Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales
The short, turbulent life of this Lancastrian prince was defined by the bloody Wars of the Roses, ending in his brutal death on the battlefield at seventeen.
1453–1471 (age 18)·Heir apparent of Henry VI of England·Birthday: October 13
Biography
Edward of Westminster was born into a kingdom already fraying. As the only son of the mentally fragile King Henry VI and the fiercely determined Queen Margaret of Anjou, his childhood was the tense prologue to civil war. The Wars of the Roses erupted when he was a boy, and Edward became a political pawn and then a rallying symbol for the Lancastrian cause. Raised in a court-in-exile and hardened by his mother's militancy, he was reputed to be cruel and bloodthirsty—a contrast to his pious father. His story culminated at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. Still a teenager, he led a charge and was cut down, his death effectively extinguishing the direct Lancastrian line and clearing the path for the Yorkist Edward IV to secure the throne.
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Edward's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1453Born
1458Started school
1466Became a teenager
1469Could drive
1471Could vote
Key Achievements
- Served as the Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the English throne during one of its most volatile periods.
- Was a central figure and military commander for the Lancastrian faction during the Wars of the Roses.
- His death at the Battle of Tewkesbury was a decisive moment that led to the temporary collapse of the Lancastrian cause.
Did You Know?
He was reportedly present at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460, when he was only seven years old.
Historical accounts, likely biased by Yorkist propaganda, describe him as approving the execution of his enemies.
He was married to Anne Neville, who later became Queen of England as the wife of the Yorkist King Richard III.
“My crown is not made of gold, but of my mother's steel.”
