Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers

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Anthony Rivers, 2nd Earl Rivers (1442?- June 25, 1483) was an English nobleman, courtier, and writer.

He was the eldest son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Like his father, he was originally a Lancastrian, fighting on that side at the Battle of Towton, but later became a Yorkist. He succeeded his father in 1469.

Rivers became very influential at the royal court after his sister Elizabeth married Edward IV. He joined the king in his temporary exile in 1470, and returned with him the next year, where he was wounded at the Battle of Barnet.

He was married to Elizabeth Scales, a baroness of Scales in her own right, daughter of Thomas de Scales, 7th Baron of Scales. Elizabeth would be the 8th baroness of Scales.

In 1473 King Edward IV appointed Rivers Governor of the Prince of Wales' household, and Rivers went with the prince to Ludlow Castle. His duties included the administration of justice throughout the principality. When the king died in 1483, he accompanied the Prince, now King Edward V, on the way back to London. However, they were waylaid by the Duke of Gloucester, who imprisoned the Earl and then had him beheaded at Pontefract Castle on June 25, 1483 as part of his path toward becoming king (as Richard III).

After his wife Elizabeth Woodville's death in 1473, Anthony was summoned in her right making him the 8th Baron of Scales. On his death in 1483 the peerage fell into abeyance.

Rivers was evidently quite learned. One of the first, if not the first, books printed in England was his translation from French of the Sayings of the Philosophers, printed by William Caxton in 1476. Lambeth Palace Library has an illustration showing Rivers presenting a copy of this book to Edward IV.

Anthony was succeeded by his brother, Richard, as Earl Rivers.