George, Duke of Clarence: Was He Really Drowned in Wine?

George, Duke of Clarence was executed in 1478—but was Edward IV’s brother really drowned in Malmsey wine? This Wars of the Roses documentary investigates his secret death in the Tower of London and the surviving historical evidence. From the Parliament Rolls and Crowland Chronicle to Mancini and Commines, discover what the records can—and cannot—prove. On February 18, 1478, George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, was executed following his conviction for high treason under his brother, King Edward IV. According to one of the most extraordinary stories in English royal history, Clarence was drowned in a barrel of Malmsey wine. The story became famous through historical chronicles and William Shakespeare's Richard III. But how much of this unusual royal execution can actually be verified? In this historical investigation, The Hidden Archive examines the surviving evidence behind Clarence's death, including: Why Edward IV turned against his brother. What the Parliament Rolls of 1478 reveal about Clarence's condemnation. Why the Crowland Chronicle leaves the execution method uncertain. How accounts of drowning in wine appeared in late-fifteenth-century historical writing. What Dominic Mancini and Philippe de Commines reported. How later chronicles and Shakespeare helped preserve the Malmsey wine story. What the surviving evidence supports, and what remains unknown. The investigation distinguishes documented historical events from early reports, later interpretations, and claims that cannot be independently verified. The evidence confirms Clarence's execution, while the exact physical method remains uncertain. The wine-barrel account is an early historical tradition, not a verified official account of the execution. For viewers interested in the Wars of the Roses, Plantagenet history, Edward IV, Richard III, medieval England, and the mysteries of the English monarchy, this documentary examines how a famous royal death became part of historical memory. Subscribe to The Hidden Archive for evidence-based investigations into royal mysteries, disputed historical claims, and the surviving records of medieval English history. #GeorgeDukeOfClarence #warsoftheroses #medievalhistory