The King’s death – KING HENRY VI

On May 21, 1471, King Henry VI of England (1422-1471) was executed in the Tower of London at the age of 49. The Yorkists claimed he died of melancholy upon hearing of the death of his son who himself may have been murdered in his flight from battle. The reality is that Edward the IV had no reason to keep the king alive. Contemporary chroniclers did not believe the Yorkist claims. His body was exhumed in 1910 and showed a fractured skull and matted hair. It is believed he was murdered while praying in Wakefield Tower. Richard III, ever the villain according to the Tudors, was blamed.