42 Beefy Facts About Edward IV, The Rebel King of England

September 16, 2019 | Christine Tran

42 Beefy Facts About Edward IV, The Rebel King of England


Edward IV was perhaps the most successful king during the Wars of the Roses. And he didn’t even live to see it end.

The grandfather of Henry VIII, this super-tall and super-strong leader is considered one of the last warrior kings in British history. On behalf of the House of York, he took the throne for himself through conflict. On behalf of his own desires, he did things which made prudes at court blush (or were they red with anger?). From secret marriages to bloody battles, there was no shortage of dramatics in the surprisingly not-that-long reign the first Yorkist king. Saddle up your horse for these 42 manly facts about Edward IV of England.


Edward IV Facts

41. Oh, The Heights You’ll Reach

At 6 feet and 4.5 inches tall, Edward was huge by the standards of his day. Even centuries later, he is still the tallest king in British history. Today’s royal family has some growing up to do…

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

40. Young Adulthood is Tough on Everyone

Edward was the first Yorkist king of England, but he was not the first Yorkist Plantagenet to try. His father, Richard, Duke of York, was a claimant to the throne and relative to the Lancastrian King Henry VI of England. By the time young Edward was 18 years old, his dad had gotten fed up with Henry’s mismanagement of the government and rebelled against him. Just as Edward entered adulthood, his country entered the Wars of the Roses, which would last for decades.

Edward IV FactsPixabay

39. Passing on the Torch

On 30 December 1460, Edward’s father Richard was killed fighting the Lancastrians at the Battle of Wakefield. Although this first Yorkist leader would never become king himself, the war kept going, and his efforts paved a path to the throne for his eldest surviving son, Edward.

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

38. I Did It for You, Dad

Edward IV finally got to avenge his father’s death at the Battle of Towton in 1461, but he almost didn’t make it—during the battle, the future king had his life saved by a Welsh knight named Sir David Ap Matthew. As a reward for Matthew’s bravery, the new Yorkist king made him the Standard Bearer of England and gave him use of the name “Towton” on his own humble family coat of arms.

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

37. Sown on Foreign Soil

The future king of England wasn’t born in England. In fact, Edward was born in Rouen, France (or Normandy, to be precise) as the second son to Richard, Duke of York, and Cecily Neville.

Edward IV FactsPixabay

36. I’m a Survivor

Edward’s parents had many kids, of which Edward was only the third-born child and second-oldest son. Unfortunately, only four sons and three daughters survived into adulthood. His older brother Henry of York died soon after birth, so while Edward wasn't the first-born son, for all of his life he was at least the eldest.

Edward IV FactsPixabay

35. We Match in More Ways Than One

Both of Edward’s parents had claims to the throne via Edward III of England. Nothing like a circular family tree to close an inheritance loophole.

King Edward III portraitWikipedia

34. Keep Your Future Enemies Close

Edward’s mother, Cecily Neville, was actually the aunt of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, who became known as the “Kingmaker” for his role in the Wars of the Roses. He would also have a serious fallout with Edward that almost cost the Yorkist king his throne. This made Edward cousins with the infamous kingmaker and future ex-BFF.

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

33. Pops Stays with Me

After seizing the throne from Henry VI, Edward imprisoned the mentally frail ex-ruler rather than execute him outright. Henry’s son and heir, Edward of Westminster, was still at large. It’s a bad strategy to make a free man king when you could keep the current one in your control—especially when the one in your custody is as incapable as Henry VI.

Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales , is brought to Edward IV for questioning in the aftermath of the Battle of TewkesburyWikipedia

32. Catch These Hands, Kid

In some retellings of Prince Edward of Westminster’s death, King Edward IV slapped the teenager prince with a gauntleted hand before executing him via sword. The boy had been defensive about his own father’s inheritance, which angered the usually affable king. While no real historical sources can back this up, the story was shared in many texts and even made its way into Shakespeare’s retelling.

Edward IV FactsShutterstock

31. The Girl is a Survivor

Edward’s son wouldn’t be on the throne for long (becoming one-half of the ill-fated Princes in the Tower…), but at least he had one kid stay crowned. It was his firstborn daughter, Elizabeth of York, who would carry Edward’s bloodline in the royal family—albeit, as a consort and not in a queen in her own right.

