Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. If the image is a painting click to see the painter's Biography Page. Move the mouse off the image to close the popup.
Place the mouse over links to see a preview of the Page. Move the mouse off the link to close the popup.
Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees.
All About History Books
Published March 2025. The Deeds of King Henry V, or in Latin Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.
Available at Amazon as eBook or Paperback.
Death of King Edward IV is in 1480-Apr 1483 Edward IV's Last Years.
On 25 Mar 1483 King Edward IV of England (age 40) returned to Westminster [Map] from Windsor, Berkshire [Map]. A few days later he became sufficiently unwell to add codicils to his will, and to have urged reconciliation between William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings (age 52) and Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 28); it isn't clear what the cause of the friction between the two men was although it appears well known that Hastings resented the Woodville family.
On 09 Apr 1483 King Edward IV of England (age 40) died at Westminster [Map]. His son Edward (age 12) succeeded V King of England. Those present included Elizabeth Woodville Queen Consort England (age 46), William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings (age 52) and Thomas Grey 1st Marquess Dorset (age 28).
Chronicle of Jean Molinet Chapter 94. [09 Apr 1483]. On the following Thursday, King Edward of England set off on a pilgrimage, as was his custom to hold court sessions; he became overheated and attempted to cool himself with a salad; he cooled off so much that he passed away on the fourth day after Easter.
Le jeudi absolu ensuivant, le roy Edouard d'Angleterre s'en alla faire un pélerinage, comme il avoit de coustume pour tenir les aveaux; il fut altéré de chaleur, et se cuida rafreschir d'une salade; et se refroidi tellement qu'il termina le quatrième jour après Pasques.
Mémoires de Philippe de Commynes Chapter 6 Section 8.
From the hour that King Edward IV (age 40) died, the King our master was informed, and took no joy in it. And few days after he received letters from the Duke of Gloucester (age 30), who had become the King of England, and signed Richard, who had caused the death of the two sons [Note. The Princes in the Tower King Edward V of England (age 12) and Richard of Shrewsbury 1st Duke of York (age 9)] of King Edward his brother. King Richard wanted the friendship of the King, and belived he would continue to receive the pension; but the King didn't want to respond to the letters, nor hear the messanger, and considered him very cruel and bad. The Duke of Gloucester had pledged allegiance to his nephew, considering him as his king and sovereign lord. However, shortly afterward, he committed this act. And, in the parliament of England, had degraded the two daughters of the said King of England and declared them bastards, on the pretext of the evidence of a Bishop of Bath (age 63) in England (who formerley had great credit with the King Edward then disappointed him, and held him in prison, and then ransomed himself with a sum of money) which Bishop said that King Edward had promised [Note. foy? ] marriage to an English lady [who he named] who he was in love with, to have his pleasure; and had made this promise in the presence of the Bishop, and, on this promise, slept with her: and did this to deceive her.
Nevertheless such games are very dangerous, [Note. tesmoing?] these signs. I saw alot of courtiers who, having the opportunity of such an adventure, would not have lost it for the sake of a promise. And this bad Bishop guarded revenge in his heart, for twenty years; but he is in [Note. meshut?]: because he had a son, who he loved very much, whom King Richard wished to do great things and to marry one of the two daughters, beneath their dignity, one of whom is now the present Queen of England (age 17) and has two beautiful children.
See Edward IV marries Eleanor Talbot possibly.
See The Princes of the Tower described as Illegitimate.
