142-707: Richard Neville may refer to: Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428–1471), "Warwick the Kingmaker", English noble, fought in the Wars of the Roses Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), Yorkist leader during the Wars of the Roses, father of the 16th Earl of Warwick Richard Neville, 2nd Baron Latimer (died 1530), English soldier and peer Richard Neville (soldier) (1615–1676), Commander at
284-737: A French attack on the English seaport of Sandwich set off fears of a full-scale French invasion. Warwick was again funded to protect the garrison and patrol the English coast. In disregard of royal authority, he then conducted highly successful acts of piracy, against the Castilian fleet in May 1458, and against the Hanseatic fleet a few weeks later. He also used his time on the Continent to establish relations with Charles VII of France and Philip
426-537: A Venetian glass bowl as a token of gratitude, known as the " Luck of Muncaster ", ensuring the prosperity of the Pennington family as long as it remained intact. Nonetheless, while he was in hiding at Waddington Hall, in Waddington, Lancashire , the home of Sir Richard Tempest, he was betrayed by "a black monk of Addington" and on 13 July 1464, a party of Yorkist men, including Sir Richard's brother John, entered
568-727: A background that has been called "the baying for Suffolk's blood [by] a London mob", to the extent that Suffolk admitted his alarm to Henry. Ultimately, Henry was forced to send him into exile , but Suffolk's ship was intercepted in the English Channel . His murdered body was found on the beach at Dover . Henry's mental health began to deteriorate in the late 1440s. He exhibited possible signs of paranoia (the arrest of Duke Humphrey in 1447) and grandiosity (the scale of his plans of expansion for Eton Chapel in 1449 and King's College in 1446). By 1449, Henry had many critics questioning his ability to rule due to his mental health. In 1449,
710-482: A breakdown in law and order, corruption, the distribution of royal land to the king's court favourites , the troubled state of the crown's finances, and the steady loss of territories in France. In 1447, this unpopularity took the form of a Commons campaign against William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk , who was the most unpopular of all the king's entourage and widely seen as a traitor. He was impeached by Parliament to
852-522: A chapel at Westminster Abbey to house Henry VI's relics. A number of Henry VI's miracles possessed a political dimension, such as his cure of a young girl afflicted with the King's evil , whose parents refused to bring her to the usurper, Richard III. By the time of Henry VIII 's break with Rome , canonisation proceedings were under way. Hymns to him still exist, and until the Reformation his hat
994-603: A collapse of law and order in England, the Queen and her clique came under accusations – particularly from Henry VI's increasingly popular cousin, the Duke of York – of misconduct of the war in France and misrule of England. Tensions mounted between Margaret and York over control of the incapacitated King's government, which developed into a major dispute over the succession to the English throne . Civil war broke out in 1455, leading to
1136-424: A collection of poems written from the perspective of historical figures. Kingdoms are but cares State is devoid of stay, Riches are ready snares, And hasten to decay Pleasure is a privy prick Which vice doth still provoke; Pomps, imprompt; and fame, a flame; Power, a smoldering smoke. Who meanth to remove the rock Owst of the slimy mud Shall mire himself, and hardly [e]scape The swelling of
1278-590: A far more formidable leader in Henry's son, Edward. However, once the last of the most prominent Lancastrian supporters had been either killed or exiled, it became clear that Henry VI would be a burden on Edward IV's reign. The common fear was the possibility of another noble using the mentally unstable king to further their own agenda. According to the Historie of the arrivall of Edward IV , an official chronicle favourable to Edward IV, Henry died of melancholia , but it
1420-663: A few noble favourites who clashed on the matter of the French war when he assumed the reins of government in 1437. After the death of King Henry V, England had lost momentum in the Hundred Years' War , whereas the House of Valois had gained ground beginning with Joan of Arc 's military victories in the year 1429. The young King came to favour a policy of peace in France and thus favoured the faction around Cardinal Beaufort and William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk , who thought likewise;
1562-579: A growing effort by French lords to resist the growing power of the French monarchy, a conflict which culminated in the Praguerie revolt of 1440. Though the English failed to take advantage of the Praguerie itself, the prospect of gaining the allegiance of one of Charles VII's more rebellious nobles was attractive from a military perspective. In about 1441, the recently ransomed Charles, Duke of Orléans , in an attempt to force Charles VII to make peace with
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#17327757400881704-496: A label compony argent and azure for Beaufort ( House of Lancaster ) to signify the royal descent from Warwick's father Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury , who was the eldest son and heir of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and his wife, Lady Joan Beaufort , daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , third son of King Edward III and great-grandfather of the last Lancastrian King Henry VI. Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471)
1846-586: A late Gothic or Perpendicular -style church with a monastic or educational foundation attached. Each year on the anniversary of Henry VI's death, the Provosts of Eton and King's lay white lilies and roses, the respective floral emblems of those colleges, on the spot in the Wakefield Tower at the Tower of London where the imprisoned Henry VI was, according to tradition, murdered as he knelt at prayer. There
1988-635: A long period of dynastic conflict known as the Wars of the Roses (1455–1487). Henry was deposed on 4 March 1461 by York's eldest son, who took the throne as King Edward IV . Despite Margaret continuing to lead a resistance to Edward, Henry was captured by Edward's forces in 1465 and imprisoned in the Tower of London . Henry was restored to the throne by the Earl of Warwick in 1470. Edward retook power in 1471 and killed Henry's only son, Edward of Westminster , at
2130-466: A love match, but in the long run he sought to build the Woodville family into a powerhouse independent of Warwick's influence. The marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville caused Warwick to lose his power and influence. He accused Elizabeth, and her mother Jacquetta of Luxembourg , of witchcraft to try to restore the power that he had lost. This was not enough to cause a complete fallout between
2272-470: A minor part in the battle that followed. The unusually bloody battle resulted in a complete victory for the Yorkist forces, and the death of many important men on the opposing side, such as Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland , and Andrew Trollope. Queen Margaret managed to escape to Scotland , with Henry and Prince Edward. Edward IV returned to London for his coronation, while Warwick remained to pacify
2414-568: A pilgrimage destination during the early decades of the 16th century, over time, with the lessened need to legitimise Tudor rule, his cult faded. William Shakespeare and possibly others completed the Henry VI trilogy around 1593, roughly 121 years after the real monarch's death. The period of history covered in the plays was between the funeral of Henry V (1422) to the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471). Though modern scholars are more interested in
