Elizabeth Woodville or
Wydeville (circa 1437 – 8 June 1492) was the
Queen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles...
of
Edward IVEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, King of England, from 1464 until his death in 1483.
Early life and first marriage
Elizabeth was born circa 1437 at
Grafton RegisGrafton Regis is a village located in the south of the English county of Northamptonshire. Historically it formed part of the Honour of Grafton. It is the birthplace of queen consort to Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville. The village is located entirely to the eastern side of the A508 road, on which it...
,
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census...
, the daughter of
Richard Woodville, 1st Earl RiversRichard Woodville , 1st Earl Rivers , was an English nobleman, best remembered as the father of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV....
and his wife, the former
Jacquetta of LuxembourgJacquetta of Luxembourg was the elder daughter of Peter I, Count of St Pol, Conversano and Brienne and his wife Margaret de Baux...
, widow of John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford. Although spelling of the family name has sometimes been modernized to "Woodville", it was spelled "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton and as "Widvile" on Queen Elizabeth's tomb at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Through her mother, Elizabeth was a distant descendant of
King John of EnglandJohn , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...
.
She was a maid of honour to
Margaret of AnjouMargaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471 and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453....
, Queen of
Henry VIHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
in 1445, when she was about eight years of age. In about 1452, she married Sir
John Grey of GrobySir John Grey, of Groby, Leicestershire , was a Lancastrian knight, the great-grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England....
, who was killed at the
Second Battle of St AlbansThe Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on 12 February, 1461, at St Albans. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of Warwick attempted to bar the road to London north of the town. The rival Lancastrian army used a wide outflanking manoeuvre to...
in 1461, fighting for the
LancastrianThe House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
cause, which would become a source of irony as
Edward IVEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
was the
YorkistThe House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented Edward's...
claimant to the throne. Elizabeth had two sons from the marriage,
ThomasThomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset KG , known as Lord Ferrers de Groby between 1461 and 1471, and the Earl of Huntingdon between 1471 and 1475, was the eldest son of Elizabeth Woodville and consequently a stepson of Edward IV of England.Thomas was Elizabeth's son by her first marriage, to Sir John...
(later
Marquess of DorsetThe title Marquess of Dorset has been created three times in the Peerage of England. It was first created in 1397 for John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, but he lost the title two years later. It was then created in 1442 for Edmund Beaufort, 1st Earl of Dorset, who was created Duke of Somerset...
) and
RichardRichard Grey was an English knight and the stepson of King Edward IV of England.Grey was the younger son of Sir John Grey of Groby and Elizabeth Woodville, later Queen Consort of King Edward IV...
.
Elizabeth was called "the most beautiful woman in the Island of Britain" with "heavy-lidded eyes like those of a dragon", suggesting a perhaps unusual criterion by which beauty in Early Modern England was adjudged.
Queen consort
Edward IV had many mistresses, the most notorious being
Jane ShoreElizabeth "Jane" Shore was one of the many mistresses of King Edward IV of England, the first of the three whom he described respectively as "the merriest, the wiliest, and the holiest harlots" in his realm, and later a courtesan to other noblemen.- Early life, first marriage :Described as a...
, and did not have a reputation for fidelity. His marriage to the widowed Lady Grey took place secretly (with only the bride's mother and two ladies in attendance) at her family home in
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census...
on 1 May 1464.
In the early years of his reign, Edward's governance of England was dependent upon a small circle of supporters, most notably his cousin,
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of WarwickRichard Neville, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
(later known as "Warwick the Kingmaker" because of the part he played in putting Edward on the throne and afterward replacing him with Henry VI). At around the time of Edward's secret marriage, Warwick was negotiating an alliance with
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
in an effort to thwart a similar arrangement being made by his sworn enemy
Margaret of AnjouMargaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471 and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453....
, wife of the deposed
Henry VIHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
. The plan was that Edward should marry a French Princess. When the marriage to Elizabeth became public, its concealment was the cause of considerable rancour on Warwick's part.
Later, when Elizabeth's relatives, especially her brother,
Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl RiversAnthony Rivers, 2nd Earl Rivers was an English nobleman, courtier, and writer.He was the eldest son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Like his father, he was originally a Lancastrian, fighting on that side at the Battle of Towton, but later became a Yorkist...
, began to challenge Warwick's pre-eminence in English political society, he turned against Edward and fled to France with his son-in-law, Edward's brother the
Duke of ClarenceGeorge Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the Roses...
