The Young King Edward V
Posted April 15th, 2012 at 12:32 PM by Crystal Rainbow
The King
The Protector
II
Richard was dreading what he was about to face, as he rode south there was no time to grieve over Edward as the Woodvilles had made it clear that they would be taking over the proctorship of Edward V. Richard knew that he had to obey Edward’s last wish and become the protector and guardian of Edward V. Richard had remembered the back to the days when Henry VI was king and how the country was in a mess as Margaret of Anjou ruled the country under Henry’s name. He realised the country was going to be under the same threat again but this time the unpopular Woodvilles were about to take power over the country. The Woodvilles had made a lot of enemies from a lot of nobles the time had come to put the Woodvilles in their place. The Duke of Buckingham had sent word that he had put himself entirely at the Duke of Gloucester service with 1,000 men if need be. It was the first time that Richard heard from his cousin who was descended from Edward III youngest son Thomas of Woodstock. Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham was forced into a marriage with Elizabeth Woodvilles sister Katherine. He felt that he was forced into a marriage that was below him. As Richard travelled down he had sent word that he would be happy to meet him and join him on the King’s progress to London. He also sent word that they could go ahead with the funeral arrangements according to Edward’s last wishes, as it had seemed everybody was on stand by and were waiting for someone in charge. It was clear that the Woodvilles were not bothered with the funeral of the late king of England as he lay in state. The funeral procession had left the chapel of St Stephen on the 18th of April and headed for Windsor. On 20th of April the funeral was carried out with great pomp that was befitting a King. The people of London had mourned their King, as there was no king quite like him, as they love the stories that were told of the brave Knight the King. They had all gathered as they lay to rest in the chapel of St George, with its gorgeous fan vaulting, which Edward had designed himself. It was eerie feeling as the incense wafted in the air as the Sir Richard Woodville and Sir Edward Woodville, the Bishop of Salisbury, the Marquess of Dorset, Thomas Grey, and Stanley and his wife Margaret Beaufort, Audley and the Howard family, Sir John Cheyney and John Morton, Bishop of Ely. They were the actors in what had happen in the next turbulent years in Richard’s life. Apparently there was a few notable people that were missing such as Elizabeth Woodville as she was busy making arrangements for her son to be escorted by his uncle and governor Anthony Woodville. There was the Duke of Buckingham a Duke that had royal blood coursing though his veins and he had just left his estate in Brecon in South Wales making his way towards Richard.
Richard had decided to contact the late King’s Council that he had been loyal to his brother Edward, at home and abroad, in peace and war. He declared that he would be equally loyal to his brother’s heir and all his brothers’ issue. I have desired only that the new government of the kingdom to be established according to law and justice. By my brother’s testament he had made me protector of the realm. Richard had plainly told the council to consider the position that was rightfully due to him according to the law of the land. He also added a warning if someone had other ideas, nothing that was contrary to law and the late King’s Will could be decreed without harm. Richard had gathered his men and his faithful friends were gathering in York to Journey down south and kept his escort to about three hundred men. The Earl of Northumberland had stayed in the North using the excuse that he was protecting the northern borders. On the same day of the funeral of the late King’s funeral Anne and his family waved Richard goodbye, life was never going to be the same again.
Richard had heard word from scouts that the Earl of Rivers, Anthony Woodville was heading for Nottingham. Richard had sent word to Buckingham to meet him in Nottingham and Richard was getting more pressing message’s as Hastings had thought his life was in danger. Hastings had always made his hatred clear when he expressed his feelings towards the Woodvilles. It seemed that Hastings felt his life was in danger and he had gone into hiding along with the late Kings mistress, Jane Shore. It had seemed that the Woodvilles had ignored Richard appointment as protector and were moving in to crown the king for their selves. The Woodvilles had taken over the Kings council and Hastings felt that he was powerless to control the events of what was happening in London.
The Woodvilles had heard that Richard was on his way down to London and they had tired to raise an army but as they had notched up a lot of resentment over the years with the lords and nobles. Even the commons had detested them for the extortion that they had cause though their greed. People were whispering in the streets just like when Clarence was murdered in the tower just because he had spoke his mind about that family of Woodvilles. Word was out that the king was poisoned and never was a family had been so detested. It seemed that people had started to distance themselves from the family and even Margaret Beaufort had nothing to do with the widow Elizabeth Woodville. They had hurriedly set a date for the coronation for Sunday the 4th of May in front of councillors in the presence of the Queen. A Croyland Chronicler was present at that council meeting had noticed that the naked ambition to ignore the late kings will was increasingly alarming some of the councillors. Hastings had also fled to Calais until the Woodvilles where he would wait until the Woodvilles were brought under control.
