On February 18, 1478, the wet walls of the London Tower They kept a dark secret: Jorge Plantagenet, Duke of Clarencefaced its end in the depths of a Malvasia wine barrel. Or at least, the legend tells. It was not only a death, but a last theatrical act in the turbulent story of a family that seemed to enjoy walking on the edge of betrayal.
Before finishing between fermented grapes, Jorge had already lived a life marked by deception and ambition. Born in 1449, his childhood was a parade of swords and conspiracies, courtesy of his father, Ricardo Plantagenet, Duke of York. In those days, England It was a bloody chess board, with the conflict of the ROSA WARS facing the York against the Lancaster. While the blood splashed the banners, Jorge learned that the family was a flexible concept when there was a crown at stake.
The Duke who wanted to be king
The rise of his brother Eduardo IV To the throne in 1461 it should have been the happy ending of history, but peace was not the strong of the Plantagenet. Eduardo gave Jorge the Duchy of Clarence and appointed him a lieutenant of Ireland, a kind of Consolation Prize that never satisfied Jorge’s ambitions. Things twisted at all when Eduardo married Isabel Woodville, a lancastrian widow. Jorge, always with an eye on the throne, soon allying with those who wanted to see his brother fall.
Family disputes were not just awkward dinner at Christmas. When Eduardo disapproved Jorge’s marriage with Isabel Neville, daughter of an influential cousin who had changed the side, the stab – Metaphorical and, who knows, perhaps also real – they became something common. The betrayal floated in the air and, although the brothers alternated between forgiveness and revengethe tension never disappeared completely.
In 1470, the story gave full change: Enrique VILancastriano King returned to power, just to be overthrown a year later. During those months, England was not a stable kingdom. And in the midst of all this, Jorge oscillated between support for Eduardo and the machinations against him. His ability to choose the wrong side was almost a talent
The fate of the traitor brother was in a wine barrel
The beginning of the end came in 1477. A member of Jorge’s house was accused of “imagining the king’s death through nigromance.” Jorge, instead of opting for prudence, set up a show in the Westminster Palace. His arrest by disrespect It was just the first step towards a unstoppable fall. Eduardo, fed up with his brother’s betrayals, did not hesitate to accuse him of High devicen. And at that time, betrayal was not paid with fines or exile, but with the head.
The Execution was privatefar from the thirsty crowds of morbidity. It is precisely this discretion that has allowed the Survive wine barrel story for centuries. Although historians do not agree, the image of Jorge immersed in sweet wine has remained firm in the British popular imagination.
After his death, the rose wars continued their bloody course. Finally, in 1485, Enrique Tudor beat Ricardo IIIJorge’s younger brother, in Bosworth’s battle. Enrique’s wedding with Isabel de York, daughter of Eduardo IV, ended the disputes and began the Tudor dynasty. But although the story went ahead, the figure of Jorge Plantagenet was trapped in time, always floating in that barrel of wine, providing with the story.
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