George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence

George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, was the sixth child and third surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. He was the brother of English kings Edward IV and Richard III. His life was deeply intertwined with the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars for control of the throne of England fought between two rival branches of the House of Plantagenet: the House of Lancaster and the House of York.

Despite his Yorkist lineage, George switched allegiances to support the Lancastrians before eventually returning to the Yorkist cause. His actions led to his conviction for treason against his brother, King Edward IV, and his subsequent execution. The manner of his death is famously rumored to have been by drowning in malmsey wine. George Plantagenet’s life and death have been dramatized by William Shakespeare, contributing to his posthumous fame.