The Tomb and Burial Vault of King Edward IV in St George's Chapel Windsor

#royalvault #royaltomb #royalfuneral #edwardIV #warsoftheroses #windsorcastle #stgeorgeschapel #henryvi #henryviii #yorkist #whitequeen
This is the first half of a two-part series on the burial places of two kings, who were rivals in life, but who share a united burial place in death - St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. They are King Edward IV and King Henry VI. In this first part, I look at the burial place of Edward IV, the rebuilding of St George's chapel, his intention to create a lavish memorial for himself, and what that might have looked like. I go on to examine what survives of those intentions,, and the tomb as it exists. I look at how his body was prepared for burial, before looking at evidence from the interior of his burial vault and his coffin, last seen in the late 18th century.
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[@historiaobscurum3308]

This channel is one of the greatest treasures for those who love deep history.

[@allanbarton]

I'm so glad you're enjoying my channel! Thank you very much.

[@denisesudd5318]

Awesome and most interesting as usual

[@alexkg130]

I wholeheartedly agree!

[@SwanRonsonDonnyJepp]

Absolutely 💯

[@nancytestani1470]

Absolutely.

[@sweptashore]

The next time someone hands me a carton of milk to sniff and render a verdict on its freshness, I will remind myself that it's a shade easier than a sniff-and-taste test of 300-year-old royal "brine" that's been brewing in a lead coffin. *That* is dedication to 18th century science. 😷

[@THINKincessantly]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿❤️👑Whoa! They made a drawing of Ed4 too!? He must have really been a giant of a man, look at those leg bones! My favorite of all the Monarchs! Looks like Edward was even smiling in death! Good Lad!

[@Shineon83]

Edward IV….…FAVOURITE British Sovereign ❤

[@TerryC69]

Hi Allan! Bloody hell, man! Dr. Lynn certainly made bold with his sense of taste. Now that is a commitment to scientific inquiry indeed. LOL

[@pamburt]

A fascinating watch, very well researched. I’m looking forward to the next episode. Thanks Allan!

[@allanbarton]

Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@jenniferstone2975]

Another exceptional presentation! The inclusion of the subtle details of the burial rituals are fascinating to hear. Thank you!

[@allanbarton]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@OkieJammer2736]

Oh, my goodness. Wow. No need to respond. I'm simply thrilled to find this level of detailed research and knowledge and wanted you to know that you are appreciated.

[@beachcaving]

A blowy rainy day in the Pacific Northwest! Usually I would be reading an ancient tomb off my shelf, however, emersing oneself on your channel is a delight! Cheers! 🤘❤🇺🇸🤘❤🇺🇸🤘

[@allanbarton]

Very glad you are enjoying my videos, thank you 😊

[@debrawhite751]

Really enjoy your videos. This one is of particular interest to me. My sister is an adept genealogist and found that we are descendents of Sir John Grey of Groby, first husband of Elizabeth Woodville. Wish I had known that when I visited St George's Chapel! Would love to visit these burial places in person now that I am aware of a connection.

[@NoName-di4qq]

I have been down a deep rabbit hole of English monarchs recently. I can't get enough of it It really is uncanny how often people who disliked each other/were opposed to ended up buried right next or near each other Take Queen Mary and her Sister Elizabeth....burried right next to each other

[@iermanicus]

Thanks again for superb content and for this series about medieval funeral practices very appreciated Allan greetings from Argentina.

[@allanbarton]

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying my videos!

[@stepps511]

How truly fascinating a video and one not yet complete. Thank you so much, Allan. I so appreciate your brilliance and ability to pass it on to us.

[@allanbarton]

You're very kind, thank you! Very glad you enjoyed it.

[@leonchal]

Awesome stuff, thanks! Referencing Elizabeth Woodville, they found a letter in 2019 from the Venetian ambassador in London mentioning that “the Queen-Widow, mother of King Edward, has died of plague, and the King is disturbed”; it is thought her funeral was like that due to fears over contagion.

[@Chris-fh2cl]

Perfect way to start the weekend! Thank you Mr Antiquary!

[@allanbarton]

Thanks for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@glengrieve544]

Great content and beautifully presented thank you for you're time and effort you put into making these great videos

[@nadiabrook7871]

Another VERY INTRIGUING video, Allan!! Thanks for sharing!! 💖💚👍

[@gingerninjawhinger9986]

Had my history classes at school been as informative and as well-presented as your videos, Allen, I would have paid more attention. Your Channel is fast becoming one of my favourites. Thank you for the time and effort you put into each of your videos.

[@allanbarton]

I'm so glad you're enjoying my videos, thanks for watching !