Just two years after Edward’s death, the final Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor, took the throne from Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. As part of consolidating support from the alienated Yorkists, Henry married the oldest surviving York heir—Elizabeth—and brought the Wars of the Roses to its close.

Edward IV FactsWikipedia

30. The Prettiest Pit Stop in England

According to legend, Elizabeth Woodville caught King Edward’s eye on the side of the road, of all places. Woodville stood under an oak tree with her sons, perhaps putting herself directly in Edward’s path, to petition for the restored land of her late husband. Edward’s was struck by Woodville’s legendary beauty and begged that she be his mistress.

Elizabeth WoodvilleThe White Queen, BBC One

29. The Cutting Edge of Courtship

According to some lore, Edward was scarily persistent that Elizabeth Woodville should be his mistress. Not one to be bullied, the widow pulled out a dagger and put it against her own throat to ward off his advances. Somehow, this led to a mutual respect, romance, and a wedding ring to boot.

Edward IV FactsThe White Queen, BBC One

28. Everyone Loves Edward

The first threat to Edward’s reign came from home: his friend Warwick and his own little brother George, the Duke of Clarence, had become disillusioned with his rule and rebelled against their king in 1469. The pair even managed to capture Edward. Unfortunately, Edward was a popular enough king. The nobles resisted the coup and Warwick couldn’t hold onto power on his own. He has no choice but to release Edward. Good thing Edward was still loved by the people who mattered.

Edward IV FactsShutterstock

27. Let’s Call that an Oopsie

Edward was a gregarious king and that was reflected in the second chances he gave his enemies. After their 1469 rebellion, he was well within his grounds to impoverish or outright execute his younger brother George and the Earl of Warwick. Instead, Edward embraced them in forgiveness. At least, he did this time…

Edward IV FactsShutterstock

26. Misplaced Second Chances

Less than one year after Edward’s forgiveness, the Earl of Warwick and the king’s brother George rebelled against him again. Even worse, they aligned with the Lancastrian Queen Margaret of Anjou. With this force, Edward’s enemies successfully pushed him off the throne in 1470 and returned Henry VI to power.

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

25. One Bros Has Got Me (for Now)

During Henry VI’s return to the throne, Edward hid out in Flanders with his other, less traitorous brother Richard (the future King Richard III, who would have his own problems with Edward’s children down the line…).

Edward IV Facts

24. My Little Men

Don’t mess with this super tall king (or at least, don’t mess with him twice). The brief retaking of the throne by Henry VI was interrupted when Edward returned with support from Burgundy in 1471. Although he only brought a small force, he soon gathered support and the strike back proved successful.

Edward IV FactsPicpedia

23. The Comeback King

In 1471, Edward retook the throne from Henry VI (who had retaken it from Edward). Edward also managed to strike down two major enemies in one campaign. After landing in England, he managed to kill his once-ally the Earl of Warwick, who was slain while trying to get to his horse.

Shortly after, at the Battle of Tewkesbury, Edward’s party managed to also kill the only son of Henry VI, Prince Edward, AKA the last main-line Lancastrian heir. The circumstances of this death are less clear, but Edward effectively eliminated the most potent threats to his reign in a single comeback.

Edward IV FactsThe Hollow Crown, BBC Two

22. I Can Be Second-Best at Home

During the second reign of Henry VI, Edward and his brother George managed to secretly reconcile with behind Warwick’s back. Of course, this was only after Edward made his brother the new Earl of Warwick, now that the ol' Kingmaker was in the ground.

Edward IV FactsShutterstock

21. Two Is Company. Five is a Crowd.

Despite his love match with Elizabeth Woodville, Edward was fairly open about his adultery. He once proudly (and publicly) declared his enjoyment of three mistresses, whom he successively called "the merriest, the wiliest, and the holiest harlots" of England. Classy, Edward, real classy.

Edward IV FactsThe White Queen, BBC One

20. Pay It Forward

Jane Shore was the most famous of Edward’s mistresses (in truth, her first name was Elizabeth, but “Jane” got attached to her in the 17th century after her actual name was forgotten by history for a time). Their affair began in late 1476 after his return from war in France and it lasted for almost seven years until the king’s death in 1483. It’s said Shore didn’t use her position as chief mistress to enrich herself, but rather spread the wealth to those who had been thrown out of the king’s good graces.

