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{{Short description|King of England (1461–70, 1471–83)}}
{{For|the play|Edward IV (play){{!}}''Edward IV'' (play)}}
{{Pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Edward IV
| image        = King Edward IV.jpg
| caption      = Posthumous portrait, {{Circa|1540}}
| succession   = [[King of England]]
| moretext     = ([[Style of the English sovereigns|more...]])
| reign-type   = 1st reign
| reign        = 4 March 1461&nbsp;– {{Nowrap|3 October 1470}}
| reign-type1  = 2nd reign
| reign1       = 11 April 1471&nbsp;– {{Nowrap|9 April 1483}}
| coronation1  = 28 June 1461
| cor-type1    = [[Coronation of the British monarch|Coronation]]
| predecessor1 = [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]]
| successor1   = [[Edward V]]
| birth_date   = 28 April 1442
| birth_place  = [[Rouen]], [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]], [[Kingdom of France|France]]
| death_date   = 9 April 1483 (aged 40)
| death_place  = [[Westminster]], Middlesex, [[Kingdom of England|England]]
| burial_date  = 18 April 1483
| burial_place = [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]]
| spouse       = {{Marriage|[[Elizabeth Woodville]]|1 May 1464}}
| issue        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Elizabeth of York|Elizabeth, Queen of England]]
* [[Mary of York]]
* [[Cecily of York|Cecily, Viscountess Welles]]
* [[Edward V, King of England]]
* [[Margaret of York (1472)|Margaret of York]]
* [[Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York|Richard, Duke of York]]
* [[Anne of York (daughter of Edward IV)|Anne, Lady Howard]]
* [[George, Duke of Bedford]] 
* [[Catherine, Countess of Devon]]
* [[Bridget of York]]
* [[Arthur, Viscount Lisle]] ({{Abbr|ill.|illegitimate}})
}}
| issue-link   = #Marriage and children
| issue-pipe   = more...
| house        = [[House of York|York]]
| father       = [[Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York]]
| mother       = [[Cecily Neville]]
| signature    = Edward IV signature.svg
}}
'''Edward IV''' (28 April 1442&nbsp;– 9 April 1483) was [[King of England]] from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470,<ref name="weir"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Edward IV |website=Archontology.org |date=14 March 2010 |url=http://www.archontology.org/nations/england/king_england/edward4.php |quote=Set sail on 2 October 1470 from England and took refuge in Burgundy; deposed as King of England on 3 October 1470}}</ref> then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the [[Wars of the Roses]], a series of civil wars in England fought between the [[Yorkist]] and [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrian]] factions between 1455 and 1487.

Edward inherited the [[Act of Accord|Yorkist claim to the throne]] at the age of eighteen when his father, [[Richard, Duke of York]], was killed at the [[Battle of Wakefield]] in December 1460. After defeating Lancastrian armies at [[Mortimer's Cross]] and [[Battle of Towton|Towton]] in early 1461, he deposed [[King Henry VI]] and took the throne. His marriage to [[Elizabeth Woodville]] in 1464 led to conflict with his chief advisor, [[Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick]], known as the "Kingmaker". In 1470, a revolt led by Warwick and Edward's brother [[George, Duke of Clarence]], briefly [[Readeption of Henry VI|re-installed Henry VI]]. Edward fled to [[Flanders]], where he gathered support and invaded England in March 1471; after victories at the battles of [[Battle of Barnet|Barnet]] and [[Battle of Tewkesbury|Tewkesbury]] (where both the Earl of Warwick and [[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales]], were killed), he resumed the throne. Shortly afterwards, Henry VI was found dead in the [[Tower of London]], possibly killed on Edward's orders.

Despite facing an overseas threat from [[Henry VII of England|Henry Tudor]], the last remaining Lancastrian claimant, Edward reigned in relative peace for the next twelve years. However, he nearly restarted the [[Hundred Years' War]], following his invasion of France in 1475, but was assuaged by [[Louis XI]] in the [[Treaty of Picquigny]]. This diplomatic agreement formally ended the Hundred Years' War, which had been in abeyance since [[Battle of Castillon|1453]]. Following his sudden death in April 1483, Edward was briefly succeeded by his son [[Edward V]]. He had appointed his younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, [[Lord Protector]] of England for the duration of the new king's minority. However, [[Princes in the Tower|Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, disappeared]] shortly after and their uncle seized the throne as [[Richard III]].

== Birth and ancestry ==
Edward was born on 28 April 1442 at [[Rouen]] in [[Normandy]], eldest surviving son of [[Richard, 3rd Duke of York]], and [[Cecily Neville]].{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=8}} Until his father's death, he was known as the [[Earl of March]].{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=14}} Both his parents were direct descendants of [[King Edward III]], giving Edward a potential claim to the throne. This was strengthened in 1447, when York became heir to the childless [[King Henry VI]] on the death of [[Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester]].{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=3–7}}{{Efn|Henry's grandfather was [[Henry IV of England]], whose father [[John of Gaunt]] was [[Edward III]]'s third surviving son. Henry IV had deposed [[Richard II]] from the senior line. The Duke of York's claim derived from Edward III's fourth son, [[Edmund, 1st Duke of York]], but his mother [[Anne de Mortimer]] was the senior descendant of Edward III's second son, [[Lionel of Antwerp]]. By modern standards, York was the senior heir, although this was less clear at the time. In practical terms, it meant both he and Edward had a legitimate claim to the throne.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=3–7}}}}

Allegations of illegitimacy were discounted at the time as politically inspired, and by later historians.{{Sfn|Wilson}}{{Efn|A 2004 [[Britain's Real Monarch|television documentary]] that supported these claims was subsequently discredited.{{Sfn|Wilson}}}} Edward and his siblings [[George, Duke of Clarence]], and [[Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy]], were physically very similar, all three being tall and blond, in contrast to their father, the Duke of York, who was short and dark.{{Sfn|Crawford|2008|pp=173–178}} His youngest brother, who later became [[King Richard III]], closely resembled their father.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=504–505}}{{Efn|When [[Richard III]] declared his nephews illegitimate in 1483, he did so on the grounds Edward's marriage to their mother was invalid.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=504–505}}}}

