The continuing house of York

After turning away from this for some time I am happily returning to it this time hoping to move to a more natural conclusion rather than the previous abandonmnets - I have made some changes based on earlier feedback and hope you all enjoy. The POD is obvious Edward IV does not die in 1483 but recovers from his illness and continues to rule. Comments, thoughts and suggestions welcome as always.

A history of the 'Most IIustrious House of York'
Part One: The Early York's
By Professor The Hon Norman Wydeville, Queen Elizabeth College, Oxford.

Reviews:
"A gallop through the first Yorkist monarch's. War, marriage, divorce, religious change and national rebirth is all in Prof Wydeville's new work on his distant ancestors." (three stars: The Daily Mail)
"A rather sycophantic approach to Edwards IV, V and VI - not surprising from the younger son of a peer so disantly related to Edward IV's Queen and employed by the college named for her. The book takes a rather uncritical view of Edward IV's frequent foreign policy set backs and betrayals, ignores Edward V's blunders and Edward VI's wilful, petulant destruction of so much of England's cultural heritage." ( The Catholic Voice)
"Can't wait for Part Two. We all know the story of Edward IV - the brave soldier who rescued England from civil war and married a penniless widow for love and his grandson Edward VI who challenged the church for supremacy.
"The advantage of this scholarly study is the inclusion of the often overlooked Edward V and his wife Anne of Brittany and the king's struggle to regain an English presence on the continent, his defiant defence of his wife's inheritance and the Pope who helped the French thwart him."( Anne de Breton College Literary Review).

Extract:
Edward IV was a man of huge ambition who wiped his rivals from the political map and laid the foundations of an enduring dynasty who would lead England back to the centre of European politics.
Critics might say the marital and political alliances formed by Edward and his heir, the future Edward V, pushed England into costly conflicts and gained the nation little but it did ensure the longevity of the dynasty.
Edward IV was a man of huge appetites who avoided conflict unless pushed into it, was perceived as dishonourable at his willingness to accept foreign pensions instead of pursuing foreign rivals, but domestically he restored some semblance of political control and order.

A strong personal awareness of the power and prestige of the monarch didn't prevent his hasty and improbable marriage to the commoner widow Elizabeth Wydeville, Lady Grey, but it was a marriage that stood the test of time and he never appears to have regretted his hasty decision, though his adultery is well recorded.

His extravagant building projects, which left a significant mark on the landscape, are still visible at Windsor Castle, the York Memorial Chapel at Fotheringhay and at the great Palaces of Sheen, Greenwich and Eltham but the costs meant an empty treasury for his heir.

In contrast, Edward V dreamt of England's glory but spent the first decade of his reign excercising a stern governance of his realm, in the second part of his reign he led his nation to war with old enemies but gained little, betrayed by his allies and forced to a compromised peace.

The two men shared a love of the arts and court life was lived in splendour but unlike his father, Edward V was a faithful husband.
Together these two men laid the foundations of modern England.

Principal 15th and 16th Century Sources:
The Croyland Chronicle: was written at the Benedictine Abbey of Croyland, in Lincolnshire, England, off and on from 655 to 1486.
The part that covers the years 1459-1486 was written in around April 1486 by someone described as being a doctor of canon law and member of Edward IV's council. Others conclude the work was written by a monk of Croyland who has edited a secular source.
Croyland has been heavily used for descriptions of the early Yorkist Court and the politics of Edward's reign until the 1480s - is is highly unfortunate the chronicle wasn't continued by the monks of Croyland.
Anglica Historia by Polydore Vergil.
Polydore Vergil was a kinsman of Cardinal Hadrian Castellensis. Polydore was born at Urbino, is said to have been educated at and was probably in the service of Guido Ubaldo, Duke of Urbino, before 1498, as in the dedication of his first work, Liber Proverbiorum (April 1498), he styles himself this prince's client. Polydore's second book, De Inventoribus Rerum, is dedicated to Guido's tutor, Ludovicus Odaxius, from Urbino, in August 1499.
After a period as chamberlain to Pope Alexander VI he came to England in 1501 as deputy collector of Peter's pence for the cardinal. He probably attracted the attention of the Archbishop of York Lionel Woodville (uncle to the King) at about this time who was along with the King was angling to be made a Cardinal (which he was in 1503).
It is likely, given payments to Vergil in the Privy Purse expenses of Edward V, that he was asked by the King to produce his historia in about 1504/5 much of the work was not completed till after the King's death and wasn't published (dedicated to Edward VI) until the early 1530s.
Vergil's work is comprehensive but has attracted criticism as he has been regarded as a paid historian of the the Yorkist Kings by some detractors - his coverage of the reigns of Edward V and Edward VI was contemperaneous which again makes it unusual and useful.
 
