Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

Edward of Westminster (13 October 1453 – 4 May 1471), also known as Edward of Lancaster, was the only child of Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou. He was killed aged seventeen at the Battle of Tewkesbury.

Edward of Westminster
Prince of Wales
Drawing of Edward from the Beauchamp Pageant, c. 1483–1494
Born	13 October 1453 (1453-10-13) Palace of Westminster, London, England
Died	4 May 1471(1471-05-04) (aged 17) Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England
Burial	Tewkesbury Abbey
Spouse	Anne Neville ​ (m. 1470)​
House	Lancaster
Father	Henry VI of England
Mother	Margaret of Anjou

Early life

Edward was born at the Palace of Westminster, London,^[1] the only child of Henry VI of England and his wife, Margaret of Anjou. At the time, there was strife between Henry's supporters and those of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, who had a claim to the throne and challenged the authority of Henry's officers of state. Henry was suffering from mental illness, and there were widespread rumours that the prince was the result of an affair between his mother and one of her loyal supporters. Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, and James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond, were both suspected of fathering Prince Edward;^[2] however, there is no firm evidence to support the rumours, and Henry himself never doubted the boy's legitimacy and publicly acknowledged paternity. Edward was invested as Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle in 1454.

War over the English throne

In 1460, Henry was captured by the supporters of the Duke of York at the Battle of Northampton and taken to London. The Duke of York was dissuaded from claiming the throne immediately, but he induced Parliament to pass the Act of Accord, by which Henry was allowed to reign but Edward was disinherited, as York or his heirs would become king on Henry's death.

Queen Margaret and Edward had meanwhile fled through Cheshire. By Margaret's later account, she induced outlaws and pillagers to aid her by pledging them to recognise the seven-year-old Edward as rightful heir to the crown. They subsequently reached safety in Wales and journeyed to Scotland, where Margaret raised support, while the Duke of York's enemies gathered in the north of England.

After York was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, the large army which Margaret had gathered advanced south. They defeated the army of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, one of York's most prominent supporters, at the Second Battle of St Albans. Warwick had brought the captive Henry in the train of his army, and he was found abandoned on the battlefield. Two of Warwick's knights, William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville, and Sir Thomas Kyriell, who had agreed to remain with Henry and see that he came to no harm, were captured. The day after the battle, Margaret asked Edward what death the two knights should suffer. Edward readily replied that their heads should be cut off.^[3]

Exile in France

Anne Neville, wife of Edward of Westminster and later of Richard III

Margaret hesitated to advance on London with her unruly army and subsequently retreated. They were routed at the Battle of Towton a few weeks later. Margaret and Edward fled once again, to Scotland.^[1] For the next three years, Margaret inspired several revolts in the northernmost counties of England, but was eventually forced to sail to France, where she and Edward maintained a court in exile. (Henry had once again been captured and was a prisoner in the Tower of London.)

In 1467 the ambassador of the Duchy of Milan to the court of France wrote that Edward "already talks of nothing but cutting off heads or making war, as if he had everything in his hands or was the god of battle or the peaceful occupant of that throne."^[1]

After several years in exile, Margaret took the best opportunity that presented itself and allied herself with the renegade Earl of Warwick. Louis XI of France wanted to start a war with Burgundy, allies of the Yorkist Edward IV. He believed if he allied himself to restoring Lancastrian rule they would help him conquer Burgundy. As a compliment to his new allies Louis made young Edward godfather to his son Charles. Prince Edward was married to Anne Neville, Warwick's younger daughter, in December 1470, though there is some doubt as to whether the marriage was ever consummated.

Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury

Painting by James Northcote of the murder of Edward, though sources of the time say he died in battle.