. Warwick and Margaret of Anjou then formed an alliance of their own to restore Henry VI to the throne and Warwick's daughter
AnneAnne Neville was Princess of Wales as spouse of Edward of Westminster and Queen of England as spouse of King Richard III.-Early life:...
married Margaret's son
Edward of WestminsterEdward of Westminster, also known as Edward of Lancaster , was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou...
.
Elizabeth was crowned Queen on Ascension Day, 26 May 1465. There was an infamous incident at her coronation which was not attended by Edward IV (kings traditionally did not attend their consorts' coronations) in which her mother's Luxembourg kinsmen landed in a ship at Ship's Green and arrived at
Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster...
carrying shields painted with the figure of
MelusineMelusine is a figure of European legends and folklore, a feminine spirit of fresh waters in sacred springs and rivers.She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down...
, a "water-witch" (actually a medieval version of the old pagan goddess) described variously as a mermaid or possibly as a female figure depicted as a snake from the waist down, but with the face clearly that of the young Queen. This immediately caused whispers of witchcraft to circulate throughout the Abbey, as it was indeed the intention of the Luxembourgers to suggest an accusation of witchcraft thereby. Elizabeth's brother Anthony came to her rescue, driving the Luxembourg kinsmen forth from the Abbey all the way to Ship's Green where he would not allow them to embark and depart until he had answered this charge of witchcraft in single combat with every one of them and scratched every Melusine shield. (This "infamous incident" appears to be a modern invention. It is not recorded in any of Elizabeth Woodville's modern biographies, including the relatively hostile one by David MacGibbon, or in any contemporary chronicle. The charge of witchcraft was later laid against the Duchess of Bedford in 1469, some considerable time after the Coronation, by a follower of the Earl of Warwick, and she was acquitted the following year. Although Richard III, in declaring Elizabeth's children by Edward IV to be illegitimate, accused Elizabeth Wydeville of having procured her marriage through witchcraft, he never brought her to trial on witchcraft charges or otherwise proved their veracity. The 1484 Act of Parliament,
Titulus RegiusTitulus Regius is a statute of the Parliament of England, issued in 1483, by which the title of King of England was given to Richard III of England....
, that contains the witchcraft charge, gives no pertinent details. The House of Luxembourg, however, is said to have claimed a mythical descent from Melusine, but there is no evidence that Elizabeth Wydeville made use of this legend or that her beliefs were anything other than the conventional Christianity of her day.)
With the arrival on the scene of the new queen came a host of siblings who soon married into some of the most notable families in England. The marriages of her sisters to the sons of the earls of Kent, Essex and Pembroke have left no sign of unhappiness on the parts of the parties involved, nor does that of her sister, Catherine Woodville, to the queen's 11-year-old ward
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of BuckinghamHenry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
, though the duke stood with the duke of Gloucester in opposition to the Woodvilles after the death of Edward IV. The one marriage which may be considered shocking was that of her 20-year-old brother
John WoodvilleJohn Woodville was the second son, and fourth child, of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg....
to
Lady Katherine NevilleKatherine Neville or Catherine de Neville was the eldest daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Joan Beaufort , daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by his mistress Catherine de Roet. Katherine was married firstly to John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk...
, daughter of
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of WestmorlandRalph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland was born in Raby Castle, County Durham, England, the son of John de Neville and Maud Percy....
by Joan Beaufort,
widowA widow is a woman whose spouse has died. A man whose spouse has died is a widower. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or viduity. The adjective is widowed.-Economic position of widows:...
of John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and
dowagerA dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
Duchess of NorfolkThe Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the Premier Earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
. The wealthy Katherine had been widowed three times and was probably in her sixties.
Queen Mother
Elizabeth and Edward's marriage was to produce ten children, including two sons who were still living at the time of the King's sudden death in 1483. The elder,
EdwardEdward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...
, had been born in
sanctuarySanctuary has multiple meanings. A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar. An animal sanctuary is a place where animals live and are protected...
at Westminster Abbey in 1470, during the period when his father was out of power and in exile following his overthrow by Warwick in favour of Henry VI. Edward later returned to England and Warwick was killed at the
Battle of BarnetThe Battle of Barnet was a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses, a dynastic conflict of 15th-century England. The military action, along with the subsequent Battle of Tewkesbury, secured the throne for Edward IV...
in 1471.
