The Secret Queen: Eleanor Talbot, the Woman Who Put Richard III on the Throne

by John Ashdown-Hill

Overview

When Edward IV died in 1483, the Yorkist succession was called into question by doubts about the legitimacy of his sons (the ‘Princes in the Tower’). The crown therefore passed to Edward IV's undoubtedly legitimate younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. But Richard, too, found himself entangled in the web of uncertainly, since those who believed in the legitimacy of Edward IV’s children viewed Richard III’s own accession with suspicion.

From the day that Edward IV married Eleanor, or pretended to do so, the House of York, previously so secure in its bloodline, confronted a contentious and uncertain future. John Ashdown-Hill argues that Eleanor Talbot was married to Edward IV, and that therefore Edward’s subsequent union with Elizabeth Widville was bigamous, making her children illegitimate.

In his quest to reveal the truth about Eleanor, he also uncovers fascinating new evidence that sheds fresh light on one of the greatest historical mysteries of all time – the identity of the ‘bones in the urn’ in Westminster Abbey, believed for centuries to be the remains of the ‘Princes in the Tower’.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780750968461
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	07/07/2016
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

John Ashdown-Hill is a historian who has been heavily involved in the DNA testing of Richard III’s remains. He is the author of The Last Days of Richard III.

Editorial Reviews

"Fascinating and thorough study.” —Publishers Weekly on Royal Marriage Secrets


"With its new details and perspectives about Richard’s last days and its use of original sources, this book will be an essential read for Ricardians and all interested in studying the Wars of the Roses, here accessible to them without being marred by hundreds of years of interpretations, rumors, and biases."  —Library Journal on The Last Days of Richard III and the Fate of His DNA

From the Publisher