==Early life==
[[File:Richard of York Talbot Shrewsbury Book.jpeg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Drawing of [[Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York]], the father of Edward IV and [[Richard III]], {{Circa}} 1445]]
During Edward's youth, there was economic decline in England and military defeat abroad, exacerbated by a weak and corrupt central government. Both Edward and his younger brother [[Edmund, Earl of Rutland]], were born in Rouen, where their father, the Duke of York, served as governor of English lands in France until 1445, when he was replaced by [[Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset]]. Edward and Edmund were probably brought up at [[Ludlow Castle]], in the [[Welsh Marches]], where the Duke of York was the dominant landowner.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=5,7}}

In 1447, the Duke of York was made [[chief governor of Ireland]], although he did not take up the post until 1449. Most of Normandy was recaptured by the French, leaving [[Calais]] as the last English possession in Northern France; Somerset, whom many held responsible for the losses, was appointed King Henry's chief minister.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=9}} English politics became dominated by the struggle between the Yorkists and supporters of the [[House of Lancaster]], or Lancastrians, notably the Duke of Somerset, [[William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk]], and King Henry VI's wife, [[Margaret of Anjou]].{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=9}}

Matters came to a head in August 1453 when King Henry VI collapsed into a catatonic stupor on hearing news of the loss of [[Duchy of Gascony|Gascony]], an English possession for over 300 years. The Duke of York took over the government, his chief supporters being [[Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury]], and Salisbury's eldest son, [[Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick]].{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=11}} In January 1454, 12-year-old Edward accompanied his father to London to attend the [[Magnum Concilium|Great Council]].{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=14}}

The birth of King Henry VI's son, [[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales]], in October 1453 created a viable Lancastrian figurehead, and the 1450s was dominated by political conflict between the two factions. By the age of 17, the Earl of March was a political and military leader in his own right; after their defeat at the [[Battle of Ludford Bridge]] in 1459, his father and brother Edmund fled to Ireland, while the Earls of March, Salisbury and Warwick made their way to Calais. Edward's name appears alongside those of his father, Warwick and Salisbury in widely circulated manifestoes declaring their quarrel was only with Henry's evil counsellors.{{Sfn|Gillingham|2001|p=110}}

In 1460, Edward crossed the [[English Channel]] with Warwick and Salisbury, and marched into London. At [[Battle of Northampton (1460)|Northampton]] in July, he commanded one of three divisions in a Yorkist victory that led to the capture of Henry VI.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=25–27}} York returned from Ireland; on entering the [[Palace of Westminster]], he declared himself king, a claim greeted by the assembled lords in silence.{{Sfn|Gillingham|2001|p=117}} The [[Act of Accord]] agreed a compromise, whereby Henry remained king, but York and his descendants were designated his successors.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=28–29}}

The implications of removing the legally accepted heir to the throne created substantial opposition to the Yorkist administration; in late 1460, Edward was given his first independent command and sent to deal with a Lancastrian insurgency in Wales. Warwick remained in London, while York, Salisbury, and Edmund marched north to suppress another in [[Yorkshire]]; all three were killed following defeat at [[Battle of Wakefield|Wakefield]] on 30 December, leaving Edward as the new head of the Yorkist party.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=29–30}}

==Reign==
===Accession to the throne===
[[File:DacreCross.JPG|thumb|left|upright=0.5|alt=A stone post, topped with a cross, stands next to a bush in a field. An inscription on its base reads, "Battle of Towton Palm Sunday 1461"|Towton Cross, commemorating Edward's victory at the [[Battle of Towton]]]]

At this stage of Edward's career, contemporaries like [[Philippe de Commines]] described him as handsome, affable, and energetic.{{Sfn|Kleiman|2013|p=83}} Unusually tall for the period at {{Convert|6|ft|4|in|cm|abbr=off}}, he was an impressive sight in armour, and took care to wear splendid clothes. This was done deliberately to contrast him with King Henry VI, whose physical and mental frailties undermined his position.{{Sfn|Seward|1997|p=97}}

On 2 February 1461,{{Efn|Now the generally accepted date, although others suggest it was fought on 3 February}} Edward won a hard-fought victory at the [[Battle of Mortimer's Cross]] in [[Herefordshire]]. The battle was preceded by a meteorological phenomenon known as [[parhelion]], or three suns, which he took as his emblem, the "[[Sun in splendour]]".{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=4}} However, this was offset by Warwick's defeat at the [[Second Battle of St Albans]] on 17 February, the Lancastrians regaining custody of Henry VI. The two met in London, where Edward was hastily appointed king, before marching north, where the two sides met at the [[Battle of Towton]]. Fought on 29 March in the middle of a snowstorm, it was the bloodiest battle ever to take place on English soil, and ended in a decisive Yorkist victory.{{Sfn|Gravett |2003|pp=85–89}}

Estimates of the dead range from 9,000 to 20,000; figures are uncertain, as most of the mass graves were emptied or moved over the centuries, while corpses were generally stripped of clothing or armour before burial. Nevertheless, casualties among the Lancastrian nobility were enormous and explain the enduring bitterness among those who survived. Since 1996, excavations have uncovered over 50 skeletons from the battle; an analysis of their injuries shows the brutality of the contest, including extensive post-mortem mutilations.{{Sfn|Sutherland|Schmidt|2003|pp=15–25}}

Margaret fled to Scotland with Edward of Westminster, while the new king returned to London for his 28 June 1461 [[coronation of the English monarch|coronation]].{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=54–55}}<ref>{{Cite book |last1=James |first1=Jeffrey |title=Edward IV: Glorious Son of York |year= 2015 |publisher=Amberley Publishing Ltd. |isbn=978-1-4456-4622-0 |page=42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=euWGCgAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref> Henry VI remained at large for over a year, but was caught and imprisoned in the [[Tower of London]]. There was little point in killing him while his son remained alive since this would have transferred the Lancastrian claim from a frail captive to one who was young and free.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=62}}

===1461 to 1470===
[[File:Rose Noble, Edward IV, from 1464 - Bode-Museum - DSC02744.JPG|thumb|upright=0.6|Rose [[Noble (English coin)|Noble]] coin of Edward IV, minted in 1464]]
Most of the nobility had either remained loyal to Henry or stayed neutral, forcing Edward to rely heavily on the Nevilles. Consolidating the regime initially took precedence, but [[John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu|John Neville]]'s victory at the 1464 [[Battle of Hexham]] seemed to end the Lancastrian threat.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=61}} This exposed internal divisions, particularly over foreign policy, which in this period largely focused on the relationship between England, [[Kingdom of France|France]] and the [[Duchy of Burgundy]], with two of the parties manoeuvring to form an alliance against the third.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=60}} Although Edward preferred Burgundy as a partner, he allowed Warwick to negotiate a treaty with [[Louis XI of France]], which included a suggested marriage between Edward and [[Anne of France]] or [[Bona of Savoy]], respectively daughter and sister-in-law of the French king.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=91}}

