My parents gave me 2 bottles of Malmsey wine, when I graduated college. My siblings had no idea my parents did so, and were even more clueless, when I referred to George Duke of Clarence.
You got the wine, maybe your parents had a thing going between them that if they had a child who mentioned George Duke of Clarence ,they were the winners of 2 bottles of Malmsey wine, in fact I'd say they dragged it from Grrece without breaking it in the 1960's( 1st proper backpackers). I'd love to.kniw if it was delicious or vinegar??? Oh do tell..
🤍🍷 I think Edward was all together too forgiving of his brother who tried to rebel against him (i.e., dethrone and murder him, he also killed his wife's father and brother too 😢) and Edward should have delt with him long before he actually did. I think it would make sense for him to have drowned in wine like you said dying as he lived, in pursuit of opulence and riches undeserved. Either way, it's a good tale!
I was told by my history teacher in the 1970’s that it was purely a euphemism for the fact that he was an alcoholic, who was perhaps given enough wine to drink to finish himself off.
Josephine Tey took that line in her historically-themed novel "Daughter of Time" too, depicting the "drowning-in-wine" death as a sardonic commentary by the populace on Clarence's alleged alcoholism in life?
💮 I enjoyed this because it outlined how duplicitous George was. I've wondered about his execution and it is puzzling. I have a feeling he may have been allowed to drink himself into a stupor and then was drowned or suffocated... or perhaps his wine was poisoned. Only those directly involved knew. Thank you Dr Kat!
In the portrait of Margaret Pole (executed by Henry 8th) who was Clarence's daughter, she is shown wearing what appears to be a bracelet with an apparent 'wine butt' attached. I'm not sure how authentic the portrait is, but if it is accurate it suggests Clarence's daughter knew of the story and believed it. I don't think she would have worn something intended to denigrate her father. 🌼(Closest thing I could find to a white rose!).
I found a that picture of Margaret Pole. That is amazing you recognized that!! Wow. She’s trying to tell us something. Maybe that was the last bottle he consumed and she found him? How sad.
🌹 I agree as the brother of the King he would have been beheaded with invited guests. Not hung drawn and quartered . As too the wine 🍷 it was a reflection on his lifestyle that he was drowned in it 🏰
"Malmsey" wine derives from the town of Monemvasia on the southern tip of Greece - an area long controlled by Venice until the Ottoman conquests of the 15th century. I think it was the Venetians who were responsible for selling this wine and the grape varieties throughout western Europe. I once heard a joke about the duke of Clarence's supposed method of execution - "The duke of Clarence was drowned in a barrel of wine - before having clambered out at least twice to go to the toilet!"
I would love a "Reading/Drinking the Past" Mug and/or Coffee cup, T-Shirts, and Be a member of the Order Of The Reading Of The Past. LOL But I would buy them
I remember that you used to be able to go into the crypt of Tewkesbury Abbey and see the skull off Clarence in a glass case with a note explaining that he met his demise in a butt of Malmsey wine. I can think of worse ways to go, although I'd need to get out at least twice to go to the toilet.
@@Goddess-of-Beer It's simple. He was enjoying his end so much, he got back in and continued after relieving himself Maybe you are misnamed if you don't get a drinker's joke like that! (teasing)
Thank you for an interesting take on the death of George of Clarence. The malmsey wine, to my mind, is unlikely to have been used to kill him. It was, after all, incredibly expensive even for a royal pocket - unless he was held down in a bowl rather than a barrel. However, it “tells a good story”. I think we also need to consider the input of Shakespeare through his plays covering this period of English history. He was, after all, a jobbing play write under the Tudors and needed to reflect their version of the truth for continued patronage. And that writing is what we have inherited. 🎭
Wonderful video, as always, Dr Kat. I appreciate your mentioning young brothers George & Richard being sent away to safety - years later, did that inspire Richard as king to send his young nephews, the “princes in the tower,” away for their safety also? Good for a bit of a think on a rainy evening.
I think George’s manner of death demonstrates the beginning, at least, of the massive breakdown of dynastic relations that would eventually topple the Yorks from the throne. The execution of such a high-ranking peer and senior royal would’ve been a disgrace on both the part of the duke (for his erratic loyalties), the king (for his inability to control his brother) and for the wider regime - Yorkist rule was coming apart as the Yorks themselves were turning against each other. The situation was exacerbated by Edward IV’s sudden death and Richard III’s ceasing of the crown from his nephews, whose subsequent delegitimisation and disappearance further undermined and eventually destroyed yorkist power in England as the this dysfunctional family further destabilised royal power. I think the secrecy and infamy of both these instances of the removal of rival claimants to the throne were examples of severe political misjudgment on both the parts of Edward and Richard. And it does make you wonder if Richard really did dispose of his nephews could he just be acting on the precedent set by his brother? Offering as little information as possible to save face?
I work overnight, but I had to stay awake for this episode. I am so glad that this is my first premiere. The Plantagenets / War of the Roses is my favorite history to read about in England. Thank you for all your hard work and energy in your videos. ❤
In addition to the reasons you provide, I have also read in a couple of places that George had spread the rumor that King Edward was a bastard. That alone would be reason enough to kill George since it would have knocked his sons out of the succession. (of course, that's exactly what happened when Richard found out).
🤍 I have been a Yorkist since reading Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time in my teens. I also grew up, coincidentally, half a block away from York Road, our towns major thoroughfare, which only occurred to me just now...
False, Fleeting, Perjured Clarence is one of my all time favorite Shakespearean quotes. Edward had every reason to run out of patience with his brother. Clarence was bad, bad news!
🌹🍷 George seemed to be a thoroughly unpleasant grasping sort and I am surprised he was tolerated for so long. In an age where death was so easy and common, it certainly could have been managed in any number of ways. Thank you once again for a very enjoyable and informative talk.
I'd love it if Dr. Kat could discuss Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, who was posited to be Jack the Ripper. As always, I have loved your videos. 🎉💖
I have never believed the notion that Albert Victor (aka 'Eddy') was Jack the Ripper, because Eddy was too mentally dim to organize such frenzied murders.
