“The Prince of Wales never made it to Ludlow. On August 28, little Edward reported feeling faint. His pain was brief, and by sunrise on September 1, he had died. Anthony was devastated, as the Prince had been almost like a son to him, and he had no heart to tell the King and Queen. Instead, Richard Grey wrote to his mother and told her of her young sons death. Richard himself had already contracted the illness it seems, and he died on September 3, the day they reached Ludlow. Thomas Grey died on the 4th, and by summer 1483, all of his children, with the exception of Cecily, Eleanor and Dorothy, had died. His widow, Cecily Bonville contracted the illness, but survived and entered a convent with her daughter Dorothy. Anthony, guilt stricken, died on the 6th.”
- 1482, The Year of the Setting Sun by Ethan Philips
“The reaction at court was utter shock. The King had lost his heir. He had lost the hope for his dynasty. Fortunately, he had another legitimate son, Richard who was nine. Richard, despite his young age, was already a widower, to the young heiress, Anne de Mowbray. His father, nervous, broke his betrothal to the young heiress of Brittany, Anne, and instead planned to betroth him to Isabella of Aragon. Ferdinand had betrothed his daughter to the young heir of Portugal, Alfonso. He needed to keep the betrothal between young Isabella and little Alfonso, but he also wanted to keep the betrothal between King Juan of Castile and Princess Catherine of York. So he stalled.”
- The Life of Edward IV by Victor Stanley
“The next tragedy to hit the York family came from the north. Richard of York, the beloved Duke of Gloucester’s family would catch the sweat in mid-September. With the illness devastating the north Richard attempted to isolate the family. However, it was already too late and Edward of Warwick, his nephew, fell ill. Edward had most definitely been in contact with his cousin and Gloucester’s son, also named Edward. Edward of Gloucester was extremely sickly, and despite being second infected, he died on September 14. Edward of Warwick died only a few hours later. Anne Neville wanted to nurse her son and nephew, and when her husband refused her, the normally happy marriage turned sour. Anne Neville blamed herself and her husband for the boys death. The spat was short lived, as Richard himself died on the 20th. Anne again blamed herself, and sunk into depression, accompanied by the only other survivor, Margaret of Clarence, the Gloucester’s niece and Edward of Warwick’s sister. The two would be inseparable for the rest of their lives.”
- 1482, The Year of the Setting Sun by Ethan Philips
