Today in 1483 Edward IV died after catching an illness at Easter. No one is quite sure what caused his death, but everyone said at the time that he had caught a chill while out hunting over Easter, so pneumonia is often suggested. Other people believe he may have had a heart attack from all the greasy and fatty foods he ate, and there has even been the conjecture that the Woodville family poisoned him. He was just 40 years old.
He survived his illness long enough to add a few codicils to his will, most importantly naming his brother Richard as the Protector after his death. His twelve-year-old son Edward V was never crowned, as Richard usurped the crown from him that summer.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Suggested link:
Matthew Lewis on the survival of the Princes in the Tower
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.