Following Edward's death, Elizabeth now, briefly, became Queen Mother, but on 25 June 1483, her marriage was declared null and void by Parliament in the act
Titulus RegiusTitulus Regius is a statute of the Parliament of England, issued in 1483, by which the title of King of England was given to Richard III of England....
on the grounds that Edward had previously promised to marry
Lady Eleanor ButlerLady Eleanor Talbot was a daughter of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury. Her alleged pre-contract of marriage with King Edward IV of England was of great significance to the final fate of the Plantagenet dynasty and outcome of the Wars of the Roses.In about 1450, Eleanor married Sir Thomas...
, which was considered a legally binding contract that rendered any other marriage contract invalid as bigamous. (It was said that Eleanor Butler had done the same thing Elizabeth Woodville did later: a widow who caught Edward's eye, she refused to give in to him until he promised to marry her.) This information came to the fore when a priest (believed to be
Robert StillingtonRobert Stillington was Bishop of Bath and Wells and Lord Chancellor of England. It is alleged by some that it was he who presented evidence that the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was invalid due to Edward's earlier betrothal to Lady Eleanor Talbot.-Life:He was Archdeacon of Wells...
,
Bishop of Bath and WellsThe Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
), testified that he had carried out the ceremony.
On the basis of his evidence, all Elizabeth's children by Edward, including King
Edward VEdward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...
, were declared illegitimate, and her brother-in-law,
Richard IIIRichard III was King of England from 1483 until his death. He was the last king of the House of York and the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field was the decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, and is sometimes regarded as the end of the Middle Ages in England...
, was given the crown. Young Edward and his brother
Richard, Duke of YorkRichard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York and 1st Duke of Norfolk was the sixth child and second son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. He was born in Shrewsbury....
, were kept in the
Tower of LondonHer Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London , is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames...
, where they had already been lodged to await the Coronation. The exact fate of the so-called
Princes in the TowerThe Princes in the Tower, Edward V of England and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York , were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville...
has been long debated; while it seems likely that they were murdered, whether this took place during the reign of Richard III or that of Henry VII is unclear.
Elizabeth now lost the title of Queen Mother and was referred to as Dame Elizabeth Grey. She and her other children were in
sanctuarySanctuary has multiple meanings. A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar. An animal sanctuary is a place where animals live and are protected...
again, fearing for their safety. This may have been to protect themselves against jealous courtiers who wanted revenge against the entire Wydeville clan.
Elizabeth and Richard III
On 1 March 1484, Elizabeth and her daughters came out of sanctuary and returned to Court. Rumours even spread that the now-widowed King Richard was going to marry his niece
Elizabeth of YorkElizabeth of York was the daughter, sister, niece, mother and wife of Kings of England. She was Queen of England as spouse of King Henry VII, whom she married in 1486.-Princess of England:...
. Richard issued a denial; though according to the Crowland Chronicle he was pressured to do this by the Wydevilles' enemies who feared, among other things, that they would have to return the lands they had confiscated from the Wydevilles.
Elizabeth's behaviour has been a source of frustration to historians. They reason that she would never have recognised Richard as King unless she knew for sure that both her sons were dead and that she would have to resort to other means to keep her family in power. There was also the fact that Richard had had her brother
Earl RiversAnthony Rivers, 2nd Earl Rivers was an English nobleman, courtier, and writer.He was the eldest son of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Like his father, he was originally a Lancastrian, fighting on that side at the Battle of Towton, but later became a Yorkist...
and her son
Richard GreyRichard Grey was an English knight and the stepson of King Edward IV of England.Grey was the younger son of Sir John Grey of Groby and Elizabeth Woodville, later Queen Consort of King Edward IV...
executed.
The Wars of the Roses are notorious for the number of times that leading figures changed sides whenever it suited them (examples including
WarwickRichard Neville, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
and the
Duke of ClarenceGeorge Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the Roses...
), and it is possible that Elizabeth was no exception. But would she have been heartless or thoughtless enough to side with a man who had quite likely killed her own sons and could thus arrange the deaths of herself and her daughters?
There are several possible explanations for Elizabeth's willingness to reconcile with Richard:
- The Princes had died of natural causes for which Richard could not be held responsible (but then why did he not make this public, especially since rumours about their fate were already circulating?)
- The Princes had been killed by a third party, and Richard had convinced Elizabeth that he was not involved.
- It is also known that by this time Elizabeth had been plotting with agents of Henry Tudor
Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.Henry was successful in restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the political upheavals of the Wars...
