Cultural depictions of Edward IV of England

Edward IV of England has been depicted in popular culture a number of times.

Literature

Edward IV features as a character in:

• The plays Henry VI, Part 2, Henry VI, Part 3, and Richard III, by William Shakespeare. In the 1955 film Richard III, Richard directly hastens Edward's death, by informing the already ailing king that one of his brothers, George, Duke of Clarence is dead (Edward had revoked the order for Clarence's exceution, but Richard has had Clarence secretly murdered).
• The plays King Edward IV, Part 1 and King Edward IV, Part 2, by Thomas Heywood, a contemporary of Shakespeare's.
• The Innocent, The Exiled and The Beloved (released as The Uncrowned Queen) by Australian novelist, Posie Graeme-Evans
• The Raven and the Rose, by Virginia Henley (a fictional illegitimate child of Edward IV is the main character)
• The Sunne in Splendour, by Sharon Kay Penman (a historical fiction novel about the life of Richard III)
• We Speak No Treason, by Rosemary Hawley Jarman (a historical fiction novel about Richard III as Duke of Gloucester)
• The Founding, Volume 1 of The Morland Dynasty, a series of historical novels by author Cynthia Harrod-Eagles.
• Sovereign, by C. J. Sansom (Fictional account set in 1541 England. Edward IV is actually the son of a Kentish archer.)
• The Reluctant Queen, by Jean Plaidy (a historical fiction novel from the point of view of Anne Neville, wife of Richard III)
• The White Queen, by Philippa Gregory (a historical fiction novel from the point of view of Edward's wife, Elizabeth Woodville)
• Knight Errant, Lady Robyn, and White Rose, a trilogy by R. Garcia y Robertson (Edward, Earl of March, falls in love with a woman who is a time-traveler from 21st century America)
• The Kings Grace by Anne Easter Smith (Fictional portrayal of Edward's illegitimate daughter Grace)
• House of Echoes by Barbara Erskine (Ghost story about a mansion that is haunted by the spirit of Edward IV among others)
• Thwarted Queen by Cynthia Sally Haggard (A fictionalized biography of his mother Cecily Neville)
• 'The Goldsmith's Wife' by Jean Plaidy (A fictionalized story of his mistress Jane Shore)
• 'The Red Rose of Anjou' by Jean Plaidy (The life of queen Margaret of Anjou)
• 'Daughter of York' by Anne Easter Smith ( The fictionalized story of his sister Margaret)
• 'Royal Mistress' by Anne Easter Smith (The story of his mistress Jane Shore)
• 'Mistress to the Crown' by Isolde Martyn (The story of his mistress Jane Shore)
• The Assassin's Wife by Moonyeen Blakey (Describes Edward's relationship with Eleanor Butler)
• The Sun in Splendour by Jean Plaidy (A fictionalized story about Edward IV life)
• Queen of Trial and Sorrow by Susan Appleyard (The story of Elizabeth Woodville)
• Robert Baratheon from the series A Song of Ice and Fire seems based on Edward IV. He usurped the throne from the Mad King Aerys II with his military skill. However, ruling takes its toll on Robert, who becomes fat and debauched, along with being a lustful figure who sires numerous bastards. After Robert's death his brother Stannis Baratheon tries to claim the throne on the grounds Robert's children are illegitimate, though this is true, Robert's wife Cersei Lannister was having an incestuous affair with her brother Jaime Lannister.

Film and television

Edward has been played on film and television by:

• Alfred Brydone in the silent short Richard III (1911), dramatising a part of Shakespeare's play
• Robert Gemp in the silent Shakespeare adaptation Richard III (1912)
• Roy Travers in the silent film Jane Shore (1915), an adaptation of the play The Tragedy of Jane Shore by Nicholas Rowe
• Ian Hunter in Tower of London (1939), a horror film loosely dramatising the rise to power of Richard III
• Cedric Hardwicke in Richard III, with Laurence Olivier. (Hardwicke was 62; Edward died at 40.)
• Julian Glover in the BBC series An Age of Kings (1960), which contained all the history plays from Richard II to Richard III
• Justice Watson in the remake of Tower of London (1962)
• Benno Sterzenbach in the West German TV version of Shakespeare's play König Richard III (1964)
• József Gáti in III. Richárd (1973), a Hungarian version of the Shakespeare play
• Brian Protheroe in the BBC Shakespeare versions of Henry VI, Part 2, Henry VI, Part 3 and The Tragedy of Richard the Third (1983)
• Marc Betton in a French film version of Richard III (1986)
• Roy Dotrice in the BBC series The Wars of the Roses (1989), which included all of Shakespeare's history plays performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company
• John Wood in Richard III (1995), with Ian McKellen as Richard
• Harris Yulin in the film documentary Looking for Richard (1996)
• John Rackham in Richard III (2005), a modernised version set on a Brighton housing estate
• Walter Williamson in Richard III (2007), a modern-day version
• Max Irons in the BBC drama series The White Queen (2013)