The Rose, the Bastard and the Saint King

In the spring of 1471 Edward IV returned from exile, defeated the Lancastrians at Barnet and Tewkesbury, and recovered Henry VI as a prisoner. His victory was still threatened when Thomas Neville, the Bastard of Fauconberg, brought ships and thousands of supporters against London on 12–14 May. Boardman reconstructs this neglected siege and the attempt to break into the capital and release the captive Lancastrian king.

The study follows the fighting at London’s gates, the political choices made inside the city and the suppression of Fauconberg’s rebellion. It then examines Henry VI’s death in the Tower, the later growth of his reputation as a saint and the evidence surrounding Richard, Duke of Gloucester’s possible involvement. By connecting the siege with the Readeption and the final Yorkist victories of 1471, the book explains how the Lancastrian dynasty was destroyed.