Since the census records for that period have been released the leading suspect for those crimes (including the Thames torso murders) is a Charles Lechmere. He was the only person to be found with a body, acted suspiciously at the time and gave a false name (Cross) . The subsequent series of murders were all committed on his daily route to work .One of the bodies from the Thames torso murders was actually found on the site were he was once lived.
there's a lot of mythology around Jack the Ripper but that one has been thoroughly debunked lol....what would be interesting is a take on Hallie Rubenhold's theory that the victims were not targeted because they were sex workers (only two were proven to have actually engaged in sex work) but were simply easy marks because they were homeless - in other words, ambushed as they slept. which not only accounts some of their injuries but also explains why nobody heard any screams - they simply didn't get a chance to make any. her book is called The Five, and its very good...very sad, but highly compelling
💮 I’ve always struggled to take the “drowned in a butt of Malmsey” thing literally. It feels like a metaphor and a comment on his life. What a nightmare George must have been for Edward. I think Shakespeare would have wanted to whitewash Edward since Elizabeth and James were both descended from him.
I’m currently reading the novel The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Published in 1951, the novel is the story of a bedridden detective who is so bored by his stay in hospital that he sets about solving the mystery of the Princes in the Tower. The novel mentions the detective’s source material being the content of a number of books that actually exist in real life, so the author seems to have done a fair bit of research. The detective also hears various versions of the historic events from his friends, his doctor, and his nurses. He is initially persuaded that Thomas More’s biography of Richard III must be accurate as More was alive at that time, but then dismisses it as second-hand information once he realises that Thomas More was only five-years-old at the time Richard claimed the throne. One thing that is mentioned regarding the death of George, Duke of Clarence, is the wide acceptance - at least at the time the novel is set - that George drowning in a barrel of Malmsey wine was euphemistic, and that it actually refers to George drinking himself to death whilst being held in the tower awaiting his fate. I guess we’ll never know, but I suspect that if Edward IV was influenced by his mother, she wouldn’t have wanted her son drowned to death either.
I love that book - read it many years ago and lots since! It was actually the reason I changed my belief that Richard was guilty and have since then fervently believed that Margaret Beaufort had a hand in the Princes' disappearance - her son's future depended on it totally. Richard had already declared them illegitimate so made little difference to him.
@@Magic_in_York Was that a spoiler?! 😂 Just kidding, I definitely think the Tudors benefitted more from the boys being dead. That said, I’m not convinced they did die in the Tower.
@@ffotograffydd OMG! Ooops, I'm so sorry, I thought you'd read it... Well, forget everything I wrote and come to your own conclusions 🤣. It's a great book and I hope you enjoy it.
George was not executed for trying to overthrow Edward IV. According to the trial George was executed for “spreading rumors about the king”. Rather interesting is the fact that Edward also imprisoned Bishop Stillington during the same period. George may well have been told of Edward’s plight troth with Eleanor Butler. We have no idea whether George was drowned in Malmsey or not. It may have just been a reflection of his heavy drinking. We do know that Richard was very upset and retired to the North, seldom to return to London.
🤍 I read/heard somewhere that George was allowed to choose the manner of his execution and he picked the malmsey himself, which does seem rather melodramatic. 🤷 Merch, courses, mailing list....a thousand times yes to all of these!! 💛 I get so much value out of your videos, thank you for your work!
I think that was the direction Philippa Gregory took in her historical fiction book _The White Queen_ . I thought it was an interesting take because Clarence tells his brother to drown him in malmsey wine in a sarcastic way because he doesn’t think Edward will go through with executing him. Edward had forgiven George every other time, why would this be any different? It does seem to fit with the indulgent character of George, even if Gregory invented the scene.
I think the fact that what sources we do have emphasize the presence of malmsey wine indicates that it was involved in SOME way. After your explanation, I don't know if I necessarily buy he was drowned in a cask of the stuff. I'm not a historian or anything but I'd presume a luxury wine purchased all the way from Greece to England would be expensive, even for royalty. Maybe George was allowed one last drink before the end? (kind of like the one last cigarette before the firing squad) Great video, thank you for making this! It just popped up in my recommendations unexpectedly
I agree with your assessment Dr. Kat. The whole Malmsey wine thing was an attempt to dishonor George posthumously. As you said, he was too noble for a public and shameful way to die. Much more fitting with the times and his station to be quietly dispatched and then some embarrassing story following afterward. 🌹❤ BTW: Yes, to offering courses through your website ! I'd be up for some Merch too, but I expect it'd be too hard/expensive to ship to the USA.😞
If you do merch, I’d love some family tree posters. I have the Monarchy one from Useful Charts, but I’m constantly adding little sticky notes of battles, spouses, children, contemporaries, etc.
ikr! Even though the family trees in my British monarchy book are already super-detailed, I've added sooo many notes with even more details 😂 It's just not possible to even half-understand the Wars of the Roses without a detailed family tree of Edward III's descendants, which _is_ complicated when you first see it, but enough staring makes both the tree & the war a LOT easier to follow.
Love you, Dr. Kat! I would like to see more pictures of castles and estates. I would be interested in knowing who owned which properties and who lived where. And of course who doesn't love pictures of castles? LOL
I had not been aware of the "wine drowning", but find it intriguing. Such violent times they were. I find it believable that such an occurrence transpred, especially if Edward was fed up with George.
One story.prevalent regarding Clarence's execution is that, in order to spare their mother undue pain, Edward allowed Clarence to choose the means of his own execution Hence being drowned in his favorite sweet wine.
The only place I’ve read that particular account is in Philippa Gregory’s fictional novel about the incident. What other sources have you found that talk about George choosing the wine? I tried to look for any but came up empty- there’s the aforementioned bit alluding to Edward making the death easier at his mother’s begging that Dr.Kat went over, but outside of that, I’ve been unable to find any historical sources that say anything about George being asked to choose his method of death.
George was executed for “spreading rumors”. It is most interesting that Bishop Stillington was imprisoned indefinitely at the same time. Clerics could not be executed. Could Stillington have told George of the plight troth he claimed to have performed between Edward IV and Eleanor Butler, before Edward married Elizabeth Woodville?
