Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick Timeline 1475-1499

Edward Plantagenet, was born to George, Duke of Clarence (brother to Edward IV) and his wife, Isabel Neville, daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker. He was born at Warwick. His sister, Margaret had been born two years earlier.

Edward’s mother, Isabel Neville, died possibly of consumption.

Edward’s father, George Duke of Clarence was attained for plotting against the King.

Edward became Earl of Warwick following the execution of his father for treason.

Edward became the ward of Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset. Grey was the son of Edward IV’s queen, Elizabeth Woodville by her first marriage.

King Edward IV became ill. He nominated his brother, Richard Duke of Gloucester to be regent for his young son Edward in the event of his death.

King Edward IV died at the Palace of Westminster. He was succeeded by his son, Edward V.

Richard Duke of Gloucester was officially appointed Lord Protector.

Richard Duke of Gloucester placed Prince Edward in the Tower of London to await his coronation.

Prince Richard joined his brother Prince Edward in the Tower of London. Elizabeth Woodville had been persuaded to give him up in the hopes of maintaining the safety of her other children.

Ralph Shaw preached a sermon stating that Edward IV had been contracted to marry Eleanor Butler at the time he married Elizabeth Woodville and that their marriage was therefore invalid and his children all illegitimate.

Parliament declared that as Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was invalid Prince Edward could not be King. Edward Earl of Warwick, as son of Richard’s brother, George should have been heir to the throne but he was denied the succession due to his father’s treason. Richard of Gloucester, as next in line to the throne, was declared the rightful King.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, took the throne as King Richard III.

King Richard III had Edward Plantagenet confined to Sheriff Hutton Castle. John de la Pole and Elizabeth of York were also housed at Sheriff Hutton.

The two princes in the Tower were last seen playing in the gardens of the Tower.

The two princes were last seen at the windows of the Tower.

Edward Plantagenet was knighted by Richard III at York.

King Richard’s only son, Prince Edward, died.

Queen Anne Neville, Edward’s aunt, died. Anne had acted as protector for Edward and his sister Margaret.

Battle of Bosworth Field
Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III. Henry was proclaimed King Henry VII on the battlefield.

Henry VII ordered the arrest of Edward, Earl of Warwick. The 10 year old Edward was placed in the Tower of London.

Lambert Simnel, the son of a tradesman, came into contact with Richard Symonds, a priest from Oxford. Symonds noticed that Simnel had a resemblance to the sons of Edward IV.

King Henry VII had Edward Earl of Warwick paraded through the streets and taken to mass at St Paul’s Cathedral so that the people could see that Lambert Simnel was an impostor.

Richard Symonds announced that Lambert Simnel, was in fact Edward Earl of Warwick. It was rumoured that Edward Earl of Warwick was not imprisoned in the Tower but that he had been sent abroad by his father. If this were true then there was a possibility that Simnel was Edward, Earl of Warwick.

Margaret of Burgundy, sister of Edward IV, recognised Simnel as her nephew and sent troops to Ireland.

John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, left England to join Simnel in Ireland.

Lambert Simnel was crowned King Edward VI in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.

Lambert Simnel and his army landed at Furness, Lancashire.

Battle of Stoke
The forces of the pretender, Lambert Simnel were defeated by Henry VII. Simnel was taken prisoner.

Richard Symonds was sentenced to life in prison. Henry recognised that Simnel had been manipulated by Symonds and set him to work as a spit turner in the royal kitchen.

The Flemish apprentice, Perkin Warbeck and his master, Pregent Meno, travelled to Cork in Ireland. The people of Cork had supported the House of York and suggested that Warbeck was the Earl of Warwick. However, Warbeck claimed to be Elizabeth of York’s brother Richard Duke of York.

Warbeck was received by King Charles VIII of France in Paris. Many Yorkist supporters travelled to Paris to give Warbeck their support.

Perkin Warbeck was received by Margaret of Burgundy, sister to King Edward IV, who claimed that Warbeck was her nephew, Richard, Duke of York.

Maximilian, the Holy Roman Emperor gave his support to Warbeck and recognised him as King Richard IV.

Perkin Warbeck attempted an invasion of England by landing a small force at Deal in Kent. When those that landed were captured he sailed to Ireland.

Having no success in Ireland Perkin Warbeck sailed to Scotland where he was given a state welcome by King James IV. The Scottish King agreed to back his claim and gave him a yearly pension of £1200.

James IV and Perkin Warbeck crossed the border with a large army. James hoped the northern counties would rise against Henry but he found little support in England and returned to Scotland four days later.

Henry wanted to avoid war with Scotland and so offered James IV the hand in marriage of his daughter, Margaret.

Perkin Warbeck sailed from Ireland landed at Whitesand Bay in Cornwall. He hoped to capitalise on the unrest in Cornwall and find support for his claim to be the rightful King of England.

Perkin Warbeck supported by a peasant force lay siege to Exeter but was beaten back. Realising he was beaten Warbeck surrendered. Henry allowed him to remain at court.

A new pretender to the throne, Ralph Wulford, claimed to be Edward, Earl of Warwick. He was captured and sentenced to death.

Perkin Warbeck attempted to run away. He was caught and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Perkin Warbeck wrote letters to Edward Earl of Warwick while in the Tower. The letters agreed that they would escape and overthrow Henry VII.

Edward was tried for treason at Westminster. He was found guilty.

The pretender, Perkin Warbeck, was hanged at Tyburn.

Edward was executed for treason for plotting against the King with Perkin Warbeck.