In his grand ascendency- Edward IV strolls forth.
Edward steps forth wearing England’s ancient and much coveted crown!
The news of which causes Henry VI and his queen, Margaret to angrily frown!
After his coronation in June of 1461, Edward IV settled into the position of monarch. Of course this now meant that England had two annointed kings vying for control of the country.
The new king had a vision for the government he wanted and soon began his reforms. Edward was a great believer in law and order. Of course an orderly, calm England would benefit the country as a whole. For example the king took measures to tackle piracy on the seas around England.
Pirates being pirates!
This helped to promote trade but also had the pleasing effect of filling the royal coffers with the increased tax revenue. Both the profits of English merchants and the treasurey benefited from the suppression of piracy as a consequence.
The new king would need a wife.
Edward was known for indulging in sins of lust!
He had little heed of the quote ‘man thou art but dust!
The new king cut a magnificent portrait of young regal manhood. He stood some 6 feet 4 inches in height and always took care to be attired in the finest clothes. Women unmarried or otherwise found him irresistable and he took full advantage of their affections in order to satisfy his rampant passions. If this meant a trail of cuckolded husbands within the court and without, then so be it. Edward had many conquests and any relationship was always on his terms. The women were discarded as soon as the fancy took him.
Step forth Elizabeth Woodville.
However, there was but one exception to his lusty games. One woman, and of her affections, the king most certainly did not wish to trifle. Elizabeth Woodville was her name, a widow aged twenty seven, some four years older than Edward. The king was completely infatuated with her.
Elizabeth Woodville.
Edward had many women from whom to pick and discard as he chose!
But his true love was a woman who had once worn the Lancastrian red rose!
King Edward was determined to make Elizabeth his bride and this was to cause problems. The first difficulty was that Elizabeth was not of royal blood but a commoner. No king of England since 1066 had married a commoner.She also had a strong Lancastrian pedigree. Her late husband had stood, fought and died in the Lancastrian ranks and Elizabeth had been a lady-in-waiting to Henry Vl’s queen, Margaret of Anjou.
Edward wearing his crown and royal robes.
But there was a further consideration, the magnates of England wanted an alliance with France. The earl of Warwick was spending a great deal of time and energy in attempting to secure a marriage between Edward and Bono of Savoy, Louis XI’s sister-in-law. If this could be arranged, England and France would become aligned and the French king would be an invaluable ally against any future Lancastrian threat. The nobility of England led by Warwick had high hopes of English-Franco alliance.
Edward really puts the cat amongst the pigeons.
As far as Edward was concerned there was but one suitable choice for a wife and that was Elizabeth Woodville. However he baulked at telling Warwick and the Privy Council. Edward decided that he would marry Elizabeth in secret and then inform Warwick and the English nobility at a later date.
Edward’s secret marriage ceremony to Elizabeth Woodville.
On the first day of May 1464, Edward secretly married Elizabeth in a low key ceremony with few witnesses. This event was to cause a huge political upheaval.