THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF ENGLAND
Edmund Plantagenet Earl of Cambridge and Duke of York and his Descendants
EDMUND PLANTAGENET, surnamed Langley, from the place of his birth, fifth son of King Edward III., was created by his father, on the 13th November, 1362, Earl of Cambridge, and by his nephew, King Richard II, 6th August, 1385, DUKE OF YORK. This prince m. first, Isabel, daughter and co-heir of Peter, King of Castile and Leon, and sister of Constance, the wife of John of Gaunt, by whom he had issue,
EDWARD, his successor in the Dukedom of York.
RICHARD, of Conisburgh, who succeeded to the EARLDOM OF CAMBRIDGE.
This prince was beheaded at Southampton for conspiring against Henry IV. in 1415, when the Earldom of Cambridge became forfeited. He had m. Anne, * sister and co-heir of Edward Mortimer, Earl of March, son of Philippa, only dau. and heiress of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, second son of King Edward III., by whom he left an only son and a dau., viz.
RICHARD, who succeeded his uncle as Duke of York.
Isabel, m. to Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex.
Edmund, Duke of York, m. secondly, Joane, daughter of Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent, and sister and co-heir of Edmund, Earl of Kent, but had no issue. The Duke of York attained the highest reputation in the cabinet and the field, and after vainly endeavouring to sustain his nephew, Richard, upon the throne, be retired to his seat at Langley, upon the accession of Henry IV., and died there in 1402. The prince, who was a Knight of the Garter, was s. by his eldest son,
EDWARD PLANTAGENET, as second Duke of York, who bad been created Duke of Albemarle, 29th September, 1397, and was restored to the Dukedom of York in 1406, which be had been previously rendered incapable of inheriting—he was also invested with the Garter. This gallant prince,
* Through this alliance the house of York derived its right to the crown. who had become eminent in arms, fell at Azincourt in 1415, and his brother having been previously put to death, the Dukedom of York (the prince leaving no issue) devolved upon his nephew,
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, who was restored to the Earldom of Cambridge, and allowed to inherit as third Duke of York. This prince becoming afterwards one of the most powerful subjects of the period in which he lived, laid claim to the throne as the descendant of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, second son of Edward III., whereas the reigning monarch, Henry VI., sprang from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, third son of the same king, and thus originated the devastating war of the Roses. In his pretensions the duke was supported by the Nevils and other great families, but his ambitious projects all closed at the battle of Wakefield in 1460, where his party sustained a signal defeat, and be was himself slain. The prince had espoused Cicily, dau. of Ralph Nevil, Earl of Westmoreland, and left issue,
EDWARD, his successor.
Edmund, said to have borne the title of Earl of Rutland. This prince at the age of twelve was barbarously murdered by Lord Clifford, after the battle of Wakefield.
George, Duke of Clarence, (see Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence.)
RICHARD, Duke of Gloucester, (afterwards King Richard III.)
Anne, m. first to Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, and secondly, to Sir Thomas St. Leger, Knt., by whom she had a daughter,
ANNE ST. LEGER, who m. Sir George Manners, ancestor of the present ducal house of Rutland.
Elizabeth, m. to John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk.
Margaret, m. to Charles, Duke of Burgundy, but had no issue. This was the Duchess of Burgundy, so persevering in her hostility to Henry VII., and her zeal in the cause of York, who set up the pretended Plantagenets, Warbeck and Symnel.
Ursula.
Richard, Duke of York, was s. by his son,
EDWARD PLANTAGENET, fourth Duke of York, who, after various fortunes at the bead of the Yorkists, finally established himself upon the throne as EDWARD IV., when the Dukedom of York merged in the crown.