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

19. Younger Model, Old Tricks

After Edward’s death, his chief mistress Elizabeth “Jane” Shore pursued two other high-profile relationships, including an affair with Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset…the stepson of Edward himself via Elizabeth Woodville.

Unfortunately for Shore, Grey was an enemy of Richard III. The new king accused Shore of carrying messages for Grey and her other lover, William Hastings, in a conspiracy against the new regime. For her “crimes,” Shore was forced to walk in penance to Paul’s Cross in nothing but a thin nightdress. Being a king’s chief mistress offered little protection after said king was dead.

Edward IV FactsWikipedia

18. He’s Already Taken

Edward’s lusty adventures put his kids in posthumous danger. Richard III used Edward’s relationship with a lady named Eleanor Butler in order to invalidate the king’s children via Elizabeth Woodville (and therefore pave the inheritance path for Richard).

According to the little brother, Edward had made a legal precontract of marriage to Butler. If this was true, his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville would be invalid and their children would be actually be born out of wedlock on a technicality, and thus were not actually in line for the throne. Although Butler was long dead at this point and couldn’t verify it, this version of events was accepted, and Richard legitimized his claim as king.

Edward IV FactsPixabay

17. Thank You, Next!

Edward appeared to have a “strategy” when it came to the ladies: bed them with promises of marriage, and then exit. According to Thomas More (a Tudor-biased biographer), Edward’s longstanding mistress, Elizabeth Lucy, was already pregnant and waiting for her marriage to Edward when the king turned around and eloped with Elizabeth Woodville. For what it’s worth, Lucy (in this version) denies any official engagement was made—it was only (broken) promises.

Edward IV FactsWikipedia

16. The More the Merrier (for Some)

In addition to the ten kids by his queen, Edward fathered about five illegitimate children across various mothers. You can’t say the king neglected his reproductive duty!

Edward IV FactsPexels

15. Lovechild Letters

Historians of English letter-writing are happy that Edward couldn’t keep it in his pants. Edward’s only acknowledged illegitimate son, Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, was a favorite of the king’s grandson, Henry VIII. However, Arthur is also known for his collection of “Lisle Letters,” a record of correspondence from his post in Calais from 1533 to 1540. Studied for centuries, these transcripts are an invaluable window into daily life in the times of Henry VIII. Thank goodness for adultery and letter-writing love children.

Edward IV FactsFlickr

14. Hit the Shields and the Books

On top of being a renowned jock, Edward is the first known English king to have a personal and permanent library. He collected illuminated manuscripts about historical and literary figures, including Julius Cesar. Although we don’t know where the library actually stood, more than 40 books still survive—a sign which means he took royally good care of his collection.

Edward IV FactsFlickr

13. Mark My Words

Edward’s official motto was “modus et ordo” for “method and order.” Considering the previous reign of Henry VI was marked by absentee rulership and general chaos, this was a shrewd PR move.

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

12. One of These Babies Is Not Like the Others?

The question of Edward’s paternity haunted his reign. It was rumored that—unlike his little brothers—Edward was not the biological child of their father, Richard of York. People cited Edward’s great height (which Richard of York did not possess) and how his mother, Cecily Neville, allegedly flew into a rage when Edward eloped with Elizabeth Woodville and threatened to have him declared illegitimate.

The counterarguments: (1) Edward’s brother George and sister Margaret were also said to be very tall and (2) the story about Cecily Neville’s rage has no contemporary sources. For what it’s worth, Richard of York had a positive relationship with his so-called son, as evidenced by their surviving letters, and had little reason to suspect the medieval equivalent of the milkman.

Edward IV FactsMax Pixel

11. More Than Bros?

In 2018, one historian came forth with “clear contemporary evidence” that Edward had an affair with a male courtier named Henry Beaufort, the Duke of Somerset. Beaufort was close to the king and apparently shared similar good looks to his cousin, Eleanor Talbot, aka the king’s old mistress. The historian assumes, we guess, that Edward had a specific type.

Edward IV FactsMax Pixel

10. Gentlemen First

According to one historical theory, Edward and Henry Beaufort’s romance was apparently broken up by Lancastrian forces who led an attack on the duke. It’s said their closeness attracted negative attention, for better or worse, from the enemy—and put a target on Beaufort’s back.

