[MR] Wikipedia: Death of King Henry VI

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1471 King Henry VI died while being held captive at the
Tower of London.

Henry was the son of Henry V of Agincourt fame, and Catherine of Valois,
daughter of French king Charles VI ("Charles* le Fou*" or "Charles the
Mad"). Catherine may have passed on her father's bad genes to Henry, as
their insanities were similar. Throughout his adult life Henry passed
through stages of intense melancholy and breaks with reality. He was
clearly unfit to rule, and English military failures during the latter
stages of the Hundred Year's War led to the House of York's rise and the
Wars of the Roses.

On 4 May Yorkist rival Edward IV's forces defeated the last Lancastrian
army at the Battle of Tewkesbury, killing Edward of Westminster, Henry VI's
only son. The way to London was now open, and Edward entered the city on 21
May. Henry VI was immediately arrested and jugged in the Tower.

That night Henry is said to have died of religious melancholy while praying
in a small Wakefield Tower chapel. At least that is where his body was
conveniently found the next morning. Henry was quickly buried at Chertsey
Abbey in Surrey.

A cult began to grow around Henry VI as miracles were attributed to him.
This posed a danger for the Yorkist claim to the throne. In 1484 Edward's
successor, Richard III, had Henry's remains removed to St. George's Chapel
at Windsor Castle to limit public access.

In 1910 Henry VI's tomb was opened and his skeleton examined. Blood and
damage to the skull were clearly apparent. This suggests that Henry had
been offed, probably on Edward IV's orders. A whack with a dagger pommel
might have done the deed.

A bio of Henry VI is found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VI_of_England .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