The Yorkist Court: (Third continuation of the Croyland Chronicle 1483)
"King Edward kept the following feast of the Nativity at his palace of Westminster, frequently appearing clad in a great variety of most costly garments, of quite a different cut to those which had been usually seen hitherto in our kingdom. The sleeves of the robes were very full and hanging, greatly resembling a monk's frock, and so lined within with most costly furs, and rolled over the shoulders, as to give that prince a new and distinguished air to beholders, he being a person of most elegant appearance, and remarkable beyond all others for the attractions of his person.
You might have seen, in those days, the royal court presenting no other appearance than such as fully befits a most mighty kingdom, filled with riches and with people of almost all nations, and (a point in which it excelled all others) boasting of those most sweet and beautiful children, the issue of his marriage, which has been previously mentioned, with queen Elizabeth. For they had ten children, of whom, however, at this time, in consequence of the decease of three, there were but seven surviving. Of these two were boys, Edward, prince of Wales, and Richard, duke of York and Norfolk, but had not yet attained the years of puberty. Their five daughters, most beauteous maidens, were called, naming them in the order of their respective ages, the first, Elizabeth, the second, Cecily, the third, Anne, the fourth, Catherine, and the fifth, Dorothy. (error the fifth was named Bridget)
Although solemn embassies had been despatched and promises made, on the faith and words of princes, respecting the marriage of each of these daughters, and the same had been, in former years, agreed upon under letters of covenant concluded in the most approved form, still, it was not believed at this time that any one of the alliances above-mentioned would take place; to such mutability was everything subject, in consequence of the vacillating conduct of France, Scotland, Burgundy, and Spain, in regard to England.
This spirited prince now saw, and most anxiously regretted, that he was thus at last deluded by king Louis; who had not only withdrawn the promised tribute, but had declined the alliance which had been solemnly agreed upon between the Dauphin and the king's eldest daughter; encouraged the Scots to break the truce, and to show contempt for the match with our princess Cecily; and taking part with the burghers of Ghent, used his utmost endeavours to molest the party of the duke of Austria, the king's ally; as well as, with this singular craftiness, both by sea and by land, in order that he might annihilate the power of this kingdom."
Vergil on the reign of Edward IV:
" Edward was tall and lofty of stature, so that he towered above everybody else. He had an honest face, happy eyes, a steadfast heart, a great mind, and a memory that retained whatever he had absorbed. He was circumspect in his actions, ready amidst dangers, harsh and fearsome towards his enemies, liberal towards his friends and guests, and very fortunate in fighting his wars. He indulged his lust, to which he was prone by nature, and it was for this reason as well as his kindness (which was very innate in him) that he existed on more familiar terms with the common run of humanity than the honor of his majesty dictated."
 
"He so attached to himself the minds of his subjects that they sorely missed him after his death." Polydore Vergil on Edward IV

Marriages, wars and peace

England 1483 to 1489:

In Spring 1483 the Yorkist King of England took to his bed with a chill at Westminster.
Many feared for Edward's life as his health began to deteriorate further and messengers were dispatched to summon his son the Prince of Wales and his guardian and uncle Lord Rivers back to London.
The Queen was already at Westminster where she had joined the King for the traditional Easter ceremonies.
The couples younger children remained at Eltham.
After a few weeks it was clear the King would recover and in contrast to his apparent life of ease he re-entered government in full command - as the Crowland Chronicler noted it was as if his brush with death had made him more determined to ensure the glory of his house.
It might also be true that the King was fired by anger after his old rival Louis XI of France abandoned plans to marry his heir Charles to Edward's eldest and much loved daughter Elizabeth in late 1482.
Louis XI had a much stronger match in mind for his heir in the personfo the young Archduchess Margaret of Burgundy.
Her father, Maximillian of Austria, was struggling to hold the inheritance of his late wife and was forced by Louis into the humiliating Treaty of Arras (December 1482) which saw Louis gain several parts of the great Burgundian inheritance principally Franche Comte and Artois.
However Maximillian had his own asset in the person of the Dowager Duchess of Burgundy - Margaret of York - Edward's sister and his late wife's step mother.
In the late summer of 1483 Margaret arrived in Calais to be met formally by the most senior English Nobles including her brother the Duke of Gloucester and his wife who escorted her to London in great estate.
A great show of the power and prestige of the Yorkist Court was displayed with the King dining in state on a raised dais in the Great Hall at Westminster, with his family around him. A second great dinner in which the Queen and the Duchess sat alone at dinner whilst the ladies of their households stood or knelt around them was also held at Eltham where Margaret was presented to her young nieces.
The show of family unity didn't fool anyone this was a chance for a new alliance between Maximilian and Edward IV - its aim - revenge on France.
The widowed Maximilian was suggesting that he marry the jilted Elizabeth of York, whilst her younger sister Anne would marry Philip of Burgundy.
Both guaranteed to protect the other in the event of an attack by a third party (clearly intended to be France) - there were further concessions over trade and the position of Flemish merchants in London and Calais and concessions for English merchants in Antwerp.
The resulting Treaty of Bruges was signed in January 1484.
French chroniclers of the time reported the fury of the French Regent Anne to the news believing the treaty to be directly aimed at France and even worse a distinct betrayal of earlier treaties with England and the Treaty of Arras confirmed only a year earlier.