Edward IV FactsPublic Domain Pictures

9. Peace Out, Bro

Like Henry VI, Edward’s cause of death is unknown. Unlike Henry VI’s, it was more likely natural. Falling ill in 1483, Edward was at least strong enough to amend his will, where he left his surviving brother, Richard, as the guardian of his son and heir, the future Edward V, who was only 12 years old at the time. Although his death was probably related to pneumonia or typhoid fever, poison has been offered by those who seek a more scandalous version of events.

He died on 9 April 1483, aged just 40.

Edward IV FactsPixabay

8. The Plot Thickens

Like his grandson, Henry VIII, our Edward became very stout and inactive in the last years of his life. Also, like Henry VIII, this was a contrast to the tall and athletic image of his youth.

Edward IV FactsThe Hollow Crown, BBC Two

7. May-December “Foe”-mance

Edward was close to his Woodville in-laws and bestowed his favor on them upon his marriage to their daughter. This put the Woodvilles at odds with Warwick and the other Neville cousins. For one, the king undid much of the diplomatic work that Warwick completed with Burgundy, France, and Brittany. To cap it all off, Edward even married off Warwick’s 65-year-old aunt Katherine, Duchess of Norfolk, to his wife’s 19-year-old brother John—a union that would be remembered as "the diabolical marriage." Believe it or not, despite the years that Katherine had on John, she would actually out-live him. As it turns out, crossing the Kingmaker wasn't always a wise thing to do, and John would pay the price for it.

Edward IV FactsGetty Images

6. Group Work is Tough

After Edward was settled on the throne, his ally, Richard Neville the Earl of Warwick, made plans to align them with France. Warwick put a lot of work into securing Edward a marriage to either the King of France’s daughter, Anne, or his sister-in-law, Bona of Savoy. Unfortunately for Warwick, Edward had been secretly married for months to Elizabeth Woodville—a knight’s widow with Lancastrian ties. This faux-pas would destroy the relationship between Edward and the Kingmaker beyond repair. I mean, if I were Warwick, I would have at least appreciated the heads-up before doing all that work!

Elizabeth Woodville Edward IV  weddingThe White Queen, BBC One

5. Enemies Widows Make Good Bedmates

Why did Edward marry Elizabeth Woodville? He was a king, while she was a Lancastrian knight’s widow and mother of two sons. She was common-born to boot and her hand did nothing to secure England or the House of York. Was it love? Lust? One historian pulled a “why not have both?” and suggested it was not just a “love match,” but also a “cold and calculated political move” against other nobles. By aligning with a former Lancastrian ally (and a commoner at that), Edward showed his capacity to forgive…and also cut off courtiers from pushing their interests (and brides) on him to undermine his royal agency.

Edward IV FactsRawpixel

4. Head Case

It’s strongly believed that Edward was behind the secret execution of the feeble Lancastrian King Henry VI. Of course, the “official” cause of death was listed as “melancholy.” Later analysis of the late Henry’s skull suggests his death was more like “blunt blow to the skull.” Hey, I'm sure I'd feel melancholic after that!

Edward IV FactsGetty Images

3. Fool Me Twice, Shame on You

It was three strikes, you’re out for Edward’s brother, George. Six years after his second rebellion against Edward, the twice-forgiven George was arrested and found guilty of plotting against his oldest brother. Again. This time, an Oxford astronomer confessed (albeit under torture) that George had used the black arts to “imagine” the king’s death. After a few more warnings, George was arrested for treason.

Edward IV FactsPixabay

2. Lost in the Sauce for Good

Edward had his brother George “privately” executed for treason. It’s rumored George was drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine. Did privacy make it any less painful?

Edward IV FactsPxHere

1. No Safe Haven

Decades before his grandson Henry VIII was out upsetting the Catholic Church, his grandfather Edward IV made a holy faux-pas after the Battle of Tewkesbury. Edward famously yanked Lancastrian survivors out of religious sanctuary and executed them in flagrant disregard for typical Church protocol for asylum-seekers.

To be fair, the abbey in which Lancastrians sought refuge was not an “official” abbey. Nevertheless, the king did attend prayers there and buried the late Prince Edward of Westminster in honor at the church…two days before pulling survivors out of the abbey for show trials and summary executions.

Edward IV FactsWikimedia Commons

Sources1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21


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