I’m currently watching the STARZ show “The White Queen” which spans the time in the Wars of the Roses where Edward IV of York secured his kingdom in 1461, marries Elizabeth Woodville in 1464 and then subsequently in 1470 is betrayed by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and his own brother George, Duke of Clarence. This turn of allegiance was cited by the loss of power Warwick experienced due to the advantageous unions of Elizabeth’s siblings, and Edwards dismissal of Warwick’s brother from the position of Lord Chancellor. Though Edward eventually was able to retake the throne, after his death in 1483 his other brother Richard delegitimized Edward’s son Edward V as king and took the throne as Richard III.
We know that this time of conflict did not begin or end Edward IV. I’m wondering, what were some ways that his reign could’ve been more secured? What could have been done to secure more loyalty from those so close to him? Were the more significant negative consequences (the betrayals) sourced from his controversial marriage and the events that followed? I’m fascinated to hear what historians have to say about this very interesting moment in time.
I've read that he had the best equipped army ever to invade France as of that date. I know that he ended up making a deal with Louis XI in part because he didn't get the support he was expecting from Burgundy and Brittany, but given the quality of his army and his own prowess as a military leader (bearing in mind that at that point he had only fought battles on home soil and that he was not as young or athletic as he had been during his Wars of the Roses campaigns) is it likely that he could have conquered France, or at least regained some of the territories that had been lost during the reign of Henry VI, if he had powered forward regardless of Burgundy and Brittany's support?
Watched the documentary Britain's Real Monarch which argues Edward IV was illegitimate and that the real and rightful ruler of England lives in Australia. I was wondering what other Historians educated on this matter think?
In this timeline, Edward IV would die in 1490, not 1483, and Henry Tudor would suffer a heart attack before he could return. This left the powers of the monarchy firmly in the hands of the House of York.
King Edward IV, summary of his time as king from 1483-1490
Domestic Policy
Edwards position on the throne wasn’t fully secure, however in 1486, a rebellion in Lancaster would take place, of those wishing to restore the house of Lancaster to the throne. The rebellion would be swiftly crushed by king Edward, cementing his position as king.
Despite parliaments attempts to introduce new currency reforms that would have gold circulate more in the general economy, Edward worked against these reforms believing the current bimetalist status quo should be maintained.
The monarchy’s home would be moved to York in 1483, with parliament being moved to an already built building in York in 1489 after some small adjustments.
A Star Chamber would be established in York to convict convicts of higher status that normal courts may be afraid to convict.
Abduction of women would become a capital crime.
Parliament would try pass laws to crack down on Usury but the king vetoed such attempts.
Following the great slump, many believed Englands strong wool industry would usher a new age of trade and commercial gain. King Edward subsidised monopolies, introduced protective tarrifs for wool and cracked down on internal competition.
King Edward would introduce a moderate hike to the rental tax
Ship-building grew under Edward, with the navy increasing by 50% in size
Foreign Policy
King Edward prioritised improving relations with Aragon. A royal marriage between his son Edward V and Isabella of Aragon would be arranged in 1485, alongside a fairly one sided trade deal, which would have England increase its wool and tin exports for more silk imports from Aragon.
Edward would sign a treaty lowering many tarrif rates on Iberian and Italian Nations.
Death
King Edward IV dies of a stroke in 1490, leaving the throne to Edward V, who is only 19 years of age at the time of the death.
Use the poll below to tier rank the monarch based on the summary, with S been the highest rank and F the lowest.