Richard had arrived in Northampton on the 26th of April on hearing the news that the Woodvilles unpopularity, Richard felt that he had the people on his side and he felt heartened for it. The great Council had received Richard’s letter, Mancini had commented at the time had mentioned of its impact ‘This letter had a great effect on the minds of the people, who, as they had previously favoured the duke in their hearts from a belief in his probity, now began to support him openly and aloud, so that it was commonly said by all that the duke deserved the government’.
The Marquess of Dorset, Thomas Grey was busy in getting followers to his cause, and the dangers of committing the government to one man. He was heard saying ‘We are so important, that even without the King’s uncle we can make and enforce these decisions’ The Marquess had become quite boastful as he wrote a letter to Rivers, telling him to reach London no later than 1st of May.
Lord Rivers Anthony Woodville was the scholar in the Woodville family and had seen to the young Kings education in Ludlow. He had seen himself as a gallant knight and he was the famous jouster of his age. He had translated three devotional works, which Caxton printed. He played up his image as a holy man and was very close to his sister Elizabeth Woodville. He was never suited to family life he had married well but did not produce any children. He was well known for wearing hair shirts under his fine clothes, but he was a man of secrets and a somewhat dark nature some might say he would be more suitable for the life in the Vatican in this time in history. He was a brave hero tourney field, but yet he was different on the battlefield. When King Edward was alive just before battle against the Earl of Warwick he told Edward that he wanted to go on a pilgrimage. Edward was furious and told him he was a coward thus to think of leaving the realm when it was not yet fully restored to order. Rivers had led his men with long train of carts stuffed with household goods, supplies and armour with the young King. He received a letter from Richard and its contents did unnerve him as he rode the countryside towards reached towards Northampton.
Richard had been around Northampton for a while and had been sending out scouts daily to see where Rivers and Buckingham and he had no reports from them. On the 29th of April that Rivers had been spotted near Stony Stratford and Richard had heard that the Duke of Buckingham was near by. Richard had sent plans that they could meet in Stony Stafford at once. Stony Stratford was a market town on Watling Street with a few inns, which was the scene of historical, reported which has been very conflicting in what really happened in history.
Shortly after, the beat of horses’ hooves in the street outside sounded the arrival, not of Buckingham but of Anthony, Earl Rivers, accompanied by a train of attendants. Readily he hailed Richard with the name of Protector. He had come, he said, at the behest of their new sovereign lord to convey young Edward’s greetings to his uncle. Saluting him with equal courtesy, Richard took him into mine host’s best parlour. Servants were commanded to arrange lodging for the Earl at a nearby inn and billets for the Earl’s men.
It is highly unlikely this had happened, as Rivers had no choice but surrender the young King to the protector Richard the Duke of Gloucester. Richard had known full well of Rivers intentions to crown the King before Richard could anything about it. If Rivers had succeeded the power behind the king would be the despised family of the Woodvilles. Richard had little for him in the past so it is again highly unlikely that they would be drinking together and falling into genial conversation.
In the midst of supper the Duke of Buckingham had arrived. Perceiving that the evening was merry, he at once matched his spirits to the occasion. When the meal was cleared away, the three noblemen lingered over wine in animated talk. Henry Stafford was ready of tongue; Anthony Woodville was a man of imagination who had seen much of the world; it was undoubtedly Richard of Gloucester who said least.
This also seems unlikely to have happened as Rivers had instruction to get to London by the 1st of May to be in time for the King’s coronation. What is he doing spending his time drinking all those hours?
It was late evening by the time the three men rose from the table. Casually they had agreed to ride together in the morning to Stony Stratford. After genial farewells, Rivers with a few of his intimates left the inn to seek his bed. Within the chamber where Richard and Buckingham had resumed their seats, the atmosphere of gaiety instantly disappeared. Rushlights flickered upon serious faces of their advisers drawn close about them. Before the Dukes decided upon a course of action, they had to explore each other’s minds. It was Buckingham who, by a single message, had suddenly thrust himself into Richard’s affairs, and it was undoubtedly Buckingham who now did most of the talking.