, another claimant to the throne, and it is possible that she was getting closer to Richard in case Henry's attempt failed.
- Elizabeth may have planned to coerce Richard into marrying her daughter, thereby regaining her power, wealth, and prestige.
- Elizabeth realised that, by Richard marrying her daughter, he would be acknowledging her daughter's legitimacy and thus her marriage to Edward IV. This would imply that her son Edward V was also legitimate and so the rightful King and this would at least discredit Richard.
- Elizabeth viewed people in light of what they could do for her. She may simply have been more concerned with herself than with the fate of her sons.
- Elizabeth believed that this was the best choice for her and her family and that her daughters, being females, were not at risk from Richard III. She knew that she might not be able to remain in sanctuary forever, and her growing daughters were probably miserable there.
It should be noted that before Elizabeth and her daughters came out of sanctuary, Richard III publicly swore an oath that her daughters would not be harmed or ravished and that they would not be imprisoned in the Tower of London or in any other prison. Richard III also promised to provide them with marriage portions and to marry them to "gentlemen born."
In the end, Richard was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth. Henry Tudor became King Henry VII and married
Elizabeth of YorkElizabeth of York was the daughter, sister, niece, mother and wife of Kings of England. She was Queen of England as spouse of King Henry VII, whom she married in 1486.-Princess of England:...
. Elizabeth Wydeville's marriage to Edward IV was declared to have been valid, and thus their children were once again legitimised (because Henry wanted his wife to be the Yorkist heir to the throne, to cement his hold on it). Elizabeth was accorded the title of Queen Dowager.
Later life
Scholars differ about why Dowager Queen Elizabeth spent her last five years living at
Bermondsey AbbeyBermondsey Abbey was an English Benedictine monastery. Most widely known as an 11th-century foundation, it had a precursor mentioned in the early 8th century, and was centred on what is now Bermondsey Square, the site of Bermondsey Market, Bermondsey in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast...
. Among her modern biographers, David Baldwin believes that Henry VII forced her retreat from the Court, while Arlene Okerlund presents evidence that indicates she was planning a religious, contemplative life as early as July 1486. At the Abbey, Elizabeth was treated with all the respect due to a Queen Mother, lived a regal life, and received a pension of £400 and small gifts from the King. She did not attend her daughter's coronation, but was present at the birth of her second grandchild, Margaret, at Westminster Palace in November 1489. The Queen rarely visited her, although Elizabeth's younger daughter,
Viscountess WellesCecily of York , was an English Princess and the third, but eventual second surviving, daughter of Edward IV, King of England and his queen consort, née Lady Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers.-Birth and Family:Cecily was born in Westminster Palace...
, came to see her as often as she could.
Henry VII briefly contemplated marrying Elizabeth off to King
James III of ScotlandJames III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
, when James' wife,
Margaret of DenmarkMargaret of Denmark was the daughter of King Christian I of Denmark , Norway , and Sweden , and his wife Dorothea of Brandenburg.-Life:...
, died in 1486. James was killed in battle later that year, rendering the plans of Henry VII moot.
Elizabeth died at Bermondsey Abbey on 8 June 1492. With the exception of the Queen, who was awaiting the birth of her fourth child and
Cecily (Viscountess Welles)Cecily of York , was an English Princess and the third, but eventual second surviving, daughter of Edward IV, King of England and his queen consort, née Lady Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers.-Birth and Family:Cecily was born in Westminster Palace...
, her daughters attended the funeral at Windsor Castle: Anne (the future Countess of Surrey),
CatherineCatherine of York was the ninth child and sixth daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.-Early life:She was born in Eltham Palace...
(the future Countess of Devon) and
BridgetBridget of York was the tenth child and seventh daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.-Family and life:...
(a sister at Dartford Priory). Her will specified a simple funeral. Many ardent Yorkists, who considered themselves slighted by the ordinary and very simple burial of Edward IV's Queen on 12 June 1492, were not pleased. Elizabeth was laid to rest in the same
chantryChantry is the English term for the establishment of an institutional chapel on private land or within a greater church, where a priest would celebrate Mass. The same term is also used for the endowment itself. The word derives from the Latin cantaria, meaning 'licence to sing mass'...
as her husband King
Edward IVEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
in St George's Chapel in
Windsor CastleWindsor Castle, in Windsor in the English country of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation...
.