[[File:Marriage Edward IV Elizabeth Woodville Wavrin Anciennes Chroniques d'Angleterre Francais 85 f109.jpeg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|The marriage of Edward IV to [[Elizabeth Woodville]], from the illuminated manuscript ''Anciennes Chroniques d'Angleterre'', by [[Jean de Wavrin]]]]
In October 1464, Warwick was enraged to discover that on 1 May, Edward had secretly married [[Elizabeth Woodville]], a widow with two sons, whose Lancastrian husband, [[John Grey of Groby]], died at the Second Battle of St Albans.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=85–86}} If nothing else, it was a clear demonstration he was not in control of the king, despite suggestions to the contrary.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=114}} Edward's motives have been widely discussed by contemporaries and historians. Although Elizabeth's mother, [[Jacquetta of Luxembourg]], came from the upper nobility, her father, [[Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers|Richard Woodville, Lord Rivers]], was a middle-ranking provincial baron. The [[Privy Council of England|Privy Council]] told Edward with unusual frankness that "she was no wife for a prince such as himself, for she was not the daughter of a duke or earl."{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=85}}

The marriage was certainly unwise and unusual, although not unheard of; Henry VI's mother, [[Catherine of Valois]], married her chamberlain, [[Owen Tudor]]. By all accounts, Elizabeth possessed considerable charm of person and intellect, while Edward was used to getting what he wanted.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=112–113}} Historians generally accept the marriage was an impulsive decision, but differ on whether it was also a "calculated political move". One view is the low status of the Woodvilles was part of the attraction, since unlike the Nevilles, they were reliant on Edward and thus more likely to remain loyal.{{Sfn|Wilkinson|1964|p=146}} Others argue if this was his purpose, there were far better options available; all agree it had significant political implications that impacted the rest of Edward's reign.{{Sfn|Carpenter|1997|p=170}}

One reason for this was that twelve of the new queen's siblings survived into adulthood, creating a large pool of competitors for offices and estates, as well as in the matrimony market. Resentment built when her sisters made a series of advantageous unions, including that of [[Catherine Woodville, Duchess of Buckingham|Catherine Woodville]] to [[Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham]]; [[Anne Woodville]] to William, heir to [[Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex]]; and Eleanor Woodville with Anthony, heir to [[Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent]].{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=93}}

In 1467, Edward dismissed his [[Lord Chancellor]], Warwick's brother [[George Neville (bishop)|George Neville, Archbishop of York]]. Warwick responded by building an alliance with Edward's disaffected younger brother and heir, the Duke of Clarence, who held estates adjacent to the Neville heartland in the north. Concerned by this, Edward blocked a proposed marriage between Clarence and Warwick's eldest daughter [[Isabel Neville, Duchess of Clarence|Isabel]].{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=203–205}} In early July, Clarence defied his brother by travelling to Calais, where he married Isabel in a ceremony conducted by George Neville and overseen by Warwick. The three men issued a 'remonstrance', listing alleged abuses by the Woodvilles and other advisors close to Edward and then returned to London, where they assembled an army to remove these 'evil councillors' and establish good government.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=210–211}}

[[File:The South Gate, Exeter - The Reception of King Edward IV, 1470.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Watercolour by [[George Townsend (artist)|George Townsend]], 1885, of King Edward IV's reception to Exeter in 1470]]
With Edward still in the north, the royal army was defeated by a Neville force at [[Battle of Edgcote|Edgecote Moor]] on 24 July 1469. After the battle, Edward was held in [[Middleham Castle]]; on 12 August, his father-in-law Richard Woodville and Richard's younger son, [[John Woodville]], were executed at [[Kenilworth]]. It soon became clear there was little support for Warwick or Clarence; Edward was released in September and resumed the throne.{{Sfn|Gillingham|2001|p=160}} Outwardly, the situation remained unchanged, but tensions persisted and Edward did nothing to reduce the Nevilles' sense of vulnerability. The Percys, traditional rivals of the Neville family in the North, fought for Lancaster at Towton; their titles and estates were confiscated and given to Warwick's brother John Neville. In early 1470, Edward reinstated [[Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland|Henry Percy]] as [[Earl of Northumberland]]; John was compensated with the title [[Marquess of Montagu]], but this was a significant demotion for a key supporter.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=135–136}}

In March 1470, Warwick and Clarence exploited a private feud to start the [[1470 Lincolnshire Rebellion]]; when it was defeated, the two fled to France in May 1470.{{Sfn|Kendall|1970|p=228}} Seeing an opportunity, Louis XI persuaded Warwick to negotiate with his enemy, Margaret of Anjou; she eventually agreed, first making him kneel before her in silence for fifteen minutes.{{Sfn|Ashley|2002|p=170}} With French support, Warwick landed in England on 9 September 1470 and announced his intention to restore Henry.{{Sfn|Kendall|1970|p=236}} By now, the Yorkist regime was deeply unpopular and the Lancastrians rapidly assembled an army of over 30,000; when John Neville switched sides, Edward narrowly escaped capture and was forced to seek refuge in [[Bruges]].{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=152–153}}

===Exile and restoration===
[[File:Beheading duke somerset.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Edward IV (left) watching the execution of [[Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset]], at Tewkesbury, 1471]]
Edward took refuge in [[Flanders]], part of the Duchy of Burgundy, accompanied by a few hundred men, including his younger brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Anthony Woodville and William Hastings.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=243}} The Duchy was ruled by [[Charles the Bold]], husband of his sister Margaret; he provided minimal help, something Edward never forgot.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=256–258}} The [[Readeption of Henry VI|restored Lancastrian regime]] faced the same issue that dominated Henry's previous reign. Mental and physical frailties made him incapable of ruling and resulted in an internal struggle for control, made worse because the coalition that put him back on the throne consisted of bitter enemies. [[Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset]], held Warwick responsible for [[Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset|his father]]'s death in 1455, while he had executed his elder brother in 1464; Warwick and Clarence quickly found themselves isolated by the new regime.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=260–261}}

