Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

Edward of Westminster, also called Edward of Lancaster, was the only child of Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou. As the Prince of Wales, he was an important figure during a time of great conflict in England known as the Wars of the Roses.

Born on 13 October 1453, Edward grew up during a period when his father, King Henry VI, faced many challenges ruling the country. His mother, Margaret of Anjou, worked hard to protect their family and their claim to the throne.

Sadly, Edward’s life was short. He was killed at the age of seventeen during the Battle of Tewkesbury on 4 May 1471. His death marked a tragic moment in English history, as he was seen as a symbol of hope for one side of the conflict.

Early life

Edward was born at the Palace of Westminster in London. He was the only child of Henry VI of England and his wife, Margaret of Anjou. During this time, there was a lot of fighting between Henry’s supporters and those of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, who also wanted to be king. Even though Henry had a mental illness, he always said Edward was his son. Edward became the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle in 1454.

War over the English throne

In 1460, Henry VI was captured by soldiers who supported the Duke of York at the Battle of Northampton. They took him to London. The Duke of York was stopped from taking the throne right away, but he made laws that said when Henry died, York or his family would become king instead of Henry’s son, Edward.

Queen Margaret and Edward fled to places like Cheshire, Wales, and Scotland, where Margaret gathered helpers. After the Duke of York was killed in battle, Margaret’s army moved south and fought against one of York’s main supporters, Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick, at the Second Battle of St Albans.

Exile in France

Margaret decided not to move toward London with her army and soon after, they were defeated at the Battle of Towton. Margaret and Edward had to flee to Scotland again. For the next three years, Margaret encouraged uprisings in northern England but was finally forced to go to France, where she and Edward lived in exile. (Henry had been captured again and was held in the Tower of London.)

In 1467, an ambassador from the Duchy of Milan noted that Edward often talked about fighting or going to war, as if he was already in charge. After some years in exile, Margaret teamed up with the Earl of Warwick. Louis XI of France wanted war with Burgundy, allies of the Yorkist Edward IV, and thought restoring Lancastrian rule would help. To honor his new allies, Louis asked Edward to be godfather to his son Charles. Edward married Anne Neville, Warwick’s younger daughter, in December 1470, though it is unsure if the marriage was ever completed.

Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury

Warwick returned to England and removed Edward IV from the throne. Edward IV ran away to Burgundy with his younger brother, the Duke of Gloucester, while Warwick helped Henry VI return to power. Prince Edward and his mother, Margaret, stayed in France until April 1471. But Edward IV had already gathered an army, came back to England, and made peace with the Duke of Clarence. On the same day Margaret and Edward arrived in England (14 April), Edward IV defeated and killed Warwick at the Battle of Barnet.

With little chance of winning, the young prince and his mother led what was left of their army to face Edward IV in the Battle of Tewkesbury. They lost the battle, and Edward of Westminster was killed.

Edward's body was buried at Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire. His wife, Anne Neville, later married the Duke of Gloucester, who became Richard III in 1483.

Epitaph

The Latin memorial brass to Edward in Tewkesbury Abbey is placed on the floor between the choir stalls, under the tower. It reads:

This can be translated into English as follows:

"Here lies Edward, Prince of Wales, who was sadly taken from us while still young. Anno Domini 1471, May fourth. Alas, the cruelty of men. You were the only light of your Mother, and the last hope of your family."

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