Richard as appalled at George’s execution. He left London for the North and seldom came back until Edward’s death. He continued in loyalty to Edward, fought for him, defeated the Scots for him, but Richard stayed away, once returning to see Margaret of Burgundy, who had returned to visit.
@@sarahelmore83I first got interested in the War of the roses when reading daughter of time when I was 13. I have read far more books than I can count. I always read that George was allowed to choose his way of death. This was decades before The White Queen. I’ve never been fond of the Woodvilles.
@@nbenefiel George may have genuinely believed that Edward was illegitimate and ineligible for the throne. If George believed he was entitled to the throne, he might have felt justified when he betrayed Edward IV. Ironically, Edward IV married for love but wanted his brother to make a politically advantageous marriage. Edward IV's mother considered George her favorite, approved of his marriage to Isabelle of Warwick and arranged for his reconciliation with Edward IV. I think George somehow knew about the marriage of Edward IV and Eleanor Butler. He may have threatened to reveal the invalidity of the king's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. Many blamed Elizabeth Woodville of insisting on George's execution. After his execution in secret, was George's body displayed to prove he was really dead? Was there a formal funereal?
Sharon Kay Penman's "Sunne in Splendour" puts forth the theory that George was killed because he knew about a secret engagement that Edward had to a woman pre-Elizabeth Woodville, which would render Edward and Elizabeth's marriage null and void, and that George was stupid enough to let Edward find out that he knew this. George thus became too dangerous to Edward to be allowed to live.
I was about to comment this. It is such a nice theory because it also explains why Richard III changed his mind about crowning Prince Edward. I always thought Richard and George would be a lot closer to each other considering their shared childhood and traumas and his death must have certainly played a part in Richard's decisions.
@@Goddess-of-Beer George was disloyal to Edward while Richard always supported Edward. Although George and Richard had a major dispute over the Warwick inheritance, Richard was devoted to the York family. Richard did, however, feel that Elizabeth Woodville had influenced Edward to execute George. Richard, therefore, distrusted the entire Woodville family. It was perhaps at this time Richard became aware of Edward's possibly bigamous marriage. George was reportedly Duchess Cecily's favorite child and perhaps she told George about Edward's marriage to Eleanor Butler.
🌸 I'll have to go with a pink flower only because it's difficult for me to choose between the two. I do prefer York for personal reasons, however I have always found a liking to both sides. 🌸🤷🏼♀️
I’ve wondered about this always - if it was true, romanced, totally false or had a hidden meaning. Thank you Dr Kat for the deep dive and the alternatives and consequences I’d never thought of.
I just love this story (and I believe it's true.) It's a cautionary tale that sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for! George has been described as wishing that death for himself.
Thank you! This family had terrible ends to their lives beginning with the father. He was a complete and utter traitor that had been forgiven too many times. Love your work! ⚖️
Author Phillips Gregory in The White Princess suggests that George requests his own death by drowning in the Malmsey wine because it was Elizabeth's favorite, and he wanted to ruin the taste of wine for her because they hated each other so much as rivals. Interesting idea but probably not realistic.
I tend to agree that having a royal duke and brother executed publicly like a common traitor, was not really good PR when the royals’ special status was being eroded by internal family strife and declining respect over all. Also and as others said, Edward had clearly been more than a bit forgiving with all Carence’s betrayals. So when something had to be done. It was done without dragging the whole royal clan down. And Edward could be forgiven the irony of ´allowing his drunkard brother’ the luxury of dying in the wine he loved too well.
As someone who has nearly drowned (50+ years and the details have faded, but not the terror), the idea of the headsman using an axe or sword sounds better. The butt of malmsey sounds dramatic enough for that time period, but as you said, there were better ways to kill him without wasting an expensive wine.
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury's portrait in the NPG shows a barrel suspended from her sleeve. It is not known if the portrait is of her, and there are questions about whether the barrel is a later addition, but, as I understand it, that is not proven one way or the other. 🐱🐉🐱🐉
Good lord, I've never caught on to how young he was, for treason'ing his king-brother or at his execution. 👑 I wonder, if Polydore Vergil saying the events were a "monstrous crime", if he wasn't meaning that the legal steps were violated or ignored, but rather the emotional betrayal of a brother ordering the death of a brother.
Thanks Dr. Kat for another fabulous video! And thanks for connecting the dots between George's extravagant lifestyle and his need for the Neville marriage in order to get at Warwick's money.💡Also, I've always wondered if the reason Edward IV was so lenient with his brother is that George was mentally not quite all there. That would explain the erratic side switching. When Isabelle died, I wonder if that event pushed him over the edge, as evidenced by his 'murder' of the servant. It would seem that if he were unstable, the Malmsy wine may indeed have been his choice.🍷🍷🍷 And how about the Duke of Gloucester's involvement in all this! Richard had to be involved somehow. 🏵(Not taking sides!)
Richard was in the North, in York, when George was killed. I think a more likely antagonist was Elizabeth Woodville, who needed to protect her children from George's duplicitous behaviour. Because the thing about George is that he *Never Learned* from his mistakes.
@@cathryncampbell8555 Thanks for that. I seem to have heard that before. I think you have a good point about the whole Woodville clan 'whispering' in Edward's ear to finally get rid of George. I know I'm tainted by Shakespeare, but I just can't help but think that at a minimum Richard purposely sat back and let the whole incident play out.
I don't think Richard would encourage Edward IV to kill George. Firstly, they grew up together, they were together when the Lancastrian army sacked their town and castle, they went to exile together. I don't think such bond would be broken so easily. And secondly, considering Edward's answers to George's past unfaithfulness, perhaps Richard though he wouldn't hurt him but simply imprison him. I read some people saying George was mad. Perhaps it was his traumatic childhood making him so paranoid, and perhaps that's why he threw accusations of witchcraft, etc. I'm not sure what caused Edward IV to execute him but I doubt that Richard and George hated each other. George's last born child, a baby boy, was named Richard after all.