Backed by wealthy Flemish merchants, in March 1471 Edward landed near [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], close to his estates in Yorkshire. Supporters were reluctant to join him; the important northern city of [[York]] opened its gates only when he claimed to be seeking the return of his dukedom, like [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] seventy years earlier. The first significant contingent to join was a group of 600 men under [[William Parr (died 1483)|William Parr]] and [[James Harrington (Yorkist knight)|James Harrington]].{{Sfn|Horrox|1989|p=41}} Parr fought against the Yorkists at Edgecote in 1469 and his defection confirmed Clarence's decision to switch sides; as they marched south, more recruits came in, including 3,000 at Leicester.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=263}}

Edward entered London unopposed and took Henry prisoner; Warwick was defeated and killed at the [[Battle of Barnet]] on 14 April, while a second Lancastrian army was destroyed at the [[Battle of Tewkesbury]] on 4 May. Sixteen-year-old Edward of Westminster, the heir to the throne, died on the battlefield, with surviving leaders like Somerset executed shortly afterwards. This was followed by Henry's death a few days later; a contemporary chronicle claimed this was due to "melancholy" but it is generally assumed he was killed on Edward's orders.{{Sfn|Wolfe|1981|p=347}}

Although the Lancastrian cause seemed at an end, the regime was destabilised by a quarrel between Clarence and his brother Gloucester. The two were married to Isabel Neville and [[Anne Neville]], respectively, the daughters of the Earl and [[Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick|Countess of Warwick]] and heirs to their mother's considerable inheritance.{{Sfn|Ross|1981|pp=26–27}} Many of the estates held by the brothers had been granted by Edward, who could also remove them, making them dependent on his favour. This was not the case with property acquired through marriage and explains the importance of this dispute.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=306–307}}

===1471 to 1483===
The last significant rebellion ended in February 1474 with the surrender of [[John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford]], who survived to command the Lancastrian army at [[Battle of Bosworth Field|Bosworth]] in 1485. Clarence was widely suspected of involvement, a factor in his eventual execution in the Tower on 18 February 1478; claims he was "drowned in a butt of [[Malmsey]] wine" appears to have been a joke by Edward, referring to his favourite drink.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=406}}

In 1475, Edward allied with Burgundy and declared war on France. With Duke Charles busy with the [[Siege of Neuss]], Louis opened negotiations. Soon after Edward landed at Calais, the two signed the [[Treaty of Picquigny]].{{Sfn|Penn|2019 |pp=364–365}} Edward received an immediate payment of 75,000 [[Crown (English coin)|crowns]], plus a yearly pension of 50,000 crowns, thus allowing him to recoup the costs of his army.{{Sfn|Hicks|2011|p=18}} In 1482, Edward backed an attempt to usurp the Scottish throne by [[Alexander Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany]], brother of [[James III of Scotland]]. Gloucester invaded Scotland and took the town of [[Edinburgh]], but not [[Edinburgh Castle]], where James was being held prisoner by his nobles. Albany switched sides and without siege equipment, the English army was forced to withdraw, with little to show for an expensive campaign, apart from the capture of [[Berwick Castle]].{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=434–435}}

===Illness and death===
[[File:Edward IV Plantagenet.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Edward IV {{Circa|1520}}, posthumous portrait from original {{Circa|1470}}–1475; it shows signs of the corpulence that afflicted him in later life.]]
Edward's health began to fail, and he became subject to an increasing number of ailments; his physicians attributed this in part to a habitual use of [[emetics]], which allowed him to gorge himself at meals, then return after vomiting to start again.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=431}} He fell fatally ill at Easter 1483, but survived long enough to add codicils to his will, the most important naming his brother as Protector after his death. He died on 9 April 1483 and was buried in [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]]. His twelve-year-old son, [[Edward V]], was never crowned, Gloucester becoming King [[Richard III]] in July.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=494}}

The cause of Edward's death is uncertain; allegations of poison were common in an era when lack of medical knowledge meant death often had no obvious explanation. Other suggestions include [[pneumonia]] or [[malaria]], although both were well-known and easy to describe. One contemporary attributed it to [[apoplexy]] brought on by excess, which fits with what is known of his physical habits.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=414–415}} Another theory is that Edward died of syphilis.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Salmon |first1=Marylynn |chapter=Deciphering Two Opaque Sources on the Death of King Edward IV of England. |title=Medieval Syphilis and Treponemal Disease |pages=23–52 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2z0vvkm |publisher=Arc Humanities Press |year=2022 |doi=10.2307/j.ctv2z0vvkm |jstor=j.ctv2z0vvkm |isbn=978-1-80270-048-0 |access-date=4 August 2023}}</ref>

While the War of the Roses has been documented by numerous historians, Edward as an individual is less well known; 19th century historians like [[William Stubbs]] generally dismissed him as a bloodthirsty nonentity. The most comprehensive modern biography was written by [[Charles Ross (historian)|Charles Ross]] in 1974, who concluded the peace and stability of his later reign was squandered in short-term aggrandisement.{{Sfn|Ross|1974}} He further suggests that Edward "remains the only king in English history since 1066 in active possession of his throne who failed to secure the safe succession of his son. His lack of political foresight is largely to blame for the unhappy aftermath of his early death."{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=451}}

==Political==
{{Main|Great Bullion Famine|Great Slump (15th century)}}
[[File:Rivers & Caxton Presenting book to Edward IV.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Presentation miniature from ''[[Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers]]'', printed in England by [[William Caxton]] in 1477. Edward is shown receiving a manuscript copy from Woodville, accompanied by his wife Elizabeth, his eldest son [[Edward V|Edward]], and his brother [[Richard III|Richard]].]]