[@dianetheisen8664]

I'm happy to know that Edward IV was buried with his queen 👑.

[@carmenfoster6912]

Professor Barton..as usual providing us with all the history info that we need to know

[@amymahers2957]

Thank you so much for your efforts that really give us the story behind the story. I look forward to your explanations and it is obvious you have a great passion for the not so known. Well done!

[@monicacall7532]

Thanks for this video. I ALWAYS learn new and fascinating things in your videos. This is my favorite channel!

[@allanbarton]

Very kind of you to say so, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@alanaitcheson9403]

Thank you Allan Barton for yet another brilliant and very informative documentary.

[@allanbarton]

Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!

[@BeautifulBadandBizarre]

Another brilliant and interesting video! Thank you

[@allanbarton]

Thanks, glad you're enjoying them!

[@paulk9214]

What a treasure you are Mr. Barton for your knowledge and great presentations of English history. Thank you !!! From a little American who adores everything English. Well maybe not everythng but almost😀.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

These videos of yours fill a gap which reading historical novels do not. It is the outstanding techical details explaining" brass rubbing" for example. All in context but leaving the intense details to our imaginations. Thankful greetings from Aotearoa New Zealand.

[@allanbarton]

Greetings! I'm glad you're enjoying my channel, thanks for watching 😊

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

walnut pickle is fermented walnut husk it was highly-priced as an ink and dye from roman times onwards. the husks were submerged in warm water and left open to the air a film of mold would fill the surface and the water level would drop over the span of one year then it would be filtered and capped off with a cloth and left for another 2 to 4 years to evaporate then several batches would be joined and capped and left for again a number of years the final batches would be casked aka put in barrels the cheaper but still quite expensive ink would be about 10 years old but the most expensive ink could have been in a barrel for a century every year the vat is opened to remove mold on the surface and the final product is boiled and filtered and slightly diluted with a bit of brandy or cognac to make it sterile and to aid the drying of the ink or dye. my batch of walnut pickle has been going since 2013 if I live long enough (I'm now 48) it's ready as a dye or ink in 2043 from 5 liters of husk juice I then probably will have half a liter of good dye/ink its an ongoing experiment to my knowledge this hasn't been used or made since the 1860s.

[@allanbarton]

Hello Tino, glad to hear of your experiments with this. I have been doing much the same, though with a slightly different method, for about ten years. I used it primarily to create a dye for my bookbinding - I dye leather skins with the resulting stain. I have used it for ink too and used to sell small quantities. I even used it to dye the period authentic book I made for the BBC for their production of Wolf Hall back in 2014. In the process I follow I boil the husks, reducing the liquour over a full day of simmering until it is really concentrated. I then strain it into a Kilner Jar or demijohn. It develops a mould on the surface pretty quickly that eventually turns into a 'mother' culture like the one you get in Kombucha. I have various vessels with it, but have a priming jar with the culture in it. Fermenting it this way creates a much more stable dye. It can be used after about a year, and to it I add soda ash as a mordant. I often dye full skins of leather, afterwards anointing them with oil and with tallow so that the don't stiffen too much.

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

@@allanbarton good to know I'm not the only idiot doing this experiment! I do minimal intervention antiquarian book restorations the book in a lot of cases still looks frail and old but it will have all its functionality back. by the way in the olden days, they used this dye to taint the leather then they would comb it which means either a sharkskin to sand it or sharp glass or steel to scrape it then they would use a turpentine beeswax to polish the leather of the book if you use that method your leather cover will immediately look old. also, you could start a culture in your pickled walnut with fruit flies just leave a glass of wine standing somewhere and the buggers will die in it then scoop them out carefully with a spoon so they stay floating on the surface and transplant them carefully into your walnut husk juice and the flies are the seeds for an excellent mother to form it works for vinegar and pickled walnut.

[@pixbychris3182]

Not an understatement to say I love this channel.

[@Marian-pb7fd]

Another amazing video! Can you please give more history on closet, I had heard it called the Queen's closet. There is a painting of Edward and Alexandra's wedding with Queen Victoria standing in the wooden closet. Was this only supposed to be used by women? Do you know when it was used last? Thank you for all the details, it takes us into the corners and crevices of history, always fascinating.