2556-658: A rebellion in Kent in 1450, calling himself "John Mortimer", apparently in sympathy with York, and setting up residence at the White Hart Inn in Southwark (the white hart had been the symbol of the deposed Richard II ). Henry came to London with an army to crush the rebellion, but on finding that Cade had fled kept most of his troops behind while a small force followed the rebels and met them at Sevenoaks . The flight proved to have been tactical: Cade successfully ambushed
2698-461: A secret alliance with Margaret. After marrying his daughter Anne Neville to Henry and Margaret's son, Warwick returned to England, forced Edward IV into exile, and restored Henry VI to the throne on 3 October 1470; the term " readeption " is still sometimes used for this event. However, by this time, years in hiding followed by years in captivity had taken their toll on Henry. Warwick and Clarence effectively ruled in his name. Henry's return to
2840-418: A sympathetic view of Warwick, but concluded that he had ultimately fallen victim to his own overreaching ambition. More recent historians, such as Michael Hicks and A. J. Pollard , have tried to see Warwick in light of the standards of his own age, rather than holding him up to contemporary constitutional ideals. The insults Warwick suffered at the hands of King Edward—including Edward's secret marriage, and
2982-430: A title at that time still normally reserved for immediate relatives of the monarch. The new duke of Somerset was sent to France to assume the command of the English forces; this prestigious position was previously held by the duke of York himself, who was dismayed at his term not being renewed and at seeing his enemy take control of it. In the later years of Henry's reign, the monarchy became increasingly unpopular, due to
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#17327757400883124-448: A violent death, however due to the difficult nature in identifying cause of death from bones alone, as well as the previous redisposition of his body, such evidence is inconclusive. Overall, Henry VI is largely seen as a weak, inept king, who did nothing to ease the Wars of the Roses . He is widely believed to have favoured diplomacy, rather than all-out war in the Hundred Years' War , in stark contrast to his father, Henry V , who led
3266-449: Is a similar ceremony at his resting place, St George's Chapel. Miracles were attributed to Henry, and he was informally regarded as a saint and martyr , addressed particularly in cases of adversity. The anti-Yorkist cult was encouraged by Henry VII of England as dynastic propaganda. A volume was compiled of the miracles attributed to him at St George's Chapel, Windsor, where Richard III had reinterred him, and Henry VII began building
3408-524: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, 6th Earl of Salisbury KG (22 November 1428 – 14 April 1471), known as Warwick the Kingmaker , was an English nobleman, administrator , landowner of the House of Neville fortune and military commander. The eldest son of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury , he became Earl of Warwick through marriage, and
3550-451: Is widely suspected, however, that Edward IV, who was re-crowned the morning following Henry's death, had ordered his murder. Sir Thomas More 's History of Richard III explicitly states that Richard , who was then the Duke of Gloucester , killed Henry. More might have derived his opinion from Philippe de Commines ' Mémoires . Another contemporary source, Wakefield's Chronicle , gives
3692-478: The Battle of Blore Heath . At nearby Ludford Bridge their forces were scattered by the king's army, partly because of the defection of Warwick's Calais contingent under the command of Andrew Trollope . As it turned out, the majority of the soldiers were still reluctant to raise arms against the king. Forced to flee the country, York left for Dublin , Ireland, with his second son Edmund, Earl of Rutland , while Warwick and Salisbury sailed to Calais, accompanied by
3834-531: The Battle of Tewkesbury on 4 May, where Henry's son Edward of Westminster was killed. Henry was imprisoned in the Tower of London again and, when the royal party arrived in London, he was reported dead. Official chronicles and documents state that the deposed king died on the night of 21 May 1471. In all likelihood, his opponents had kept him alive up to that point, rather than leave the Lancastrians with
3976-418: The Battle of Tewkesbury ; Henry was imprisoned once again. Having "lost his wits, his two kingdoms and his only son", Henry died in the Tower during the night of 21 May 1471, possibly killed on the orders of King Edward. He was buried at Chertsey Abbey before being moved to Windsor Castle in 1484. Miracles were attributed to Henry after his death and he was informally regarded as a saint and martyr until
4118-510: The Battle of Towton , 29 March 1461, by the Duke of York's son, Edward. Henry and Margaret together evaded capture by Edward and this time they both escaped into exile in Scotland. With Scottish aid, Margaret now travelled to the continent to elicit further support for her husband's cause. Mainly under her leadership, Lancastrian resistance continued in the north of England during the first period of Edward IV's reign but met with little luck on
4260-571: The Bible and expressing his wish to be anyone other than a king. Shakespeare's Henry is weak-willed and easily influenced allowing his policies to be led by Margaret and her allies, and being unable to defend himself against York's claim to the throne. He takes an act of his own volition only just before his death when he curses Richard of Gloucester just before he is murdered. (Shakespeare, William: Henry VI, Part III Act 5, scene 6) There have been many adaptations of Richard III in film , which include
4402-474: The Duke of Gloucester and Richard, Duke of York , who argued for a continuation of the war, were ignored. As the English military situation in France deteriorated, talks emerged in England about arranging a marriage for the king to strengthen England's foreign connections and facilitate a peace between the warring parties. In 1434, the English council suggested that peace with the Scots could best be effected by
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4544-410: The Earl of Suffolk persuaded Henry that the best way to pursue peace with France was through a marriage with Margaret of Anjou , the niece of King Charles VII. Henry agreed, especially when he heard reports of Margaret's stunning beauty, and sent Suffolk to negotiate with Charles, who consented to the marriage on condition that he would not have to provide the customary dowry and instead would receive
4686-685: The Privy Council met) to Cirencester (where the King resided). He finally assumed full royal powers when he came of age at the end of the year 1437, when he turned 16 years old. Henry's assumption of full royal powers occurred during the Great Bullion Famine and the beginning of the Great Slump in England. Henry, who was by nature shy, pious, and averse to deceit and bloodshed, immediately allowed his court to be dominated by
4828-479: The Second Battle of St Albans , 17 February 1461, her forces engaged with the Earl of Warwick , under whose custody her husband was being held. She defeated Warwick and liberated the king. Henry's mental state at the time was such that he had reputedly laughed and sung as the battle raged around him. The victory however was short-lived. Within six weeks, the king and queen's forces were once more defeated at
4970-413: The archbishopric of York . By late 1461, risings in the north had been put down, and in the summer of 1462, Warwick negotiated a truce with Scotland. In October the same year, Margaret of Anjou invaded England with troops from France, and managed to take the castles of Alnwick and Bamburgh . Warwick had to organise the recapture of the castles, which was accomplished by January 1463. The leaders of