Another great video. I remember seeing in a documentary years ago where a historian suggested that George chose his drowning in wine as his method of execution. I've read from comments below that Phillipa Gregory has written it in her novels but I don't read her so I didn't get it from her. Dr. Kat I would LOVE some Reading The Past merch.
Both sides were absolute fools. I understand the politics of the era. But, at its roots, it is the classic story of men whose egos' capacity far exceeded their brains' capacity. Edward's line died in a tower. The Tudor line died with Elizabeth, whose crown went to the son of a sovereign Queen whom Elizabeth executed, fearing Mary might have a stronger claim to her crown than her own. George was no worse than his compatriots. What a waste.
Please make more videos on wars of the roses 🌹🌹❤❤ A true Yorkist at heart . I share my birthday with George Duke of Clarence 's son Edward Plantaganet, the last member of house of york 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
I think that, when dealing with first hand accounts and extant documents, it's so incredibly important to put them in the context of the writing style of the time. History is written by the victor and the victim with both equally shading their accounts to their best advantage. 🍷👑
🤍I would like a video about Elizabeth woodville and her connection to the French story of Melusina. There was a documentary about it but I would love to get your thoughts about it. Please and thank you
Edward wasn’t necessarily hypocritical in discouraging George from marrying Isabel. He knew it was a dangerous arrangement, which proved to be the case, and it isn’t as if George really loved Isabel. Come on. George should have been dealt with long before, he was always treacherous, never a trustworthy brother.
It was probably easier and cheaper to get Clarence drunk and then smother him with a pillow. This way the death sentence could be accomplished with less suffering for the victim (as he would have been passed out or asleep) and also saved the remainder of the cask of wine.
Ooo, a Reading the Past t-shirt. Excellent idea! I quite enjoyed this video - an interesting form of execution, this drowning in a vat of wine - goodness! Sounds like someone might have been making a statement on George, Duke of Clarence's lifestyle choices? 🌹🏰🍷
Thanks for the historical look and questions about these people. I enjoy your way of teaching history very much. You get me thinking! Thanks again from South Carolina, USA.
The ending of George has become apocryphal, like the death of Richard II and George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. I'm taking all of those with a huge spoonful of salt. Another thought that popped into my head while watching this video: Is the title, "Duke of Clarence" no longer a title in the British monarchy? Did it end with George's death?
It went out of favour for a long time, but was revived by King George III for his third son William , who would eventually become King William IV. Queen Victoria revived it again for the Prince of Wales's [ future King Edward VII ] eldest son Prince Albert Victor, who pre-deceased his father and had no children. He was the last Duke of Clarence.
This is excellent. Please continue this series. I have taken this account as truth. You have provide the sources and the normal practices of the time , and it has helped me question this piece of history. This story should not be looked on as 100% correct.
Well as a swed we learn in school about the king Eric XIV who got arsenic poisoned pea soup by his brother John III of Sweden, who took the throne . Maybe sometimes execution methods for nobles was a lot less noble - seeing the circumstances being those of high tensions??
Emails and courses! Please and thank you. I just want to thank you for being such an inspiration for those of us with learning disabilities! And just for being awesome in general,lol.
I think, as is want with spares, a person close to them convinces them that they should be either equal to, or be the actual king. Then they come up with a bunch of ridiculous ways to try to make that happen. In the end, they misjudge their own importance and influence and crash and burn. Rather like the Cardinal. :/
Love your videos Dr. Kat❤ Following DNA testing I learned that I am Scottish, Welsh & English. I’m having a great time following your wonderful dissertations. Thank you!🏴🏴🇬🇧
🍷🍷🍷💰💰🗡🗡 Wine, money/riches/status, and a dagger for violence and death. I think that sums up his life quite well 🤣 Im not sure what to really believe about how he died, but I like that the story about him drowinig in wine has survived so long and so strong. Anyway, loved the video as always. Great job Dr Kat, you are awesome 🥰 Love from Denmark
My parents gave me 2 bottles of Malmsey wine, when I graduated college. My siblings had no idea my parents did so, and were even more clueless, when I referred to George Duke of Clarence.
You got the wine, maybe your parents had a thing going between them that if they had a child who mentioned George Duke of Clarence ,they were the winners of 2 bottles of Malmsey wine, in fact I'd say they dragged it from Grrece without breaking it in the 1960's( 1st proper backpackers). I'd love to.kniw if it was delicious or vinegar??? Oh do tell..
🤍🍷 I think Edward was all together too forgiving of his brother who tried to rebel against him (i.e., dethrone and murder him, he also killed his wife's father and brother too 😢) and Edward should have delt with him long before he actually did. I think it would make sense for him to have drowned in wine like you said dying as he lived, in pursuit of opulence and riches undeserved. Either way, it's a good tale!
You are right on Edward should never been lenient with them
Margaret Beaufort should have been the first one whose head should have rolled for all her treasonous crap
I was told by my history teacher in the 1970’s that it was purely a euphemism for the fact that he was an alcoholic, who was perhaps given enough wine to drink to finish himself off.
Think he was portrayed that way in the Olivier Richard III. But also physically shoved into a barrel.
Josephine Tey took that line in her historically-themed novel "Daughter of Time" too, depicting the "drowning-in-wine" death as a sardonic commentary by the populace on Clarence's alleged alcoholism in life?
💮 I enjoyed this because it outlined how duplicitous George was. I've wondered about his execution and it is puzzling. I have a feeling he may have been allowed to drink himself into a stupor and then was drowned or suffocated... or perhaps his wine was poisoned. Only those directly involved knew. Thank you Dr Kat!
In the portrait of Margaret Pole (executed by Henry 8th) who was Clarence's daughter, she is shown wearing what appears to be a bracelet with an apparent 'wine butt' attached. I'm not sure how authentic the portrait is, but if it is accurate it suggests Clarence's daughter knew of the story and believed it. I don't think she would have worn something intended to denigrate her father. 🌼(Closest thing I could find to a white rose!).
I found a that picture of Margaret Pole. That is amazing you recognized that!!
Wow. She’s trying to tell us something. Maybe that was the last bottle he consumed and she found him?
How sad.
