Anne Neville, the wife of Richard III, was Queen of England for such a short period of English history that her reign has been mostly overlooked and forgotten.
Anne was born on the 11th June 1456 at Warwick Castle in Warwickshire England to Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and his Countess, Anne Beauchamp (Despencer)
Anne spent most of her childhood at Middleham Castle in North Yorkshire it was here that Anne met Richard, Duke of Gloucester (future Richard III). We have no record of them meeting each other or their feelings towards each other. In time they would be betrothed to each other until the betrothal was broken after Warwick’s rebellion against Edward IV and Anne and her family were forced to flee to France.
Playing a critical part in the Wars of the Roses Anne’s father went on to betroth her to Edward, Prince of Wales, the son of Henry VI. The marriage was to seal an alliance to the House of Lancaster and continue the civil war between the two houses of Lancaster and York.
With the stakes so high and Anne being used as a pawn to further Medieval careers it is sad to think that we know very little about Anne.
After the death of her husband Edward on 4th May 1471 Anne, the Dowager Princess of Wales married Richard, Duke of Gloucester, brother of King Edward IV. The exact date of the wedding of Anne Neville and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is not known, although most sources agree that a ceremony took place in the spring of 1472. Once again Anne Neville’s life events were of little importance that even her wedding to a brother of the King of England was not documented.
The couple made their marital home at Middleham Castle,Yorkshire, after Richard was appointed Governor of the North on the king’s behalf. Upon her marriage, Anne was styled Duchess of Gloucester. They had only one child, Edward, born at Middleham who later died in 1484.
Anne Neville became queen when Richard III ascended the throne in June 1483, following the declaration that Edward IV’s children by Elizabeth Woodville were illegitimate. Anne Neville predeceased her husband by five months, dying in March 1485. Her only child was Edward of Middleham, who predeceased her.
Anne Neville was crowned alongside her husband on 6 July 1483.
Anne Neville died on 16 March 1485, probably of tuberculosis, at Westminster and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Queen of England for such a short time, Anne was a key player in the Wars of the Roses. The history books seem to have overlooked this remarkable young woman who played a major part in shaping our history.
We should not remember Anne Neville as the forgotten Queen of England.
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