Legacy
During her later years, Elizabeth Wydeville had the satisfaction of knowing that her daughter was securely on the consort's throne. She lived to see the birth of two grandsons, Princes
ArthurArthur, Prince of Wales was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England. As he predeceased his father, Arthur never became king...
and Henry, the latter of whom would later become
Henry VIIIHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.Henry VIII was a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy...
. Through her granddaughter,
Queen Margaret of ScotlandMargaret Tudor was the elder of the two surviving daughters of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the elder sister of Henry VIII. In 1503, she married James IV, King of Scots, thus becoming the mother of James V and grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots...
, Elizabeth became an ancestress of the
StuartThe House of Stuart, also known as the House of Stewart, is an important European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century. Their direct ancestors had held the title High Steward of Scotland since the...
,
HanoverThe House of Hanover is a Germanic royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover and the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland. It succeeded the House of Stuart as monarchs of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714 and held that office until the...
, and
WindsorThe House of Windsor is the current Royal House of the United Kingdom and each of the other Commonwealth realms. It is a branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , which adopted the name Windsor by a royal proclamation of George V in 1917...
dynasties, whose descendants today reign over
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
.
By Sir John Grey
- Thomas Grey
Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset KG , known as Lord Ferrers de Groby between 1461 and 1471, and the Earl of Huntingdon between 1471 and 1475, was the eldest son of Elizabeth Woodville and consequently a stepson of Edward IV of England.Thomas was Elizabeth's son by her first marriage, to Sir John...
, Earl of HuntingdonEarl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family....
, Marquess of DorsetThe title Marquess of Dorset has been created three times in the Peerage of England. It was first created in 1397 for John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, but he lost the title two years later. It was then created in 1442 for Edmund Beaufort, 1st Earl of Dorset, who was created Duke of Somerset...
and Lord Ferrers de GrobyThe peerage title Baron Ferrers of Groby was created in the Peerage of England in 1300 when William Ferrers, 1st Baron Ferrers of Groby was summoned to parliament. He was a grandson of William de Ferrers, 5th Earl of Derby. In 1475 the eighth baron was created the Marquess of Dorset, with which...
(1457- 20 September 1501), married firstly Anne Holland, but she died young without issue; he married secondly on 18 July 1474, Cecily Bonville, suo jureSuo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage.-Notable suo jure titles:...
Baroness Harington and Bonville, by whom he had fourteen children.
- Richard Grey
Richard Grey was an English knight and the stepson of King Edward IV of England.Grey was the younger son of Sir John Grey of Groby and Elizabeth Woodville, later Queen Consort of King Edward IV...
(1458- 25 June 1483)
By King Edward IV
- Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York was the daughter, sister, niece, mother and wife of Kings of England. She was Queen of England as spouse of King Henry VII, whom she married in 1486.-Princess of England:...
(1466-1503), Queen ConsortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles...
of England
- Mary of York
Mary of York was the second daughter of Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville.She was a younger sister of Elizabeth of York and an older sister of Cecily of York, Edward V of England, Margaret Plantagenet , Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, Anne of York, George...
(1467-1482), buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor CastleWindsor Castle, in Windsor in the English country of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation...
- Cecily of York
Cecily of York , was an English Princess and the third, but eventual second surviving, daughter of Edward IV, King of England and his queen consort, née Lady Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers.-Birth and Family:Cecily was born in Westminster Palace...
(1469-1507), ViscountA viscount is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
ess Welles
- Edward V of England
Edward V was King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later. His reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who succeeded him as Richard III...
(1470-1483/5), one of the Princes in the TowerThe Princes in the Tower, Edward V of England and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York , were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville...
- Margaret of York
Margaret of York was a namesake niece of Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy. She was the fifth child and fourth daughter of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville....
(Apr. 1472-Dec. 1472), buried in Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster...
- Richard
Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York and 1st Duke of Norfolk was the sixth child and second son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. He was born in Shrewsbury....
, Duke of YorkThe title Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch...
(1473-1483/5), one of the Princes in the TowerThe Princes in the Tower, Edward V of England and his brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York , were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville...
- Anne of York, Countess of Surrey (1475-1511)
- George Plantagenet
George Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford was the eighth child and third son of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville....
(1477-1479), Duke of BedfordThe titles of Earl or Duke of Bedford were created several times in the Peerage of England. It was first created for Enguerrand VII de Coucy, son-in-law of King Edward III, in the 14th century. Later, a Dukedom of Bedford was created for King Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as...
; buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor CastleWindsor Castle, in Windsor in the English country of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation...