🌹 I agree as the brother of the King he would have been beheaded with invited guests. Not hung drawn and quartered . As too the wine 🍷 it was a reflection on his lifestyle that he was drowned in it 🏰
Every family has a George...and the Georges always think they are the heroes of the story.
George is just like King John, but George doesn't have a catchy song about him and John ended up as king, if a phony one..
Because of John, England walls a lot of their continental territory.
Really enjoying the battle map, I don't know why but it just helps me understand it better when I know where each battle took place.
"Malmsey" wine derives from the town of Monemvasia on the southern tip of Greece - an area long controlled by Venice until the Ottoman conquests of the 15th century. I think it was the Venetians who were responsible for selling this wine and the grape varieties throughout western Europe. I once heard a joke about the duke of Clarence's supposed method of execution - "The duke of Clarence was drowned in a barrel of wine - before having clambered out at least twice to go to the toilet!"
I would love a "Reading/Drinking the Past" Mug and/or Coffee cup, T-Shirts, and Be a member of the Order Of The Reading Of The Past. LOL But I would buy them
I remember that you used to be able to go into the crypt of Tewkesbury Abbey and see the skull off Clarence in a glass case with a note explaining that he met his demise in a butt of Malmsey wine. I can think of worse ways to go, although I'd need to get out at least twice to go to the toilet.
Hiya! I saw someone else in the comments mentioning that joke too. Would you mind explaining it to me? I've never heard of it :(
@@Goddess-of-Beer It's simple. He was enjoying his end so much, he got back in and continued after relieving himself Maybe you are misnamed if you don't get a drinker's joke like that! (teasing)
I remember reading that drowning in the malmsey meant that he drank himself to death.
Thanks! Love all your videos !! 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Thank you 🤩🤩🤩
Thank you for an interesting take on the death of George of Clarence. The malmsey wine, to my mind, is unlikely to have been used to kill him. It was, after all, incredibly expensive even for a royal pocket - unless he was held down in a bowl rather than a barrel. However, it “tells a good story”. I think we also need to consider the input of Shakespeare through his plays covering this period of English history. He was, after all, a jobbing play write under the Tudors and needed to reflect their version of the truth for continued patronage. And that writing is what we have inherited. 🎭
Wonderful video, as always, Dr Kat. I appreciate your mentioning young brothers George & Richard being sent away to safety - years later, did that inspire Richard as king to send his young nephews, the “princes in the tower,” away for their safety also? Good for a bit of a think on a rainy evening.
I think George’s manner of death demonstrates the beginning, at least, of the massive breakdown of dynastic relations that would eventually topple the Yorks from the throne. The execution of such a high-ranking peer and senior royal would’ve been a disgrace on both the part of the duke (for his erratic loyalties), the king (for his inability to control his brother) and for the wider regime - Yorkist rule was coming apart as the Yorks themselves were turning against each other. The situation was exacerbated by Edward IV’s sudden death and Richard III’s ceasing of the crown from his nephews, whose subsequent delegitimisation and disappearance further undermined and eventually destroyed yorkist power in England as the this dysfunctional family further destabilised royal power. I think the secrecy and infamy of both these instances of the removal of rival claimants to the throne were examples of severe political misjudgment on both the parts of Edward and Richard. And it does make you wonder if Richard really did dispose of his nephews could he just be acting on the precedent set by his brother? Offering as little information as possible to save face?
I hadn't thought of George's death in light of the Yorkist rule coming apart. It makes a lot of sense.
🌹🍷
That makes a lot of sense- good analysis.
Harry would certainly like his brother and children to disappear. Luckily , present day security would stop that .
I work overnight, but I had to stay awake for this episode. I am so glad that this is my first premiere. The Plantagenets / War of the Roses is my favorite history to read about in England. Thank you for all your hard work and energy in your videos. ❤
You’re in for a real treat! ❤Dr. Kat
In addition to the reasons you provide, I have also read in a couple of places that George had spread the rumor that King Edward was a bastard. That alone would be reason enough to kill George since it would have knocked his sons out of the succession. (of course, that's exactly what happened when Richard found out).
🤍 I have been a Yorkist since reading Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time in my teens. I also grew up, coincidentally, half a block away from York Road, our towns major thoroughfare, which only occurred to me just now...
False, Fleeting, Perjured Clarence is one of my all time favorite Shakespearean quotes. Edward had every reason to run out of patience with his brother. Clarence was bad, bad news!
Well said!
Like Henry /Harry ?
🌹🍷 George seemed to be a thoroughly unpleasant grasping sort and I am surprised he was tolerated for so long. In an age where death was so easy and common, it certainly could have been managed in any number of ways.
Thank you once again for a very enjoyable and informative talk.
I'd love it if Dr. Kat could discuss Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, who was posited to be Jack the Ripper.
As always, I have loved your videos. 🎉💖
I have never believed the notion that Albert Victor (aka 'Eddy') was Jack the Ripper, because Eddy was too mentally dim to organize such frenzied murders.
@@cathryncampbell8555 I am skeptical about it myself, but I believe it will make an interesting subject for a video.
I like this suggestion! 🌹❤
Since the census records for that period have been released the leading suspect for those crimes (including the Thames torso murders) is a Charles Lechmere. He was the only person to be found with a body, acted suspiciously at the time and gave a false name (Cross) . The subsequent series of murders were all committed on his daily route to work .One of the bodies from the Thames torso murders was actually found on the site were he was once lived.
there's a lot of mythology around Jack the Ripper but that one has been thoroughly debunked lol....what would be interesting is a take on Hallie Rubenhold's theory that the victims were not targeted because they were sex workers (only two were proven to have actually engaged in sex work) but were simply easy marks because they were homeless - in other words, ambushed as they slept. which not only accounts some of their injuries but also explains why nobody heard any screams - they simply didn't get a chance to make any. her book is called The Five, and its very good...very sad, but highly compelling
Dr Kat merch! Yes please. I would definitely buy a 'ritual purposes' mug 😂
Noted 🌟🌟🌟
💮 I’ve always struggled to take the “drowned in a butt of Malmsey” thing literally. It feels like a metaphor and a comment on his life. What a nightmare George must have been for Edward. I think Shakespeare would have wanted to whitewash Edward since Elizabeth and James were both descended from him.