5112-476: The lieutenancy of Ireland , while Gloucester was made Admiral of England and Warden of the West March . Clarence also received the earldoms of Warwick and Salisbury. The earl's land had been forfeited and taken into the king's custody. When Gloucester married Warwick's younger daughter Anne in 1472, who had been recently widowed by the death of Prince Edward, a dispute broke out between the two princes over
5254-435: The military defeat in France , then started turning against Somerset. On 27 March 1454, a group of royal councillors appointed the Duke of York protector of the realm. York could now count on the support not only of Warwick but also of Warwick's father Salisbury , who had become more deeply involved in disputes with the House of Percy in the north of England. York's first protectorate did not last long. Early in 1455,
5396-459: The ongoing war in France . During Bedford's absence, the government of England was headed by Henry V's other surviving brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester , who was appointed Lord Protector and Defender of the Realm. His duties were limited to keeping the peace and summoning Parliament. Henry V's uncle Henry Beaufort , Bishop of Winchester (after 1426 also Cardinal ), had an important place on
5538-475: The 1450s at the centre of English politics. Originally, he was a supporter of King Henry VI ; however, a territorial dispute with Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset , led him to collaborate with Richard, Duke of York , in opposing the king. From this conflict, he gained the strategically valuable post of Captain of Calais , a position that benefited him greatly in the years to come. The political conflict later turned into full-scale rebellion, where in battle York
5680-442: The 16th century. He left a legacy of educational institutions, having founded Eton College , King's College, Cambridge and (together with Henry Chichele ) All Souls College, Oxford . Shakespeare wrote a trilogy of plays about his life , depicting him as weak-willed and easily influenced by his wife, Margaret. Henry was born on 6 December 1421 at Windsor Castle , the only child and heir-apparent of King Henry V . Succeeding to
5822-517: The 1960s Ritchie Neville (born 1979), British boy band singer [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Neville&oldid=1166746736 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
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5964-536: The 1964 West German TV version König Richard III ; David Warner in The Wars of the Roses , a 1965–66 filmed version of the Royal Shakespeare Company performing the three parts of Henry VI (condensed and edited into two plays, Henry VI and Edward IV ) and Richard III ; Peter Benson in the 1983 BBC versions of Henry VI part 1, 2, and 3 as well as Richard III ; Paul Brennen in
6106-493: The 1989 film version of the full cycle of consecutive history plays performed, for several years, by the English Shakespeare Company ; Edward Jewesbury in the 1995 film version of Richard III with Ian McKellen as Richard; James Dalesandro as Henry in the 2007 modern-day film version of Richard III ; and Tom Sturridge as Henry to Benedict Cumberbatch 's Richard III in the 2016 second season of
6248-524: The BBC series The Hollow Crown , an adaptation of Henry VI (condensed into two parts) and Richard III . Henry VI's marriage to Margaret of Anjou is the subject of the historical novel A Stormy Life (1867) by Lady Georgiana Fullerton . The novel The Triple Crown (1912) by Rose Schuster focuses on Henry's insanity. The novel London Bridge Is Falling (1934) by Philip Lindsay depicts Henry's response to Jack Cade's Rebellion . Henry VI also features in
6390-566: The Barons . Though Lytton portrayed Warwick as a tragic hero who embodied the ideals of chivalry, he was nevertheless one whose time was past. The late-nineteenth-century military historian Charles Oman acknowledged the earl's ability to appeal to popular sentiments, yet pointed out his deficiencies as a military commander. Oman found Warwick a traditional strategist, "not attaining the heights of military genius displayed by his pupil Edward." Paul Murray Kendall 's popular biography from 1957 took
6532-707: The Battle of Newbury Richard Neville (the younger) (1655–1717), Member of Parliament for Berkshire Richard Neville Aldworth Neville (1717–1793), English paladin and knight Richard Griffin, 2nd Baron Braybrooke (1750–1825), aka Richard Aldworth Neville Richard Griffin, 3rd Baron Braybrooke (1783–1858), aka Richard Neville Richard Neville, 4th Baron Braybrooke (1820–1861), British archaeologist Richard Neville, 8th Baron Braybrooke (1918–1943) Richard Neville, 11th Baron Braybrooke (born 1977) Richard Neville (writer) (1941–2016), Australian writer, editor, futurist and journalist, editor of Oz magazine in
6674-516: The Beauchamp and Despenser inheritances. A compromise was eventually reached, whereby the land was divided, but Clarence was not pacified. In 1477 he once again plotted against his brother. This time the king could no longer act with lenience, and the next year the Duke of Clarence was executed. "Thou setter-up and plucker-down of kings" — William Shakespeare ; Henry VI Early sources on Richard Neville fall into two categories. The first are
6816-536: The Council. After the Duke of Bedford died in 1435, the Duke of Gloucester claimed the Regency himself but was contested by the other members of the Council. From 1428, Henry's tutor was Richard de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick , whose father had been instrumental in the opposition to Richard II's reign . For the period 1430–1432, Henry was also tutored by the physician John Somerset . Somerset's duties were to "tutor
6958-468: The Duke of Somerset, leading the campaign in France, reopened hostilities in Normandy (although he had previously been one of the main advocates for peace), but by the autumn he had been pushed back to Caen . By 1450, the French had retaken the whole province, so hard won by Henry V. Returning troops, who had often not been paid, added to the lawlessness in the southern counties of England. Jack Cade led
7100-487: The Duke of York presenting a list of grievances and demands to the court circle, including the arrest of Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. The king initially agreed, but Margaret intervened to prevent the arrest of Beaufort. By 1453, Somerset's influence had been restored, and York was again isolated. The court party was also strengthened by the announcement that the queen was pregnant. However, in August 1453, Henry received
7242-555: The Duke's son, Edward, Earl of March (the future King Edward IV). Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset , was appointed to replace Warwick as Captain of Calais, but the Yorkists managed to hold on to the garrison. In March 1460 Warwick visited York in Ireland to plan the way ahead, and returned to Calais. Then, on 26 June, he landed at Sandwich with Salisbury and March, and from here the three earls rode north to London. Salisbury
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#17327757400887384-626: The Earls of Warwick and Salisbury , took matters into their own hands. They backed the claims of the rival House of York , first to the control of government, and then to the throne itself (from 1460), pointing to York's better descent from Edward III. It was agreed that York would become Henry's successor, despite York being older. In 1457, Henry created the Council of Wales and the Marches for his son Prince Edward , and in 1458, he attempted to unite
7526-437: The English cause by the time Henry was declared mature enough to rule in 1437. The young king faced military setbacks in France, and political and financial crises in England, where divisions among the nobility in his government began to widen. In contrast to his father, Henry VI was described as timid, shy, passive, benevolent and averse to warfare and violence; after 1453, he became mentally unstable. His ineffective reign saw
