Hello! This is my first post on here after reading countless alternate timelines. I have been researching this idea on and off for about a month and I have just plucked up the courage to post. Any idea’s, help, critiques and so fourth are most welcome.
George, Duke of Bedford, third son of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was born in March 1447, but died just two years later in 1479 from the plague.
When Edward IV dies in 1483, George, had he survived, would have been just six years old. In trying to find a way for George to not only have lived past his death in OTL but also the reign of his uncle, King Richard III, I came up with an idea.
George, known to have been sickly from a young age, was sent from court at the age of four or five to live in the country, where it was thought he would grow stronger, away from the constant bouts of sickness in London. He is sent perhaps to live with Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset, his half brother, at Gleaston Castle (cared for whilst Thomas returns to court by Thomas’s wife, Cecily Bonville). Living at Gleaston, which is in the North West of England, by the sea, helps him massively (though bouts of sickness do still plague him). Upon his father’s death on the 9th of April 1483, George is away from court, unlike his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. Richard, Duke of Gloucester (future King Richard III), who was at York at the time, if I remember correctly, immediately travels south to take control of the situation. He meets the now King Edward V on the road from Ludlow and takes the young King into his custody and puts him in the tower of London, for his safety. After much persuasion Elizabeth Woodville agree’s to allow his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, to join Edward in the Tower.
As we do not know the intentions of Richard III when he set off south, whether his plan all along was to find a way to become King himself or if he actually intended to crown Edward but truly believed the issue of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s illegitimate, we will likely never know. However, if for instance he initially planned to crown his nephew King Edward V, then it is very likely that his youngest nephew, George, who resides at Gleaston, much further North than York, is an after thought, and Richards focus is in the south with his eldest nephew and perhaps the ‘spare’.
It is very plausible that when Richard decides to take the throne, he does order Thomas, Marquess of Dorset (who was absent at the time of Edward IV’s death and was instead at Gleaston with little Prince George) to bring Prince George south so he may join his brothers in the tower, and also very plausible that Elizabeth Woodville would agree to this, as she had also agreed to her second son joining her eldest in the Tower. But, very quickly it became perfectly clear that the Woodville’s, and by extension, the Princes were not safe. Thomas would be very, very hesitant to travel south after his younger brother, Sir Richard Grey and his uncle Anthony, Earl Rivers, were executed on the 25th of June 1483. Perhaps he replies to the summons by saying that George is sick and the journey could kill him. It is very likely that Richard would send someone up to Gleaston to take control of the situation and watch over Prince George, pretty much putting him under house arrest. George, perhaps not even sick at the time (the excuse given by Thomas Grey), is ordered to fake his ailments. I expect that the arrival of Richards men would have sent Thomas Grey fleeing for the hills (perhaps not any time to escape with little George). OR by the time Richard’s men have arrived, Thomas and George have escaped (depending on if this is before or after the rumours of the murders of the princes in the tower, which I believe started to circulate by late summer).
However, either way, George and Thomas manage to escape (either Thomas returns for him or they initially flee together) with the help of Sir Edward Woodville, uncle to Prince George, who travels in ships he commandeered from the English naval fleet during the Woodville/Gloucester power struggle. As the Castle is surrounded by beaches and means of escape by water, this plan is successful.
Now, this is where I struggled a little bit (if any of this is even plausible or remotely believable, as I do not actually know if George being sent to Gleaston castle is realistic in the first place). By this time I would think it is about autumn 1483 and there is no clear place to go for Sir Edward Woodville, Thomas Grey and George. Burgundy, a future haven for Yorkist exiles, is loyal to King Richard. Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy despised Elizabeth Woodville (if I remember rightly) and sided with her brother (it was not until Henry Tudor’s ascension to the throne that Margaret supported the claim of her nephew ‘Richard of Shrewsbury’, Perkin Warbeck). Then, there is Brittany which still houses Henry Tudor, even though Edward V, George’s older brother, was betrothed to the Duke of Brittany’s daughter, Anne of Brittany.
I think perhaps the most obvious place they would go is Ireland, as it is not far across the sea from Furness, where Gleaston Castle is. However, is there even anyone in Ireland who would take them in and go against King Richard? Or, there is Scotland, ruled by King James III, who was seen as very much pro-English by his subjects, but his reign at the time was very precarious and an uprising very likely. Is it likely he would offer them sanctuary?
I am looking for a way to have George survive and eventually take the throne of England, however, to do so, my first hurdle is find a safe place for them to live and bide their time, especially after King Richard passes Titulus Regius in parliament, declaring the children of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV as bastards.
(Side Note: If this was to happen, the people would know that George, Duke of Bedford, survives, unlike his brothers. This means that it is likely that Henry Tudor would not get the same amount of support for his claim from France and Brittany and the disgruntled Yorkist's who have fled from Richard III. Also, Elizabeth of York would not marry Henry Tudor, as she has been declared a bastard and to reverse Titulus Regius, as he did in OTL, would mean that her brother has a better claim than he does).
