King Edward and Richard of England

These articles provide the back-story to the two Yorkist Royal Pretenders to the Crown of England in the 1480s (Edward) and 1490s (Richard). The term Pretender does not mean imposter – it is a technical term used for many centuries to denote someone who claims entitlement to a high-ranking position or title. Most books call these young men Pretenders. Here we are calling them Claimants to make their position crystal clear.

The Yorkist Claimants Edward and Richard, each in turn, challenged Henry VII for the crown he seized at the Battle of Bosworth (1485). Henry VII declared them imposters, and history saw little reason to disagree. The opposing view is that they were the two sons of Edward IV. The elder, Edward V (b. November 1470), had been proclaimed king upon his father’s death in April 1483, and the younger son was his brother Richard, Duke of York (b. August 1473). They were residing in the Royal Lodgings of the Tower, London’s foremost palace, when the government judged all of Edward IV’s offspring unable to inherit by reason of illegitimacy, caused by their father’s unlawful marriage to their mother.

After the succession and death of Richard III, the orthodox line under Henry VII was that the brothers had been killed on Richard’s orders. This suited the argument that a tyrant king had been replaced and that no direct heirs of the house of York remained alive. Yet there was never any actual evidence of their death; and there was far less certainty of it during that period than appeared in later chronicles and books. In fact some writers, reporting views current at that time (including Polydore Vergil, Thomas More and Francis Bacon), recorded the idea that they outlived Richard’s reign.

It was in the face of such unresolved doubts, rather than the settled beliefs adopted by later generations, that two credible Yorkist claimants emerged to give battle for the throne, backed by noble allies and significant supporting armies. Their ages and demeanour were consistent with a returning Edward and a returning Richard.

Using the arrow (>) next to King Edward and Richard of England on the menu, you can read more about Edward and Richard.