The Years Under Edward of Westminster
To win is to live, to lose is to die.
The arrival of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales in 1471, daring to face storms to bring an army to hold England from the York Usurpers, was seemingly protected by God. Despite heavy storms, which separated and partly destroyed his enemy’s fleet, the Prince of Wales would arrive unharmed and ready to fight.
Riding first to London, he was reunited with his father, a man he had not seen for many years. The reunion was tense, and the King and his son, although there may have been love, were never close. However, when he rode out with George of York, now Duke of York, and the Earl of Warwick, he felt sure of success. And, although it was a hard battle, ultimately the Lancastrians won. There had been rumours that the new Duke of York had almost switched sides at the last moment, but it seems the presence of the young but fierce Prince of Wales had kept him in line.
Two of the three York brothers were slain in the Battle of Barnet, and with George of York as the last scion of the York branch, he became the beloved brother in law to the Prince of Wales, and was set the task of bring the widowed Elizabeth Woodville out of sanctuary, to swear an oath of fealty to the returned Lancastrians.
Elizabeth, with a newborn son, refused repeatedly, and eventually, the Duke of York received orders to remove the infant Edward of York and his sisters from sanctuary:
“Children cannot claim sanctuary, and especially not the children of traitors.”
However, the new regime did not bring them out to kill them, but at least for the girls, to fold them into the new court system. They were the grandchildren to Jacquetta of Luxemburg, dear friend to the Queen, and Margaret of Anjou ensured they were well cared for. The son was an issue, but the Queen could not find herself with an infant’s blood on her hands. Thus, he was instead kept hidden, to await a firmer judgement.
The returned Lancastrian royals were not always so kind to their enemies. If Margaret of Anjou was unable to kill a child, she was certainly able to kill a woman and in June of 1471, Anne of York was arrested for treason, for her attempts to sway the Duke of York, and her husband became a widower in August of that year, when she died in captivity, potentially of murdered but most likely simply illness due to poor conditions. Her sister Elizabeth of York would be join her in July of that year, and the de la Pole family would remain under suspicion. However, Elizabeth of York returned to her family in January of 1472, and soon after, her son was taken in as one of the Prince of Wales’ men for his household in Ludlow, which was set up in May of 1472.
The Earl of Warwick was, effectively, King in all but name. His daughters were the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York, and married to the first and second in line for the throne. He had proven, ultimately, he was Kingmaker, and he begun to reward his family in a manner similar to how the Woodvilles had with their own. The Duke of Exter saw his only daughter by Anne of York married to Richard FitzHugh, heir to the Baron FitzHugh, and Anne Holland was officially made heiress to the Duke, although there was always the possibility he might remarry, but regardless Anne Holland was a rich girl. William Tailboys was officially granted the title Baron Kyme, and in 1474 he was offered the widowed Martha Woodville, with her dead husband’s estates, as his wife. He would accept the gift.
The royal family needed, now, a son to act as the next scion of the Lancastrian house, and when Anne Neville announced a pregnancy in late 1472, it seemed everything that the Lancastrian cause had ever fought for was worth something. The Princess of Wales was brought to London almost immediately, away from her husband, and Margaret of Anjou would watch her health carefully, controlling her to an uncomfortable degree. This event, however, seems to have brought some life back into Henry VI of England again, for a time, and he would remain active for almost a year, before his natural half-stupor returned.
It was a son, named Henry for his grandfather, and the royal family celebrated with 10 weeks of events, for a healthy and handsome babe. The Princess of Wales found herself suddenly popular amongst the royal family, and then, in October, George, Duke of York begun his rebellion. Discontent with losing his position as heir, he raised an army and marched against the royal family. In response, his father-in-law marched from the south, and the Prince of Wales marched from the North. The Duke of York almost escaped, but ultimately the English were against him, and he was killed in battle.
His wife and daughter were left friendless and penniless, and Isabel Neville was charitably taken in by her sister as the year closed, as her lands and titles were taken by the royal family. The young Margaret of York, newborn and hearty, was put in the same household as the young Prince Henry, and Isabel was made the Princess of Wales’ chief lady-in-waiting. Her father would not have her, angered she could not control her husband better. He did not, however, disinherit her or her daughter immediately, and in 1475, Anne Neville would work a marriage between her sister and the Duke of Exter as his second wife.