[@Marian-pb7fd]

@@michaelmontagu3979 Thank you so much Michael. Do you know if there are pictures of what it looks like from inside? If so please tell me where I can see them. Wow most of Allan's video posts send me down a rabbit hole, only to be satisfied with more information. I wonder if this makes me a good subscriber or no 🤔 lol

[@Marian-pb7fd]

@@michaelmontagu3979 Dear Michael I am so sorry for your loss. I think we may be of like mind's. I remember as a child telling my sweetheart Grandpa about how we were studying about the Wright brothers and their 1st flight and how amazing it was. My Grandfather said that's not what many people thought at the time. He said we thought they were crazy (my Grandpa actually said looms, he was from Maine, USA). When I told my teacher, he was surprised because that's not what was written in the history books.......of what some, if not most people actually thought living during the event. As you said if history is not remembered we may sadly have to relive it. I get my love of history from my Grandparents. Dear Michael please finish your book for love of your wife. Keeping you in my prayers

[@EllenCFarmGirl]

Oh my goodness, Allan, I had to watch this twice, when you got to the Brown Liquid taste test, I got a fit of the giggles. Call me creepy, but this is why I love your videos! I still have the giggles., the second watch through was to learn something. Hehe. Thank you! Looking forward to my edition of the Antiquary! ❤

[@allanbarton]

😂

[@janisrisch4087]

So very interesting! Thanks and greetings from California!

[@bobbibuttons8730]

Alan, you are a star, I adore the medieval era. I often think that there’s not enough attention paid to it. One of the other things I’m enamoured about is the buirial practices and how it changed throughout history and as a bit of fun, recipes and banquets of the various timelines. As an aside, I received issues 1&2 of your magazines but not vol 3 which is ordered as an add on as I when I was ordering the other back issuers were being ordered. Sorry to be a pest

[@allanbarton]

Would you drop me an email message about issue 3 and I will get one sent out to you. Did you order all three at the same time? In which case I have probably got terribly confused with my envelopes - admin not my strong point. My wife keeps saying that I need administrative help!!! I am sorry about that.

[@charleswray404]

Great video! Looking forward to the second part. I studied English history in college enjoying have a refresher.

[@allanbarton]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@richardbanks7932]

Hugely enjoyable video Alan! I've followed watched your content for some time now, they keep getting better. You have a tremendous ability to provide a huge amount of in-depth information in a bite size video, superb! Please keep them coming.

[@allanbarton]

Happy to oblige! Thanks for watching.

[@JessTheEnigma]

May I ask where that intro music is from, please? I live on a very small income and make many splurges, but I am SO pleased I decided to splurge and get one of your cards, 'London, C. 1510'. It is so lovely and so well crafted I darest not take it out of the plastic for fear of damaging it with skin oils. Anyway, I truly enjoy your videos and love all the little details and all the work you put into them! Thank you so much!

[@marthavanbeek-putters]

Thank you for this educational explanation. Martha

[@allanbarton]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, thank you.

[@karinandersen8261]

Great video! Going on to the next one off course 😊

[@debbiesmith3497]

Hi just love your channel and all the history. Could you possibly solve a dispute between me and my friend? She says that she does not believe that a monarch is in their coffin for lying in state. She believes that the last Queen was not in the coffin but was already at Windsor. Same with Princess Diana was she in her coffin or already at her final resting place. I live in U.S just wondering. Keep posting your history I love it!!! Thank you very much.

[@shellstars]

Amazing as always.

[@deniseatkins9407]

That was a very interesting watch

[@allanbarton]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@UmvimvaniT]

Thank you, Allan Barton!

[@allanbarton]

My pleasure, thanks for watching!

[@nancytestani1470]

Henry V111 was Edward1V grandson. And Henry was a big, tall man also. I just find that interesting

[@JohnDoe-px4ko]

Really enjoying The Antiquary magazine. I have the first three issues and think I will take out a subscription.

[@allanbarton]

Thank you very much indeed, I'm really pleased you are enjoying the magazine.

[@nancytestani1470]

I believe it was quite a shock when he died suddenly.

[@MadHatterDJ-]

Excellent video. I’m assuming they popped Elizabeth Woodville into a new coffin when they resealed the vault? I can’t imagine leaving her bones willy-nilly all over her husband’s coffin, although they were different times.. tasting decomposition fluid, nice.

[@Shineon83]

In personality, character & deed, the Yorks were born to rule….

[@Wosiewose]

As an amateur interested in horology, I would love to know if any of John Tresilian's clocks have survived? Also, would love to see a video featuring clocks owned by various monarchs and members of the Royal Family over the centuries. I have read that Henry VIII gave a clock (which still survives) to Anne Boleyn as a gift, and that several of the monarchs (especially Charles II) have been avid clock collectors.

[@durthacht]

Excellent video. Thank you. When you talk about vaults under the main chapel floor, is that like a basement area with passages and a series of vault rooms off those passages, or is it just a hole dug into the building foundation?

[@allanbarton]

It is a self-contained hole that is lined with brick or stone and is given a brick or stone ceiling just below floor level.