7668-509: The English party. The proposal was seriously entertained between 1441 and 1443, but a massive French campaign in 1442 against Gascony disrupted the work of the ambassadors and frightened the Count of Armagnac into reluctance. The deal fell through due to problems in commissioning portraits of the Count's daughters and the Count's imprisonment by Charles VII's men in 1443. Cardinal Beaufort and
7810-506: The English, suggested a marriage between Henry VI and Isabella of Armagnac, daughter of John IV, Count of Armagnac , a powerful noble in southwestern France who was at odds with the Valois crown. An alliance with Armagnac would have helped to protect English Gascony from increasing French threats in the region, especially in the face of defections to the enemy by local English vassals, and might have helped to wean some other French nobles to
7952-417: The French and Burgundians. The negotiations centred around a marriage proposal involving Edward's sister Margaret . Warwick increasingly came to favour French diplomatic connections. Meanwhile, Edward's father-in-law, Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers , who had been created treasurer , was in favour of a Burgundian alliance. This set up an internal conflict within the English court, which was not alleviated by
8094-450: The Good of Burgundy . Developing a solid military reputation and with good international connections, he then brought a part of his garrison to England, where he met up with his father and York in the autumn of 1459. In September 1459 Warwick crossed over to England and made his way north to Ludlow to meet up with York and Salisbury, the latter fresh from his victory over Lancastrians at
8236-422: The abilities of his older brother, but was also jealous and overambitious. In July 1469, the two sailed over to Calais, where George was married to Warwick's daughter, Lady Isabel Neville. From there, they returned to England, where they gathered the men of Kent to join the rebellion in the north. Meanwhile, the king's forces were defeated at the Battle of Edgecote , where William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke ,
8378-401: The alliance was to restore Henry VI to the throne. Again, Warwick staged an uprising in the north, and with the king away, he and Clarence landed at Dartmouth and Plymouth on 13 September 1470. Among the many who flocked to Warwick's side was his brother Montagu, who had not taken part in the last rebellion, but was disappointed when his loyalty to the king had not been rewarded with
8520-420: The arms of his father-in-law, Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick , who bore his arms quartering Despenser (the arms of his wife Isabel le Despenser ) with an inescutcheon of De Clare, which Warwick showed in the fourth quarter. The second grand quarter showed the arms of Montagu (quartering Monthermer). The third grand quarter showed the arms of Neville differenced – rather honourably augmented – by
8662-413: The assembly in shock. It is unclear whether Warwick had prior knowledge of York's plans, though it is assumed that this had been agreed upon between the two in Ireland the previous March. It soon became clear, however, that this regime change was unacceptable to the lords in parliament, and a compromise was agreed. The Act of Accord of 25 October 1460 stated that while Henry VI was allowed to stay on
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#17327757400888804-550: The autumn of 1467, there were rumours that Warwick was now sympathetic to the Lancastrian cause, but even though he refused to come to court to answer the charges, the king accepted his denial in writing. In July 1468, it was revealed that Warwick's deputy in Calais, John, Lord Wenlock , was involved in a Lancastrian conspiracy, and early in 1469 another Lancastrian plot was uncovered, involving John de Vere, Earl of Oxford . It
8946-421: The bad news that his army had been routed in the decisive Battle of Castillon . Shortly thereafter, Henry experienced a mental breakdown. He became completely unresponsive to everything that was going on around him for more than a year. At the age of 31, he "fell by a sudden and accidental fright into such a weak state of health that for a whole year and a half he had neither sense nor reason capable of carrying on
9088-649: The beginning of its third phase , in which his uncle, Charles VII , contested the Lancastrian claim to the French throne , which had been ratified by the Treaty of Troyes (1420) . He is the only English monarch to have been crowned King of France, in a coronation in Notre-Dame de Paris in 1431. His early reign, when England was ruled by a regency government , saw the pinnacle of English power in France . However, subsequent military, diplomatic and economic problems damaged
9230-501: The border to try his fortune with those nobles in the north of England and Wales who were still loyal. Following defeat in the Battle of Hexham , 15 May 1464, Henry, as a fugitive in his own land, continued to be afforded safety in various Lancastrian houses across the north of England. Sir John Pennington provided refuge to Henry VI of England in Muncaster Castle following the battle. Legend has it that Henry VI left behind
9372-515: The bulk of Henry VI's cultural appearances in modern times. In screen adaptations of these plays Henry has been portrayed by: James Berry in the 1911 silent short Richard III ; Miles Mander portrayed Henry VI in Tower of London , a 1939 historical film loosely dramatising the rise to power of Richard III; Terry Scully in the 1960 BBC series An Age of Kings which contained all the history plays from Richard II to Richard III ; Carl Wery in
9514-553: The capital were scared by the brutal conduct of the Lancastrian forces, and were sympathetic to the House of York. On 4 March the prince was proclaimed King Edward IV by an assembly that gathered quickly. The new king now headed north to consolidate his title, and met with the Lancastrian forces at Towton in Yorkshire. Warwick had suffered an injury to the leg the day before, in the Battle of Ferrybridge , and may have played only
9656-559: The context that the Henry VI trilogy paved for the more popular play Richard III , it was very popular during Elizabethan times. Rather than being representative of the historical events or the actual life and temperament of Henry VI himself, the Shakespearean plays are more representative of the pivotal political situation in England at that time: international war in the form of the Hundred Years' War, and civil strife in
9798-436: The date of Henry's death as 23 May 1471, on which date Richard, then only eighteen, is known to have been away from London. Modern tradition places his death in Wakefield Tower, part of the Tower of London , but that is not supported by evidence, and is unlikely, since the tower was used for record storage at the time. Henry's actual place of death is unknown, though he was imprisoned within the Tower of London. King Henry VI
9940-418: The direct Lancastrian line exterminated, Edward could reign safely until his death in 1483. Warwick had no sons. His offices were divided between King Edward's brothers George, Duke of Clarence (who had married Warwick's daughter Isabel Neville ), and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the future Richard III (who would marry Warwick's daughter Anne Neville ). Clarence received the chamberlainship of England and
10082-457: The earldom of Salisbury, but also to a substantial part of the Montague, Beauchamp, and Despenser inheritance. Circumstances would, however, increase his fortune even further. Beauchamp's son Henry , who had married the younger Richard's sister Cecily , died in 1446. When Henry's daughter Anne died in 1449, Richard also found himself jure uxoris Earl of Warwick. Richard's succession to