Commentators observe a marked difference between Edward's first period as king, and the second. The failure of attempts to reconcile former enemies like Somerset meant he was noticeably more ruthless after 1471, including the execution of his brother Clarence.{{Sfn|Whittle|2017|pp=22–24}} In his youth, Edward was a capable and charismatic military commander, who led from the front, but as he grew older, the energy noted by contemporaries became less apparent.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=370}}

One effect of this was that Parliament became increasingly reluctant to approve taxes for wars which Edward failed to prosecute, then used the funds instead to finance his household expenditures. Under his rule, ownership of the [[Duchy of Lancaster]] was transferred to the Crown, where it remains today. In 1478, his staff prepared the so-called 'Black Book', a comprehensive review of government finances, still in use a century later.{{Sfn|Chibnall|1960|pp=340–341}} He invested heavily in business ventures with the [[City of London]], which he used as an additional source of funding.{{Sfn|Ross|1974|p=351}}

Although the economy recovered from the [[Great Slump (15th century)|depression of 1450 to 1470]], Edward's spending habitually exceeded income; on his death in 1483, the Crown had less than £1,200 in cash. His close relationship with the London branch of the [[Medici Bank]] ended in its bankruptcy; in 1517, the Medicis were still seeking repayment of Edward's debts.{{Sfn|Rorke|2006|p=270}}

Economics was closely linked to foreign policy; Edward's reign was dominated by the three-sided diplomatic contest between England, France, and Burgundy, with two of the three seeking to ally against the third.{{Efn|This resurfaced in the 17th century contest between England, the [[Dutch Republic]], and France under [[Louis XIV]].}} As Flemish merchants were the largest buyers of English wool, Edward was generally pro-Burgundian, although Duke Charles' reluctance to support him in 1471 cooled their relationship. The [[Battle of Nancy|death of Charles]] in 1477 led to the 1482 [[Treaty of Arras (1482)|Treaty of Arras]]; Flanders, along with the lands known as the [[Burgundian Netherlands]], became part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and France acquired the rest. Edward and his successors lost much of their influence.{{Sfn|Kerling|1954|pp=51–57}}

===Cultural===
[[File:Eltham Palace, April 2018 (4).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Edward's Great Hall at [[Eltham Palace]] in southeast London, 2018]]

Edward's court was described by a visitor from Europe as "the most splendid ... in all [[Christendom]]".{{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=270–277}} He spent large amounts on expensive status symbols to show off his power and wealth as king of England, while his collecting habits show an eye for style and an interest in scholarship, particularly history. He acquired fine clothes, jewels, and furnishings, as well as a collection of beautifully illuminated historical and literary manuscripts, many made specially for him by craftsmen in Bruges.{{Sfn|Backhouse|1987|pp=26, 28, 39}}{{Sfn|McKendrick|2011|pp=42–65}} His book purchases included books for entertainment and instruction, whose contents reveal his interests. They focus on the lives of great rulers, including [[Julius Caesar]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=La Grande histoire César |series=Digitised Manuscripts |publisher=British Library |date=1479 |url=http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_17_f_ii&index=8 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419170753/http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_17_f_ii&index=8 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2013 }}</ref> historical chronicles,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jean de Wavrin, Recueil des croniques d'Engleterre |volume=1 |series=Digitised Manuscripts |publisher=British Library |date=1471 |url=http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_15_e_iv&index=5 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419145343/http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_15_e_iv&index=5 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2013 }}</ref> and instructional and religious works.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guyart des Moulins, La Bible historiale |series=Digitised Manuscripts |publisher=British Library |date=1470 |url=http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_15_d_i&index=4 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419143552/http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_15_d_i&index=4 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2013 }}</ref> In 1476, [[William Caxton]] established the first English printing press in the outbuildings of [[Westminster Abbey]]; on 18 November 1477, he produced ''[[Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers|Sayengis of the Philosophres]]'', translated into English for Edward by his brother-in-law [[Anthony Woodville]].{{Sfn|Timbs|1855|p=4}}

It is not known where or how Edward's library was stored, but it is recorded that he transferred volumes from the [[Great Wardrobe]] to Eltham Palace and that he had a yeoman "to kepe the king's bookes".{{Sfn|Thurley|1993|p=141}}{{Sfn|Harris|1830|p=125}} More than forty of his books survive intact from the 15th century, which suggests they were carefully stored, and are in the [[Royal manuscripts, British Library|Royal Collection of manuscripts]], held by the British Library.{{Sfn|Doyle|2011|p=69}} Edward spent large sums on [[Eltham Palace]], including the extant Great Hall, the site of a feast for 2,000 people in December 1482, shortly before his death in April.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eltham Palace and Gardens |url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/history |website=English Heritage |access-date=17 December 2019}}</ref> He also began great improvements to [[St George's Chapel, Windsor]], where he was buried in 1483; later completed by Henry VII, it was badly damaged during the [[First English Civil War]], and little of the original work remains.{{Sfn|Panton|2011|pp=431–432}}

=={{Anchor|issue}}Marriage and children==
[[File:Arms of Elizabeth of York (Princess).svg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|As Duke of York, Edward bore the royal arms quartered with those of [[House of Burgh|de Burgh]] and [[House of Mortimer|Mortimer]]]]

Edward had ten children by [[Elizabeth Woodville]], seven of whom survived him; they were declared illegitimate under the 1484 ''[[Titulus Regius]]'', an act repealed by Henry VII, who married Edward's eldest daughter, Elizabeth.{{Sfn|Carson|2009|}}
* [[Elizabeth of York]] (11 February 1466&nbsp;– 11 February 1503), [[Queen consort]] of England; married [[Henry VII of England]], mother of King [[Henry VIII]].<ref name="weir">{{Cite book |title=Britain's Royal Family: the Complete Genealogy |first=Alison |last=Weir |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-0995-3973-5 |page=135 |publisher=Vintage Books |author-link=Alison Weir}}</ref>
* [[Mary of York]] (11 August 1467&nbsp;– 23 May 1482).<ref name="weir"/>
* [[Cecily of York]] (20 March 1469&nbsp;– 24 August 1507), [[Viscount]]ess Welles; married [[John Welles, 1st Viscount Welles]], then Thomas Kyme or Keme.<ref name="weir"/>
* [[Edward V of England]] (2 November 1470&nbsp;– {{Circa|1483}});<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hicks |first=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F0NaCwAAQBAJ&q=royal+minorities |title=The Royal Minorities of Medieval and Early Modern England |date=27 October 2008 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-230-61618-9 |editor-last=Beem |editor-first=C. |page=196 |language=en |chapter=A Story of Failure: The Minority of Edward V}}</ref> one of the [[Princes in the Tower]]; disappeared, assumed murdered prior to his coronation, {{Circa|1483}}.<ref name="weir"/>
* [[Margaret of York (1472)|Margaret of York]] (10 April 1472&nbsp;– 11 December 1472).<ref name="weir"/>
* [[Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York|Richard, Duke of York]] (17 August 1473&nbsp;– {{Circa|1483}}); one of the Princes in the Tower; disappeared, assumed murdered {{Circa|1483}}.<ref name="weir"/>
* [[Anne of York (daughter of Edward IV)|Anne of York]] (2 November 1475&nbsp;– 23 November 1511), Lady Howard; married [[Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk|Thomas Howard]] (later 3rd Duke of Norfolk).<ref name="weir"/>
* [[George, Duke of Bedford]] (March 1477&nbsp;– March 1479).<ref name="weir"/>
* [[Catherine of York]] (14 August 1479&nbsp;– 15 November 1527), Countess of Devon; married [[William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon]].<ref name="weir"/>
* [[Bridget of York]] (10 November 1480&nbsp;– 1507), nun at [[Dartford Priory]], [[Kent]].<ref name="weir"/>

[[File:Coat of Arms of Edward IV of England (1461-1483) Variant Motto 1.svg|thumb|upright=0.8|As King he bore the royal arms undifferenced. Examples exist of several varying combinations of crest, supporters and motto.]]