The likely hood that this meeting ever had taken place at Stony Stratford in the alleged place where in the rose and crown inn is highly unlikely. There is a plaque saying that it was the place that Edward V had stayed the night before Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The meeting of the Duke of Buckingham and the Duke of Gloucester would have happened at Northampton which 14 miles north of Stony Stratford and the Earl of Rivers was never there. Richard and Buckingham had taken Rivers, Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan as prisoners at Stony Stratford. They were taken under closely guarded soldiers up out of harms way up to Yorkshire. Three separate parties had departed Rivers was sent under guard to sheriff Hutton, Grey to Middleham, and Vaughan to Pontefract. Their futures were left undecided until Richard had sorted what was to be done with them. The king’s escort that had been instructed by Rivers had disbanded and they went back to their homes.
Stony Stratford is famous for holding cock and bull story festivals and most inns were called The Cock inn and The Bull inn. This gave the saying the cock and bull story.
On Elizabeth Woodville hearing the news of the Duke of Gloucester was escorting the young King Edward and the imprisonment of Anthony Woodville, and her son Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan. She had alerted Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset straight away and gathered her family clan as what to do next. They were all beside themselves as what to do next as they were rushed into action in their night clothes as it was on late in the night when she was broken the news. The Marquess quickly dispatched appeals to chief lords for help, but it seemed his efforts were futile as some were openly hostile and nobody wanted to fight for the Queen’s mother’s cause. They had notched up a lot of resentment over the years and a lot of people where pleased to see Elizabeth and her kindred finally put in their place.
Elizabeth and her family had fell into panic and they had looted the crown jewels and treasure from the Tower. Elizabeth’s brother Sir Edward had decided to take his share of the treasure and set sail with his fleet. The Marquess had gathered up the rest of the treasure from the Tower and stashed it in the Westminster Abbey where the Queen mother and her family were in sanctuary. They had all waited uneasily wondering what their future will be.
Confusion had hit the streets of London and Hastings was getting his servants to bring the good news that the mighty Woodvilles had fallen. One of those people had been woken up was Thomas Rotherham, the Archbishop of York, the Chancellor, to hear the news from Hastings’s servant that all would be well. Rotherham was the Queen close ally and when had heard the news the old man was committed to the Queen’s cause. He shouted out ‘Well, It may be well enough but it will never be as well as it has been!’ Rotherham had taken the Great seal of England and headed straight to Westminster Abbey where he had seen crates and boxes, furniture, plate, tapestries that been dumped in piles of no order as men were ripping a great hole in the sanctuary wall. As the family sat in the abbey watching the odd behaviour of their mother, who was normally more calculating by nature, she was losing her control. The Queen was going to great lengths to conceal the late king’s treasure. When Rotherham had found the Queen sitting ‘alone, a-low on the rushes all desolate and dismayed’ he tried to comfort her by saying that Hastings’s saying all will be well. Elizabeth had fell into a rage by shouting ‘one of them that laboureth to destroy me and my blood’. Rotherham tried to pacify her by saying about the crowning little York if any mischief happened to Edward. He gave Elizabeth the Great Seal and left her to the confusion that was around her, as he could not find the words to comfort her.
As dawn quickened on the 1st of May, Hastings was up early to greet the lords and gentlemen to rally to his cause. He had told the people that he was the loyal and the dearest friend of the late king. He seemed to be the man of the hour as he identified himself as the victim of the abuse of the Woodville family. He had informed the Londoners that he defended Richard’s actions at Stony Stratford and had told them that, the Earl Rivers, Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan had been taken prisoners and the Duke of Gloucester would be arriving in London very shortly with the young King. Hastings had waved a letter from the Duke of Gloucester in front of an informal audience. He had rescued his nephew and the realm; both had fallen into the hands of those who, having tainted the honour and the health of the father, could not be expected to show more regard for the youth of the son. For his own safety of the Kingdom he had arrested Rivers, Vaughan and Grey. Hastings had informed the people that the King would be crowned in London. He had added the only bad news he regretted that Sir Edward had sailed off with his share of the country treasure and Dorset and the late Queen were in Westminster Abbey with the remaining treasure.
Meanwhile in Northampton Richard had to make some decisions before escorting the king down to London. He knew the Woodvilles had taken the treasure he had decided to write a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Most reverend father in God and right entirely beloved cousin. We greet you heartily well, and desire and pray you to see for the safeguard and sure keeping of the Great Seal of this our realm unto our coming to our city of London. Where by your good advice and others of our council the same further may be demeaned for the weal of us and our said realm; and that it will like you to call unto you the lords there and in the same, in all diligence, and our faithful trust is in you: given under our signet at our town of Northampton, the second day of May.