10224-557: The earldom. He received a favourable settlement, however, and became jure uxoris ("by right of his wife") Earl of Salisbury through his marriage to Alice , daughter and heiress of Thomas Montagu, 4th Earl of Salisbury . Salisbury's son Richard, the later Earl of Warwick, was born on 22 November 1428; little is known of his childhood. At the age of eight, in 1436, Richard was married to Lady Anne Beauchamp , daughter of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick , and of his wife Isabel Despenser . This made him heir not only to
10366-618: The estates did not go undisputed, however. A protracted battle over parts of the inheritance ensued, particularly with Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset , who had married a daughter from Richard Beauchamp's first marriage. The dispute centred on land, not on the Warwick title, as Henry's half-sisters were excluded from the succession. By 1445 Richard had become a knight, probably at Margaret of Anjou 's coronation on 30 May that year; also around this time, his illegitimate daughter, Margaret (who married Richard Huddleston on 12 June 1464)
10508-505: The fact that Edward had signed a secret treaty in October with Burgundy, while Warwick was forced to carry on sham negotiations with the French. Later, George Neville was dismissed as chancellor, while Edward refused to contemplate a marriage between Warwick's oldest daughter Isabel , and Edward's brother George, Duke of Clarence . It became increasingly clear that Warwick's position of dominance at court had been taken over by Rivers. In
10650-422: The fact that his plans had been sabotaged, but also the secrecy with which the king had acted. The marriage—contracted on 1 May of the same year—was not made public before Warwick pressed Edward on the issue at a council meeting, and in the meanwhile, Warwick had been unknowingly deceiving the French into believing the king was serious about the marriage proposal. For Edward the marriage may very well have been
10792-462: The family vault at Bisham Priory near the river Thames in Berkshire. No trace now remains of either the tomb or the church in which it was housed. On 4 May 1471, Edward IV defeated the remaining Lancastrian forces of Queen Margaret and Prince Edward at the Battle of Tewkesbury , where the prince was killed. Soon afterwards, it was reported that King Henry VI had also died in the Tower. With
10934-533: The field. At the same time as Henry's cause was beginning to look increasingly desperate in military terms, an English embassy to Scotland, through the Earl of Warwick on behalf of Edward, served to further weaken his interests at the Scottish Court in political terms. After the queen mother's death in November 1463, Scotland now actively sued for peace with England and the exiled king passed back across
11076-433: The flood. Queen Margaret, exiled in Scotland and later in France , was determined to win back the throne on behalf of her husband and her son, Edward of Westminster. By herself, there was little she could do. However, eventually, Edward IV fell out with two of his main supporters: Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and his own younger brother George, Duke of Clarence . At the urging of King Louis XI of France they formed
11218-493: The force in the Battle of Solefields (near Sevenoaks) and returned to occupy London. In the end, the rebellion achieved nothing, and London was retaken after a few days of disorder; but this was principally because of the efforts of its own residents rather than those of the army. At any rate, the rebellion showed that feelings of discontent were running high. In 1451, the Duchy of Aquitaine , held by England since Henry II 's time,
11360-460: The forces of the Houses of York and Lancaster in the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses . It was also significant because it resulted in the capture of the king, and the death of Somerset. York 's second protectorate that followed was even shorter-lived than the first. At the parliament of February 1456 the king —now under the influence of Queen Margaret —resumed personal government of
11502-464: The form of the War of the Roses. Shakespeare's portrayal of Henry is notable in that it does not mention the King's madness. This is considered to have been a politically advisable move to not risk offending Elizabeth I whose family was descended from Henry's Lancastrian family. Instead, Henry is portrayed as a pious and peaceful man ill-suited to the crown. He spends most of his time in contemplation of
11644-430: The government and neither physician nor medicine could cure that infirmity..." and he was, "...smitten with a frenzy and his wit and reason withdrawn." Henry even failed to respond to the birth of his son Edward six months into the illness. The Duke of York, meanwhile, had gained a very important ally, Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick , one of the most influential magnates and possibly richer than York himself. York
11786-546: The house for his arrest. Henry fled into nearby woods but was soon captured at Brungerley Hippings (stepping stones) over the River Ribble . He was subsequently held captive in the Tower of London. The following poem has long been attributed to Henry, allegedly having been written during his imprisonment. However, a largely identical verse appears in William Baldwin 's 1559 work The Mirror for Magistrates ,
11928-453: The king as a man without "any crook or uncouth." Henry's one lasting achievement was his fostering of education: he founded Eton College ; King's College, Cambridge ; and All Souls College, Oxford . He continued a career of architectural patronage started by his father: King's College Chapel and Eton College Chapel and most of his other architectural commissions (such as his completion of his father's foundation of Syon Abbey ) consisted of
12070-418: The king rallied sufficiently to return to power, at least nominally, with Somerset again wielding real power. Warwick returned to his estates, as did York and Salisbury, and the three started raising troops. Marching towards London, they encountered the king at St Albans , where the two forces clashed. The battle was brief and not particularly bloody, but it was the first instance of armed hostilities between
12212-634: The long run, however, it proved impossible to rule without the king, and continuing disorder forced Warwick to release King Edward IV in September 1469. A modus vivendi had been achieved between Warwick and the king for some months, but the restoration of Henry Percy to Montagu's earldom of Northumberland prevented any chance of full reconciliation. A trap was set for the king when disturbances in Lincolnshire led him north, where he could be confronted by Warwick's men. Edward, however, discovered
12354-484: The man he helped raise to the throne. The other perspective can be found in Shakespeare 's Henry VI trilogy: a man driven by pride and egotism, who created and deposed kings at will. In time, however, it is the latter view that dominated. The Enlightenment , or Whig historians of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, decried anyone who impeded the development towards a centralised, constitutional monarchy ,
12496-424: The most powerful duke in the realm and also being both an agnate and the heir general of Edward III (thus having, according to some, a better claim to the throne than Henry VI himself), probably had the best chances to succeed to the throne after Gloucester. However, he was excluded from the court circle and sent to govern Ireland , while his opponents, the earls of Suffolk and Somerset, were promoted to dukes ,
