Where was King Henry VI initially buried after his death in 1471?

King Henry VI was initially buried at Chertsey Abbey after his death in 1471. The Lancastrian king died during the final phase of the Wars of the Roses, shortly after the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury and the death of his son, Edward of Westminster.

Henry’s burial at Chertsey was not his final resting place. In 1484, Richard III ordered the body transferred to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where Henry was reinterred. This later location can cause confusion because Windsor is closely associated with his remains, but Chertsey Abbey was the original burial site.

Henry’s death itself has long been surrounded by suspicion. Contemporary and later accounts suggested that he was murdered in the Tower of London, possibly on the orders of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, although the precise circumstances remain uncertain. His tomb also became associated with reports of miracles, encouraging pilgrims to visit Chertsey. After the transfer to Windsor, however, the abbey lost the royal remains that had helped make it a significant memorial site.