Richard written to Hastings and to the Mayor and the Aldermen of the City of London informing them that he and the Duke of Buckingham were escorting the King down to London. Richard had tried to establish a relationship with the young king. As Richard talk about his late father and the stories of the days when they were on their campaigns. The young King looked uninterested as he had hardly heard those stories or even that he did not know very much about what his father was really like. They were some attempts as two hints have survived one was a piece of parchment which, at the top appears in a regally large, though rather stiff, signature EDWARDUS QUINTUS. Next is inscribed in Italic script, neater than his usual handwriting, ‘Loyaulte me lie’ and underneath ‘Richard Gloucestre’. The Duke of Buckingham had written ‘Souvente me souvene’ and underneath ‘Harre Bokeingham’. The parchment is on display at the British Museum. As Richard was trying to established a friendly relationship with his nephew. Richard had discovered in conversation that the young king had a favourite chaplain at Ludlow called John Geffrey. The Bishop of Hereford had asked to have John Geffrey to be appointed rectorship of the parish church of Pembrigge, when they were staying at St Albans. As they had travelled towards London Richard had further told him about his father as the royal escort had ridden though Barnet. Richard had told him how he and his father had fought at the battle of Barnet on the 14th of April 1471. It was so sad that his nephew had never known how bravely his father had fought on that foggy morning.
The people of London came out on the streets as the twelve-year-old sovereign appeared in blue velvet, with Richard on his right and Buckingham on his left as the Mayor and the Aldermen greeted and welcomed its new king. Edward had arrived in London on the day he would have been crowned on 4th of May. The Lords and commoners had come out to pay homage and shouts of hang the rascals could be heard the young king was led to temporary lodgings. One could wonder if the cries and shouts could be heard at Westminster Abbey where the Queen and her family were in sanctuary. Richard had quietly retired to his town house in Bishopsgate, Crosby’s place. He wanted to be on his own after his time with Buckingham’s endless chatter. Richard had just made sure that he had bought the young king safely to London. He now had to make plans for the coronation and what to do with that family that was in the sanctuary.
The Protector
II
Richard was dreading what he was about to face, as he rode south there was no time to grieve over Edward as the Woodvilles had made it clear that they would be taking over the proctorship of Edward V. Richard knew that he had to obey Edward’s last wish and become the protector and guardian of Edward V. Richard had remembered the back to the days when Henry VI was king and how the country was in a mess as Margaret of Anjou ruled the country under Henry’s name. He realised the country was going to be under the same threat again but this time the unpopular Woodvilles were about to take power over the country. The Woodvilles had made a lot of enemies from a lot of nobles the time had come to put the Woodvilles in their place. The Duke of Buckingham had sent word that he had put himself entirely at the Duke of Gloucester service with 1,000 men if need be. It was the first time that Richard heard from his cousin who was descended from Edward III youngest son Thomas of Woodstock. Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham was forced into a marriage with Elizabeth Woodvilles sister Katherine. He felt that he was forced into a marriage that was below him. As Richard travelled down he had sent word that he would be happy to meet him and join him on the King’s progress to London. He also sent word that they could go ahead with the funeral arrangements according to Edward’s last wishes, as it had seemed everybody was on stand by and were waiting for someone in charge. It was clear that the Woodvilles were not bothered with the funeral of the late king of England as he lay in state. The funeral procession had left the chapel of St Stephen on the 18th of April and headed for Windsor. On 20th of April the funeral was carried out with great pomp that was befitting a King. The people of London had mourned their King, as there was no king quite like him, as they love the stories that were told of the brave Knight the King. They had all gathered as they lay to rest in the chapel of St George, with its gorgeous fan vaulting, which Edward had designed himself. It was eerie feeling as the incense wafted in the air as the Sir Richard Woodville and Sir Edward Woodville, the Bishop of Salisbury, the Marquess of Dorset, Thomas Grey, and Stanley and his wife Margaret Beaufort, Audley and the Howard family, Sir John Cheyney and John Morton, Bishop of Ely. They were the actors in what had happen in the next turbulent years in Richard’s life. Apparently there was a few notable people that were missing such as Elizabeth Woodville as she was busy making arrangements for her son to be escorted by his uncle and governor Anthony Woodville. There was the Duke of Buckingham a Duke that had royal blood coursing though his veins and he had just left his estate in Brecon in South Wales making his way towards Richard.
