The Private Life of Edward IV, John Ashdown-Hill, Amberley Publishing, 2016, 336pp., £20 hard, ISBN 978-1-4456-5245-0.

Dr John Ashdown-Hill, a central figure in the Looking for Richard Project and a renowned Richard III historian with a special talent for getting behind the mythology of history, now turns his attention to Richard’s eldest brother, Edward IV. He unravels the complex web of stories around Edward’s private life — many of which had their origins in chronicles written after 1485 — discussing the truth behind Edward’s reputation. Did Edward have numerous mistresses? Did he produce many bastards? Who was his legal wife? And what caused the early death of Eleanor Talbot?

From the moment it became public, the validity of Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Widville, the beautiful widow of a Lancastrian knight, was repeatedly called into question. This alarmed Elizabeth Widville and she was terrified that she would lose her crown and that her children by the king would never succeed to the throne. But after Edward’s unexpected death in April 1483, a bishop publicly announced that he had previously married the king to Lady Eleanor Talbot. As a result, Edward’s children by Elizabeth, including his eldest son and heir to the throne, Edward, were then declared illegitimate, making Edward’s brother Richard the legitimate heir to the throne. Later, claims were put forward that Edward had numerous mistresses and left behind many illegitimate children though contemporary chronicles are silent on the issue.