"The experience of our times shows that the princes who have done great things are the ones who have taken little account of their promises and who have known how to addle the brains of men with their craft." Niccolo Machievelli

A wife for the Prince

Edward's greatest marital hopes were concentrated on his son, the Prince of Wales.
For many years the English King had been pressing the Duke of Brittany to allow the Prince to marry his eldest daughter Anne.
The Breton Duke was well aware such a match might offer some independent future for the duchy but would also greatly offend the French.
His choices though were running out, a half tentative offer of the young heiress to the widowed Maximilian was rejected, and in late 1484 the duke's emmissaries returned to London to hammer out a formal betrothal.
The details were formalised by the Treaty of Eltham signed in Edward IV's presence in the lavish great hall at Eltham Palace in October 1484.
Anne of Brittany was formally betrothed to the Prince of Wales.
Edward also guaranteed that he would defend the Duchy in the event of a French invasion.
To ensure that Duke Francis couldn't be forced to surrender his daughter to French control Anne would come to England and be educated with Edward's younger daughters when she reached the age of 10 (in 1487).

Duke Francis still waivered though pursuing other options including the marriage of his daughter to the all ready married Duke of Orleans - he also offered support to the Duke of Orleans in his attempts to wrest the French Regency from Anne of France.
In 1487 the Duke of Brittany facing a continual French threat formally agreed to the Treaty of Eltham and in March the young Anne of Brittany travelled to England.
Her entry into London was watched and celebrated by a large crowd and much pleasure is found in the touching greeting offered to the young girl from her future husband the 17 year old Prince Edward.
Prince Edward returned to Ludlow and his governance of Wales under the guidance of his favourite Uncle the Queen's brother Anthony Earl Rivers whilst the diminutive Princess joined the Queen's household at Eltham.
In France the situation continued to decline and the Duke of Brittany and the Duke of Orleans were both declared rebels by the Parlement of Paris in January 1488.
French troops invaded Brittany to force them to revoke the English betrothal.
An equally determined Edward IV dispatches troops to support Duke Francis under the command of his two most able men - Anthony Earl Rivers and Richard Duke of Gloucester.
A vast English force led by the Gloucester and Rivers broke a french blockade of the channel and landed at the port of St Malo in early July.
A few weeks later the larger English/Breton Army defeats the French at the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier.
French troops disheartened by the defeat the French, perhaps fearing Maximilian would join battlein defence of his English ally, agreed to the Treaty of St Malo in August.
France was forced to resume payments of its large pension to Edward IV and in return Edward is forced to guarantee that Brittany wouldn't be absorbed into the English Crown and would continue to be regarded as a French vassal not an English one.
The King's brother Richard warns the King that any attempt to hold Brittany will almost certainly mean continual disputes with France urges him to press their advantage and crush the French.

In September 1488 the Duke Francis II of Brittany dies and Anne is confirmed as Duchess in the January of 1489.

Edward determined to maintain his hold on the Duchy despatches his brother in law Anthony Earl Rivers to govern the Duchy on behalf of the young Duchess.

Lord Rivers is well respected both at home and abroad but the Bretons resent being ruled by an Englishman almost as much as they would had he been French.
 
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The Spanish match and the Scots betrayal

The same year his new daughter in law succeeded her father as Duchess of Brittany Edward was attempting an equally impressive alliance.
Since her birth in 1479 Catherine of York would her father had hoped marry Juan the only son of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.
Negotiations had been continuing on and off for nearly a decade but now Edward believed the Catholic Monarchs could be convinced of the value of the match.
Ferdinand was known to harbour desire to regain Rousillon for the Crown of Aragon.
In March 1489 the Treaty of Medina Del Campo was signed between Edward's representatives and the two monarchs.
Catherine would marry Juan in return Edward and Ferdinand would support each other in their French territorial demands.