It was that year that Edward of York, son of the former Duke of York and King of England, died in his mother’s care. Elizabeth Woodville had been brought out of sanctuary with news her son was suffering without her, and the young boy was extremely ill. While Margaret of Anjou might be blamed for treating him with incorrect care during these years, it seems the issue was a simple childhood illness, exacerbated by a lack of fresh air. Whatever the cause, it played right into the royal family’s hand, and the last York male heir was dead. That left the girls.
Much had been left ambiguous of the fates of Elizabeth, Mary and Cecily of York, elder sisters to the now dead Edward of York. They, with their mother, were now part of the Queen of England’s household, but what for? Well, in 1476, the 10 year old Elizabeth of York was quietly married off young to Anthony Hastings, Baron Willoughby de Eresby, 5 year old heir to the Willoughby fortune. The marriage was better than many expected, but it was part of the Lancastrian plan to dilute the York blood left and reward Lancastrian and Neville supporters, as the Welles family, which Anthony Hastings was directly related to, were favourite of the Earl of Warwick. The other two sisters would be left unattached for now, but were expected to make similar marriages in the future.
A second son for the Prince of Wales seems to have been conceived around late 1476/early 1477, and in mid-September, a probably premature John of Lancaster was born, and in a twist of the knife for the Yorkist supporters left in England, was made Duke of York, along with Earl of March. The elder brother, Prince Henry, was in 1478, betrothed to Marie of Luxembourg, a Princess of French descent the Earl of Warwick organised to keep the French onside, along with a promise of a betrothal between Charles of France and a future daughter of the Prince of Wales.
Burgundy never sat well with the return of the Lancastrians, mostly because their Duchess was a Princess of York. Thus, in 1477, they declared for Elizabeth of York, and secret agents were sent to England to deal with Elizabeth Woodville, having been given wardship of Anthony Hastings, as a way to have her pay for her own keep while in London. The man from Burgundy offered thus: Burgundy would invade England to place Elizabeth on the Throne and, in return, after the Princess Mary and Cecily, Margaret of Burgundy would be given claim to England, which might be transferred to her stepdaughter.
It’s not a very strong plan, and Elizabeth Woodville decides, ultimately, not to agree, mostly because it doesn’t actually offer anything major for her. Instead, she travels with her children to her son-in-law’s lands in Northern England and, when she’s out of everyone’s view, slips in Scotland to beg for the help of the Scottish King. There, she has a Scottish Priest dissolve Elizabeth’s betrothal, and in 1478, Elizabeth of York was proclaimed Queen Elizabeth I, Queen of England and married to the 5 year old Duke of Rothesay, James Stewart. Her sister Mary was betrothed, although not married, to the Duke of Ross, also James Stewart, and Elizabeth began to look for allies.
The English were infuriated. Margaret of Anjou had, in her royal mercy, been kind to the children of the pretender to her husband’s throne, and now, she was repaid in villainy. Taking a stand, 12,000 men were gathered to attack Scotland, to take back the evil Woodville and her York bastards, and leading the attack was the Prince of Wales, leaving a pregnant Anne Neville, two sons and a family history of bad regencies. At his side was the Earl of Warwick, and the Duke of Exeter. The war would not be long.
James II of Scotland was among those the Prince of Wales captured, and in February of 1479, having just received news that her wife had delivered a daughter, immediately betrothed to the Dauphin, he travelled with the York girls and the King of Scotland to London. Lancaster continued to prosper.
Then the Prince of Wales died.
TBC...
To win is to live, to lose is to die.
The arrival of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales in 1471, daring to face storms to bring an army to hold England from the York Usurpers, was seemingly protected by God. Despite heavy storms, which separated and partly destroyed his enemy’s fleet, the Prince of Wales would arrive unharmed and ready to fight.
Riding first to London, he was reunited with his father, a man he had not seen for many years. The reunion was tense, and the King and his son, although there may have been love, were never close. However, when he rode out with George of York, now Duke of York, and the Earl of Warwick, he felt sure of success. And, although it was a hard battle, ultimately the Lancastrians won. There had been rumours that the new Duke of York had almost switched sides at the last moment, but it seems the presence of the young but fierce Prince of Wales had kept him in line.
Two of the three York brothers were slain in the Battle of Barnet, and with George of York as the last scion of the York branch, he became the beloved brother in law to the Prince of Wales, and was set the task of bring the widowed Elizabeth Woodville out of sanctuary, to swear an oath of fealty to the returned Lancastrians.
