Edward, Kings of England
From Encyclopediak
Edward, the name of several kings of England. In Saxon times this name was borne by three kings: Edward the Elder, the son of Alfred the Great Edward the Martyr 963-978, who was assassinated shortly after his accession, probably at the instigation of his step-mother and Edward the Confessor, whose career is treated in the article following this one. Since the Norman Conquest seven English kings have borne the name. Of these, Edward I, Edward III, and Edward VII are treated in separate articles.
EDWARD II 1284-1327 succeeded to the throne in 1307 upon the death of his father, Edward I. He invaded Scotland in 1314 and was defeated by Bruce at Bannockburn. His weakness and domination by foreign favorites led to frequent revolts, and he was finally imprisoned and murdered by a conspiracy of his wife and his great nobles.
EDWARD IV 1442-1483, upon the death of his father, Richard Duke of York, became the head of the Yorkist Party in its contest with the House of Lancaster in the "Wars of the Roses." Defeating the forces of Henry VI in the Battle of Mortimer's Cross 1461, he entered London in triumph and was proclaimed king, strengthening his position further by the victories of Towton and Hexham. He offended the powerful Duke of Warwick by his marriage and was compelled to take refuge in Holland but returned in 1471, defeated Warwick and was restored to the throne See ROSES, WARS OF THE.
EDWARD V 1470-1483 succeded to the throne at the age of 13, upon the death of his father, Edward IV. He was soon imprisoned in the Tower, with his younger brother, by their uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester, who had been appointed protector of the kingdom. The princes were never again seen, and are supposed to have been murdered by the orders of their uncle, who had himself proclaimed king as Richard.
EDWARD VI 1537-1553, the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, succeeded to the throne at the age of ten upon the death of his father in 1547, and reigned for six years under the protectorate of the dukes of Somerset and Northumberland. During his brief reign commercial reforms were instituted and the religious reforms of Henry VIII were still further established. Edward, surnamed the Confessor about 1004-1066, King of England, the son of Ethelred II . He was born at Islip in Oxfordshire, but passed his youth in Normandy. He was recalled to England in 1041, by Hardicanute, whom he succeeded as king in 1042, thus restoring he old English line, after a quarter century of Danish rule. Edward's partiality for the Normans caused much dissatisfaction among the members of the National Party, led by Earl Godwine and his sons, who had practical control of the government for a number of years. Edward had monkish rather than kingly qualities and showed little inclination for the affairs of government. His most enduring work was the founding of Westminster Abbey. He was canonized in 1161 by Pope Alexander III, who conferred upon him the title of Confessor.