12638-471: The near total loss of English lands in France . In 1445 – partially in the hope of achieving peace – Henry married Charles VII's niece, the ambitious and strong-willed Margaret of Anjou . The peace policy failed and war recommenced; France rapidly recovered much of the territory held by the English, including the English monarch's ancestral lands in Aquitaine and the conquered Normandy . By 1453, Calais
12780-513: The north and rescued Norham in July, but the Lancastrians were left in possession of Northumberland , and the government decided on a diplomatic approach instead. Separate truces were negotiated with Scotland and France by late 1463, which allowed Warwick to retake the Northumbrian castles held by the Lancastrian rebels in the spring of 1464. This time no clemency was given, and around thirty of
12922-559: The north. "They have but two rulers, M. de Warwick and another whose name I have forgotten." —The Governor of Abbeville in a letter to Louis XI Warwick's position after the accession of Edward IV was stronger than ever. He had now succeeded to his father's possessions—including his vast network of retainers —and in 1462 he also inherited his mother's lands and the Salisbury title. Altogether, he had an annual income from his lands of over £7,000, far more than any other man in
13064-623: The other hand, while Warwick could not easily suffer his treatment by the king, it was equally impossible for Edward to accept the earl's presence on the political scene. As long as Warwick remained as powerful and influential as he was, Edward could not fully assert his royal authority, and eventual confrontation became inevitable. However, the memories written in Burgundy had a negative view of him. For example, according to Philippe de Commynes and Olivier de la Marche , Georges Chastellain , who all mention Edward's popularity and character, Warwick
13206-578: The plot when Robert, Lord Welles , was routed at Losecote Field in Rutland in March 1470, and gave away the plan. Warwick soon gave up, and once more fled the country with Clarence. Denied access to Calais, they sought refuge with King Louis XI of France. Louis arranged a reconciliation between Warwick and Margaret of Anjou, and as part of the agreement, Margaret and Henry's son, Edward, Prince of Wales, would marry Warwick's daughter Anne. The objective of
13348-417: The prince, fleeing through Wales to Scotland where she found refuge in the court of the queen regent, Mary of Guelders , recent widow of James II . Here she set about eliciting support for her husband from that kingdom. Re-entering England at the end of the year, the English queen in force engaged with the Duke of York at the Battle of Wakefield , 30 December 1460, where York fell. A few weeks later, at
13490-495: The province of Maine from the English. These conditions were agreed upon in the Treaty of Tours in 1444, but the cession of Maine was kept secret from Parliament, as it was known that this would be hugely unpopular with the English populace. The marriage took place at Titchfield Abbey on 23 April 1445, one month after Margaret's 15th birthday. She had arrived with an established household, composed primarily not of Angevins, but of members of Henry's royal servants; this increase in
13632-527: The realm but the king. Edward confirmed Warwick's position as Captain of Calais, and made him High Admiral of England and Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster , along with several other offices. His brothers also benefited: John Neville, Lord Montagu , was made Warden of the East March in 1463, and the next year created Earl of Northumberland . George Neville , Bishop of Exeter , was confirmed in his post as chancellor by King Edward, and in 1465 promoted to
13774-445: The realm. By this time Warwick had taken over Salisbury 's role as York's main ally, even appearing at that same parliament to protect York from retributions. This conflict was also a pivotal period in Warwick's career, as it was resolved by his appointment as Constable of Calais . The post was to provide him with a vital power base in the following years of conflict. The continental town of Calais , conquered from France in 1347,
13916-472: The rebel leaders were executed. At the negotiations with the French, Warwick had intimated that King Edward was interested in a marriage arrangement with the French crown, the intended bride being Louis XI 's sister-in-law, Bona , daughter of Louis, Duke of Savoy . This marriage was not to be, however, because in September 1464, Edward revealed that he was already married, to Elizabeth Woodville . The marriage caused great offence to Warwick: not only due to
14058-487: The rebellion, including Ralph Percy , were pardoned and left in charge of the retaken castles. At this point, Warwick felt secure enough to travel south; in February he buried the remains of his father and brother at Bisham Priory , and in March he attended parliament at Westminster . That same spring, however, the north rose up in rebellion once more, when Ralph Percy laid siege to Norham Castle . Warwick returned to
14200-433: The refusal of the French diplomatic channel—were significant. His claim to prominence in national affairs was not a product of illusions of grandeur; it was confirmed by the high standing he enjoyed among the princes on the continent. Furthermore, Warwick's cause was not considered unjust by his contemporaries, which can be seen by the earl's popularity exceeding that of the king at the time of his first rebellion in 1469. On
14342-400: The restoration of his earldom. This time the trap set up for the king worked; as Edward hurried south, Montagu's forces approached from the north, and the king found himself surrounded. On 2 October he fled to Flanders , a part of the Duchy of Burgundy . King Henry was now restored, with Warwick acting as the true ruler in his capacity as lieutenant. At a parliament in November, Edward
14484-477: The rise of further disorder in the country: regional magnates maintained increasing numbers of private armed retainers , including soldiers returned from France, with whom they fought regional conflicts (e.g. the Percy-Neville feud ), terrorised their neighbours, paralysed the courts, and dominated the government. Starting in 1453, Henry had a series of mental breakdowns , making him unable to rule. Power
14626-415: The rope and the man's windpipe, thus keeping him alive, after which he was revived in the cart as it was taking him away for burial. He was also capable of inflicting harm, such as when he struck John Robyns blind after Robyns cursed "Saint Henry". Robyns was healed only after he went on a pilgrimage to the shrine of King Henry. A particular devotional act that was closely associated with the cult of Henry VI
14768-491: The size of the royal household, and a concomitant increase on the birth of their son, Edward of Westminster , in 1453, led to proportionately greater expense but also to greater patronage opportunities at Court. Henry had wavered in yielding Maine to Charles, knowing that the move was unpopular and would be opposed by the Dukes of Gloucester and York, and also because Maine was vital to the defence of Normandy . However, Margaret
14910-456: The sympathetic chronicles of the early Yorkist years, or works based on these, such as the Mirror for Magistrates (1559). The other category originates with chronicles commissioned by Edward IV after Warwick's fall, such as the Historie of the arrivall of Edward IV , and take a more negative view of the earl. The Mirror portrayed Warwick as a great man: beloved by the people, and betrayed by
15052-474: The throne . The triumph was short-lived, however: on 14 April 1471, Warwick was defeated by Edward at the Battle of Barnet , and killed. Warwick's historical legacy has been a matter of much dispute. Historical opinion has alternated between seeing him as self-centred and rash, and regarding him as a victim of the whims of an ungrateful king. It is generally agreed, however, that in his own time, he enjoyed great popularity in all layers of society, and that he
