The Icky Things Found Inside Edward IV’s Coffin | The Bones of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville

From History Calling

What was found inside the TOMB OF EDWARD IV and Elizabeth Woodville in St George’s Chapel, Windsor in 1789? In this English royal history documentary from History Calling we start with the death of Edward IV in 1483, the death of Elizabeth Woodville in 1492 and the burials of this royal couple, who are well known as the parents of the Princes in the Tower and of Elizabeth of York, mother of Henry VIII. We then look at the condition of the skeleton of Edward IV after 306 years in his coffin and the skeleton of Elizabeth Woodville (what was left of it). I’ll discuss why the royal grave was opened during the reign of George III, what this famous Plantagenet King’s coffin looked like, why there was only one coffin found, despite there being the remains of two people, what clothes Edward IV was buried in, what condition his remains were in (including the presence of coffin goop and the stomach churning experiments which the doctors of the day ran on it), what Edward’s hair looked like, how tall he was and how the remains of Edward IV were desecrated by those who opened the tomb, with pieces of him taken and later sold at auction. I’ll even you a picture of Edward IV’s remains in his coffin. I’ll consider why Edward and Elizabeth’s remains were in such a different state of preservation and why items which should have been left with her grave were taken as well. Throughout I’ll use primary sources, including the first-hand account of Henry Emlyn, clerk of the works, who opened the royal grave and a letter by Henry W. Legee who was also allowed repeated access to the King’s remains and who stole numerous pieces of Edward IV’s hair.