Warwick returned to England and deposed Edward IV, with the help of Edward IV's younger brother, the Duke of Clarence. Edward IV fled into exile to Burgundy with his youngest brother the Duke of Gloucester, while Warwick restored Henry VI to the throne. Prince Edward and Margaret lingered behind in France until April 1471. However, Edward IV had already raised an army, returned to England, and reconciled with Clarence. On the same day Margaret and Edward landed in England (14 April), Edward IV defeated and killed Warwick at the Battle of Barnet. With little real hope of success, the inexperienced prince and his mother led the remnant of their forces to meet Edward IV in the Battle of Tewkesbury. They were defeated and Edward of Westminster was killed.^[4]

According to contemporary sources, Edward was overtaken and slain in the battle during the rout of the Lancastrians. An eyewitness to the battle dramatized the moment of his death in a picture which was preserved in a public library, and is described as follows: "The horse is wounded and on its knees. Then the rider receives his death blow from behind. The helmet had been struck off. The bright golden locks sink down on the horse's mane, and in another moment horse and rider fall and are ridden over."^[5]

Some accounts attribute Edward's death to his former ally the Duke of Clarence, to whom the prince vainly appealed for help. Paul Murray Kendall, a biographer of Richard III, accepts this version of events.^[6] Another version states that Clarence and his men found the grieving prince near a grove following the battle, and immediately beheaded him on a makeshift block, despite his pleas.

Another account of Edward's death is given by three Tudor sources: The Grand Chronicle of London, Polydore Vergil, and Edward Hall. It was later dramatised by William Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part 3, Act V, scene v. Their story is that Edward was captured and brought before the victorious Edward IV and his brothers, the Duke of Clarence and the Duke of Gloucester, and his followers. The king received the prince graciously, and asked him why he had taken up arms against him. The prince replied defiantly, "I came to recover my father's heritage." The king then struck the prince across his face with his gauntlet hand, whereupon Gloucester and Clarence killed the prince with their swords.

However, none of these accounts appears in any of the contemporaneous sources, which all report that Edward died in battle.

Edward's body is buried at Tewkesbury Abbey. His widow, Anne Neville, married the Duke of Gloucester, who eventually succeeded as Richard III in 1483.

Epitaph

The Latin memorial brass to Edward in Tewkesbury Abbey is set in the floor between the choir stalls, under the tower. It reads as follows:

+

Hic jacet

Edwardus

princeps Wallie, crude

liter interfectus dum adhuc juvenis

anno dñi 1471 mense maie die quarto

eheu hominum furore Matris

tu sola lux est gregis

ultima

spes

This can be translated into English as follows:^[7]

"Here lies Edward, Prince of Wales, cruelly slain whilst but a youth. Anno Domini 1471, May fourth. Alas, the savagery of men. Thou art the sole light of thy Mother, and the last hope of thy race."

The plaque

Ancestry and family tree

Ancestors of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales
8. Henry IV of England 4. Henry V of England 9. Mary de Bohun 2. Henry VI of England 10. Charles VI of France 5. Catherine of Valois 11. Isabeau of Bavaria 1. Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales 12. Louis II, Duke of Anjou 6. René, Duke of Anjou 13. Yolande of Aragon 3. Margaret of Anjou 14. Charles II, Duke of Lorraine 7. Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine 15. Margaret of the Palatinate

v t e  Family tree of the Princes of Wales, Dukes of Cornwall, Dukes of Rothesay, Earls of Carrick and Earls of Chester