Richard had decided to contact the late King’s Council that he had been loyal to his brother Edward, at home and abroad, in peace and war. He declared that he would be equally loyal to his brother’s heir and all his brothers’ issue. I have desired only that the new government of the kingdom to be established according to law and justice. By my brother’s testament he had made me protector of the realm. Richard had plainly told the council to consider the position that was rightfully due to him according to the law of the land. He also added a warning if someone had other ideas, nothing that was contrary to law and the late King’s Will could be decreed without harm. Richard had gathered his men and his faithful friends were gathering in York to Journey down south and kept his escort to about three hundred men. The Earl of Northumberland had stayed in the North using the excuse that he was protecting the northern borders. On the same day of the funeral of the late King’s funeral Anne and his family waved Richard goodbye, life was never going to be the same again.
Richard had heard word from scouts that the Earl of Rivers, Anthony Woodville was heading for Nottingham. Richard had sent word to Buckingham to meet him in Nottingham and Richard was getting more pressing message’s as Hastings had thought his life was in danger. Hastings had always made his hatred clear when he expressed his feelings towards the Woodvilles. It seemed that Hastings felt his life was in danger and he had gone into hiding along with the late Kings mistress, Jane Shore. It had seemed that the Woodvilles had ignored Richard appointment as protector and were moving in to crown the king for their selves. The Woodvilles had taken over the Kings council and Hastings felt that he was powerless to control the events of what was happening in London.
The Woodvilles had heard that Richard was on his way down to London and they had tired to raise an army but as they had notched up a lot of resentment over the years with the lords and nobles. Even the commons had detested them for the extortion that they had cause though their greed. People were whispering in the streets just like when Clarence was murdered in the tower just because he had spoke his mind about that family of Woodvilles. Word was out that the king was poisoned and never was a family had been so detested. It seemed that people had started to distance themselves from the family and even Margaret Beaufort had nothing to do with the widow Elizabeth Woodville. They had hurriedly set a date for the coronation for Sunday the 4th of May in front of councillors in the presence of the Queen. A Croyland Chronicler was present at that council meeting had noticed that the naked ambition to ignore the late kings will was increasingly alarming some of the councillors. Hastings had also fled to Calais until the Woodvilles where he would wait until the Woodvilles were brought under control.
Richard had arrived in Northampton on the 26th of April on hearing the news that the Woodvilles unpopularity, Richard felt that he had the people on his side and he felt heartened for it. The great Council had received Richard’s letter, Mancini had commented at the time had mentioned of its impact ‘This letter had a great effect on the minds of the people, who, as they had previously favoured the duke in their hearts from a belief in his probity, now began to support him openly and aloud, so that it was commonly said by all that the duke deserved the government’.
The Marquess of Dorset, Thomas Grey was busy in getting followers to his cause, and the dangers of committing the government to one man. He was heard saying ‘We are so important, that even without the King’s uncle we can make and enforce these decisions’ The Marquess had become quite boastful as he wrote a letter to Rivers, telling him to reach London no later than 1st of May.
Lord Rivers Anthony Woodville was the scholar in the Woodville family and had seen to the young Kings education in Ludlow. He had seen himself as a gallant knight and he was the famous jouster of his age. He had translated three devotional works, which Caxton printed. He played up his image as a holy man and was very close to his sister Elizabeth Woodville. He was never suited to family life he had married well but did not produce any children. He was well known for wearing hair shirts under his fine clothes, but he was a man of secrets and a somewhat dark nature some might say he would be more suitable for the life in the Vatican in this time in history. He was a brave hero tourney field, but yet he was different on the battlefield. When King Edward was alive just before battle against the Earl of Warwick he told Edward that he wanted to go on a pilgrimage. Edward was furious and told him he was a coward thus to think of leaving the realm when it was not yet fully restored to order. Rivers had led his men with long train of carts stuffed with household goods, supplies and armour with the young King. He received a letter from Richard and its contents did unnerve him as he rode the countryside towards reached towards Northampton.
Richard had been around Northampton for a while and had been sending out scouts daily to see where Rivers and Buckingham and he had no reports from them. On the 29th of April that Rivers had been spotted near Stony Stratford and Richard had heard that the Duke of Buckingham was near by. Richard had sent plans that they could meet in Stony Stafford at once. Stony Stratford was a market town on Watling Street with a few inns, which was the scene of historical, reported which has been very conflicting in what really happened in history.