Elizabeth, with a newborn son, refused repeatedly, and eventually, the Duke of York received orders to remove the infant Edward of York and his sisters from sanctuary:
“Children cannot claim sanctuary, and especially not the children of traitors.”
However, the new regime did not bring them out to kill them, but at least for the girls, to fold them into the new court system. They were the grandchildren to Jacquetta of Luxemburg, dear friend to the Queen, and Margaret of Anjou ensured they were well cared for. The son was an issue, but the Queen could not find herself with an infant’s blood on her hands. Thus, he was instead kept hidden, to await a firmer judgement.
The birth of Christ, as the birth of Edward, Prince of Wales (1474)
Part of a larger series of paintings depicting the Lancastrian heritage with religious imagery, Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou are depicted as Joseph and Mary, with Edward of Westminster depicted as Jesus. In the background, Henry VI of England is backed by his father and grandfather, while Margaret is stood behind by Catherine of France, Henry VI's mother. Above them, angels sing the praises for babe, both for Christ and the Prince of Wales. Lancastrian propaganda at this time was very driven by religious texts, and soon this generation of Lancastrian rule was associated with piousness.
The returned Lancastrian royals were not always so kind to their enemies. If Margaret of Anjou was unable to kill a child, she was certainly able to kill a woman and in June of 1471, Anne of York was arrested for treason, for her attempts to sway the Duke of York, and her husband became a widower in August of that year, when she died in captivity, potentially of murdered but most likely simply illness due to poor conditions. Her sister Elizabeth of York would be join her in July of that year, and the de la Pole family would remain under suspicion. However, Elizabeth of York returned to her family in January of 1472, and soon after, her son was taken in as one of the Prince of Wales’ men for his household in Ludlow, which was set up in May of 1472.
The Earl of Warwick was, effectively, King in all but name. His daughters were the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York, and married to the first and second in line for the throne. He had proven, ultimately, he was Kingmaker, and he begun to reward his family in a manner similar to how the Woodvilles had with their own. The Duke of Exter saw his only daughter by Anne of York married to Richard FitzHugh, heir to the Baron FitzHugh, and Anne Holland was officially made heiress to the Duke, although there was always the possibility he might remarry, but regardless Anne Holland was a rich girl. William Tailboys was officially granted the title Baron Kyme, and in 1474 he was offered the widowed Martha Woodville, with her dead husband’s estates, as his wife. He would accept the gift.
The royal family needed, now, a son to act as the next scion of the Lancastrian house, and when Anne Neville announced a pregnancy in late 1472, it seemed everything that the Lancastrian cause had ever fought for was worth something. The Princess of Wales was brought to London almost immediately, away from her husband, and Margaret of Anjou would watch her health carefully, controlling her to an uncomfortable degree. This event, however, seems to have brought some life back into Henry VI of England again, for a time, and he would remain active for almost a year, before his natural half-stupor returned.
The Birth of Henry of Lancaster (1477)
A painting depicting the arrival of Henry of Lancaster, where he is presented by his mother, Anne Neville (holding the babe), to his aunt, Isabel Neville (woman holding the string with Henry of Lancaster), and his grandmother, Margaret of Anjou (standing behind Isabel Neville, holding a gift from the King). This painting, commissioned by Isabel Neville during her marriage to Duke of Exeter, was meant to show her connection to the royal family and was part of her attempts to disassociate herself from her first husband, already dead at this time. In the background, it's suggested that the Prince of Wales s standing with either Anne Beauchamp, the mother of Anne and Isabel Neville, but it could easily be one of the many women of the Lancastrian court.
It was a son, named Henry for his grandfather, and the royal family celebrated with 10 weeks of events, for a healthy and handsome babe. The Princess of Wales found herself suddenly popular amongst the royal family, and then, in October, George, Duke of York begun his rebellion. Discontent with losing his position as heir, he raised an army and marched against the royal family. In response, his father-in-law marched from the south, and the Prince of Wales marched from the North. The Duke of York almost escaped, but ultimately the English were against him, and he was killed in battle.
His wife and daughter were left friendless and penniless, and Isabel Neville was charitably taken in by her sister as the year closed, as her lands and titles were taken by the royal family. The young Margaret of York, newborn and hearty, was put in the same household as the young Prince Henry, and Isabel was made the Princess of Wales’ chief lady-in-waiting. Her father would not have her, angered she could not control her husband better. He did not, however, disinherit her or her daughter immediately, and in 1475, Anne Neville would work a marriage between her sister and the Duke of Exter as his second wife.