[@jilltagmorris]

Well done! AGAIN

[@allanbarton]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@douglasseeber8370]

Elizabeth Woodville is my distant Grandmother through her first husband John Grey. If you go there are you allowed to visit the grave?

[@Research0digo]

Thank you, Allan. What are "dume paintings", please? Was his consort's remains then put in a decent coffin? Thank you.

[@mariasussman6683]

Thank you

[@suemills5108]

Just found your channel and I am intrigued - enough so to have ordered the November issue of your magazine. I was unable to find the subscribe option but I may look into this again once I have read this one! Thank you!

[@allanbarton]

Thanks Sue, my apologies for not answering your message - the message system on KZbin is not perfect and sometimes messages aren't seen. It is probably my use if the technology. Thanks for ordering the magazine, I do hope that you liked it.

[@suemills5108]

@@allanbarton Not to worry! I liked it so much that I have ordered the previous issues AND subscribed for the future ones! Great work! :)

[@allanbarton]

@@suemills5108 that's wonderful, thank you. December's edition is just about to go to the printer - so will be with you next week.

[@Sylvia-Storm]

Perhaps that’s where Henry VIII got his size from.

[@bethwilliams4903]

The reburial from Chertsey, where Edward IV had Henry VI buried after his ‘demise,’ was conducted by Edward’s younger brother, Richard, now king. It was his decision to have Henry VI moved to St George’s to rest alongside both Edward IV, and close by the chamberlain, William, Lord Hastings.

[@dfjtobin]

Nice video once again, at 1:00 I think that is a picture of Edward IV rather than Henry VI.

[@allanbarton]

Thank you. The Lancastrian collar of esses round his neck gives it away as Henry rather than Edward.

[@1stAmbientGrl]

You mentioned Edward wearing red leather shoes for burial. Is there a significant meaning associated with red leather shoes worn by kings?

[@allanbarton]

They were just very posh and expensive, made of leather imported from Morocco.

[@tls8688]

Good heavens. They taste tested the decomposition fluids? Thats job dedication (or craziness)!

[@allanbarton]

Craziness in my view.

[@medievalwolfgrrl]

How odd that the was embalmed after his funeral. I have no words when it comes to someone tasting his bodily fluids. Utterly at a loss!

[@williameddy3895]

I was just there last month.

[@davebento1548]

Could DNA be extracted from the hair to determine whether Edward was a full or half brother of Richard ? Love the videos by the way !

[@allanbarton]

It is possible it could be - I doubt it will happen though. Glad you like the videos.

[@samkohen4589]

@@allanbarton How about the place where his two murdered sons are placed. Perhaps they could verify if they are actually his children

[@Brando_M]

That description of drinking the decomposed fluid was stomach turning 🤮

[@anne-marie2972]

Yes. Creepy.

[@mcarp555]

I had always wondered what that liquid was and how it got into the lead shell. Bleah. Edward was very fit in his youth, but grew quite fat in his last years. I guess all that fat just literally melted off his bones and collected at the base.

[@Bus_Driver_Jay]

What was it with the 19th and 20th century, and opening all these tombs? Were they on a commission of some sort?

[@allanbarton]

Ha, it seems so.

[@Bus_Driver_Jay]

@@allanbarton I must apologise. I fear your teachings were wasted on me! I must lack the adventurers instinct needed for the job! I couldn't imagine disturbing someone's resting place!

[@JohnnyAngel8]

Regarding the fluid testing, I think I'm going to be ill ....

[@Guitcad1]

"...no taste." Me: Oh, sweet balls of Jesus! 😳

[@TheWorkmonkey1]

I wonder if they ever did a DNA Match on Edwards hair and Richard III's remains...

[@kristinetaulbut4975]

Tried the liquid! Oh god

[@rose2fame1]

😱 someone tasted the liquid in the coffin of King Edward IV?

[@littlelaur94]

Is the "college" thing why you have the College of Cardinals?

[@littlelaur94]

BTW, enjoy your videos so much I am now going to subscribe to the magazine

[@allanbarton]

Thank you.

[@allanbarton]

Yes absolutely right.

[@markswanson7839]

Bring back the Plantagenets!

[@Mattipedersen]

Dude just had to taste that corpse juice

[@ArchimandritePhilip]

I'd rather hoped the liquid tasted of Worcester Sauce.

[@meighanlynne]

Blah…tasting bodily fluids. How sad about his wife’s remains scattered across his coffin though.

[@allanbarton]

It is sad.

[@bessofhardwick9311]

Why on earth would anybody drink any liquid found in a coffin? You just...don't.

[@nancytestani1470]

Disgusting..yeesh

[@canadagoose188]

second

[@canadagoose188]

j