Edward had numerous mistresses, including [[Lady Eleanor Talbot]] and [[Elizabeth Lucy]], possibly daughter of Thomas Waite (or Wayte), of Southampton. The most famous was [[Jane Shore]], later compelled by Richard III to perform public penance at [[Paul's Cross]]; [[Thomas More]] claimed this backfired, since "albeit she were out of al array save her kyrtle only: yet went she so fair & lovely ... that her great shame wan her much praise."{{Sfn|Horrox|2004}}

Edward had several acknowledged illegitimate children;
* Elizabeth Plantagenet (born {{Circa|1464}}), possibly daughter of Elizabeth Lucy,<ref name="weir"/> who married Thomas, son of George Lumley, [[Baron Lumley]].{{Sfn|Corbet|2015|p=316}}{{Sfn|Burke|1836|p=290}}{{Sfn|Mackenzie|1825|p=136}}
* [[Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle]] (1460s/1470s&nbsp;– 3 March 1542),<ref name="weir"/> author of the [[Lisle Papers]], an important historical source for the Tudor period. From his first marriage to [[Elizabeth Grey, 6th Baroness Lisle|Elizabeth Grey]], he had three daughters, Frances, Elizabeth and Bridget Plantagenet.
* Grace Plantagenet, recorded as attending the funeral of Elizabeth Woodville in 1492.{{Sfn|Given-Wilson|Curteis|1984|pp=158, 161–174}}

There are claims for many others, including Mary, second wife of Henry Harman of Ellam, and Isabel Mylbery (born circa 1470), who married John Tuchet, son of [[John Tuchet, 6th Baron Audley]]. However, the evidence for these is circumstantial.{{Sfn|Ashdown-Hill|2016|loc=Chapter 28}}

==Aftermath==
Edward IV's eldest son, also named Edward, was made [[Prince of Wales]] when he was seven months old and given his own household at the age of three. Based in [[Ludlow Castle]], he was supervised by his uncle, Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, who also acted as his regent for the [[Council of Wales and the Marches]].{{Sfn|Parry|1851|p=11}} The historical consensus is he and his brother Richard were killed, probably between July and September 1483; debate on who gave the orders, and why, continues, although their uncle Richard III was the beneficiary.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|p=497}}

By mid-August, Elizabeth Woodville was certain of the deaths of her sons; after her initial grief turned to fury, she opened secret talks with Margaret Beaufort. She promised her support in return for Henry's agreement to marry her eldest daughter Elizabeth.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=504–505}} In December 1483, Henry swore an oath to do so, which he duly carried out after his coronation in October 1485.{{Sfn|Williams|1973|p=25}}

Prior to his succession, Richard III declared his nephews illegitimate, on the grounds his brother's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was invalid.{{Sfn|Penn|2019|pp=504–505}} The ''Titulus Regius'' argued that the alleged pre-contract of marriage between Edward IV and Lady Eleanor Talbot rendered his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville void.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Horrox |first=Rosemary |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/on1180238601 |title=Richard III: a failed king? |date=2020 |publisher=Allen Lane |isbn=978-0-14-197893-2 |series=Penguin monarchs |location=London |pages=38 |oclc=on1180238601}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Pollard |first=A.J. |title=Richard III and the Princes in the Tower |publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing |year=1991 |edition=2015 Endeavour Press Ltd |pages=78 |asin=B00SBBRGIE}}</ref> Both Eleanor and Edward were dead, but according to [[Philippe de Commines]], Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells, claimed to have carried out the ceremony himself.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Horspool |first=David |title=Richard III: a ruler and his reputation |date=2017 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-4729-4619-5 |location=London |pages=162}}</ref> Once secure on the throne, Henry VII annulled ''Titulus Regius'' and arrested Stillington, who died in prison in 1491.{{Sfn|Crawford|2008|p=130}}

Despite this apparent resolution, the Yorkist cause continued well into the 16th century. The most famous Yorkist claimants were the pretenders [[Lambert Simnel]] and [[Perkin Warbeck]], but other claimants remained a concern for Henry VII and his son.