Edward's old enemy James III of Scotland had been killed in June 1488 and was succeeded by his teenaged son James IV.
The English assumed the young Scots King would be far easier to manage than his father and immediately dispatched a new marriage offer to the Scots for the King's second daughter the Princess Cecily.
James welcomed the English representatives with general pleasantries and no commitments instead he entered negotiations with the French regent hoping for a new Franco-Scots alliance to Edward's fury.
With the signing of the Spanish match though war became almost certain and became fact after the French and Scots signed the Treaty of Leith (ostensibly a trade treaty but effectively the promise of military action against England) in May 1489.
In August Scots troops crossed the Tweed meanwhile a new French Royal army marched into Brittany claiming they wish to restore its independence.
Edward IV immediately called on his allies to meet their treaty obligations.
Ferdinand played for time but Maximilian immediately began plans to occupy parts of northern France.

Meanwhile Richard Duke of Gloucester headed north to Scotland initially he was beaten back in the Battle of Berwick (September 9th) but James IV made the mistake of moving further south into England reaching deep into Yorkshire by the August enabling Richard to cut his supply lines - the King escaped and retreated North but by October Richard of Gloucester was camped outside the Scots capital.

In France the moderate English force under Lord Rivers in Brittany was soon overtaken by the French army and on the 1st September Lord Rivers and the Queen's son by her first marriage Lord Richard Grey were killed in a skirmish as they tried to retreat to the coast.

With Brittany under French control the Bretons were forced to depose the Duchess Anne and name her 11 year old sister Isabel as Duchess in her stead - the girl had remained in Brittany and had not accompanied her sister to England - the young Duchess Isabel was immediately betrothed to the French King Charles VIII who repudiated his betrothal to Margaret of Austria.

Edward IV was again taken ill at Christmas 1490 and again formally asked Ferdinand to honour his treaty obligations and enter the conflict.
James IV wily and unpredictable but unable to hold out against the superior force of Richard of Gloucester broke his alliance with France in May.
He offered to marry Princess Cecily immediately, confirmed Berwick Upon Tweed as English (it had been occupied by English troops since 1482), and agreed that he wouldn't wage war on Edward or his allies for a period of 10 years.
The Treaty of Perpetual Peace between England and Scotland was concluded by James IV and Richard of Gloucester on March 15th 1490.
In August the Princess Cecily was married to James IV at York.
The new Queen of Scots was said to be infatuated with her handsome young husband, he in turn was said to be more interested in her huge baggage train.
With peace with Scotland - Richard of Gloucester left England for France with the flower of English nobility - it was widely expected that he would travel to Calais and march south to reinforce Maximilian's troops - the French facing increasing war costs and growing distrust of the Regent Anne were weakening.
Anne offered her support to an obscure English Peer in his claim to the English throne -(Henry Tudor a descendant of John of Gaunt who claimed the English Throne had been living at the French court for some years where he was treated as a bit of a joke) - However the French Army was defeated in a major battle at Amiens on September 4th 1490 and Henry Tudor was amongst the dead.
The death that year of the young Isabel of Brittany was another blow for the Regent Anne.
With the death of the little Duchess, the French Regent proclaimed that Brittany now belonged to the French crown which prompted the Bretons to rebel against the occupying French.
By the end of 1490 Richard of Gloucester's army had liberated most of Artois and Picardy and where threatening to march even deeper into France.
A further small English army consisting of mainly Welsh troops raised by the 20 year old Prince of Wales and the Duke of Buckingham had landed in Brittany - it was portrayed as the Prince riding to the aid of his wife's subjects and proved popular with the Bretons.
Soon many Bretons joined the Prince's army - despite being a much smaller army than the French forces based in the Duchy the Prince proved an able commander, avoiding set battles picking off small groups of french defenders
However the Prince was forced to face a French Army in October about 15 miles from Rennes.
On the worst day of the year the Prince and Buckingham's force harried the massed French force which despite being larger was demoralised and had not been paid.
It was described as a great victory in London a second Agincourt but in reality was a bloody stalemate that left Buckingham and numerous French commanders dead.
The Prince received reinforcements from his Uncle Richard of Gloucester in November enabling him to state to his father by late November that the French were in retreat.
To cement his hold on the Duchy - the Duchess Anne joined him and the couple were formally married in Rennes on December 5th 1490.
The return of the Duchess appeased many Breton rebels further assisting in getting the French out.
It was also suggested that the young Duchess and her husband would remain in the Duchy until the death of Edward IV.
Anne of Brittany was also proving to her nobles her own personal committment to the Duchy - her husband's actions were all done in her name and she held the place of honour at the small court they'd established.
The year 1491 opened with a stalemate.

