Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March
A nobleman whose dormant claim to the English throne ignited decades of dynastic strife, though he himself remained a loyal king's man.
1391–1425 (age 34)·15th-century English noble·Birthday: November 6
Biography
Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, lived his life as a paradox: the most dangerous claimant to the English crown who never personally sought it. As a great-great-grandson of Edward III, his lineage was impeccable. When Richard II was deposed, the young Edmund, as the heir presumptive, became a living symbol of legitimate royal blood, a fact that made the new Lancastrian king, Henry IV, deeply uneasy. Rebellions, like the famous uprising led by Owen Glendower and Sir Henry Percy, were fought in Mortimer's name, seeking to place him on the throne. Yet, Edmund himself was kept under close watch and seemingly accepted his fate. Under Henry V, he was brought into the fold, proving his loyalty by fighting in the king's French campaigns. He died a trusted servant of the crown, but the political weapon of his birthright did not die with him. Decades later, the House of York would resurrect his claim through his sister's line, using it as the foundational justification for the Wars of the Roses, making the quiet earl an unwitting catalyst for one of England's most violent civil conflicts.
#1 When Edmund Was Born
The biggest hits of 1391
Edmund's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1391Born
1396Started school
1404Became a teenager
1407Could drive
1409Could vote
1412Turned 21
1421Turned 30
1425Died at 34
Key Achievements
- Served as a loyal commander for King Henry V during the campaigns in France, including the period leading up to the Battle of Agincourt.
- His hereditary claim to the throne was the legal basis for the Yorkist faction's challenge to the Lancastrian monarchy in the Wars of the Roses.
- Was named Lieutenant of Ireland by King Henry VI, a position of significant trust and authority.
Did You Know?
He was only a child when his claim to the throne first became a political issue after Henry IV's usurpation.
He was a ward of the crown for much of his early life, effectively a royal prisoner to neutralize his threat.
The Mortimer claim passed to the Duke of York through Edmund's sister, Anne Mortimer.
He died of the plague in 1425 while on campaign in Ireland.
“I am a king's son, but I will not be a king's pawn.”
