Why Was Edward IV Executed

When Edward IV died on April 9, 1483, England was nearing the end of the tediously long conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. England needed a period of peace and stable government, but it was not going to get it. Edward had two children, Edward, aged 12, and Richard, aged 9. Given the youth of the heir to the throne, regency would be needed. The two most obvious people to head that regency were Queen Elizabeth and Richard of Gloucester. Richard and the queen were openly hostile, however; indeed, there was very little public support for the queen. Edward IV’s brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was named as protector. As the new king, Edward V, travelled towards London, he was met by Gloucester; this was supposed to be in preparation …show more content…
On June 25, an assembly of lords and commoners endorsed these claims. The following day, Richard III officially began his reign. He was crowned in July. The two young princes disappeared in August and were widely rumored to have been murdered by Richard. Richard’s claim to the throne was based on his assertion that the princes were illegitimate, because Edward had been betrothed before his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, the prince’s mother. Given the customs of time, a prior betrothal could have invalidated Edward’s subsequent marriage, so any children of that union would be illegitimate. Richard would have found it easy to gather support against the queen, for she was very unpopular. Richard III served as king of England for only two years, but his reign was one of the most historic and turbulent. He is credited with the responsibility for several murders, including those of his nephews Edward and Richard, and of Henry VI. Shakespeare portrayed him as a tyrannical ruler in his play, King Richard III, but modern scholars have pointed to evidence that Richard III was a successful