Dès l'heure que le roy Edouard fut mort, le Roy nostre maistre en fut adverty, et n'en feit nulle joye quant il le sceut. Et peu de jours après receut lettres du duc de Clocestre, qui s'estoit faict roy d'Angleterre1, et se signoit Richard, lequel avoit faict mourir les deux filz du roy Edouard son frère. Lequel roy Richard requeroit l'amytié du Roy, et croy qu'il eust bien voulu ravoir reste pension; mais le Roy ne voulut respondre à ses lettres, ne ouyr le messagier, et l'estima très cruel et mauvais: car, après le trespas dudict roy Edouard, ledict duc de Clocestre avoit faict hommaige à son nepveu, comme à son roy et souverain seigneur, et incontinent après commit ce cas. Et, en plain parlement d'Angleterre, feit desgrader deux filles dudict roy Edouard et desclarer bastardes, soubz couleur3 qu'il prouva par ung evesque de Bas4 en Angleterre (qui aultresfois avoit eu grant credit avec ledict roy Edouard, et puis le desappoincta, et le tint en prison, et puis le ranconna d'une somme d'argent) lequel evesque disoit que ledict roy Edouard avoit promis foy de mariaige à une dame d'Angleterre (qu'il nommoit)5 pour ce qu'il en estoit amoureux, pour en avoir son plaisir; et en avoit faict la promesse en la main dudict evesque, et, sur ceste promesse, coucha avec elle: et ne le faisoit que pour la tromper. Toutesfois telz jeux sont bien dangereux, tesmoing ces enseignes. J'ay veu beaucoup de gens de court qui, une bonne adventure qui leur eust pleu en tel cas, ilz ne l'eussent point perdue par faulte de promettre. Et ce mauvais evesque garda ceste vengeance en son cueur, par adventure vingt ans; mais il luy en meschut: car il avoit ung filz, qu'il aymoit fort, à qui ledict roy Richard vouloit faire de grans biens et luy faire espouser l'une de ces deux filles, desgradees de leur dignité, laquelle de présent est royne d'Angleterre et a deux beaux enfans.
Croyland Chronicle 1483. 09 Apr 1483. For, shortly after the events already stated, and when the Parliament had been dissolved, the king, neither worn out with old age nor yet seized with any known kind of malady, the cure of which would not have appeared easy in the case of a person of more humble rank, took to his bed. This happened about the feast of Easter; and, on the ninth day of April, he rendered up his spirit to his Creator, at his palace at Westminster, it being the year of our Lord, 1483, and the twentythird of his reign.
Memoirs of Philip de Commines Book 6 Chapter 8. But whoever was pleased with this match, the King of England was highly affronted; for he thought himself disgraced and baffled, and in danger of losing his pensioner tribute, as the English called it. He feared likewise it would render him contemptible at home, and occasion some rebellion, more especially because he had rejected the remonstrances of his council. Besides, he saw the King of France ready to invade his dominions with a very great force; which made such a deep impression upon his spirits, that he fell sick immediately upon hearing the news, and died not long after, though some say he died of a catarrh. But let them say what they please, the general opinion was, his grief at the consummation of this marriage, caused the illness which killed him in the month of April, 14831. It is a great fault in a prince to be obstinate, and rely more upon his own judgment than on the opinion of his council; and sometimes it occasions such losses and disappointments as are never to be repaired.
Note 1. King Edward IV died on the 9th of April, and the Dauphin's marriage did not take place until the 22nd of June, more than two months later; so that the supposition of Commines that he died of grief at the disappointment of his own daughter, who had long been contracted to the Dauphin, is evidently erroneous. His dissolute mode of life renders it exceedingly probable that he died of a surfeit, according to the popular report. "He was a prince," says Hume, "more splendid and showy than either prudent or virtuous; brave, though cruel; addicted to pleasure, though capable of activity in great emergencies, and less fitted to prevent ills by wise precautions, than to remedy them after they took place, by his vigour and enterprise."
The Scandalous Chronicle. 09 Apr 1483. In April, Edward IV (age 40), King of England, died of an apoplexy, though some say it was of a surfeit, occasioned by drinking too much of some rich wines that the king had made him a present of; however, he lived long enough to settle the affairs of his kingdom, and to leave the succession of the crown to his eldest son, Edward V.
