

The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV and Margaret of Anjou
When King Edward IV left for Coventry following the Battle of Tewkesbury, he no longer had any real rivals to the crown. The battle made him undisputed king.
By David Alan Johnson
King Edward IV could not have asked for better news. On the evening of May 3, 1471, his scouts reported that the army of his Lancastrian archrival, Queen Margaret of Anjou, was camped a few miles south of the abbey town of Tewkesbury with its back to the River Severn.
Edward, the former Earl of March and son of the Duke of York, had been hunting Queen Margaret’s force for over a week. The queen had returned to England on April 14, landing at Weymouth in Dorset after eight years of exile in France. She was met by supporters of her husband, the feeble-minded Henry VI, including Edward Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.
Somerset advised Margaret to fight Edward, who was keeping her husband prisoner in the Tower of London. But Somerset realized that he did not have enough men to march on London and face the king. First, Somerset advised, it would be necessary to travel to Wales and join forces with Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, an enemy of Edward and an almost legendary figure in Welsh history. (He was also the uncle of Henry Tudor, who would become Henry VII.) During this “royal progress,” Margaret and Somerset would also be able to pick up as much support as possible for their army, which would be indispensable in the coming battle with Edward. The queen began moving northward toward the Welsh border, gathering recruits along the way.
Margaret Joines Forces with Jasper Tudor
On April 23, Edward learned that Margaret had arrived in England and tha
Join The Conversation
Comments
One thought on “The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV and Margaret of Anjou”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
View All Comments
One thought on “The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV and Margaret of Anjou”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
An excellent description of the events leading up to the Battle of Tewkesbury. I walked the battlefield last year with an excellent guide, and have had an urge to return ever since. Sitting at Tewkesbury Park again made this article particularly good for me. Thank you.