It was that year that Edward of York, son of the former Duke of York and King of England, died in his mother’s care. Elizabeth Woodville had been brought out of sanctuary with news her son was suffering without her, and the young boy was extremely ill. While Margaret of Anjou might be blamed for treating him with incorrect care during these years, it seems the issue was a simple childhood illness, exacerbated by a lack of fresh air. Whatever the cause, it played right into the royal family’s hand, and the last York male heir was dead. That left the girls.
Much had been left ambiguous of the fates of Elizabeth, Mary and Cecily of York, elder sisters to the now dead Edward of York. They, with their mother, were now part of the Queen of England’s household, but what for? Well, in 1476, the 10 year old Elizabeth of York was quietly married off young to Anthony Hastings, Baron Willoughby de Eresby, 5 year old heir to the Willoughby fortune. The marriage was better than many expected, but it was part of the Lancastrian plan to dilute the York blood left and reward Lancastrian and Neville supporters, as the Welles family, which Anthony Hastings was directly related to, were favourite of the Earl of Warwick. The other two sisters would be left unattached for now, but were expected to make similar marriages in the future.
A second son for the Prince of Wales seems to have been conceived around late 1476/early 1477, and in mid-September, a probably premature John of Lancaster was born, and in a twist of the knife for the Yorkist supporters left in England, was made Duke of York, along with Earl of March. The elder brother, Prince Henry, was in 1478, betrothed to Marie of Luxembourg, a Princess of French descent the Earl of Warwick organised to keep the French onside, along with a promise of a betrothal between Charles of France and a future daughter of the Prince of Wales.
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Anne Neville with the Duke of York, as Mary and Christ (1480)
One of many depictions of the Princess of Wales holding one of her sons as Mary with Jesus, this painting differs as she holds the Duke of York, rather than the future King. Historians have debated whether this painting was actually intended to be the Duke of York, but it has been suggested that, at this time, Prince Henry was not a healthy child, and the decision had been made to associate both sons with Christ, with the hope that if one died, the other would continue the legacy.
Burgundy never sat well with the return of the Lancastrians, mostly because their Duchess was a Princess of York. Thus, in 1477, they declared for Elizabeth of York, and secret agents were sent to England to deal with Elizabeth Woodville, having been given wardship of Anthony Hastings, as a way to have her pay for her own keep while in London. The man from Burgundy offered thus: Burgundy would invade England to place Elizabeth on the Throne and, in return, after the Princess Mary and Cecily, Margaret of Burgundy would be given claim to England, which might be transferred to her stepdaughter.
It’s not a very strong plan, and Elizabeth Woodville decides, ultimately, not to agree, mostly because it doesn’t actually offer anything major for her. Instead, she travels with her children to her son-in-law’s lands in Northern England and, when she’s out of everyone’s view, slips in Scotland to beg for the help of the Scottish King. There, she has a Scottish Priest dissolve Elizabeth’s betrothal, and in 1478, Elizabeth of York was proclaimed Queen Elizabeth I, Queen of England and married to the 5 year old Duke of Rothesay, James Stewart. Her sister Mary was betrothed, although not married, to the Duke of Ross, also James Stewart, and Elizabeth began to look for allies.
The English were infuriated. Margaret of Anjou had, in her royal mercy, been kind to the children of the pretender to her husband’s throne, and now, she was repaid in villainy. Taking a stand, 12,000 men were gathered to attack Scotland, to take back the evil Woodville and her York bastards, and leading the attack was the Prince of Wales, leaving a pregnant Anne Neville, two sons and a family history of bad regencies. At his side was the Earl of Warwick, and the Duke of Exeter. The war would not be long.
James II of Scotland was among those the Prince of Wales captured, and in February of 1479, having just received news that her wife had delivered a daughter, immediately betrothed to the Dauphin, he travelled with the York girls and the King of Scotland to London. Lancaster continued to prosper.
Then the Prince of Wales died.
Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (1492)
The only true portrait of the Prince of Wales was painted posthumously, from the memory of his widow, at the time Duchess of Pembroke. The painting was described by some as a bad likeness, and perhaps it draws too closely to accepted likenesses of the man's son, Henry VII of England, who was said to have been stockier in build, compared to his father. However, it was considered a good enough likeness that over 50 copies were made in the following 5 years, to various degress of success, to grace the walls of those who had known the Prince.
TBC...
