Edward V is declared illegitimate

 On this day ~ 25th June 1483 
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 Edward V is declared illegitimate 

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 Edward V was the son of Yorkist King, Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville.
He was born on 2nd November 1470, at Cheyneygates, the adjoining house at Westminster Abbey ~ while his mother was in sanctuary, shielding from the Lancastrians.

 Young Edward had been born into tumultuous times, in the midst of the epic dynastic battle known as the Wars of the Roses.
At his birth, his father was in exile in Holland.
King Edward IV soon returned and re-gained his throne, and the one year old Prince Edward, was made Prince of Wales in June 1471.

 At only three years of age, he was sent to Ludlow, where he would spend much of his childhood.
As a young boy, his father had entrusted Anthony Woodville, who was also young Edward’s uncle, to be his guardian.
He was given a rigorous set of instructions to adhere to, in the upbringing of young Edward.

 A typical day consisted of an early church service, followed by breakfast, and then an entire day of schooling.
Edward IV was keen to have positive influences on his son, guided by religion and morality.

 At the age of twelve, Prince Edward had already had his fate sealed when one day, on Monday 14th April 1483, he heard news of his father’s death.

In the midst of conflict, he became King Edward V, a young king who would have the shortest reign of any English monarch, lasting only two months and seventeen days.

 On his deathbed, Edward IV made arrangements to have his own brother Richard Duke of Gloucester, serve as Edward’s Protector.

The Woodvilles, Edward’s family on his mother’s side, wanted Edward crowned immediately and avoid the protectorate under Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

This decision would have placed more power in the hands of the Woodvilles who would have effectively ruled on his behalf, until Edward V was old enough.

 Richard pledged his loyalty to the young king, and the Woodvilles were given no indication of the treacherous events that would follow.....
Arrangements were made for the new young king to meet with Richard, so as they could journey down to London together for Edward’s coronation on 24th June.
However, in mid-June Richard assumed the throne as Richard III.

 Anthony Woodville, Edward’s uncle and the queen’s brother, arranged a meeting with Richard.
Anthony Woodville and Richard Grey, who was Edward V’s older half-brother, found themselves targeted by Richard, who had them arrested and taken to the north of England.

They were sent away, whilst the fate of poor young Edward was to be decided.
Sadly, both Woodville and Richard Grey both met an untimely end at Pontefract Castle, where they were both murdered.

 Edward’s mother, the queen, along with her daughters and Edward’s younger brother, once again took refuge at Westminster Abbey.
By now, King Edward V was in very different surroundings, forced to take up residence at the Tower of London.
He would eventually be joined by his younger brother Richard.

The younger brother had been taken from his mother at Westminster Abbey, on the pretext that Richard was ensuring the younger brother’s attendance at Edward’s coronation.

 On 25th June 1483, the House of Lords and Commons declares King Edward V of England as illegitimate, based on his parent's alleged bigamous marriage.
This was based on the allegations that Edward IV was already promised in marriage to Eleanor Butler, when he married Elizabeth Woodville.

However, if indeed the allegations were true.... Eleanor Butler was already dead by the time the Queen gave birth, but that didn't seem to matter back then....
Now officially illegitimate, Edward V and his siblings, were barred from inheriting the throne .

 The two royal boys were to become known as the 'Princes in the Tower', held in captivity, and heavily guarded at the new royal lodgings.
People would often see the two boys playing in the adjoining Tower gardens, but in time their sightings became less and less frequent.

Then the sightings stopped altogether, the boys completely vanished.
The events that followed, and their last days, would remain shrouded in mystery, even centuries later...........

The Tudor Intruders (and more)
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 Source~HistoryHit/Jessica Bain.
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 Edward V by an unknown artist.
National Portrait Gallery.