Shakespeare would not dare suggest that George's threat to reveal the invalidity of Edward's marriage was the reason that George was executed.
I’m currently reading the novel The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Published in 1951, the novel is the story of a bedridden detective who is so bored by his stay in hospital that he sets about solving the mystery of the Princes in the Tower.
The novel mentions the detective’s source material being the content of a number of books that actually exist in real life, so the author seems to have done a fair bit of research. The detective also hears various versions of the historic events from his friends, his doctor, and his nurses.
He is initially persuaded that Thomas More’s biography of Richard III must be accurate as More was alive at that time, but then dismisses it as second-hand information once he realises that Thomas More was only five-years-old at the time Richard claimed the throne.
One thing that is mentioned regarding the death of George, Duke of Clarence, is the wide acceptance - at least at the time the novel is set - that George drowning in a barrel of Malmsey wine was euphemistic, and that it actually refers to George drinking himself to death whilst being held in the tower awaiting his fate.
I guess we’ll never know, but I suspect that if Edward IV was influenced by his mother, she wouldn’t have wanted her son drowned to death either.
I love that book - read it many years ago and lots since! It was actually the reason I changed my belief that Richard was guilty and have since then fervently believed that Margaret Beaufort had a hand in the Princes' disappearance - her son's future depended on it totally. Richard had already declared them illegitimate so made little difference to him.
@@Magic_in_York Was that a spoiler?! 😂
Just kidding, I definitely think the Tudors benefitted more from the boys being dead. That said, I’m not convinced they did die in the Tower.
@@ffotograffydd OMG! Ooops, I'm so sorry, I thought you'd read it... Well, forget everything I wrote and come to your own conclusions 🤣. It's a great book and I hope you enjoy it.
@@Magic_in_York It’s fine, I’ve studied that period of history fairly extensively and already knew about the Margaret Beaufort theory. 😉
@@ffotograffydd Ah, would love to hear your opinion on what happened if you have time.
George was not executed for trying to overthrow Edward IV. According to the trial George was executed for “spreading rumors about the king”. Rather interesting is the fact that Edward also imprisoned Bishop Stillington during the same period. George may well have been told of Edward’s plight troth with Eleanor Butler. We have no idea whether George was drowned in Malmsey or not. It may have just been a reflection of his heavy drinking. We do know that Richard was very upset and retired to the North, seldom to return to London.
🤍 I read/heard somewhere that George was allowed to choose the manner of his execution and he picked the malmsey himself, which does seem rather melodramatic. 🤷
Merch, courses, mailing list....a thousand times yes to all of these!! 💛 I get so much value out of your videos, thank you for your work!
I think that was the direction Philippa Gregory took in her historical fiction book _The White Queen_ .
I thought it was an interesting take because Clarence tells his brother to drown him in malmsey wine in a sarcastic way because he doesn’t think Edward will go through with executing him.
Edward had forgiven George every other time, why would this be any different?
It does seem to fit with the indulgent character of George, even if Gregory invented the scene.
@@Annie_Annie__ yes, maybe that's where I got it from!
I think the fact that what sources we do have emphasize the presence of malmsey wine indicates that it was involved in SOME way. After your explanation, I don't know if I necessarily buy he was drowned in a cask of the stuff. I'm not a historian or anything but I'd presume a luxury wine purchased all the way from Greece to England would be expensive, even for royalty. Maybe George was allowed one last drink before the end? (kind of like the one last cigarette before the firing squad)
Great video, thank you for making this! It just popped up in my recommendations unexpectedly
I agree with your assessment Dr. Kat. The whole Malmsey wine thing was an attempt to dishonor George posthumously. As you said, he was too noble for a public and shameful way to die. Much more fitting with the times and his station to be quietly dispatched and then some embarrassing story following afterward. 🌹❤
BTW: Yes, to offering courses through your website ! I'd be up for some Merch too, but I expect it'd be too hard/expensive to ship to the USA.😞
Such a famous story. Poor Margaret and Teddy
🤍❤️😎 Thanks for another great video!!! Have you ever done a video on Anne and Isabelle? I’m so curious about these two women.
I also would love a video on those two.
It’s so crazy that this is the video today, I just finished The White Queen! Love your videos as always ❤
If you do merch, I’d love some family tree posters. I have the Monarchy one from Useful Charts, but I’m constantly adding little sticky notes of battles, spouses, children, contemporaries, etc.
ikr! Even though the family trees in my British monarchy book are already super-detailed, I've added sooo many notes with even more details 😂 It's just not possible to even half-understand the Wars of the Roses without a detailed family tree of Edward III's descendants, which _is_ complicated when you first see it, but enough staring makes both the tree & the war a LOT easier to follow.
Love you, Dr. Kat!
I would like to see more pictures of castles and estates. I would be interested in knowing who owned which properties and who lived where. And of course who doesn't love pictures of castles? LOL
This is hard! I’m 🤍 for Edward IV but I’m ❤️ after! Another amazing video Dr Kat!
My "nerd" slip just flew out..😂 I cannot wait to hear your take on this!
I had not been aware of the "wine drowning", but find it intriguing. Such violent times they were. I find it believable that such an occurrence transpred, especially if Edward was fed up with George.
One story.prevalent regarding Clarence's execution is that, in order to spare their mother undue pain, Edward allowed Clarence to choose the means of his own execution Hence being drowned in his favorite sweet wine.
The only place I’ve read that particular account is in Philippa Gregory’s fictional novel about the incident. What other sources have you found that talk about George choosing the wine?
I tried to look for any but came up empty- there’s the aforementioned bit alluding to Edward making the death easier at his mother’s begging that Dr.Kat went over, but outside of that, I’ve been unable to find any historical sources that say anything about George being asked to choose his method of death.
George was executed for “spreading rumors”. It is most interesting that Bishop Stillington was imprisoned indefinitely at the same time. Clerics could not be executed. Could Stillington have told George of the plight troth he claimed to have performed between Edward IV and Eleanor Butler, before Edward married Elizabeth Woodville?