The English had re-occupied most of Brittany, Maximillian with additional English troops under Gloucester had occupied Artois and Picardy whilst in the South a small Aragonese force had taken control of Rousillon.
Charles VIII and Anne of France (in her final year of the regency) with France beseiged by her neighbours realised that peace on any terms was vital - Charles was eager and youthful and was more interested in dreams of his dynastic claims in wealthy Italy than holding on to the reluctant Bretons, as one pro-French chronicler noted with the wealth of Italy in his hands he could easily deal with the poor English at a later date.
The Treaty of Amiens confirmed that Charles VIII would recognise the independence of the Duchy of Brittany but only as a French Vassal, in return Edward IV would reiterate his renunciation of the Duchies of Normandy and Guyenne.
Maximillian on behalf of his son Philip would recognise the French claim to the Duchy and County of Burgundy (Franche Comte) which would be regarded as the dowry of the Archduchess Margaret who would marry Charles VIII, Philip (now known as the Duke of Brabant though he continued to use the Burgundian styles in his official documents) would regain the County of Artois and parts of northern Picardy.
Ferdinand of Aragon would be allowed to annex Rousillon to the Crown of Aragon in return for a confirmation that he would recognise Charles VIII's rights in Italy.
In addition the French would pay an indemnity of £100,000 and an annuity to England of £20,000 a year for 5 years.
The treaty would enable Charles to fulfil his Italian ambitions and he did insert clauses requiring both England and Maximilian not to interfer in any attempt by Charles to recover the throne of Naples.
Edward IV ratified the treaty immediately for the third time in 15 years he'd shown himself willing to allow the French to buy him off , Maximilian tired of fighting to defend his son's inheritance whilst unhappy with the terms ratified the Treaty two months later.
Ferdinand simply ignored it and refused to surrender his territorial gains.
 
Big start, clearly the butterflies are flying though I think you're overestimating England ability to stand up to France at this point. Compared to the Hundred Years War France is proportionally much more powerful in comparison to England.
 
This Yorkist is definitely subscribed.

I love the book reviews; and I'm glad Richard is being a loyal brother.

(I think it is, perhaps, going a little better for England than is likely.)
 
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England in the 1480's was certainly not going to be able to stand up to a strong French state for any great length of time and I have been a bit more generous to England in the 1480s than perhaps I should.
I can assure you things will get worse.
On the whole French policy towards England during the later part of Edward's reign was conciliatory - they preferred to buy him off despite his general pro-Burgundian policy.
In OTL his death prevented him from pursuing war with France which was probably on the cards after Louis ditched the betrothal of Elizabeth of York and the Dauphin Charles.
All the York marriages mentioned above were as planned in OTL - Edward's death prevented them being firmed up and of course there was no guarantee they would have gone ahead.
The French regent was in fairly continual disputes with Orleans (and many other French magnates) throughout the 1480s that to some extent weakened France.
Charles VIII main aim as he came of age was Italy and in OTL he bought off traditional enemies to try and ensure he would have a free hand.
 
A death, a birth and a coronation

1492 was a year of mourning for the English court - on January 12th Edward IV fell ill and died five days later on the 17th January.
He was buried in great state in his new chapel of St George's at Windsor.
His son had still been in Brittany and the late King's council had divided who would govern until he returned to the capital.
In the end Queen Elizabeth persuaded the council to allow her 18 year old second son, Richard Duke of York, to govern with the advice of the late King's council.
Edward V did not make it back across the channel until early March due to bad weather.
The Coronation of Edward V and his wife was a truly lavish affair with much made of Edward's lawful descent from Edward III.
The nobility of England flocked to the capital for the lengthy and formal event and the great pageants and spectacles arranged to celebrate the accession of the young King.
Celebrations were furthered when it became clear that the young Queen Consort was clearly expecting her first child.
The Queen Dowager was absent from the coronation celebrations as was traditional - she retired first to the Palace of Sheen and thence to Eltham where she had raised her daughters.
The King's younger sisters Anne (17), Catherine (13) and Bridget (12) took a small role in some of the coronation celebrations.
The girls remained in the custody of their mother the Queen Dowager but it was only for a short while.
In July Anne departed from England to join the 14-year-old Philip of Burgundy at Mechelin where their betrothal was formalised. In part a desire by both Maximilian and Edward V to prevent Philip repudiating the match when he came of age.
In late November the teenaged Queen Anne gave birth to her first child after a long and difficult labour. Bells rang out across England to celebrate the birth of a Prince.
The child was healthy and was christened Edward on December 4th in a splendid ceremony. His grandmother and chief godmother the Queen Dowager carried the infant prince.