The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. King Edward of that name the Fourth (age 40), after he had lived fifty and three years, seven months, and six days, and thereof reigned two and twenty years, one month, and eight days, died at Westminster the ninth day of April, the year of our redemption, a thousand four hundred four score and three, leaving much fair issue, that is, Edward the Prince (age 12), thirteen years of age; Richard Duke of York (age 9), two years younger; Elizabeth (age 17), whose fortune and grace was after to be queen, wife unto King Henry the Seventh (age 26), and mother unto the Eighth; Cecily (age 14) not so fortunate as fair; Brigette (age 2), who, representing the virtue of her whose name she bore, professed and observed a religious life in Dertford [Map], a house of cloistered Nuns; Anne (age 7), who was after honorably married unto Thomas (age 10), then Lord Howard and after Earl of Surrey; and Katherine (age 3), who long time tossed in either fortune-sometime in wealth, often in adversity-at the last, if this be the last, for yet she lives, is by the goodness of her nephew, King Henry the Eighth, in very prosperous state, and worthy her birth and virtue.
The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. As soon as the King (age 40) was departed, that noble Prince (age 12) his son drew toward London, who at the time of his father's death kept household at Ludlow, Shropshire [Map] in Wales. Such country, being far off from the law and recourse to justice, was begun to be far out of good will and had grown up wild with robbers and thieves walking at liberty uncorrected. And for this reason the Prince was, in the life of his father, sent thither, to the end that the authority of his presence should restrain evilly disposed persons from the boldness of their former outrages. To the governance and ordering of this young Prince, at his sending thither, was there appointed Sir Anthony Woodville, Lord Rivers (age 43) and brother unto the Queen (age 46), a right honorable man, as valiant of hand as politic in counsel. Adjoined were there unto him others of the same party, and, in effect, every one as he was nearest of kin unto the Queen was so planted next about the Prince.
The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. When these lords [Note. William Hastings 1st Baron Hastings (age 52), John Grey] with diverse others of both parties were come into his presence, the King (age 40), lifting up himself and propped up with pillows, as it is reported, after this fashion said unto them:
My lords, my dear kinsmen and allies, in what plight I lie, you see, and I feel. By which, the less while I expect to live with you, the more deeply am I moved to care in what case I leave you, for such as I leave you, such be my children like to find you. That if they should (God forbid) find you at variance, might by chance fall themselves at war before their discretion would serve to set you at peace. You see their youth, of which I reckon the only security to rest in your concord. For it suffices not that all you love them, if each of you hate the other. If they were men, your faithfulness by chance would suffice. But childhood must be maintained by men's authority, and slippery youth supported with elder counsel, which neither they can have unless you give it, nor can you give it if you do not agree. For where each labors to break what the other makes, and for hatred of each other's person impugns each other's counsel, it must needs be long before any good conclusion go forward. And also while either party labors to be chief, flattery shall have more place than plain and faithful advice, of which must needs ensue the evil bringing up of the Prince, whose mind in tender youth infected shall readily fall to mischief and riot, and draw down with this noble realm to ruin-unless grace turn him to wisdom, which if God send, then they who by evil means before pleased him best shall after fall furthest out of favor, so that ever at length evil plans drive to nothing and good plain ways prosper.
Journal of Jean de Roye. 09 Apr 1483. In the said month of April, King Edward of England died in the said realm from an apoplexy that struck him. Others say that he was poisoned by drinking the good wine from the Château de Challuau that the king had given him, of which he drank in such great abundance that he died from it, although it has been said afterwards that he lived until he had crowned his eldest son as king in his place.
Oudit mois d'avril, le roy Edouart d'Angleterre mourut oudit royaulme d'une apoplexie qui le print . Autres disent qu'il fut empoisonné en buvant du bon vin du creu de Challuau que le roy luy avoit donné, duquel il but en si grande habondance qu'il en morut, combien que on a dit depuis qu'il vesquit jusques à ce qu'il eust fait roy en son lieu son filz ainsné.
The History of King Richard the Third by Thomas More. This noble prince died at his palace of Westminster [Map] and, with great funeral honor and heaviness of his people from thence conveyed, was interred at Windsor [Map]. He was a king of such governance and behavior in time of peace (for in war each part must needs be another's enemy) that there was never any prince of this land attaining the crown by battle so heartily beloved by the substance of the people, nor he himself so specially in any part of his life as at the time of his death.