15194-471: The throne as King of England at the age of eight months on 1 September 1422, the day after his father's death; he remains the youngest person ever to succeed to the English throne. On 21 October 1422, in accordance with the Treaty of Troyes of 1420, he became titular King of France upon his grandfather Charles VI 's death. His mother, the 20-year-old Catherine of Valois , was viewed with considerable suspicion by English nobles as Charles VI's daughter. She
15336-421: The throne for the remainder of his life, his son Edward, Prince of Wales , was to be disinherited. Instead, York would succeed the king, and act as protector. This solution was not ideal to either party, and further conflict was inevitable. On 30 December, at the Battle of Wakefield , York was killed, as were York's second son Edmund, Earl of Rutland , and Warwick's younger brother Thomas . Salisbury
15478-455: The throne lasted less than six months. Warwick soon overreached himself by declaring war on Burgundy , whose ruler Charles the Bold responded by giving Edward IV the assistance he needed to win back his throne by force. Edward returned to England in early 1471 and was reconciled with Clarence. Warwick was killed at the Battle of Barnet on 14 April and the Yorkists won a final decisive victory at
15620-490: The two armies met at Barnet . Fog and poor visibility on the field led to confusion, and the Lancastrian army ended up attacking its own men. In the face of defeat Warwick attempted to escape the field, but was struck off his horse and killed. Warwick's body—along with that of his brother Montagu, who had also fallen at Barnet—was displayed in London's St Paul's Cathedral to quell any rumours of their survival. Then they were handed over to Archbishop Neville, to be buried in
15762-429: The two men, though from this point on Warwick increasingly stayed away from court. The promotion of Warwick's brother George to Archbishop of York shows that the earl was still in favour with the king. In July 1465, when Henry VI was once more captured, it was Warwick who escorted the fallen king to his captivity in the Tower. Then, in the spring of 1466, Warwick was sent to the continent to carry out negotiations with
15904-454: The victory at Agincourt . This allowed Henry to be heavily influenced by many nobles, such as William de la Pole , who oversaw significant English losses in France, such as the Siege of Orléans . On the other hand, many historians see Henry as a pious, generous king, who was victim of an unstable crown, caused by the deposition of Richard II . John Blacman, personal chaplain of Henry, described
16046-460: The warring factions by staging the Loveday in London. Despite such attempts at reconciliation, tensions between the houses of Lancaster and York eventually broke out in open war. Their forces engaged at the Battle of Northampton , 10 July 1460, where the king was captured and taken into captivity under the Yorkists. Queen Margaret, who also had been on the field, managed to escape with her son,
16188-457: The way Warwick did in his struggles with Edward. David Hume called Warwick "the greatest, as well as the last, of those mighty barons who formerly overawed the crown, and rendered the people incapable of any regular system of civil government." Later writers were split between admiration for some of Warwick's character traits, and condemnation of his political actions. The romantic novelist Lord Lytton picked up on Hume's theme in his The Last of
16330-608: The wedding of Henry to one of the daughters of King James I of Scotland ; the proposal came to nothing. During the Congress of Arras in 1435, the English put forth the idea of a union between Henry and a daughter of King Charles VII of France , but the Armagnacs refused even to contemplate the suggestion unless Henry renounced his claim to the French throne. Another proposal in 1438 to a daughter of King Albert II of Germany likewise failed. Better prospects for England arose amid
16472-465: The young king as well as preserv[e] his health". Somerset remained within the royal household until early 1451 after the English House of Commons petitioned for his removal because of his "dangerous and subversive influence over Henry VI". Henry's mother Catherine remarried to Owen Tudor and had two sons by him, Edmund and Jasper . Henry later gave his half-brothers earldoms. Edmund Tudor
16614-519: Was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V , he succeeded to the English throne upon his father's death at the age of eight months; he succeeded to the French throne on the death of his maternal grandfather, Charles VI , shortly afterwards. Henry was born during the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453), at
16756-468: Was attainted of his lands and titles, and Clarence was awarded the Duchy of York . At this point, international affairs intervened. Louis XI declared war on Burgundy, and Charles the Bold responded by granting an expeditionary force to Edward IV, in order to reclaim his throne. On 14 March 1471, Edward landed at Ravenspurn in Yorkshire, with the acquiescence of the Earl of Northumberland. Warwick
16898-614: Was also lost. In October 1452, an English advance in Aquitaine retook Bordeaux and was having some success, but by 1453 Bordeaux was lost again, leaving Calais as England's only remaining territory on the continent. In 1452, the Duke of York was persuaded to return from Ireland , claim his rightful place on the council, and put an end to bad government. His cause was a popular one and he soon raised an army at Shrewsbury . The court party, meanwhile, raised their own similar-sized force in London. A stand-off took place south of London, with
17040-431: Was becoming clear that the discontent with Edward's reign was widespread, a fact that Warwick could exploit. Warwick now orchestrated a rebellion in Yorkshire while he was away, led by a " Robin of Redesdale ". Part of Warwick's plan was winning over King Edward's younger brother, George Plantagenet, possibly with the prospect of installing him on the throne. The nineteen-year-old George had shown himself to share many of
17182-442: Was born. He is visible in the historical record of service of King Henry VI in 1449, which makes mention of his services in a grant. He performed military service in the north with his father, and might have taken part in the war against Scotland in 1448–1449. When Richard, Duke of York , unsuccessfully rose up against the king in 1452, both Warwick and his father rallied to the side of King Henry VI. In June 1453, Somerset
17324-426: Was determined that he should see it through. As the treaty became public knowledge in 1446, public anger focused on the Earl of Suffolk, but Henry and Margaret were determined to protect him. In 1447, the king and queen summoned the Duke of Gloucester to appear before parliament on the charge of treason. Queen Margaret had no tolerance for any sign of disloyalty toward her husband and kingdom, thus any suspicion of this
17466-445: Was duly exercised by quarrelsome nobles , headed by the leaders of cadet branches of the royal family ; Richard, 3rd Duke of York and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset developed a fierce political rivalry and jostled for power in Henry's government. Queen Margaret did not remain politically neutral and took advantage of the situation to make herself an effective power behind the throne . Amid military disasters in France, and
17608-428: Was executed a day later. Warwick marched north to confront the enemy, but was defeated and forced to flee at the Second Battle of St Albans . He then joined forces with Prince Edward of York , the new Yorkist claimant to the crown, who had just won an important victory at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross . While Queen Margaret was hesitating to make her next move, Warwick and Edward hastened to London. The citizens of