Richard as appalled at George’s execution. He left London for the North and seldom came back until Edward’s death. He continued in loyalty to Edward, fought for him, defeated the Scots for him, but Richard stayed away, once returning to see Margaret of Burgundy, who had returned to visit.
@@sarahelmore83I first got interested in the War of the roses when reading daughter of time when I was 13. I have read far more books than I can count. I always read that George was allowed to choose his way of death. This was decades before The White Queen. I’ve never been fond of the Woodvilles.
@@nbenefiel George may have genuinely believed that Edward was illegitimate and ineligible for the throne. If George believed he was entitled to the throne, he might have felt justified when he betrayed Edward IV. Ironically, Edward IV married for love but wanted his brother to make a politically advantageous marriage. Edward IV's mother considered George her favorite, approved of his marriage to Isabelle of Warwick and arranged for his reconciliation with Edward IV. I think George somehow knew about the marriage of Edward IV and Eleanor Butler. He may have threatened to reveal the invalidity of the king's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. Many blamed Elizabeth Woodville of insisting on George's execution. After his execution in secret, was George's body displayed to prove he was really dead? Was there a formal funereal?
Dr. Kat always makes me smile
Sharon Kay Penman's "Sunne in Splendour" puts forth the theory that George was killed because he knew about a secret engagement that Edward had to a woman pre-Elizabeth Woodville, which would render Edward and Elizabeth's marriage null and void, and that George was stupid enough to let Edward find out that he knew this. George thus became too dangerous to Edward to be allowed to live.
Such a great book!
I was about to comment this. It is such a nice theory because it also explains why Richard III changed his mind about crowning Prince Edward. I always thought Richard and George would be a lot closer to each other considering their shared childhood and traumas and his death must have certainly played a part in Richard's decisions.
@@Goddess-of-Beer George was disloyal to Edward while Richard always supported Edward. Although George and Richard had a major dispute over the Warwick inheritance, Richard was devoted to the York family. Richard did, however, feel that Elizabeth Woodville had influenced Edward to execute George. Richard, therefore, distrusted the entire Woodville family. It was perhaps at this time Richard became aware of Edward's possibly bigamous marriage. George was reportedly Duchess Cecily's favorite child and perhaps she told George about Edward's marriage to Eleanor Butler.
Loving the green/teal on Dr Kat 💚 🐸
🌸 I'll have to go with a pink flower only because it's difficult for me to choose between the two. I do prefer York for personal reasons, however I have always found a liking to both sides. 🌸🤷🏼♀️
Much love for your channel. I love living in the past for an hour.
I’ve wondered about this always - if it was true, romanced, totally false or had a hidden meaning. Thank you Dr Kat for the deep dive and the alternatives and consequences I’d never thought of.
👸🏰🐎👑i love your videos. i never comment but I have learned so much from you. Thank you!
I just love this story (and I believe it's true.) It's a cautionary tale that sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for! George has been described as wishing that death for himself.
I would LOVE to get some merch from this channel! I love mugs, and a t-shirt with a nice design.
I just finished reading Alison Weir's _The last white rose_, which is a novelization of Elizabeth of York's life. Good timing!
Thank you! This family had terrible ends to their lives beginning with the father. He was a complete and utter traitor that had been forgiven too many times.
Love your work! ⚖️
Author Phillips Gregory in The White Princess suggests that George requests his own death by drowning in the Malmsey wine because it was Elizabeth's favorite, and he wanted to ruin the taste of wine for her because they hated each other so much as rivals. Interesting idea but probably not realistic.
I'll buy into that theory!
I tend to agree that having a royal duke and brother executed publicly like a common traitor, was not really good PR when the royals’ special status was being eroded by internal family strife and declining respect over all. Also and as others said, Edward had clearly been more than a bit forgiving with all Carence’s betrayals. So when something had to be done. It was done without dragging the whole royal clan down. And Edward could be forgiven the irony of ´allowing his drunkard brother’ the luxury of dying in the wine he loved too well.
As someone who has nearly drowned (50+ years and the details have faded, but not the terror), the idea of the headsman using an axe or sword sounds better. The butt of malmsey sounds dramatic enough for that time period, but as you said, there were better ways to kill him without wasting an expensive wine.
“A terrible waste of wine”! I totally thought that before you said it Dr. Kat! Bravo!🍷Ritual!
I‘m confused. Shouldn‘t the Battle of Losecote Field (at time -18.25) been 1470, rather than 1570?
🌹I love getting a peak at the source that started these stories. It makes me feel more, not less wonder!
Love this video Dr Kat! Would love to see you do a video giving your opinion of Giles de Rais. 😊
Loved this one, thank you Dr Kat! Um.. can't make the emoji appear but it would have been *red rose*.
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury's portrait in the NPG shows a barrel suspended from her sleeve. It is not known if the portrait is of her, and there are questions about whether the barrel is a later addition, but, as I understand it, that is not proven one way or the other. 🐱🐉🐱🐉
🌹 George had it coming a lot sooner than he got it. Edward was too forgiving for too long.
Good lord, I've never caught on to how young he was, for treason'ing his king-brother or at his execution. 👑
I wonder, if Polydore Vergil saying the events were a "monstrous crime", if he wasn't meaning that the legal steps were violated or ignored, but rather the emotional betrayal of a brother ordering the death of a brother.
Thanks Dr. Kat for another fabulous video! And thanks for connecting the dots between George's extravagant lifestyle and his need for the Neville marriage in order to get at Warwick's money.💡Also, I've always wondered if the reason Edward IV was so lenient with his brother is that George was mentally not quite all there. That would explain the erratic side switching. When Isabelle died, I wonder if that event pushed him over the edge, as evidenced by his 'murder' of the servant. It would seem that if he were unstable, the Malmsy wine may indeed have been his choice.🍷🍷🍷 And how about the Duke of Gloucester's involvement in all this! Richard had to be involved somehow. 🏵(Not taking sides!)
Richard was in the North, in York, when George was killed. I think a more likely antagonist was Elizabeth Woodville, who needed to protect her children from George's duplicitous behaviour. Because the thing about George is that he *Never Learned* from his mistakes.
