Page:The Queens of England.djvu/270

230 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. While enjoying his festivities at this place, Richard was hastily called away to suppress a rebellion headed by the Duke of Buckingham. Queen Anne accompanied him, sending her son to Middleham Castle, and there Prince Edward expired in March, 1484, in a manner not explained. The king and queen were at Nottingham Castle when their son died, or, as it would appear, lost his life ; for the family chronicler terms it "an unhappy death." This blow struck to the heart of the queen, for in her boy all her hopes were centered. She was inconsolable, and yielding herself up to grief, she soon after fell a victim to her maternal love. Whether Richard ever intended to divorce her it is impos- sible to say. The declining health of the queen, however, gave but too sure an indication of her approaching dissolution, and her end was hastened by the most startling rumors. Once .she was informed that her death was determined on by the king, but when in her agony she appealed to her husband to know "what she had done to deserve death," Richard soothed her with fair words and smiles, and bade her "be of good cheer, for, in sooth, she had no other cause." Again the queen was told that the king was impatient for her death, in order that he might marry his niece, Elizabeth of York. To this tale she gave no credence, but received this young princess with her four sisters, with all honorable courtesy, at court upon the occasion of the Christmas festivals, which were kept with great state in Westminster Hall. The queen's health continued to decline, and at length, worn out with affliction and sorrow, she expired upon the 16th of March, 1485, at the palace of Westminster, at the early age of thirty-one. On the day of her death there happened the greatest eclipse of the sun that had been known for some years, which prob- ably added to the excitement against Richard, who was sup- posed by some to have murdered his queen. But there is not much foundation for this opinion ; rather let it be believed that when Richard followed to the grave the remains of his unhappy queen, who had been his companion in childhood, the tears which he then shed were those of sincere regret. Anne of Warwick was interred with regal splendor near the altar at Westminster, not very distant from the spot now oc- cupied by the tomb of Anne of Cleves, but no monument has been raised to show where the remains of Richard's queen were deposited.