The House of Plantagenet-York in 1492.
1) Elizabeth of York (b1466) married 1484 Maximilian of Austria King of The Romans, Archduke of Austria etc - Had ISSUE
1a) Archduke Frederick of Austria (born 1486)
1b) Archduchess Eleanor of Austria (born 1487)
1c) Archduke Charles of Austria (born 1491 d 1492)
2) Cecily of York (born 1469) married 1490 James IV King of Scots and had issue
2a) Princess Mary of Scots (b1491)
3) Edward V King of England (b1470) married 1490 Anne Duchess of Brittany (b1477) and had issue
3a) Edward Duke of Cornwall Prince of Wales (born November 1492)
4) Richard Duke of York and Norfolk (born 1473) - married 1) Anne Mowbray (d1481)
5) Anne of York (born 1475) betrothed 1484 Philip (born 1478) Duke of Brabant, Limburg and Lothier, Duke of Luxemburg, Count of Artois and Flanders, Count of Hainault, Holland and Zeeland, Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen.
6) Catherine of York (b1479) betrothed 1489 to Juan Prince of the Asturias (b1478)
7) Bridget of York (1480)
The Queen Dowager also had a surviving son by her first marriage Thomas Grey Marquess of Dorset (later Duke of Exeter)
 
Thank you for the informative reply. Also, I should have remembered Edward IV always had great good luck.

Edward V is obviously going to be a formidable monarch, too. A man who can make Elizabeth Woodville retire quietly into private life is someone to take seriously.
 