Shortly after, the beat of horses’ hooves in the street outside sounded the arrival, not of Buckingham but of Anthony, Earl Rivers, accompanied by a train of attendants. Readily he hailed Richard with the name of Protector. He had come, he said, at the behest of their new sovereign lord to convey young Edward’s greetings to his uncle. Saluting him with equal courtesy, Richard took him into mine host’s best parlour. Servants were commanded to arrange lodging for the Earl at a nearby inn and billets for the Earl’s men.
It is highly unlikely this had happened, as Rivers had no choice but surrender the young King to the protector Richard the Duke of Gloucester. Richard had known full well of Rivers intentions to crown the King before Richard could anything about it. If Rivers had succeeded the power behind the king would be the despised family of the Woodvilles. Richard had little for him in the past so it is again highly unlikely that they would be drinking together and falling into genial conversation.
In the midst of supper the Duke of Buckingham had arrived. Perceiving that the evening was merry, he at once matched his spirits to the occasion. When the meal was cleared away, the three noblemen lingered over wine in animated talk. Henry Stafford was ready of tongue; Anthony Woodville was a man of imagination who had seen much of the world; it was undoubtedly Richard of Gloucester who said least.
This also seems unlikely to have happened as Rivers had instruction to get to London by the 1st of May to be in time for the King’s coronation. What is he doing spending his time drinking all those hours?
It was late evening by the time the three men rose from the table. Casually they had agreed to ride together in the morning to Stony Stratford. After genial farewells, Rivers with a few of his intimates left the inn to seek his bed. Within the chamber where Richard and Buckingham had resumed their seats, the atmosphere of gaiety instantly disappeared. Rushlights flickered upon serious faces of their advisers drawn close about them. Before the Dukes decided upon a course of action, they had to explore each other’s minds. It was Buckingham who, by a single message, had suddenly thrust himself into Richard’s affairs, and it was undoubtedly Buckingham who now did most of the talking.
The likely hood that this meeting ever had taken place at Stony Stratford in the alleged place where in the rose and crown inn is highly unlikely. There is a plaque saying that it was the place that Edward V had stayed the night before Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The meeting of the Duke of Buckingham and the Duke of Gloucester would have happened at Northampton which 14 miles north of Stony Stratford and the Earl of Rivers was never there. Richard and Buckingham had taken Rivers, Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan as prisoners at Stony Stratford. They were taken under closely guarded soldiers up out of harms way up to Yorkshire. Three separate parties had departed Rivers was sent under guard to sheriff Hutton, Grey to Middleham, and Vaughan to Pontefract. Their futures were left undecided until Richard had sorted what was to be done with them. The king’s escort that had been instructed by Rivers had disbanded and they went back to their homes.
Stony Stratford is famous for holding cock and bull story festivals and most inns were called The Cock inn and The Bull inn. This gave the saying the cock and bull story.
On Elizabeth Woodville hearing the news of the Duke of Gloucester was escorting the young King Edward and the imprisonment of Anthony Woodville, and her son Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan. She had alerted Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset straight away and gathered her family clan as what to do next. They were all beside themselves as what to do next as they were rushed into action in their night clothes as it was on late in the night when she was broken the news. The Marquess quickly dispatched appeals to chief lords for help, but it seemed his efforts were futile as some were openly hostile and nobody wanted to fight for the Queen’s mother’s cause. They had notched up a lot of resentment over the years and a lot of people where pleased to see Elizabeth and her kindred finally put in their place.
Elizabeth and her family had fell into panic and they had looted the crown jewels and treasure from the Tower. Elizabeth’s brother Sir Edward had decided to take his share of the treasure and set sail with his fleet. The Marquess had gathered up the rest of the treasure from the Tower and stashed it in the Westminster Abbey where the Queen mother and her family were in sanctuary. They had all waited uneasily wondering what their future will be.