==Genealogical table==
{{Ahnentafel
|align=center
|collapsed=yes
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1=1. '''Edward IV of England'''
|2=2. [[Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York]]
|3=3. [[Cecily Neville]]
|4=4. [[Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge]]<ref name=richardsoniv4000311>{{Cite book |last=Richardson |first=Douglas |year=2011 |title=Magna Carta Ancestry |volume=IV |edition=2nd |editor=Kimball G. Everingham |place=Salt Lake City |isbn=978-1460992708 |author-link=Douglas Richardson |pages=400, 403–11}}</ref>
|5=5. [[Anne Mortimer]]<ref name=richardsoniv4000311/>
|6=6. [[Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland]]<ref name=richardsoniii246>{{Cite book |last=Richardson |first=Douglas |year=2011 |title=Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families |editor-first=Kimball G. |editor-last=Everingham |location=Salt Lake City |edition=2nd |volume=III |isbn=978-1449966393 |page=246}}</ref>
|7=7. [[Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland|Joan Beaufort]]<ref name=richardsoniii246/>
|8=8. [[Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York]]<ref name=richardsoniv4000311/>
|9=9. [[Isabella of Castile, Duchess of York|Isabella of Castile]]<ref name=richardsoniv4000311/>
|10=10. [[Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March]]<ref name=tout146>{{cite DNB |last=Tout |first=Thomas Frederick |display=Mortimer, Roger (VI) de, fourth Earl of March |wstitle=Mortimer, Roger de (1374-1398) |volume=39 |authorlink=Thomas Frederick Tout |p=146}}</ref>
|11=11. [[Alianore Holland, Countess of March|Alianore Holland]]<ref name=tout146/>
|12=12. [[John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville]]<ref name=eb1911earlsofwestmorland>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Westmorland, Earls of|volume=28|pages=552–553}}</ref>
|13=13. Maud Percy<ref name=eb1911earlsofwestmorland/>
|14=14. [[John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster]]<ref name=joanbeaufort>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=px0lDwAAQBAJ |title=Cecily Duchess of York |last=Laynesmith |first=J. L. |date=2017 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=9781474272261}}</ref>
|15=15. [[Katherine Swynford]]<ref name=joanbeaufort/>
}}
{{Chart top|Edward IV's position in relation to the houses of York and Lancaster (selective chart){{Sfn|Ross|1974|pp=34, 44}}}}
{{tree chart/start}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | |Edward|y|Philippa| | | |Edward=[[Edward III]]|Philippa=[[Philippa of Hainault]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| | |}}
{{tree chart|border=0|Edward| |Lionel| | | | |John| | | | | | | | |Edmund| | | | | | | | | | | |Edward=[[Edward the Black Prince|Edward, Prince of Wales]]|Lionel=[[Lionel, Duke of Clarence]]|John=[[John, Duke of Lancaster]]|Edmund=[[Edmund, Duke of York]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| |!| | | |!| | | |,|-|-|^|-|-|-|.| | | | | | |!|}}
{{tree chart|border=0|Richard| |Philippa| | |!| | | | | | |!| | | | | | |!||Richard=[[Richard II]]|Philippa=[[Philippa, Countess of Ulster]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | | |!| | |Henry| | | | | |!| | | | | | |!|Henry=[[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | |Roger| | |!| | | | | |Joan| | | | | |!|Roger=[[Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March]]|Joan=[[Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland|Joan Beaufort]]|Ralph=[[Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | | |!| | |Henry| | |,|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|.| |!|Henry=[[Henry V of England|Henry V]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | |Anne|~|~|t|~|~|~|t|~|~|~|y|~|~|~|t|Richard|Anne=[[Anne Mortimer]]|Richard=[[Richard, Earl of Cambridge]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | | | | | | |!| | |Richard| | |!| | | |!|Richard=[[Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | |Margaret|y|Henry| | |!| | |Richard|y|Cecily|||Richard=[[Richard, Duke of York]]|Cecily=[[Cecily Neville]]|Henry=[[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]]|Margaret=[[Margaret of Anjou]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | | | | |!| | | | |Richard| |,|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|.|Richard=[[Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick]]}}
{{tree chart|border=0| | | | | | |Edward| | | | | | |Ed4| |George| |Richard|Edward=[[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales|Edward, Prince of Wales]]|Ed4='''Edward IV'''|Richard=[[Richard III]]|George=[[George, Duke of Clarence]]}}
{{tree chart/end}}
{{Chart bottom}}

==See also==
* [[List of earls in the reigns of Henry VI and Edward IV of England]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

