House / Group: York
Born / died: 1442-1483
Reign: 1461-1483
Born in France, the eldest son of Richard, Duke of York (a strong claimant to the throne) and Cecily Neville. There were suggestions during his life, revived recently, that Edward was illegitimate
He emerged as king from the Wars of the Roses, after Henry VI had lost and briefly regained power.
Rejecting suggestion that he should enter into a political marriage with European royalty, he secretly married a widow Elizabeth Woodville and the had 10 children (Elizabeth, Mary, Cecily, Edward (V), Margaret, Richard, Anne, George, Catherine and Bridget). Edward also had numerous illegitimate children by several mothers (Edward, Elizabeth, Grace, Mary and possibly another daughter). Cecily had another 13 children with her first husband, Richard Plantagenet, who served briefly as Lord Protector during a spell of Henry VI's insanity.
Edward died 'allegedly worn out by his debauchery' (according to the BBC history site). He was buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
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