow since his household was established there and unlike many of the Queen's other relations has remained close to both her and Edward IV.
You also have a young King with powerful allies - Edward IV's plans for his numerous daughter's were ambitious - most had failed over his greed over the financial settlements and doweries for them but give him another seven years on the throne and its highly likely he would have had more success. More importantly to the future of Europe was that in 1480 Edward Prince of Wales was betrothed to the then 4 year old Anne of Brittany a marriage that could have taken place as early as 1490 - the deal would have guaranteed Brittany's independence - Anne's second son was to inherit Brittany under the terms of the Treaty whilst the eldest inherited England.
Here's a few suggestions of what might have happened in 1483 - Edward IV recovers from a strong illness early in the year - meanwhile in Europe - Maximillian of Austria, whose wife Mary of Burgundy died a year before, is forced to sign a treaty over the Burgundian possessions with the dying Louis XI of France - his daughter Margaret of Austria is despatched to the French court and betrothed to the new King of France Charles VII.
A resentful Maximillian under the advice of his wife's stepmother Margaret of York - approaches Edward IV (still bitter over his daughter Elizabeth being jilted by Charles VII) with an offer - confirmation of the betrothal of Anne of York to his young son Philip the Fair, Duke of Burgundy meanwhile Maximillian himself offers to marry Elizabeth of York immediately. In Brittany the treaty of marriage between Anne of Brittany and Edward Prince of Wales still looks the best deal to retain some independence for the Duchy, despite increasing pressure from France under the regency of Anne of France - Duke Francis in these circumstances is less likely to have been forced into the Treaty of Verger and its also likely that his daughter Anne of Brittany would have been sent to England by the time she was ten or eleven to ensure she was safe from French control.
By 1488 the situation has changed and France is now encircled by enemies - Anne of France faced with revolts invades Brittany determined to force the Bretons to repudiate the English betrothal - Edward IV determined to prevent that happening despatches an English Army to support the forces of Francis II of Brittany under the command of Richard Duke of Gloucester and his brother in law Anthony Lord Rivers. The larger English/Breton Army defeats the French at the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier - shortly afterwards the French agree to the Treaty of Saint Malo fearing that if the war continues Edward's other ally Maximillian of Austria might join the fray - the French are forced to confirm Breton independence, to resume payments of their large pension to Edward IV in return Edward is forced to guarantee that Brittany wouldn't be absorbed into the English Throne. A few months later Duke Francis II dies - Anne is acknowledged as Duchess of Brittany at 11 years old.
The same year Edward IV's daughter Anne, is despatched to the care of Aunt Margaret Dowager Duchess of Burgundy ahead of plans for her marriage to Philip Duke of Burgundy the following year.
Also that year James III of Scotland is killed and his 15 year old son James is proclaimed James IV - despite rebellions James IV looks secure and Edward makes a formal offer reviving his proposals of marriage between his daughter Cecily - James realising the advantages of a peace deal - Signs the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Edward IV in 1489 and marries the Princess Cecily.
In 1489 after 6 years of protracted negotiations, Edward IV, finally concludes details of the negotiations with Ferdinand and Isabella over the marriage of his daughter Catherine to Juan Prince of the Asturias - the young princess is despatched to the Spanish court and the care of her future mother in law Queen Isabella.
So by the accession of Edward V in say 1490 - the young King is also Duke of Brittany through his wife Anne (who he formally marries that year), his brother in laws are; the Duke of Burgundy, the King of Scots, the heir to the thrones of Aragon and Castille and the Archduke of Austria and future Holy Roman Emperor.
However at home he faces two Uncles with large apanages - the Duke of Buckingham and the Duke of Gloucester. And his unmarried 17 year old brother has also a large landed estate.
Potential problem - The Duke of Gloucester's only son had died in 1484 and his wife shortly thereafter - he has not so far remarried (much of his lands belonged to his wife's family and with her childless death - her relatives are clamouring for their rights to them to be restored - his wife's sister is Isabella dowager duchess of Clarence is just one person angling that all those lands should revert to her and thence to her son the teenaged Earl of Warwick) - a dispute between the King and Gloucester if he remarries and has a child over the Neville lands (settled by Edward IV over a decade earlier) could happen.
Buckingham - still a relatively young man and a rich one - deprived of influence that should rightly have been his he may be ripe for rebellion if his nephew by marriage doesn't grant him some authority particularly in Wales.
The Queen Mother - close to both her sons but perhaps more so to her younger son who unlike his brother remained at his parents court. However in OTL she died in 1492 in her mid fifties and its more than likely her life span would be similar in this TL.
Henry Tudor Earl of Richmond - the last real Lancastrian claimant however distant - was exiled in Brittany until Edward IV's deal with Francis II - then fled to France where Charles VII occassionaly promises him an army. However he is not regarded as a serious threat by anyone but his wealthy mother who wants him home and able to inherit her wealth.
The Marquess of Dorset - half brother to the King and a leading member of Edward IV's council - a bit of a rake but popular with the late King. A key figure in the South West and potentially could over reach himself. (along with his brother Richard Grey)

It is such a major change that it would cause serious ripples - an independent Brittany lasting longer a continual cause of potential war with France, no Spanish-Hapsburg union, the potential for Maximillian 1 to divide his inheritance between his son the Duke of Burgundy and his children by Elizabeth of York,an independent Dukedom in Burgundy that might in time have developed into an early Kingdom of the Netherlands with a ruling Hapsburg-Plantagenet dynasty who might have been attracted like so many of their subjects to the new learning and the new religion. As to religion - there's no guarantee that Edward V's son or grandson might not have been attracted to the wave of protestantism that spread across Northern Europe.