17750-570: Was granted custody of the lordship of Glamorgan —part of the Despenser heritage held by Warwick until then—and open conflict broke out between the two men. Then, in the summer of that year, King Henry fell ill. Somerset was a favourite of the king and Queen Margaret , and with the king incapacitated he was virtually in complete control of the government. This put Warwick at a disadvantage in his dispute with Somerset, and drove him into collaboration with York . The political climate, influenced by
17892-496: Was immediately brought to her attention. This move was instigated by Gloucester's enemies, the earl of Suffolk, whom Margaret held in great esteem, and the ageing Cardinal Beaufort and his nephew, Edmund Beaufort, Earl of Somerset . Gloucester was put in custody in Bury St Edmunds , where he died, probably of a heart attack (although contemporary rumours spoke of poisoning) before he could be tried. The Duke of York, being
18034-447: Was kept by his tomb at Windsor , where pilgrims would put it on to enlist Henry's aid against migraines. Numerous miracles were credited to the dead king, including his raising the plague victim Alice Newnett from the dead and appearing to her as she was being stitched in her shroud. He also intervened in the attempted hanging of a man who had been unjustly condemned to death, accused of stealing some sheep. Henry placed his hand between
18176-470: Was killed. The other commander, Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Devon , was caught in flight and lynched by a mob. Later, Earl Rivers and his son, John Woodville , were also apprehended and murdered. With his army now defeated, King Edward IV was taken under arrest by George Neville. Warwick then imprisoned the king in Warwick Castle , and in August, the king was taken north to Middleham Castle . In
18318-433: Was left to besiege the Tower of London , while Warwick took March with him in pursuit of the king. At Northampton , on 10 July, King Henry was taken captive, while Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham and others were killed in battle. In September York arrived from Ireland, and at the parliament of October that year, the Duke walked up to the throne and put his hand on it. The act, signifying usurpation, left
18460-488: Was named regent as Protector of The Realm in 1454. The queen was excluded completely, and Edmund Beaufort was detained in the Tower of London, while many of York's supporters spread rumours that Edward was not the king's son, but Beaufort's. Other than that, York's months as regent were spent tackling the problem of government overspending. Around Christmas Day 1454, King Henry regained his senses. Disaffected nobles who had grown in power during Henry's reign, most importantly
18602-486: Was not only of vital strategic importance, it also held what was England's largest standing army . There were some initial disputes, with the garrison and with the royal wool monopoly known as the staple , over payments in arrears, but in July Warwick finally took up his post. After the recent events, Queen Margaret still considered Warwick a threat to the throne, and cut off his supplies. In August 1457, however,
18744-517: Was originally buried in Chertsey Abbey in Surrey , but in 1484 Richard III had his body moved to St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle . When the body was exhumed in 1910, it was found to be 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall with a damaged, abnormally thin skull and the fore-leg bone of a pig substituting his missing right arm. It was initially thought the damage to the skull indicated
18886-409: Was prevented from playing a full role in her son's upbringing. On 28 September 1423, the nobles swore loyalty to Henry VI, who was not yet two years old. They summoned Parliament in the King's name and established a regency council to govern until the King should come of age. One of Henry V's surviving brothers, John, Duke of Bedford , was appointed senior regent of the realm and was in charge of
19028-483: Was sage and cunning, and much richer than Edward, but he was very hated. In addition, unlike his brother John Nevill and Edward, he was not brave. A Burgundy historian Jean de Wavrin criticized him more bitterly than other Burgundians. Henry VI, Part 2 and Henry VI, Part 3 by William Shakespeare The Earl of Warwick's coat of arms was unusually complex for the period, with seven different quarterings in an unusual order. The first grand quarter consists of
19170-407: Was shortly after his crowning ceremony at Merton Priory on All Saints' Day , 1 November 1437, shortly before his 16th birthday, that he obtained some measure of independent authority. This was confirmed on 13 November 1437, but his growing willingness to involve himself in administration had already become apparent in 1434, when the place named on writs temporarily changed from Westminster (where
19312-453: Was skilled at appealing to popular sentiments for political support. The Neville family , an ancient Durham family, came to prominence in England's fourteenth-century wars against the Scots . In 1397, King Richard II granted Ralph Neville the title of Earl of Westmorland . Ralph's son Richard , the later Earl of Warwick's father, was a younger son by a second marriage, and not heir to
19454-404: Was slain, as was Warwick's father Salisbury. York's son, however, later triumphed with Warwick's assistance, and was crowned King Edward IV . Edward initially ruled with Warwick's support, but the two later fell out over foreign policy and the king's choice to marry Elizabeth Woodville . After a failed plot to crown Edward's brother, George, Duke of Clarence , Warwick instead restored Henry VI to
19596-421: Was still waiting for Queen Margaret and her son Edward, who were supposed to bring reinforcements from France, but were kept on the continent by bad weather. At this point, Edward received the support of his brother Clarence, who realised that he had been disadvantaged by the new agreement with the Lancastrians. Clarence's defection weakened Warwick, who nevertheless went in pursuit of Edward. On 14 April 1471
19738-406: Was the bending of a silver coin as an offering to the "saint" so that he might perform a miracle. One story had a woman, Katherine Bailey, who was blind in one eye. As she was kneeling at mass, a stranger told her to bend a coin to King Henry. She promised to do so, and as the priest was raising the communion host, her partial blindness was cured. Although Henry VI's shrine was enormously popular as
19880-483: Was the father of King Henry VII of England . In reaction to the coronation of Charles VII of France in Reims Cathedral on 17 July 1429, Henry was soon crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on 6 November 1429, aged 7, followed by his own coronation as King of France at Notre-Dame de Paris on 16 December 1431, aged 10. He was the only English king to be crowned king in both England and France. It
20022-462: Was the only English-governed territory on the continent. Henry's domestic popularity declined in the 1440s, partly due to the revelation that a large, strategically important territory (the county of Maine ) had been secretly returned to the French. Political unrest in England grew rapidly as a result; the lynching of Henry's key adviser, William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk , provoked a major rebellion in 1450. Factions and favourites encouraged
20164-534: Was the wealthiest and most powerful English peer of his age, with political connections that went beyond the country's borders. One of the leaders in the Wars of the Roses , originally on the Yorkist side but later switching to the Lancastrian side, he was instrumental in the deposition of two kings, which led to his epithet of " Kingmaker ". Through fortunes of marriage and inheritance, Warwick emerged in
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