@@cathryncampbell8555 Thanks for that. I seem to have heard that before. I think you have a good point about the whole Woodville clan 'whispering' in Edward's ear to finally get rid of George. I know I'm tainted by Shakespeare, but I just can't help but think that at a minimum Richard purposely sat back and let the whole incident play out.
I don't think Richard would encourage Edward IV to kill George. Firstly, they grew up together, they were together when the Lancastrian army sacked their town and castle, they went to exile together. I don't think such bond would be broken so easily. And secondly, considering Edward's answers to George's past unfaithfulness, perhaps Richard though he wouldn't hurt him but simply imprison him. I read some people saying George was mad. Perhaps it was his traumatic childhood making him so paranoid, and perhaps that's why he threw accusations of witchcraft, etc. I'm not sure what caused Edward IV to execute him but I doubt that Richard and George hated each other. George's last born child, a baby boy, was named Richard after all.
Courses on the website for sure! ❤
another informed lecture by Dr Kat 👌🍷
Another great video. I remember seeing in a documentary years ago where a historian suggested that George chose his drowning in wine as his method of execution. I've read from comments below that Phillipa Gregory has written it in her novels but I don't read her so I didn't get it from her.
Dr. Kat I would LOVE some Reading The Past merch.
Both sides were absolute fools. I understand the politics of the era. But, at its roots, it is the classic story of men whose egos' capacity far exceeded their brains' capacity. Edward's line died in a tower. The Tudor line died with Elizabeth, whose crown went to the son of a sovereign Queen whom Elizabeth executed, fearing Mary might have a stronger claim to her crown than her own. George was no worse than his compatriots. What a waste.
Thank you for your response on this story.🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Please make more videos on wars of the roses 🌹🌹❤❤
A true Yorkist at heart . I share my birthday with George Duke of Clarence 's son Edward Plantaganet, the last member of house of york 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
I enjoyed this video and have clicked the Subscribe button.
I think that, when dealing with first hand accounts and extant documents, it's so incredibly important to put them in the context of the writing style of the time. History is written by the victor and the victim with both equally shading their accounts to their best advantage. 🍷👑
Thank you. Most thought provoking. What did they do with the wine afterwards? ❤
Absolutely loved this one. Wars of the Roses has always been my favorite ❤, thank you 🤴👸
Thanks, Katrina!
🤍I would like a video about Elizabeth woodville and her connection to the French story of Melusina. There was a documentary about it but I would love to get your thoughts about it. Please and thank you
Edward wasn’t necessarily hypocritical in discouraging George from marrying Isabel. He knew it was a dangerous arrangement, which proved to be the case, and it isn’t as if George really loved Isabel. Come on. George should have been dealt with long before, he was always treacherous, never a trustworthy brother.
It was probably easier and cheaper to get Clarence drunk and then smother him with a pillow. This way the death sentence could be accomplished with less suffering for the victim (as he would have been passed out or asleep) and also saved the remainder of the cask of wine.
Ooo, a Reading the Past t-shirt. Excellent idea! I quite enjoyed this video - an interesting form of execution, this drowning in a vat of wine - goodness! Sounds like someone might have been making a statement on George, Duke of Clarence's lifestyle choices? 🌹🏰🍷
Thanks for the historical look and questions about these people. I enjoy your way of teaching history very much. You get me thinking! Thanks again from South Carolina, USA.
💗💗💗💗 love you Dr Kat!!!
BTW, love the idea of you teaching some classes!
Thanks!
Thank you!
Love love love ur videos 🌹
Always look forward to more Dr Kat ❤️
❤ Thank you, ma'am. As always , almost informative and interesting episode.
The ending of George has become apocryphal, like the death of Richard II and George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. I'm taking all of those with a huge spoonful of salt. Another thought that popped into my head while watching this video: Is the title, "Duke of Clarence" no longer a title in the British monarchy? Did it end with George's death?
It went out of favour for a long time, but was revived by King George III for his third son William , who would eventually become King William IV. Queen Victoria revived it again for the Prince of Wales's [ future King Edward VII ] eldest son Prince Albert Victor, who pre-deceased his father and had no children. He was the last Duke of Clarence.
Fantastic insight into a fascinating period in history ❤
🌹I can't tell you how much I enjoy your content.
This is excellent. Please continue this series. I have taken this account as truth. You have provide the sources and the normal practices of the time , and it has helped me question this piece of history. This story should not be looked on as 100% correct.
❤❤❤❤ I enjoyed this video, as I enjoy all of hers
Well as a swed we learn in school about the king Eric XIV who got arsenic poisoned pea soup by his brother John III of Sweden, who took the throne . Maybe sometimes execution methods for nobles was a lot less noble - seeing the circumstances being those of high tensions??
🤍🤍 thank you for another wonderfully insightful video Dr Kat!
Emails and courses! Please and thank you. I just want to thank you for being such an inspiration for those of us with learning disabilities! And just for being awesome in general,lol.
I think, as is want with spares, a person close to them convinces them that they should be either equal to, or be the actual king. Then they come up with a bunch of ridiculous ways to try to make that happen. In the end, they misjudge their own importance and influence and crash and burn. Rather like the Cardinal. :/
Love your videos Dr. Kat❤ Following DNA testing I learned that I am Scottish, Welsh & English. I’m having a great time following your wonderful dissertations. Thank you!🏴🏴🇬🇧
Where’s the English flag 🏴
These younger royal brothers are so often difficult.
Fascinating. Thanks for posting. 🏵🌹
Thank you, Dr Kat!
Fascinating! I knew nothing of George's history, other than that provided by Shakespeare.
🍷🍷🍷💰💰🗡🗡 Wine, money/riches/status, and a dagger for violence and death. I think that sums up his life quite well 🤣 Im not sure what to really believe about how he died, but I like that the story about him drowinig in wine has survived so long and so strong. Anyway, loved the video as always. Great job Dr Kat, you are awesome 🥰 Love from Denmark
Fascinating!🦄🦁🌸🌹Well done, ye!
Love these videos. Just found you. Fills in all the blanks concerning various periods of English history. ❤