Earl of Chester (1st creation), 1067–1070 Gerbod the Fleming (?) Earl of Chester Richard Goz (d. after 1082) King William I (c. 1028–1087) Earldom of Chester (1st creation) forfeit, 1071 Earl of Chester (2nd creation), 1071 Maud (Margaret) Hugh d'Avranches (c. 1047–1101) 1st Earl of Chester Adela of Normandy (c. 1067–1137) Stephen, Count of Blois (c. 1045–1102) King Henry I (c. 1068–1135) Ranulf le Meschin (1070–1129) 3rd Earl of Chester Richard d'Avranches (1094–1120) 2nd Earl of Chester Lucia-Mahaut (d. 1120) Robert Rufus (c. 1090–1147) 1st Earl of Gloucester Ranulf de Gernon (1099–1153) 4th Earl of Chester Maud (Matilda) of Gloucester (d. 1189) Hugh of Cyfeiliog (1147–1181) 5th Earl of Chester Ranulf de Blondeville (1170–1232) 6th Earl of Chester Earl of Lincoln Matilda (Maud) (1171–1233) Countess of Chester suo jure EARL OF CHESTER (4th creation), 1264 John of Scotland (c. 1207–1237) 7th Earl of Chester Earl of Huntingdon Simon de Montfort (1208–1265) Earl of Chester Earl of Leicester Earldom of Chester (2nd creation) reverted to the crown, 1237 EARL OF CHESTER (3rd creation), 1254 Earldom of Chester (4th creation) forfeit, 1265 Edward, Lord of Chester (1239–1307) Earl of Chester (without the title of Earl) later King Edward I Earldom of Chester (3rd creation) reverted to the crown, 1272 EARL OF CHESTER (5th creation), 1301 Edward of Caernarfon (1284–1327) Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester 1301–1307 later King Edward II Earldom of Chester (5th creation) reverted to the crown, 1307 EARL OF CHESTER (6th creation), 1312 Robert Stewart (1316–1390) Earl of Carrick (1316–1368) later King Robert II of Scots Edward Plantagenet (1312–1377) Earl of Chester (1312–1327) later King Edward III Hereafter, the Earldom of Chester was created in conjunction with the Principality of Wales. DUKE OF CORNWALL, 1337 John Stewart (1337–1406) Earl of Carrick (1368–1390) later King Robert III of Scots Edward the Black Prince (1330–1376) Duke of Cornwall (1337–1376) Prince of Wales (1343–1376) John of Gaunt (1340–1399) Duke of Lancaster Lionel of Antwerp (1338–1368) Duke of Clarence Edmund of Langley (1341–1402) Duke of York Dukedom of Cornwall extinct, 1376 DUKE OF CORNWALL, 1376 Richard of Bordeaux (1367–1400) Prince of Wales (1376–1377) Duke of Cornwall (1376–1377) later King Richard II John Beaufort (c. 1371–1410) King Henry IV (1366–1413) Philippa of Clarence (1355–1382) Dukedom of Cornwall merged in the Crown, 1377 Roger Mortimer (1374–1398) DUKE OF ROTHESAY created, 1398 DUKE OF CORNWALL restored, 1399 David Stewart (1378–1402) Earl of Carrick (1390–1402) Duke of Rothesay (1398–1402) Henry of Monmouth (1386–1422) Prince of Wales (1399–1413) Duke of Cornwall (1399–1413) later King Henry V Anne de Mortimer (1390–1411) Richard of Conisburgh (c. 1375–1415) Earl of Cambridge DUKE OF CORNWALL, 1460 James (1394–1437) Earl of Carrick (1402–1406) Duke of Rothesay (1404–1406) later King James I of Scots Joan Beaufort (c. 1404–1445) John Beaufort (1404–1444) Duke of Somerset Henry (1421–1471) Duke of Cornwall (1421–1422) later King Henry VI Richard Plantagenet (1411–1460) Duke of York Prince of Wales (1460) Duke of Cornwall (1460) Alexander Stewart (1430) Duke of Rothesay (1430) James (1430–1460) Duke of Rothesay (1431–1437) later King James II of Scots Margaret Beaufort (1443–1509) King Edward IV (1442–1483) King Richard III (1452–1485) James (1451–1488) Duke of Rothesay (1452–1460) later King James III of Scots King Henry VII (1457–1509) Edward of Westminster (1453–1471) Prince of Wales (1454–1471) Duke of Cornwall (1454–1471) From the 1469 Act of Scottish Parliament, the Earldom of Carrick and the Dukedom of Rothesay was to be automatically held by the "first-born Prince of the King of Scots." James (1473–1513) Duke of Rothesay (1473–1488) later King James IV of Scots Margaret Tudor (1489–1541) Arthur Tudor (1486–1502) Prince of Wales (1489–1502) Duke of Cornwall (1486–1502) Henry Tudor (1491–1547) Prince of Wales (1504–1509) Duke of Cornwall (1502–1509) later King Henry VIII Edward (1470–1483) Prince of Wales (1471–1483) Duke of Cornwall (1471–1483) later King Edward V Edward of Middleham (c. 1473–1484) Prince of Wales (1483–1484) Duke of Cornwall (1483–1484) James Stewart (1507–1508) Duke of Rothesay (1507–1508) Arthur Stewart (1509–1510) Duke of Rothesay (1509–1510) James (1512–1542) Duke of Rothesay (1512–1513) later King James V of Scots Henry (1511) Duke of Cornwall (1511) Edward Tudor (1537–1553) Prince of Wales (1537–1547) Duke of Cornwall (1537–1547) later King Edward VI James Stewart (1540–1541) Duke of Rothesay (1540–1541) Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) James Charles Stuart (1566–1625) Duke of Rothesay (1566–1567) later King James VI/I Henry Frederick Stuart (1594–1612) Prince of Wales (1610–1612) Duke of Cornwall (1603–1612) Duke of Rothesay (1594–1612) Elizabeth Stuart (1596–1662) Charles Stuart (1600–1649) Prince of Wales (1616–1625) Duke of Cornwall (1612–1625) Duke of Rothesay (1612–1625) later King Charles I Sophia of Hanover (1630–1714) Charles James (1629) Duke of Cornwall (1629) Duke of Rothesay (1629) styled Prince of Wales Charles Stuart (1630–1685) Prince of Wales (c. 1638/1641–1649) Duke of Cornwall (1630–1649) Duke of Rothesay (1630–1649) later King Charles II King James II/VII (1633–1701) King George I (1660–1727) George Augustus (1683–1760) Prince of Wales (1714–1727) Duke of Cornwall (1714–1727) Duke of Rothesay (1714–1727) later King George II James Francis Edward Stuart (1688–1766) Prince of Wales (c. 1688–1688) Duke of Cornwall (1688–1702) Duke of Rothesay (1688–1702) Frederick Louis (1707–1751) Prince of Wales (1728–1751) Duke of Cornwall (1727–1751) Duke of Rothesay (1727–1751) George William Frederick (1738–1820) Prince of Wales (1751–1760) later King George III George Augustus Frederick (1762–1830) Prince of Wales (1762–1820) Duke of Cornwall (1762–1820) Duke of Rothesay (1762–1820) later King George IV Edward Augustus (1767–1820) Duke of Kent and Strathearn Queen Victoria (1819–1901) Albert Edward (1841–1910) Prince of Wales (1841–1901) Duke of Cornwall (1841–1901) Duke of Rothesay (1841–1901) later King Edward VII George Frederick Ernest Albert (1865–1936) Prince of Wales (1901–1910) Duke of Cornwall (1901–1910) Duke of Rothesay (1901–1910) later King George V Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David (1894–1972) Prince of Wales (1910–1936) Duke of Cornwall (1910–1936) Duke of Rothesay (1910–1936) later King Edward VIII later Duke of Windsor King George VI (1895–1952) Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022) Charles Philip Arthur George (b. 1948) Prince of Wales (1958–2022) Duke of Cornwall (1952–2022) Duke of Rothesay (1952–2022) later King Charles III William Arthur Philip Louis (b. 1982) Prince of Wales (since 2022) Duke of Cornwall (since 2022) Duke of Rothesay (since 2022) Duke of Cambridge Prince George of Wales (b. 2013)

