Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edward of Westminster |
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| Prince of Wales | |
Drawing of Edward from the Beauchamp Pageant, c. 1483–1494
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| Born | 13 October 1453 Palace of Westminster, London, England |
| Died | 4 May 1471 (aged 17) Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England |
| Burial | Tewkesbury Abbey |
| Spouse | |
| House | Lancaster |
| Father | Henry VI of England |
| Mother | Margaret of Anjou |
Edward of Westminster (born 13 October 1453 – died 4 May 1471) was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Queen Margaret of Anjou. He was also known as Edward of Lancaster. Edward was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of battles for the English throne. He was killed at the age of seventeen during the Battle of Tewkesbury.
Contents
Edward's Early Life
Edward was born in London at the Palace of Westminster. He was the only child of King Henry VI and Queen Margaret. At this time, there was a lot of tension in England. Some people supported King Henry, while others supported Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York. The Duke of York believed he had a right to the throne. King Henry was also suffering from mental illness. Edward was made Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle in 1454. This title meant he was the next in line to become king.
War for the English Throne
In 1460, King Henry was captured by the Duke of York's supporters. This happened at the Battle of Northampton. The Duke of York wanted to become king. However, Parliament decided that King Henry could remain king. But they also said that after Henry died, the Duke of York or his children would become king instead of Edward. This meant Edward would not inherit the throne.
Queen Margaret and Edward quickly left the area. Margaret later said she got help from outlaws by promising them that Edward was the true heir to the crown. They went to Wales and then to Scotland. There, Queen Margaret gathered support for her son. Meanwhile, the Duke of York's enemies were also gathering in northern England.
After the Duke of York was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, Queen Margaret's army moved south. They defeated Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, a strong supporter of the Duke of York. This battle was the Second Battle of St Albans. King Henry, who had been held captive by Warwick, was found on the battlefield. After the battle, Queen Margaret asked Edward what should happen to two captured knights. Edward, who was only seven years old, said they should be beheaded.
Life in Exile in France
After their victory, Queen Margaret did not march on London. Her army was not well-controlled, so she decided to retreat. A few weeks later, her army was defeated at the Battle of Towton. Margaret and Edward had to flee again, this time to Scotland. For the next three years, Margaret tried to start rebellions in England. But eventually, she had to sail to France. They lived there in exile, meaning they were away from their home country. King Henry had been captured again and was a prisoner in the Tower of London.
In 1467, an ambassador from Milan wrote about Edward. He said Edward "already talks of nothing but cutting off heads or making war." This shows Edward was growing up in a very violent time.
After several years, Queen Margaret made an important alliance. She joined forces with the Earl of Warwick. Warwick had previously fought against Margaret. The King of France, Louis XI of France, wanted to start a war with Burgundy. Burgundy was an ally of Edward IV of England, who was now king. Louis believed that if he helped Margaret and Edward regain the throne, they would help him fight Burgundy. To show his support, Louis made young Edward the godfather to his own son, Charles. Prince Edward married Anne Neville, Warwick's younger daughter, in December 1470.
Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury
Warwick returned to England and removed King Edward IV from power. He did this with help from Edward IV's brother, the Duke of Clarence. King Edward IV fled to Burgundy. Warwick then put King Henry VI back on the throne. Prince Edward and Queen Margaret stayed in France until April 1471.
However, King Edward IV quickly raised an army and returned to England. He also made peace with his brother Clarence. On the same day Margaret and Edward landed in England (April 14), King Edward IV defeated and killed Warwick at the Battle of Barnet. With little hope left, the young prince and his mother led their remaining forces to face Edward IV. This led to the Battle of Tewkesbury. They were defeated, and Edward of Westminster was killed.
There are different stories about how Edward died. Some say he was killed during the battle as the Lancastrian army fled. Other stories say that Edward IV and his brothers captured Edward after the battle. They asked him why he had fought against them. Edward bravely replied, "I came to recover my father's heritage." Then, King Edward IV struck him, and his brothers killed him with their swords. However, older records say Edward died during the battle itself.
Edward's body is buried at Tewkesbury Abbey. His wife, Anne Neville, later married the Duke of Gloucester. He eventually became King Richard III of England in 1483.
Images for kids
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Drawing of Edward from the Beauchamp Pageant, c. 1483–1494
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Anne Neville, Edward's wife. She later married Richard III of England.
See also
In Spanish: Eduardo de Westminster para niños
