Which duke was executed in the Tower of London in 1478 for treason against Edward IV?

George, Duke of Clarence, was executed in the Tower of London in 1478 after being convicted of treason against his brother, King Edward IV. Clarence was George Plantagenet, the middle of Edward’s two younger brothers and a major political figure during the Wars of the Roses.

Clarence initially supported Edward’s Yorkist campaign and was made Duke of Clarence in 1462. He later became involved with Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, whose daughter Isabel Neville he married. In 1469–70, Clarence joined Warwick in rebellion against Edward and briefly helped him restore Henry VI.

Although Clarence returned to Edward’s side, relations remained hostile. His political ambitions, disputes with the Woodville family, and involvement in schemes against the king eventually led to his arrest. Parliament convicted him of high treason and passed an attainder, after which he was privately executed in the Tower on 18 February 1478.

The famous story that Clarence was drowned in a barrel of malmsey wine appears to have been a later tradition, popularized by Shakespeare’s Richard III. The historical record confirms the execution but does not securely establish the method.