Confusion had hit the streets of London and Hastings was getting his servants to bring the good news that the mighty Woodvilles had fallen. One of those people had been woken up was Thomas Rotherham, the Archbishop of York, the Chancellor, to hear the news from Hastings’s servant that all would be well. Rotherham was the Queen close ally and when had heard the news the old man was committed to the Queen’s cause. He shouted out ‘Well, It may be well enough but it will never be as well as it has been!’ Rotherham had taken the Great seal of England and headed straight to Westminster Abbey where he had seen crates and boxes, furniture, plate, tapestries that been dumped in piles of no order as men were ripping a great hole in the sanctuary wall. As the family sat in the abbey watching the odd behaviour of their mother, who was normally more calculating by nature, she was losing her control. The Queen was going to great lengths to conceal the late king’s treasure. When Rotherham had found the Queen sitting ‘alone, a-low on the rushes all desolate and dismayed’ he tried to comfort her by saying that Hastings’s saying all will be well. Elizabeth had fell into a rage by shouting ‘one of them that laboureth to destroy me and my blood’. Rotherham tried to pacify her by saying about the crowning little York if any mischief happened to Edward. He gave Elizabeth the Great Seal and left her to the confusion that was around her, as he could not find the words to comfort her.
As dawn quickened on the 1st of May, Hastings was up early to greet the lords and gentlemen to rally to his cause. He had told the people that he was the loyal and the dearest friend of the late king. He seemed to be the man of the hour as he identified himself as the victim of the abuse of the Woodville family. He had informed the Londoners that he defended Richard’s actions at Stony Stratford and had told them that, the Earl Rivers, Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan had been taken prisoners and the Duke of Gloucester would be arriving in London very shortly with the young King. Hastings had waved a letter from the Duke of Gloucester in front of an informal audience. He had rescued his nephew and the realm; both had fallen into the hands of those who, having tainted the honour and the health of the father, could not be expected to show more regard for the youth of the son. For his own safety of the Kingdom he had arrested Rivers, Vaughan and Grey. Hastings had informed the people that the King would be crowned in London. He had added the only bad news he regretted that Sir Edward had sailed off with his share of the country treasure and Dorset and the late Queen were in Westminster Abbey with the remaining treasure.
Meanwhile in Northampton Richard had to make some decisions before escorting the king down to London. He knew the Woodvilles had taken the treasure he had decided to write a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Most reverend father in God and right entirely beloved cousin. We greet you heartily well, and desire and pray you to see for the safeguard and sure keeping of the Great Seal of this our realm unto our coming to our city of London. Where by your good advice and others of our council the same further may be demeaned for the weal of us and our said realm; and that it will like you to call unto you the lords there and in the same, in all diligence, and our faithful trust is in you: given under our signet at our town of Northampton, the second day of May.
Richard written to Hastings and to the Mayor and the Aldermen of the City of London informing them that he and the Duke of Buckingham were escorting the King down to London. Richard had tried to establish a relationship with the young king. As Richard talk about his late father and the stories of the days when they were on their campaigns. The young King looked uninterested as he had hardly heard those stories or even that he did not know very much about what his father was really like. They were some attempts as two hints have survived one was a piece of parchment which, at the top appears in a regally large, though rather stiff, signature EDWARDUS QUINTUS. Next is inscribed in Italic script, neater than his usual handwriting, ‘Loyaulte me lie’ and underneath ‘Richard Gloucestre’. The Duke of Buckingham had written ‘Souvente me souvene’ and underneath ‘Harre Bokeingham’. The parchment is on display at the British Museum. As Richard was trying to established a friendly relationship with his nephew. Richard had discovered in conversation that the young king had a favourite chaplain at Ludlow called John Geffrey. The Bishop of Hereford had asked to have John Geffrey to be appointed rectorship of the parish church of Pembrigge, when they were staying at St Albans. As they had travelled towards London Richard had further told him about his father as the royal escort had ridden though Barnet. Richard had told him how he and his father had fought at the battle of Barnet on the 14th of April 1471. It was so sad that his nephew had never known how bravely his father had fought on that foggy morning.
The people of London came out on the streets as the twelve-year-old sovereign appeared in blue velvet, with Richard on his right and Buckingham on his left as the Mayor and the Aldermen greeted and welcomed its new king. Edward had arrived in London on the day he would have been crowned on 4th of May. The Lords and commoners had come out to pay homage and shouts of hang the rascals could be heard the young king was led to temporary lodgings. One could wonder if the cries and shouts could be heard at Westminster Abbey where the Queen and her family were in sanctuary. Richard had quietly retired to his town house in Bishopsgate, Crosby’s place. He wanted to be on his own after his time with Buckingham’s endless chatter. Richard had just made sure that he had bought the young king safely to London. He now had to make plans for the coronation and what to do with that family that was in the sanctuary.
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