The author of The Mythology of the "Princes in the Tower" separates fact from fiction in this biography of an influential former queen of England.Wife to Edward IV and mother to the Princes in the Tower and later Queen Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Widville was a central figure during the War of the Roses. Much of her life is shrouded in speculation and myth—even her name, commonly spelled "Woodville," is a hotly contested issue. In this fascinating and ins...

An intriguing new biography of the fifteenth-century Duchess of York and mother to two kings of England.Wife to Richard, Duke of York, mother to Edward IV and Richard III, and aunt to the famous Kingmaker, Richard, Earl of Warwick, Cecily Neville was a key player on the political stage of fifteenth-century England.She is rumored to have been known as the Rose of Raby because of her beauty and her birth at Raby Castle, and as Proud Cis because of her vanity ...

What Richard III did in his last five months, what happened to his body, and how his DNA was found in CanadaA new and uniquely detailed exploration of Richard's last 150 days explores these events from the standpoint of Richard himself and his contemporaries. By deliberately avoiding the hindsight knowledge that he will lose the Battle of Bosworth Field, this book presents a new Richard—no passive victim, awaiting defeat and death, but a king actively pursuing his ...

Less well-known than his brothers, Edward IV and Richard III, little has been written about George, Duke of Clarence, leaving us with a series of unanswered questions: What was he really like? What set him and his brother Edward IV against one another? And who was really responsible for his death? George played a central role in the 'Wars of the Roses', played out by his family. But was George for York or Lancaster? Is the story of his drowning in a barrel of wine really t...

A year after Richard III's death, a boy appeared claiming to be his heir and the rightful King of England. In 1487, in a unique ceremony, this boy was crowned in Dublin Cathedral, despite the Tudor government insisting that his real name was Lambert Simnel and that he was a mere pretender to the throne. Now, using new discoveries, little-known evidence and insight, historian John Ashdown-Hill seeks the truth behind the 500-year-old story. He also presents a link between Lambert Simnel's st...

An important contribution to Ricardian scholarship offering revelations about John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, and why he became Richard III's key supporterIn 1455, John Howard was an untitled and relatively obscure Suffolk gentleman. At the time of his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 he was Earl Marshal, Duke of Norfolk, Lord Admiral and a very rich man (and the current Duke of Norfolk is his direct descendant). How had he attained these elevations? Thr...

From royal babies to royal marriages, not all are what they seem—this book exposes the hidden skeletons of England's most famous rulersWere the "Princes in the Tower" illegitimate? Did Henry VIII really have six wives? How virginal was "the Virgin Queen?" Was James, Duke of Monmouth, the heir to the throne, or just one of Charles II's bastards? Did George IV marry a German princess or a Catholic widow? Was Queen Victoria "Mrs. Brown?" These questions are e...

When Edward IV died in 1483, the Yorkist succession was called into question by doubts about the legitimacy of his son, Edward (one of the "Princes in the Tower"). The crown passed to Edward's undoubtedly legitimate younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. But those who believed in the legitimacy of Edward IV's children viewed Richard III's accession with suspicion. From the day when Edward IV married Eleanor, or pretended to do so, the House of York confronted an uncertain future. Th...

Less well-known than his brothers, Edward IV and Richard III, little has been written about George, Duke of Clarence, leaving us with a series of unanswered questions: What was he really like? What set him and his brother Edward IV against one another? And who was really responsible for his death? George played a central role in the 'Wars of the Roses', played out by his family. But was George for York or Lancaster? Is the story of his drowning in a barrel of wine really t...

The Last Days of Richard III contains a new and uniquely detailed exploration of Richard's last 150 days. By deliberately avoiding the hindsight knowledge that he will lose the Battle of Bosworth Field, we discover a new Richard: no passive victim, awaiting defeat and death, but a king actively pursuing his own agenda.It also re-examines the aftermath of Bosworth: the treatment of Richard's body; his burial; and the construction of his tomb. And there is t...

With a new royal baby we witness fundamental changes in the succession laws, but then rules governing the royal weddings and the succession to the throne have always been shifting. So what is marriage and who decides? What special rules govern royal marriage and when did they come into force? How have royal marriages affected history? Were the 'Princes in the Tower' illegitimate? Did Henry VIII really have six wives? Was Queen Victoria 'Mrs Brown'? How were royal consorts ...

When Edward IV died in 1483, the Yorkist succession was called into question by doubts about the legitimacy of his sons (the 'Princes in the Tower'). The crown therefore passed to Edward IV's undoubtedly legitimate younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. But Richard, too, found himself entangled in the web of uncertainly, since those who believed in the legitimacy of Edward IV's children viewed Richard III's own accession with suspicion.From the day that Edwa...