I was recently asked by a follower how the Tudor line had a claim to the English throne. The House of the Plantagenets had two cadet lines, York and Lancaster. The Lancaster line was directly descended from John of Gaunt (founder of the Royal House) while York was descended through his younger brother. Margaret Beaufort was the last true heir of the Lancastrian line, she was married at twelve to Edmund Tudor who died young. Her son Henry Tudor had his claim to the throne through his mother. Henry Tudor would become Henry VII of England following the defeat of the Yorks and death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Edward, the Earl of Warwick was nephew to the York king Richard III and had a strong claim to the throne. When Henry VII had him executed in 1499 the House of York went extinct in the male line ensuring that the Tudors were secure in their newfound power. Check out the graphic below for details on the family tree:
Who are the princes in the tower?
ReplyDeleteHello! The princes in the tower were Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York.They were the sons and heirs of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. The brothers were in sanctuary with their mother following the death of their father and an insurrection which threatened their lives. In April 1483 young Edward was proclaimed King. Prior to his coronation the brothers were confined to the Tower as was customary during the time period. While there, Richard III (the boys' uncle) declared himself King. Unable to rally support to retake the monarchy, the boys remained locked in the tower while the rest of the royal family hid in sanctuary, fearing for their lives. At some point the boys disappeared mysteriouslyfrom the Tower. It is assumed by most historians, myself included, that the boys were murdered in order to substantiate Richard's claim to the throne. However, as no remains have ever been definitively located, the boys' fate remains a historical mystery. For more information on this topic check out The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir.
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