Readeption of Henry VI facts for kids
The Readeption was a time in English history when Henry VI of England became king again in 1470. He had lost his throne to Edward, Duke of York, in 1461. After being king for a short time, Henry was captured and held in the Tower of London.
But then, a powerful noble named Richard, Earl of Warwick, who used to support Edward, turned against him. Because of this, Edward had to leave England in 1470. Henry VI was then put back on the throne. This period was called the Readeption because official papers from that time said things like "the forty-ninth year of the reign of King Henry VI and the first year of the readeption of his Royal power." However, Henry's return didn't last long, and he was removed from power again the very next year.
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A Royal Family Feud: The Wars of the Roses
King Henry VI had been king almost his whole life. His father, Henry V, died when Henry VI was just a baby in 1422. Henry VI was not a strong ruler like his father. He found it hard to control the government and the powerful nobles.
By the mid-1450s, a civil war broke out in England. This war was between supporters of King Henry and his wife, Queen Margaret, known as the Lancastrians. On the other side were the supporters of Richard, Duke of York, known as the Yorkists. These fights are now called the Wars of the Roses.
The war started in 1455 when Henry's army lost to the Yorkists at the First Battle of St Albans. More bloody battles followed. Finally, in March 1461, the Yorkist army, led by Edward, Duke of York, won a huge battle at Towton. This was one of the biggest battles ever fought in England. Edward then took the throne and became King Edward IV. King Henry and Queen Margaret had to escape to Scotland.
Edward ruled for the next ten years. He was strongly supported by the Neville family, especially Richard, Earl of Warwick. But things were not always peaceful. There were still many small fights and sieges in the North of England until 1464. Warwick's brother, John, eventually stopped these rebellions. John was rewarded with the title of Earl of Northumberland. This title usually belonged to the Percy family, who were rivals of the Nevilles.
Warwick's Growing Unhappiness with King Edward
Over time, the Earl of Warwick became very unhappy with King Edward. Warwick disagreed with Edward's foreign policy, which favored Burgundy and was against France. Also, King Edward married Elizabeth Woodville, a woman Warwick thought was not from a noble enough family.
Edward's younger brother, George of Clarence, also started to turn against the King. By the late 1460s, George and Warwick became political allies against Edward. In late 1467, Warwick left the royal court and went to his estates in Yorkshire. George was also unhappy because Edward had stopped him from marrying Warwick's oldest daughter, Isabel Neville. The King had also fired Warwick and John's brother, George, from his important job as Lord Chancellor.
Some people believed Warwick was planning to betray the King as early as July 1467. It was said that Warwick promised to make George of Clarence king instead of Edward. By 1468, Warwick was actively plotting against Edward. A captured messenger even claimed Warwick was talking with Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI's wife. Edward ordered Warwick to appear before the Royal council, but Warwick refused twice.
England was not very peaceful at this time. Many people were unhappy, especially about high taxation. In the north, some people gathered to fight with the Earl of Warwick. Even though relations between Edward and Warwick seemed to get a little better in 1468, this was likely because Edward made some mistakes in his political decisions.
Warwick's First Rebellion Against Edward
Ordinary people in the 15th century could be easily convinced to rebel if they had complaints. The Earl of Warwick was very good at using these feelings to his advantage. In April 1469, a large group of unhappy people gathered in Yorkshire, led by someone called Robin of Redesdale. Warwick's brother, John Neville, quickly broke up this group.
But almost immediately, another, larger rebellion started in the East Riding of Yorkshire, led by Robin of Holderness. This group might have been supporting the Percy family's claim to the earldom of Northumberland. John Neville also scattered this group, and its leader was beheaded in York.
Meanwhile, the remaining rebels from Robin of Redesdale's group gathered again in Lancashire. Historians believe this rebellion was almost certainly planned by Warwick. It grew into a large army, including many people connected to the Neville family.
King Edward was slow to react to these threats. He also didn't realize at first that Warwick was involved. In mid-June, the King decided to go north to stop Redesdale's rebellion. But his actions were not urgent enough. By the time Edward reached Newark, his spies told him the rebel army might be five times larger than his own. He also heard rumors about Warwick's involvement. He wrote to Warwick, Clarence, and the Archbishop, asking for their help.
But instead of helping, Warwick, Clarence, and the Archbishop sailed to Calais. There, on July 11, George Neville, the Archbishop of York, married George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, to Isabelle Neville. This was against the King's wishes. Soon after, they wrote to the rebels in the north of England.
The rebel army grew even larger and moved south. This worried the King. The rebels defeated the Royal army at the Battle of Edgcote on July 24. Edward, unaware of this defeat, was captured by Warwick on July 29 and imprisoned in Warwick Castle. Earl Rivers and his son were executed soon after. Warwick tried to call a Parliament, hoping to remove Edward and make Clarence king. But widespread rioting forced Warwick to release the King by mid-September. Surprisingly, Edward forgave both Warwick and Clarence.
Warwick Joins Forces with the Lancastrians
After another failed rebellion, which Edward stopped at the Battle of Losecoat Field in March 1470, Warwick and Clarence fled to France. In July, they met with Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI's wife and the leader of the Lancastrians. This was a big change, as Warwick had helped remove Henry from the throne in 1461.
After difficult talks, Warwick, Clarence, and Margaret made a deal. Warwick and Clarence would help put Henry VI back on the throne with help from France. Henry VI's son, Edward of Westminster, would be the next king. If Prince Edward died, then Clarence would become the heir. To seal this alliance, Warwick's youngest daughter, Anne Neville, married Prince Edward.
Edward IV tried to make his position stronger. He released Henry Percy from the Tower in October 1469. In March 1470, Edward IV gave Percy back his title of Earl of Northumberland. This title had been given to John Neville. John Neville was given a new, higher title, Marquess of Montagu, because he had not joined his brother's rebellions.
On September 13, Warwick and Clarence landed in Dartmouth, Devon. The Earl of Pembroke landed in Plymouth. Warwick entered London in triumph and freed Henry VI from the Tower on October 6.
Henry VI Returns to the Throne
Henry VI officially became king again on October 3, 1470. However, by this time, Henry was not well enough to rule on his own. For example, he had to be led by the hand when he appeared in public in London. After he returned to the throne, all official documents started to refer to his reign as "the 49th year of the reign of Henry VI and the first of his readeption to royal power."
Even though the Lancastrian government was back in power, it was largely controlled by the Neville family, especially Warwick.
Edward IV's Comeback
Henry's return to the throne did not last long. Edward IV got support from Burgundy and landed at Ravenspurn on March 14, 1471. Local groups of fighters gathered in the north. One group, led by Sir John Westerdale, might have had several thousand men.
Edward's supporters said his army was small but strong. Edward claimed he had only returned to reclaim his own lands. However, the King could not gather a large army until he reached the Midlands, in Lord Hastings's lands. There, he gathered about 3,000 men. In the north, fewer people joined him than he expected.
Edward defeated Warwick at the Battle of Barnet on April 14. Both Warwick and his brother John Neville were killed in this battle. Edward then defeated the Lancastrians at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Edward of Westminster, Henry VI's son, was killed there. Queen Margaret was captured. Edward IV entered London on May 21. Henry VI died that night, or soon after, possibly on Edward's orders.
Images for kids
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A gold coin from Henry's later reign, showing the Archangel Michael and Henry's shield on a ship.
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