Betrothals of the House of York to 1483.
Elizabeth of York (b1466) - her betrothal to Charles VII of France was broken in 1482/3
Cecily of York - (b1469) betrothed to the future James IV (but broken when relations between Edward IV and James III fell apart)
Anne of York - (b1475) had been betrothed to Philip the Fair son of Mary of Burgundy and Maximillian of Austira in 1479 (the betrothal wasn't repudiated until after Edward's death in 1483)
Catherine of York - (b1479) within a month of her birth she was formally betrothed to Juan of Aragon (eldest son of Ferdinand and Isabella born 1478). Negotiations were ongoing in 1483.
Bridget of York - was only born in 1480 - and appears to have been dedicated by her parents to God very early (she entered Dartford Priory as early as 1487).
Richard Duke of York and Norfolk - born 1473 (his child bride Anne Mowbray died in 1481, but under the terms of a 1483 Parliamentary act Richard was to retain his wife's vast estates)
 
Edward IV has two sons, and if he lives a decade longer than I think the War of the Roses is basically over. Henry Tudor might be allowed back into the country after Edward IV's death. My thinking is that after Henry VII death I think several Yorkists that had fled the country re-entered, since the War had basically ended. Henry, with his very weak claim, and very good connections, might be less of a threat inside the court, where he can inherit his mother and be kept under a watchful eye.

Richard is a potential problem for his brother Edward IV and his descendants. Though he remained loyal to his brother personally, if he marries and has sons then they will become the potential rallying points to any opposition to Edward IV's line. I think you'd see Edward IV marry his daughters to foreign princes in order to keep royal blood out of his court in England.
 
I think that Henry Tudor wouldnt be considered as a threat to the (adult) Edward V he had a vague claim to the throne and thats why he used the excuse "right of conquest" when he seized the crown...
On the other hand if he manages to gain the support of European Kings (France, HRE etc.) he could cause some troubles though but i believe that Edward V would allow him to return as Earl of Richmond (or Duke perhaps) in order to control him more efficiently...
 
So by the accession of Edward V in say 1490

I recommend 1492. The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the most probable source of the claim that Edward V and his siblings were illegitimate died in 1491.

However at home he faces two Uncles with large apanages - the Duke of Buckingham and the Duke of Gloucester. And his unmarried 17 year old brother has also a large landed estate.

In OTL, there were people who tried to claim the throne during Henry VII’s reign using the name of Edward V’s younger brother, but none who claimed to be Edward V. This has been speculated to mean Edward V was sickly, which means if he does inherit the throne in 1490, his younger brother Richard of Shrewsbury may become King Richard III shortly thereafter.

Even if Edward V does last longer, his intended bride Anne of Brittany did not have a good track record on producing heirs in OTL. Though she may have been pregnant as many as 14 times, most were stillborn or miscarried and only 3 of her children lived longer than a month, with only 2 reaching adulthood.

Potential problem - The Duke of Gloucester's only son had died in 1484 and his wife shortly thereafter - he has not so far remarried (much of his lands belonged to his wife's family and with her childless death - her relatives are clamouring for their rights to them to be restored - his wife's sister is Isabella dowager duchess of Clarence is just one person angling that all those lands should revert to her and thence to her son the teenaged Earl of Warwick) - a dispute between the King and Gloucester if he remarries and has a child over the Neville lands (settled by Edward IV over a decade earlier) could happen.

In OTL, the Duke of Gloucester sought a marriage with Princess Joanna of Portugal shortly after his wife’s death, so he’s probably remarried by 1490.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A396029

http://www.r3.org/bosworth/texts/legends_princess.html

Isabella would not be dowager duchess of Clarence, she died in 1476, predeceasing both her husband and younger sister Anne. Her children seem to have been cared for by Anne until Anne’s own death. Isabella’s father Richard Neville had died in Battle in 1471 and his younger brothers and their sons were dead before Edward V became king.

The Earl of Warwick’s lands had been held by the crown after his father’s execution until Warwick’s coming of age, so if Edward V doesn’t give them back, there could be conflict between Warwick and his cousin the king. William Hastings may also feel he is entitled to the lands because of his marriage to Katherine Neville.
 
Yes fair enough about the old crook Stillington he died in 1491. So lets say Edward V succeeds his papa in 1491.

Your points about Anne of Brittany and her fertility are valid ones however its worth bearing in mind that her first child in OTL was the Dauphin Charles born in 1492 who by all accounts was healthy, bright etc and only died at 3 from catching the measles. She was relatively fertile and with a different father (dictating perhaps different sexes for her surviving children) there's no reason to suppose all of her pregnancies would have ended in stillbirths or miscarriages. In fact the English Court was far less peripatetic than the French court which might have reduced the stress on her that may have led to her stillbirths.

Edward V's health is not recorded as being poor in any chronicle or contemporary records - the suggestion of him being in a poor state date from his arrival in London when circumstances would have made anyone in his position a bit miserable etc.

It would be nice to do the whole timeline through the 16th Century - but Edward IV living a decade longer is such a major change to most of Europe

PS I of course didn't mean the dead Duchess of Clarence but the surviving elderly Countess of Warwick grandmother to Edward of Warwick - in OTL she spent a lot of time nagging Richard III and Henry VII about her rights to the Warwick inheritance.
 
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