👑 EDWARD IV: ENGLAND'S SEXIEST KING? SEX, SCANDAL & BETRAYAL He was tall, devastatingly handsome, charming, athletic and irresistible to women. He won his crown on the battlefield at just eighteen and married a beautiful widow for love — or perhaps lust. But behind the dazzling exterior of King Edward IV lay a much darker story. Welcome to Episode 2 of In Bed with History, where we climb beneath the royal bedcovers to discover the real people behind history's greatest legends. In this episode, we explore: ❤️ The most handsome king in England? What contemporary writers said about Edward's extraordinary appearance, his height, his clothes and his legendary charm. 🌹 Elizabeth Woodville: The beautiful Lancastrian widow who captured his heart, their secret marriage and the political storm it unleashed. 🍷 Sex, wine and scandal: Edward's mistresses, his enormous appetites and what medieval society really thought about sex, adultery and royal behaviour. ⚔️ A warrior king: The bloody Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Towton and the extraordinary young man who seized the English throne. 🐍 Betrayal and murder: Warwick the Kingmaker, Edward's treacherous brother George, Duke of Clarence, and the terrible fate of Henry VI. 👑 The decline of a dynasty: How England's golden boy grew older, heavier and increasingly indulgent — and why his sudden death left his two young sons dangerously vulnerable. Was Edward IV a brilliant king brought down by his appetites, or was the destruction of the House of York partly his own doing? This episode is particularly personal to me. Edward IV was once my favourite English king, and I chose to study rebellions against his rule for my Master's degree at Oxford. But the more I've studied him, the more complicated — and troubling — he has become. Join me for a journey through medieval England, where beauty, desire, ambition and violence were never far apart. 📚 ABOUT IN BED WITH HISTORY I'm Vic Neal, an Oxford history graduate and postgraduate with a passion for bringing the personalities of the past to life. In Bed with History explores the private lives, romances, scandals, personalities and secrets of history's most fascinating figures. Expect accessible, entertaining history, beautiful illustrations, a little humour and plenty of historical intrigue. 📖 READ THE BOOK Discover the accompanying Kindle book, Edward IV, by Vic Neal, available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HNDCR3CZ 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST You can also enjoy In Bed with History on Podbean. ❤️ SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE HISTORY If you enjoy medieval history, royal scandals, the Wars of the Roses and the fascinating people behind the crowns, please like, comment and subscribe. 💬 LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS: Was Edward IV England's most attractive king? And do you think his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was romantic, reckless — or both? NEXT EPISODE: LORD BYRON — the scandalous Romantic poet whose love life was almost as extraordinary as his writing. #EdwardIV #WarsOfTheRoses #ElizabethWoodville #MedievalHistory #InBedWithHistory #BritishHistory #RoyalHistory #HistoryDocumentary