== Sources ==
=== References ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Works cited ===
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ashdown-Hill |first=John |title=The Private Life of Edward IV |date=2016 |publisher=Amberley |isbn=978-1-4456-5245-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ashley |first=Mike |title=British Kings & Queens |date=2002 |publisher=Carroll & Graf |isbn=0-7867-1104-3 |ol=8141172M}}
* {{Cite conference |last=Backhouse |first=Janet |date=1987 |editor-last=Williams |editor-first=David |title=Founders of the Royal Library: Edward IV and Henry VII as Collectors of Illuminated Manuscripts |publisher=Boydell Press |isbn=978-0-8511-5475-6 |book-title=England in the Fifteenth Century: Proceedings of the 1986 Harlaxton Symposium}}
* {{Cite book |last=Burke |first=John |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank: But Uninvested with Heritable Honours |date=1836 |publisher=Henry Colburn |volume=II}}
* {{Cite book |last=Carpenter |first=Christine |title=The Wars of the Roses: Politics and the Constitution in England, c. 1437–1509 |date=1997 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-5213-1874-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Carson |first=Annette |title=Richard III: The Maligned King |date=2009 |publisher=History Press |isbn=978-0-7524-5208-1}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Chibnall |first=Marjorie |date=1960 |title=Review; The Household of Edward IV: The Black Book and the Ordinance of 1478, by A. R. Myers |journal=The Journal of Economic History |volume=20 |issue=2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Corbet |first=Anthony, Dr |title=Edward IV, England's Forgotten Warrior King: His Life, His People, and His Legacy |date=2015 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-1-4917-4635-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Crawford |first=Anne |title=The Yorkists: The History of a Dynasty |date=2008 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-8472-5197-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Doyle |first=Kathleen |title=The Old Royal Library |date=2011 |series=Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination |publisher=British Library |isbn=978-0-7123-5816-3 |editor-last=McKendrick |editor-first=Scot |editor-last2=Lowden |editor-first2=John |editor-last3=Doyle |editor-first3=Kathleen}}
* {{Cite book |last=Gillingham |first=John |title=The Wars of the Roses |date=2001 |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |isbn=978-0-2978-2016-1 |ol=3532002M |orig-date=1982}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Given-Wilson |first1=Chris |title=The Royal Bastards of Medieval England |last2=Curteis |first2=Alice |date=1984 |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul |isbn=978-0-7102-0025-9 |author-link=Chris Given-Wilson}}
* {{Cite book |last=Gravett |first=Christopher |title=Towton 1461: England's Bloodiest Battle |publisher=Osprey Publishing |date=2003 |isbn=978-1-8417-6513-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Harris |first=Nicholas |title=Privy Purse expenses of Elizabeth of York: Wardrobe Accounts of Edward IV |date=1830 |publisher=William Pickering |location=London}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hicks |first=Michael |title=Richard III |date=2011 |publisher=History Press |isbn=978-0-7524-7326-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Horrox |first=Rosemary |title=Richard III: A Study of Service |date=1989 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-5214-0726-7}}
*: {{Cite ODNB |id=25451|title=Shore [née Lambert], Elizabeth [Jane] |last1=Horrox |first1=Rosemary|date=2004 |publisher=Oxford DNB |author-mask=2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kendall |first=Paul Murray |title=Louis XI, the Universal Spider |date=1970 |publisher=Norton}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kerling |first=Nelly Johanna |title=Commercial Relations of Holland and Zeeland with England from the Late 13th century to the Close of the Middle Ages |date=1954 |publisher=University of Leiden–Brill}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kleiman |first=Irit Ruth |title=Philippe de Commynes: Memory, Betrayal, Text |date=2013 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-1-4426-6324-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mackenzie |first=Eneas |title=An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County of Northumberland... |date=1825 |publisher=Mackenzie and Dent}}
* {{Cite book |last=McKendrick |first=Scot |title=A European Heritage, Books of Continental Origin |date=2011 |series=Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination |publisher=British Library |isbn=978-0-7123-5816-3 |editor-last=McKendrick |editor-first=Scot |editor-last2=Lowden |editor-first2=John |editor-last3=Doyle |editor-first3=Kathleen}}
* {{Cite book |last=Panton |first=James |title=Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy |date=2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-5779-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Parry |first=Edward |title=Royal visits and progresses to Wales, and the border counties |date=1851}}
* {{Cite book |last=Penn |first=Thomas |title=The Brothers York |date=2019 |publisher=Allen Lane |isbn=978-1-8461-4690-9}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Rorke |first=Martin |date=2006 |title=English and Scottish Overseas Trade, 1300–1600 |journal=The Economic History Review |volume=59 |issue=2 |pages=265–288 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-0289.2006.00346.x |jstor=3805936 |s2cid=153762480}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ross |first=Charles |title=Edward IV |date=1974 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-5200-2781-7 |author-link=Charles Ross (historian)}}
*: {{Cite book |last=Ross |first=Charles |title=Richard III |date=1981 |publisher=Eyre Methuen |isbn=978-0-4132-9530-9 |author-mask=2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Seward |first=Desmond |title=Wars of the Roses |date=1997 |publisher=Constable |isbn=978-0-0947-7300-4 |author-link=Desmond Seward}}
*: {{Cite book |last=Seward |first=Desmond |title=Richard III: England's Black Legend |date=2014 |publisher=Pegasus Books |isbn=978-1-6059-8603-6 |author-mask=2}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Sutherland |first1=T. L. |last2=Schmidt |first2=A. |date=2003 |title=The Towton Battlefield Archaeological Survey Project: An Integrated Approach to Battlefield Archaeology |journal=Landscapes |volume=4 |issue=2 |jstor=3805936}}
* {{Cite book |last=Thurley |first=Simon |title=The Royal Palaces of Tudor England: A Social and Architectural History |date=1993 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-3000-5420-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Timbs |first=John |title=Curiosities of London: Exhibiting the Most Rare and Remarkable Objects of Interest in the Metropolis |date=1855 |publisher=D. Bogue}}
* {{Cite book |last=Whittle |first=Andrew |url=https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/64257/1/Andrew_Whittle,_Edward_IV_PhD,_Final_Print_Version,_22.06.2017.pdf |title=The Historical Reputation of Edward IV 1461–1725 |date=2017 |publisher=University of East Anglia, School of History PHD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217180733/https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/64257/1/Andrew_Whittle,_Edward_IV_PhD,_Final_Print_Version,_22.06.2017.pdf |archive-date=17 December 2019 |url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wilkinson |first=Bertie |title=Constitutional History of England in the Fifteenth Century (1399–1485): With Illustrative Documents |date=1964 |publisher=Longmans}}
* {{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Neville |title=The Life and Times of Henry VII |date=1973 |publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson |isbn=978-0-2977-6517-2 |location=London}}
* {{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Trish |title=Was Edward IV Illegitimate?: The Case for the Defence |url=https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesBritain/Medieval_EdwardIV_01.htm |access-date=17 December 2019 |website=History Files}}
* {{Cite book |last=Wolfe |first=Bertram |title=Henry VI (The English Monarchs Series) |date=1981 |publisher=Methuen |isbn=978-0-4133-2080-3}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cokayne |first=G. E. |title=The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant |publisher=Alan Sutton |date=2000}}
* {{Cite book |title=DeBretts Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage, 147th Year |publisher=Odhams Press |date=1949 |editor-last=Hankinson |editor-first=C. F. J. |location=London}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mount |first=Toni |title=Everyday Life in Medieval London: From the Anglo-Saxons to the Tudors |publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-4456-1564-6}}
* {{Cite book |title=Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage |publisher=Burke's Peerage |date=2003 |editor-last=Mosley |editor-first=Charles |edition=107th |volume=III}}
* {{Cite book |last=Weir |first=Alison |title=Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy |publisher=The Bodley Head |date=1999 |isbn=978-0-0995-3973-5 |location=London |author-link=Alison Weir}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* {{Cite web |title=Eltham Palace and Gardens |url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/history |website=English Heritage |access-date=17 December 2019}}
* [https://www.royal.uk/edward-iv Edward IV] at the official website of the [[British monarchy]]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/edward_iv_king.shtml Edward IV] at BBC History
* {{NPG name|name=King Edward IV}}
* [http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/searchSimple.asp British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906192821/http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/searchSimple.asp |date=6 September 2014 }} (SEARCH: Keyword ''Edward IV'', Start year ''1470'', End year ''1480'' for details and images of Edward IV's manuscripts).

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of York]]|28 April|1442|9 April|1483|[[House of Plantagenet]]}}
{{S-reg|}}
{{S-bef|rows=2|before=[[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[King of England]]<br />[[Lord of Ireland]]|years=1461–1470}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=King of England<br />Lord of Ireland|years=1471–1483}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Edward V]]}}
{{S-reg|en}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York|Richard Plantagenet]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Duke of York]]<br />[[Earl of Cambridge]]<br />[[Earl of March]]|years=1460–1461}}
{{S-non|reason=Merged in Crown}}
{{S-reg|ie}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York|Richard Plantagenet]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Earl of Ulster]]|years=1460–1461}}
{{S-non|reason=Merged in Crown}}
{{S-end}}

{{English and British monarchs}}
{{Dukes of York}}
{{Wars of the Roses}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edward 04 Of England}}
[[Category:Edward IV| ]]
[[Category:1442 births]]
[[Category:1483 deaths]]
[[Category:15th-century English monarchs]]
[[Category:15th-century English nobility]]
[[Category:Burials at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]]
[[Category:Dukes of York]]
[[Category:English pretenders to the French throne]]
[[Category:English people of French descent]]
[[Category:Earls of March (1328 creation)|Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Earls of Rutland (1385 creation)|03]]
[[Category:Earls of Ulster (1264 creation)|Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:People from Rouen]]
[[Category:People of the Hundred Years' War]]
[[Category:Earls of Cambridge]]
[[Category:Children of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York]]