The new King, court and family

Edward V was just 21 at his accession and the situation he inherited was far from ideal.
Although nominally at peace with his neighbours and related by marriage to many of the great sovereigns of continental europe the English treasury was running on empty and the affairs of his immediate family were also in dissaray.
Financially it was said his father's French pension agreed under the terms of the Treaty of Amiens would be vital for the young King.
Edward IV had spent lavishly on his favoured royal residences - Sheen, Eltham and Greenwich and had also made large endowments to his new Chapel at Windsor and the York Memorial Chapel, commemorating Richard Duke of York, at Fotheringhay Castle.
The Queen Dowager's income had been fixed by Edward IV's will and she had been granted the continuing use of the Palace of Eltham whilst her younger children remained in her care.
She continued with her own patronage and was generous in the extreme to Queen's College at Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth College at Oxford. She had also endowed numerous religious foundations.
The new King's priority would have to be to address domestic government and to improve his income.
He was supported in this by his uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester and his new Archbishop of Canterbury, John Morton.
Edward IV had used numerous highly questionable settlements to endow his immediate relations now his son would under Richard's advice reverse many of them to enrich the Crown.
First was the great inheritance of the Holland Dukes of Exeter.
With the death of the last Duke and his only daughter the estates had been granted to his widow, the King's sister Anne Duchess of Exeter and her daughter by her second husband Sir Thomas St Leger.
Anne St Leger had been betrothed to Thomas Grey (the son and heir of the new King's half-brother the Marquess of Dorset). Any change would directly affect the King's close relationship with his half brother - with some tact the King reached an amicable solution.
Half the estate would now revert to the crown, a small settlement was granted to the varying Holland co-heirs, the remainder would be settled upon Lord Thomas Grey and his wife Anne.
The King's half brother would also receive the title Duke of Exeter. The new Duke would remain close to his half-brother and was a leading member of his council.
Next was the vast Warwick/Beauchamp inheritance - much was already settled on the Duke of Gloucester, the remainder was already in the King's control (following the execution of Warwick's other son-in law the late Duke of Clarence).
Richard of Gloucester himself was the first to suggest a new settlement enshrined in law and one that would cut the Neville co-heirs out and leave them no recourse to law.
Under the new agreement the King would be entitled to Warwick's entire estate - which he declared had been forfeited by Warwick's "clear treachery" and "treason" in 1470.
All those lands belonging to Warwick and held by Richard of Gloucester would be granted to the Duke and his heirs.
The widowed Countess of Warwick would be granted an income and some property.
The remaining Beauchamp properties still in the King's hand would be granted to her legal heir - Edward Earl of Warwick who was also granted the Earldom of Salisbury (the King's cousin and son of George Duke of Clarence).
If Gloucester died without issue his estate would revert to the crown.
Edward Earl of Warwick & Salisbury was created a Knight of the Bath at Edward V's coronation in 1492.
He was betrothed in the same year to the 13 year old daughter of the late Duke of Buckingham, Elizabeth Stafford another of the King's cousins.
A dower was also announced for Warwick's sister Lady Margaret Plantagenet - she had remained in Gloucester's household until the death of the Duchess, then she'd been in the Queen's household, she remained there and was rapidly becoming close to Queen Anne.
Her marriage had long been a matter of discussion.
Queen Elizabeth had long pushed for the young woman to marry one of her remaining unmarried brother's - Richard (who succeeded as 3rd Earl Rivers but died in 1491) or Sir Edward Wydeville but discussions had been delayed due to the death of the King.
In 1493 the King granted Sir Edward (4th Earl Rivers) a licence to marry "our right well beloved cousin, the Lady Margaret".
Highly respected by her cousin The Earl and Countess frequently entertained the King and Queen at their home at Grafton and in 1499, Lady Rivers was appointed Lady Governess to the Princess Elizabeth.
The King confirmed the Mowbray inheritance on his brother Richard Duke of York and Norfolk but made no further provision for him.
In 1495 Cecily Duchess of York died at her home at Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire - a lavish funeral was provided at the King's expense as she was buried in the York Memorial Chapel alongside her husband.
Edward soon attracted a reputation for fiercely enforcing his feudal rights over the nobility, his tax inspectors were rigorous and were expected to be above reproach, he increased the crown's reliance on Justices of the Peace (encouraging the country gentry to apply for the post as a way of defending themselves from rapacious local nobles and for gaining the King's favour).
He relied heavily on his Lord Chancellor Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury (died 1500) and after his death his youngest Uncle Lionel Wydeville (successively Bishop of Exeter 1482 , Bishop of London in 1489, Archbishop of York in 1500 (was intended for Canterbury in succession to John Morton but Rotherham of York died first) - created Cardinal "at the King's urging" in 1503 - served as Chancellor of Oxford University and died in 1511) created Lord Chancellor (in succession to Morton in 1500 and served until 1508 when he was replaced by William Warham Archbishop of Canterbury.)
Some of his father's most loyal supporters such as William Lord Hastings remained on the council but his long-standing antipathy for the new King's half brother Thomas Grey was a problem - especially when Lord Hastings was dismissed as Lord Chamberlain in 1493 to be replaced by Thomas Grey.
Another favourite was the King's cousin John De La Pole heir of the Duke of Suffolk.
The King soon gained a reputation for avarice and resentment against the crown in more remote parts of the Kingdom soon became apparent.
Gloucester kept a tight reign on the North supported by the local nobility.
In the West Country the new Duke of Exeter was also able to keep control and in 1494 he crushed a Cornish rebellion prompted by tax inspectors being rather zealous in their duties.
The Duke also had considerable influence in the Midlands as did his uncle the Earl Rivers and both continued to clash with the Hastings family for power and prestige.
Wales was more of a problem - under Edward IV the Prince of Wales council governed the principality from Ludlow - key members being the prince himself when he came of age and his uncle the 2nd Earl Rivers and leading Welsh nobles like the Duke of Buckingham.
But Buckingham and Rivers were dead.
Edward IV had solved his Welsh problem with a unique solution - Henry Tudor 2nd Earl of Richmond had been killed in France but his uncle who had no claim to the throne had also been in exile as a leading Lancastrian Peer.
Jasper once Earl of Pembroke, with his nephew dead, was willing to make peace with Edward IV and through the intervention of his devastated sister in law Margaret Beaufort (who despite her Beaufort descent was popular at the Yorkist court) was reconciled with the King in 1489 - the King refused to restore him to the Earldom of Pembroke held by the Herbert family but instead created him Earl of Richmond and restored some of his Welsh lands still in the Crown's hands and appointed him to the Prince of Wales' Council.
Jasper however caused some consternation when he offered in 1491 for Elizabeth Herbert Baroness Herbert (only child of the Earl of Pembroke and Mary Wydeville sister of the Queen) - she was heiress to her father's lands and her wardship had been granted to her Aunt Queen Elizabeth.
To Jasper it was a fitting match as he would regain many of the lands he'd lost and in time he hoped his former Earldom of Pembroke (though the Herbert's had not been particularly wealthy).
Edward IV had not been impressed and had given Jasper a firm refusal. The Earl of Richmond repeated his request on Edward V's accession who decided to give a more positive answer and the couple were married in 1493.
The King restored the Earldom of Pembroke to Jasper in 1494 in return for the surrendering of the Earldom of Richmond.
Elizabeth and Jasper would have a son - Henry Tudor (later 2nd Earl of Pembroke, 4th Baron Herbert) in 1494.
Jasper would continue to enjoy dominance of the Prince of Wales' Council until his death in 1502 and his son would be educated alongside the slightly older Prince Edward.
The vast wealth of Margaret Beaufort was an issue for the crown as the death of her son had left her without a direct heir.
Her fourth husband Lord Stanley, created Earl of Derby in 1490, was keen that her properties pass to him.
Margaret was inclined to leave the bulk of her estate to the church and the offspring of her mother's first and third marriages.
Others felt it should revert to the heirs of her uncle the 2nd Duke of Somerset.
The King felt it should revert to the crown but in 1494 he declared in favour of the Beaufort co-heirs - principally the 2nd Duke's daughter Lady Eleanor Beaufort and her daughters Mary Lady Carey and Catherine Spencer. Lady Eleanor's younger sister's grandson the Duke of Buckingham also received a portion of the vast estates.
Lady Carey's husband had been a groom of the bedchamber and it was generally thought his influence had been significant. Lady Carey was a minor Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Anne and Catherine Spencer was a maid of honour to the Queen from around 1493.
 