Any idea’s?
George, Duke of Bedford, third son of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was born in March 1447, but died just two years later in 1479 from the plague.
When Edward IV dies in 1483, George, had he survived, would have been just six years old. In trying to find a way for George to not only have lived past his death in OTL but also the reign of his uncle, King Richard III, I came up with an idea.
George, known to have been sickly from a young age, was sent from court at the age of four or five to live in the country, where it was thought he would grow stronger, away from the constant bouts of sickness in London. He is sent perhaps to live with Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset, his half brother, at Gleaston Castle (cared for whilst Thomas returns to court by Thomas’s wife, Cecily Bonville). Living at Gleaston, which is in the North West of England, by the sea, helps him massively (though bouts of sickness do still plague him). Upon his father’s death on the 9th of April 1483, George is away from court, unlike his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. Richard, Duke of Gloucester (future King Richard III), who was at York at the time, if I remember correctly, immediately travels south to take control of the situation. He meets the now King Edward V on the road from Ludlow and takes the young King into his custody and puts him in the tower of London, for his safety. After much persuasion Elizabeth Woodville agree’s to allow his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, to join Edward in the Tower.
As we do not know the intentions of Richard III when he set off south, whether his plan all along was to find a way to become King himself or if he actually intended to crown Edward but truly believed the issue of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s illegitimate, we will likely never know. However, if for instance he initially planned to crown his nephew King Edward V, then it is very likely that his youngest nephew, George, who resides at Gleaston, much further North than York, is an after thought, and Richards focus is in the south with his eldest nephew and perhaps the ‘spare’.
It is very plausible that when Richard decides to take the throne, he does order Thomas, Marquess of Dorset (who was absent at the time of Edward IV’s death and was instead at Gleaston with little Prince George) to bring Prince George south so he may join his brothers in the tower, and also very plausible that Elizabeth Woodville would agree to this, as she had also agreed to her second son joining her eldest in the Tower. But, very quickly it became perfectly clear that the Woodville’s, and by extension, the Princes were not safe. Thomas would be very, very hesitant to travel south after his younger brother, Sir Richard Grey and his uncle Anthony, Earl Rivers, were executed on the 25th of June 1483. Perhaps he replies to the summons by saying that George is sick and the journey could kill him. It is very likely that Richard would send someone up to Gleaston to take control of the situation and watch over Prince George, pretty much putting him under house arrest. George, perhaps not even sick at the time (the excuse given by Thomas Grey), is ordered to fake his ailments. I expect that the arrival of Richards men would have sent Thomas Grey fleeing for the hills (perhaps not any time to escape with little George). OR by the time Richard’s men have arrived, Thomas and George have escaped (depending on if this is before or after the rumours of the murders of the princes in the tower, which I believe started to circulate by late summer).
However, either way, George and Thomas manage to escape (either Thomas returns for him or they initially flee together) with the help of Sir Edward Woodville, uncle to Prince George, who travels in ships he commandeered from the English naval fleet during the Woodville/Gloucester power struggle. As the Castle is surrounded by beaches and means of escape by water, this plan is successful.
Now, this is where I struggled a little bit (if any of this is even plausible or remotely believable, as I do not actually know if George being sent to Gleaston castle is realistic in the first place). By this time I would think it is about autumn 1483 and there is no clear place to go for Sir Edward Woodville, Thomas Grey and George. Burgundy, a future haven for Yorkist exiles, is loyal to King Richard. Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy despised Elizabeth Woodville (if I remember rightly) and sided with her brother (it was not until Henry Tudor’s ascension to the throne that Margaret supported the claim of her nephew ‘Richard of Shrewsbury’, Perkin Warbeck). Then, there is Brittany which still houses Henry Tudor, even though Edward V, George’s older brother, was betrothed to the Duke of Brittany’s daughter, Anne of Brittany.
I think perhaps the most obvious place they would go is Ireland, as it is not far across the sea from Furness, where Gleaston Castle is. However, is there even anyone in Ireland who would take them in and go against King Richard? Or, there is Scotland, ruled by King James III, who was seen as very much pro-English by his subjects, but his reign at the time was very precarious and an uprising very likely. Is it likely he would offer them sanctuary?
I am looking for a way to have George survive and eventually take the throne of England, however, to do so, my first hurdle is find a safe place for them to live and bide their time, especially after King Richard passes Titulus Regius in parliament, declaring the children of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV as bastards.
(Side Note: If this was to happen, the people would know that George, Duke of Bedford, survives, unlike his brothers. This means that it is likely that Henry Tudor would not get the same amount of support for his claim from France and Brittany and the disgruntled Yorkist's who have fled from Richard III. Also, Elizabeth of York would not marry Henry Tudor, as she has been declared a bastard and to reverse Titulus Regius, as he did in OTL, would mean that her brother has a better claim than he does).
Any idea’s?
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