Notes

1. R. A. Griffiths, 'Edward, prince of Wales (1453–1471)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
2. Paul Murray Kendall, Richard The Third; page 32
3. Churchill, Winston (1956). A History of the English-Speaking Peoples: Vol1 The Birth of Britain. Cassell. p. 328. ISBN 0-304-29500-0.
4. John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870–72), entry for Tewkesbury
5. Clements R. Markham, Richard III: His Life and Character
6. Paul Murray Kendall. Richard the Third (1956); pp. 118, 528–529 note
7. "www.tewkesburyabbey.org.uk" Monumental inscriptions on gravestones and monuments in the Abbey

References

• R. A. Griffiths, The Reign of King Henry VI (1981), especially the Epilogue. ISBN 0520043723
• Alison Weir, Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses, London (1995) ISBN 0712666745

External links

• Richard III Society
• The Death of Edward of Lancaster at Tewkesbury(subscription required)
• Portraits of Edward, Prince of Wales at the National Portrait Gallery, London

Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales House of Lancaster Cadet branch of the House of Plantagenet Born: 13 October 1453 Died: 4 May 1471
Vacant Title last held by English title: Henry of Monmouth Welsh title: Owain Glyndwr (Pretender 1400/15)	Prince of Wales Disputed with Richard Duke of York (Yorkist), 31 October – 30 December 1460 1454–1471	Vacant Title next held by Edward (V)
Vacant Title last held by Henry of Windsor	Duke of Cornwall Disputed with Richard Duke of York (Yorkist), 31 October – 30 December 1460 1454–1471