House of York - King Edward IV
Name: King Edward IV
Father: Richard, Duke of York
Mother: Cecily Neville
Born: April 28, 1442 at Rouen, France
Ascended to the throne: March 4, 1461 aged 18 years
Crowned: June 28, 1461 at Westminster Abbey
Married: Elizabeth, Daughter of Richard Woodville
Children: Three sons including Edward V and Richard Duke of York (the Princes in the Tower), Seven daughters and four illegitimate children
Died: April 9, 1483 at Westminster Abbey, aged 40 years, 11 months, and 11 days
Buried at: Windsor
King of England 1461–70 and from 1471. He was the son of Richard, Duke of York, and succeeded Henry VI in the Wars of the Roses, temporarily losing his throne to Henry when Edward fell out with his adviser Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Edward was a fine warrior and intelligent strategist, with victories at Mortimer's Cross and Towton in 1461, Empingham in 1470, and Barnet and Tewkesbury in 1471. He was succeeded by his son Edward V.
Edward was known as Earl of March until his accession. After his father's death he occupied London 1461, and was proclaimed king in place of Henry VI by a council of peers. His position was secured by the defeat of the Lancastrians at Towton 1461 and by the capture of Henry. He quarrelled, however, with Warwick, his strongest supporter, who in 1470–71 temporarily restored Henry, until Edward recovered the throne by his victories at Barnet and Tewkesbury.
King Edward IV's Signature
Timeline for King Edward IV
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1461 | Edward, son of Richard of York, is declared king by the Earl of Warwick following the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Towton. |
| 1464 | Warwick defeats Lancastrians at Battle of Hexham; Henry VI is captured and brought to the Tower of London. |
| 1464 | Edward marries Elizabeth Woodville, the widow of a commoner, offending Warwick. |
| 1469 | Warwick falls out with Edward IV, and defeats him at Edgecote. They are later reconciled but Warwick is banished. He makes peace with Margaret, returns to England with an army, and Edward flees to Flanders. Henry VI is restored to the throne. |
| 1471 | Edward returns to England from Flanders and defeats and kills Warwick at the Battle of Barnet. |
| 1471 | Margaret is defeated at the Battle of Tewkesbury and the Lancastrian heir, Prince Edward, is killed. Soon after, Henry VI is murdered in the Tower of London. |
| 1474 | Edward grants privileges to the Hanseatic League of North German trading cities to conduct trade in England. |
| 1476 | William Caxton sets up a printing press in Westminster, London |
| 1478 | Edward falls out with his brother George, Duke of Clarence, who is then murdered in the Tower, supposedly in a butt of malmsey wine. |
| 1483 | Death of Edward. |