Edward IV of England’s 10 Siblings Ranked Oldest To Youngest

Edward IV of England served as the King of England from March 4, 1461, to October 3, 1470, and then again from April 11, 1471, to April 9, 1483, the day of his death. He was born in Rouen, France, to Richard Plantagenet, the 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville.

Edward IV had a total of ten brothers and sisters, most of whom played an important role in the history of England. If you would like to know more about them, keep reading. Below you will find a list of Edward IV’s siblings ranked oldest to youngest.

11. Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter (August 10, 1439 – January 14, 1476)

photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Anne of York was Edward IV’s oldest sister, born in 1439. She served as the Duchess of Exeter when, at the young age of eight years old, she was married to Henry Holland, the 3rd Duke of Exeter.

During the Wars of the Roses, her husband sided with the House of Lancaster against her family, who was with the House of York. Anne and Henry had a daughter whom they called Anne Holland. The two separated in 1464 but divorced only eight years later in 1472.

Following the divorce, Anne married a second time to Thomas St. Leger, a loyal follower of King Edward IV. The two also gave birth to a daughter named Anne St. Leger. Unfortunately, Anne of York died while giving birth.

Did You Know?

Anne was buried on February 1st, 1476, in St. Leger Chantry.

10. Henry of York (February 10, 1441 – February 11, 1441)

Henry of York was born in February 1441 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. Unfortunately, he lived only for one day. 

9. Edward IV of England (April 28, 1442 – April 9, 1483)

photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Edward IV of England was born in 1442 to Richard Plantagenet, the 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. He served as the King of England for over 20 years and was one of the main figures in the famous Wars of the Roses, a civil war fought in England between the House of York and the House of Lancaster.

Edward inherited the Yorkist claim following his father’s death in 1460. His father, Richard, in fact, died during the Battle of Wakefield. Soon after, in early 1461, Edward deposed King Henry VI and took the throne.

In 1464, Edward married Elizabeth Woodville, an event that led to a conflict with his chief advisor Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Richard Neville decided to create an alliance with Edward’s younger brother, George, and led a revolt that resulted in the re-installation of Henry VI to the throne.

As a consequence, Edward decided to leave and relocate to Flanders. Here, he managed to gather some support, and after some time, he led an attack on England. In 1471, he resumed the throne following the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury. Soon after, Henry was found dead in the Tower of London.

Edward IV managed to maintain peace in England for the following 12 years until his sudden death in April 1483.

Did You Know?

Edward had seven children, two daughters, and five sons at the time of his death.

8. Edmund, Earl of Rutland (May 17, 1443 – December 30, 1460)

Edmund, Earl of Rutland, was one of Edward IV’s younger brothers. He was born in May 1443 and was the fourth child and second surviving son of the 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville.

Edmund was appointed Earl of Rutland when he was roughly 11. We can confidently state this as historians have found a letter signed by his older brother Edward as ‘E. Rutland and E. Marche”.

Unfortunately, Edmund died in his teen years, either during or shortly after the Battle of Wakefield.

Did You Know?

He was first buried with his father at Pontefract Priory, but he was relocated to his family vault at Fotheringhay Castle in July 1476, over 16 years following his death. 

7. Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk (April 22, 1444 – January 1503)

photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Elizabeth of York was born in April 1444 in Rouen, France. Similarly to many other girls her age, she was married extremely young, before her 14th birthday. Her husband was John de la Pole, the eldest son of William de la Pole, the 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Alice Chaucer.

When William was executed, his son did not succeed in his titles. However, in 1463, Edward IV intervened, and John was appointed Duke of Suffolk. As a consequence, Elizabeth received the title of Duchess of Suffolk, which she maintained until her husband died in 1491/1492, historians are still debating the exact date.

Elizabeth lived for roughly ten years as a widow before passing away in 1503 at 58 years old.

Did You Know?

Elizabeth was buried in Wingfield, Suffolk.

6. Margaret of York (May 3, 1446 – November 23, 1503)

photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Margaret of York was born in May 1446 in Fotheringhay Castle, England. She was the third wife of Charles the Bold, who served as the Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. Soon after the wedding, Margaret joined her step-daughter and traveled to today’s Belgium and Netherlands. Together they visited the cities of Ghent, Brussels, Kortrijk, and many others.

Margaret was regarded as a skillful and intelligent politician. She was often described as a good-looking woman and was almost six feet tall. Her husband was way shorter than her and according to records, she had to bend to receive his first kiss.

Margaret was loved by her husband’s family and became a mother figure to her stepdaughter. The two shared many interests, such as reading, hunting, riding, and falconry.

5. William Plantagenet of York (July 7, 1447 – 1448)

William Plantagenet of York was born in July 1447 in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England. Unfortunately, he did not survive long and only lived for a few months. 

4. John Plantagenet (November 7, 1448 – Unknown)

John Plantagenet was born in November 1448 in England. Unfortunately, not much is known about him except that he died quite young.

Did You Know?

John was buried at St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints Church Year in Northamptonshire, England.

3. George Plantagenet (October 21, 1449 – February 18, 1478)

photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

George Plantagenet was one of Edward’s youngest siblings. He was born in 1449 in Dublin Castle. He played an important role in the Wars of the Roses with his older brother.

George was initially a member of the House of York but eventually decided to switch sides and support the House of Lancaster to then revert again to the Yorkist.

As a consequence, his brother Edward IV decided to execute him. George died in 1578 at the age of 28 years old.

Did You Know?

George is one of the characters in Henry VI, Part 3, and Richard III, two famous plays by Shakespeare.

2. Thomas of York (1451 – Unknown) 

Thomas of York was one of Edward IV’s many brothers. Unfortunately, we do not have any information regarding his life.

1. Richard III (October 2, 1452 – August 22, 1485)

photo source: commons.wikimedia.org

Richard III was Edward IV’s youngest sibling, born in 1452. He served as King of England and as Lord of Ireland from June 1483 until his death in 1485.

Richard III was also the last king of the House of York, and his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field marked the end of the Middle Ages in England. This was, in fact, the last conflict in the Wars of the Roses.

In 1472, Richard III married Anne Neville, the daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. While his brother served as the King of England, Richard ruled over Northern England and played a role in the invasion of Scotland, which took place in 1482.

Richard III was crowned King of England in 1483. During his reign, two main rebellions took place. The first one occurred in 1483 and was led by Henry Stafford and staunch allies of Edward IV. The second took place in 1485. This one was led by Henry Tudor and his uncle, Jasper Tudor. The two landed in southern Wales with French troops and marched through Pembrokeshire, recruiting soldiers. 

This time the revolt was successful as Henry, and Jasper Tudor’s army defeated Richard III’s forces in the town of Market Bosworth.

Did You Know?

Richard III was the last English king to die in battle.