Edward V's wife Anne of Brittany retained a strong interest in her Breton subjects and through her intervention the Duchy was governed by Breton's answering to her and her husband in London - Edward was glad of the revenue but took little interest in the actual governance of the Duchy.
Breton visitors to the English court were usually received by the Queen as Duchess rather than the King.
The Queen's household was a model of piety and elegance - she travelled frequently with her husband but her main residence was initially at Sheen.
Their son Edward Prince of Wales was joined in the nursery by the Princess Elizabeth in 1494 - however the Queen miscarried badly in 1496 one chronicler suggested it was brought on by the departure of her son for Ludlow others suggested that she'd been damaged during the delivery of the Princess Elizabeth.
She would suffer three further miscarriages and a stillbirth in the following few years.
The Queen took solace in her close relationship with her daughter, her passionate defence of Brittany's independence, and her religion.
The household of the Prince of Wales at Ludlow was modelled on his father's and the King laid down strict and detailed instructions for the education and training of his heir.
Diplomaticaly Edward continued his father's policy of alliances that encircled the ancient enemy France primarily designed to ensure Brittany remained free but Edward's long-term aim was the reconquest of lands lost to the French crown.
He looked to extend his alliances and still had numerous relations to offer/

Richard Duke of York and Norfolk was just 19 at his brother's accession, unlike his brother he had been educated under the direct control of his mother alongside his sisters. (he would retain a deep lifelong affection for the sister's closest in age to him - Anne, Catherine and Bridget).

Between 1491 and 1500 he virtually rebuilt his main residence Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, though he had numerous properties across East Anglia, the Midlands and in Yorkshire.

On the death of his grandmother his brother granted him the ancient London mansion of Baynard's Castle which he also extensively rebuilt.

His father had held off arranging his betrothal after the death of his child bride Anne Mowbray - during negotiations for his sisters marriages it had been briefly suggested he be betrothed to AD Margaret of Austria (then already betrothed to Charles VIII of France), in 1489 it was proposed in negotitations for the Treaty of Medina del Campo, that he marry one of the Infante's either Juana or Maria, but Ferdinand of Aragon blocked the proposal though Isabella was keener on the match.

In 1491 there had been a suggestion of a betrothal with the only daughter of the King of Denmark but Richard was not keen as she was a child of six.

In 1493 Ferdinand I King of Naples offered Edward V one of his daughter's or granddaughters as a bride for Richard as part of his search for allies in conflicts with France and the claims of Charles VIII.
First offered was the 16 year old Joan of Naples youngest legitimate daughter of Ferdinand I, but if she wasn't pleasing enough the King was willing to also offer his granddaughter the 12 year old Charlotte of Naples (daughter of the future Frederick IV of Naples) though she was already at the French Court and unlikely to be available.
Edward indicated that he was not willing to risk his French pension by conducting any alliance with Naples and he was suspicious a match would also offend Ferdinand of Aragon.
 
House of York

Did'nt Edward V have some sort of dental disease that likely would have proven fatal had he lived longer? That changes everything..
 
Did'nt Edward V have some sort of dental disease that likely would have proven fatal had he lived longer? That changes everything..

The older body found in 1674 suffered from osteomyelitis of the jaw. No period description of Edward V indicates anything was wrong with his jaw. Untreated osteomyelitis of the jaw had a significant chance of death, though it was not a death sentence. It would result in constant pain, though.
 
The very poor contemporary evidence suggests that Edward V was intelligent and good-looking - which if he had an infected jaw would have certainly marred his features and would have been remarked upon on would have thought.
It is also odd that if Edward V had what was a life-threatening illness that his parents did little to prepare their second son for the crown in the same manner as the regime imposed on Edward at Ludlow by his father.

Next update coming soon by the way.
 
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