EDWARD IV WARRIOR OF YORK
Apart from Henry V, Edward IV was the most successful commander of 15th century England. An imposing figure of great physical prowess, Edward won every battle he commanded and used his victories to become king of England not once, but twice. A ruthless, determined strategist, Edward survived every crisis that the Wars of the Roses threw at him and first won his crown as a teenager.
His career was remarkable but unlike Henry V, his controversial younger brother Richard III and his overbearing grandson Henry VIII, Edward is a somewhat neglected king. This is surprising because Edward’s story is an extraordinary tale of huge battles, toxic politics and the unstoppable rise of a military protégé.
A kingdom in crisis
The origins of the Wars of the Roses (1455-87) were rooted in Henry VI’s inability to rule. The son of the warrior king Henry V and grandson of Charles VI of France, Henry’s regal standing was initially beyond question. Ascending to the throne aged just nine months old in 1422, Henry was an anointed and crowned king of both England and France during his youth. However, English rule in France had collapsed by the early 1450s, which was a huge humiliation.
In this moment of crisis, England needed a strong ruler but Henry had inherited a debilitating mental illness from Charles VI. He had a complete nervous breakdown in 1453 where “he had no natural sense nor reasoning power” for over a year. Henry was already known for his gentle nature and lack of interest in military affairs before his collapse but these qualities were incompatible for 15th century kingship. The vacuum created by his illness led to a power struggle for influence among his nobles, which was led most prominently by Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
A powerful magnate who had served as both lieutenant of France and Ireland, York was the second wealthiest man in England after the king and had a strong claim to the throne. A great-grandson of Edward III,
