Edward IV was the king of England who established the ‘House of York’ and became the first Yorkist King of England. He ruled England from 1461 to 1483, barring a six-month period between October 1470 and April 1471. He was able to restore order in the kingdom but due to personal conflicts with his cousin, the Earl of Warwick, he faced several rebellions during his reign. Edward IV was the eldest surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, who was the leading Yorkist in the dynastic struggle against the Lancastrians, which came to be known as ‘Wars of the Roses.’ Upon his father’s death, Edward IV inherited his claim and defeated the Lancastrians in a series of battles with Warwick’s help, ascending the throne at the age of 19. This win led Warwick to believe that he could continue to control the new king but his intentions were belied when Edward IV defied him and secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, a young widow. This made Warwick furious and he started conspiring against Edward IV, joining hands with his allies. After several unsuccessful revolt attempts, Edward IV was deposed for a while, which marked the temporary return of Henry VI to the throne, during which time Edward IV fled and remained in exile. Subsequently, Edward IV returned to England with his army and smothered Warwick along with the rest of the Lancastrians to begin his second reign, a period of relative peace and security. After ruling for a decade, his health declined due to several ailments, resulting in his untimely death at the age of 40.