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The ‘My
Favourite Monarch’ series is a new sequence of opinion pieces
from all of our editors, reporters and bloggers, where they will
have the chance to reveal to our readers who their favourite
monarch is. From Æthelstan to Elizabeth II, Britain has been ruled
by a whole host of different monarchs. With so many possible
‘favourites’ on offer, the decision of choosing your favourite (or
at least from your top three favourites) was always going to be a
difficult one. During this series, our writers will disclose the
history of their chosen monarch, why they have chosen them, and
what makes their King or Queen special to them in comparison to all
of the others on offer.
To kick off this series, I begin with my favourite monarch: Edward
IV.
My interest in Edward IV first came about when I was preparing to
begin my AS-Level in History on Henry VII. In order to learn about
Henry VII, you must learn about the Kings that predeceased him.
With this in mind, Edward IV is a key figure in understanding not
just how Henry VII had the chance to usurp the throne in 1485, but
also how he controlled, governed and financed the country into
solvency.
In my opinion, Edward IV does not get enough recognition as a great
King. In many ways he has been overshadowed by his ‘war hero’
predecessor, Henry V, and many skip over him to concentrate on the
mysterious legacy of his younger brother, Richard III, and what
happened to his sons, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, in The
Tower.
Yet, Edward strove for solvency, peace, and a smooth succession.
Although he was brought up at a time when war between the Yorkists
and Lancastrians was at its most hostile, and Edward himself
becoming a successful war commander and strategist, he also
understood the need for reconciliation and allies.
Edward’s father (Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York) had vied for
the crown during the 1450s with the help of the infamous Richard
Neville, Earl of Warwick (‘The Kingmaker’) against Henry VI and the
Lancastrian nobles. This led England into a civil war which would
continue for decades, resulting in a great number of decisive
battles, bloodshed, murder and depositions.
The Duke of York’s endeavour for the crown was cut short when he
was killed at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, leaving an
adolescent Edward as the heir to the dukedom of York. After a
number of successive wins over the Lancastrians, Edward’s troops
were able to capture Henry VI as a prisoner. By taking London as a
stronghold, Edward and the Earl of Warwick were able to secure
their influence and announce Edward as the next King of England in
March 1461 – he was not yet 20 years old.
Contemporary accounts describe Edward as a talented tactician and
strong leader in battle. He has been estimated to have been 6ft 4
in height (making him the tallest British monarch we’ve seen),
handsome, sociable and charismatic.
Despite plans for him to marry a princess from a major European
family, Edward secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, a widow of a
Lancastrian knight with two sons. Although some traditional
historians have suggested that this marriage was political act, I
agree more with the likes of J. R. Lander and P. M. Kendall who
argue that Edward married Elizabeth out of love or, at the very
least, lust.
Despite Warwick going against Edward’s rule and siding with Henry
VI’s wife, Margaret of Anjou, and Edward’s disloyal brother,
George, Duke of Clarence, in a rebellion which temporarily deposed
Edward and reinstated Henry VI in 1470, Edward remained dedicated
to his cause and the state of his Kingdom.
After defeating and killing Warwick at the Battle of Barnet in
1471, and beating the Lancastrian troops at Tewkesbury in the same
year, Edward reclaimed his throne, establishing a time of much
needed peace until his premature death in 1483.
During his second reign, Edward created stability, both politically
and financially at court, which emulated his motto perfectly –
modus et ordo (“method and order”). Edward took control of
the crown’s finances and built up the chamber system to oversee
royal revenues, and consequently reduced the crown’s debt. He took
a particular interest in trade, especially with merchants in the
City of London, and therefore promoted wider trade with European
countries to boost revenue.
Alongside this, Edward collected a wide variety of books and
created a library, reflecting his interest in late medieval
chivalric culture. He also established a magnificently decorated
court and understood the importance of dress and display,
demonstrating his monarchical authority and legitimacy to rule. He
also oversaw the rebuilding of St George’s Chapel at Windsor
castle, which is where he is buried.
It could be argued that the ‘worst’ thing that Edward did was to
die so prematurely – he was only 40. It has been suggested that
much of the court did not expect for Edward to die so young,
leaving his 12 year-old son to succeed. Had he lived for a few
years longer, the crown may have become closer to solvency, and the
succession of Prince Edward may have been smoother (and not
resulted in his mysterious disappearance and the succession of
Richard III).
Edward lived through one of the most tempestuous periods of British
history, and for this I think he should be recognised for. He was a
renowned military commander, courageous and continuously strove for
his crown, despite the challenges and betrayals he experienced from
those closest to him – most notably his brother, George, and the
Earl of Warwick. He was also a promoter of late medieval culture
and emulated chivalric and princely customs, and it is for these
reasons, among many others, that Edward IV is one of my favourite
monarchs.
Photo credit: CircaSassy via photopin
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