- Catherine of York
Catherine of York was the ninth child and sixth daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.-Early life:She was born in Eltham Palace...
(1479-1527), Countess of DevonThe title of Earl of Devon was created several times in the Peerage of England, and was possessed first by the de Redvers family, and later for the Courtenay...
- Bridget of York
Bridget of York was the tenth child and seventh daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.-Family and life:...
(1480-1517), nun at Dartford Priory, Kent
In Literature
Elizabeth is a character in the plays
Richard IIIRichard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591, depicting the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified as...
and
Henry VI Part 3 by William Shakespeare.
Philippa Gregory-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but eventually decided to go to university and was educated at the University of Sussex. She worked in BBC radio for two years before attending...
's 2009 novel
The White Queen follows a (at times, highly) fictionalized account of Elizabeth's life from meeting her future husband,
King EdwardEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, up through the disappearance of her sons and the reign of her brother-in-law, Richard III. The novel places a great deal of focus on the legend of
MelusineMelusine is a figure of European legends and folklore, a feminine spirit of fresh waters in sacred springs and rivers.She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down...
and Elizabeth and her mother's ties to witchcraft.
Elizabeth Woodville is a central figure in all five books encompassing the
Rose of York Series by
Sandra WorthSandra Worth is an award-winning Canadian author of fiction and an American citizen.For her bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, she took a double major in Political Science and Economics....
, from the time she meets Edward IV in The
Rose of York: Love & War to her death in
The King's Daughter: A Novel of the First Tudor Queen (Penguin Group, December 2008).
Elizabeth of YorkElizabeth of York was the daughter, sister, niece, mother and wife of Kings of England. She was Queen of England as spouse of King Henry VII, whom she married in 1486.-Princess of England:...
is the narrator. All five books are award winners in their own right, with Sandra Worth's
The King's Daughter taking Best Historical Biography of the Year Award from RT Book Reviews.
In Film & Television
- In the 1911 film, Richard III
Richard III may refer to:*Richard III of England**Richard III , a play by William Shakespeare***Richard III , a USA film***Richard III , a UK/USA film starring Ian McKellen...
, Elizabeth Woodville was played by Violet FarebrotherViolet Farebrother , was an English film actress. She appeared in 25 films between 1911 and 1965, including three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.She was born in Grimsby and died in Eastbourne....
- In the 1912 film, Richard III
Richard III may refer to:*Richard III of England**Richard III , a play by William Shakespeare***Richard III , a USA film***Richard III , a UK/USA film starring Ian McKellen...
, Elizabeth was played by Carey LeeCarey Lee was an American actress. She appeared in 15 films between 1910 and 1918....
.
- In the 1914 French
French is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
film, Les enfants d'Édouard, Elizabeth was played by Jeanne DelvairJeanne Delvair was a French stage and film actress of the early 20th century.Delvair was born Jeanne Louise Deluermoz in Paris, France. She started acting in stage productions at an early age, and transitioned into film acting with her role portraying "Marie Stuart" in the 1908 film Marie Stuart....
.
- In the 1915 film, Jane Shore
Elizabeth "Jane" Shore was one of the many mistresses of King Edward IV of England, the first of the three whom he described respectively as "the merriest, the wiliest, and the holiest harlots" in his realm, and later a courtesan to other noblemen.- Early life, first marriage :Described as a...
, Queen Elizabeth was played by Maud Yates.
- In the 1939 film, Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London , is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames...
Elizabeth was played by Barbara O'Neil-Career:O'Neil was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She began her acting career in summer stock. In July 1931 Bretaigne Windust, Charles Leatherbee , and Joshua Logan, the three directors of the University Players, a three-year old summer stock company at West Falmouth on Cape Code, were looking for a...
.
- In the 1955 film, Richard III
Richard III may refer to:*Richard III of England**Richard III , a play by William Shakespeare***Richard III , a USA film***Richard III , a UK/USA film starring Ian McKellen...
, Elizabeth was portrayed by Mary KerridgeMary Kerridge was an English actress, married to John Counsell, the managing director of the Theatre Royal, Windsor, with whom she worked at the theatre for many years. Their daughter is actress Elizabeth Counsell....
.
- In the 1960 fourteen-part series, An Age of Kings, Queen Elizabeth is portrayed by Jane Wenham
Jane Wenham was the subject of what is commonly but erroneously regarded as the last witch trial in England. The trial took place in 1712 and was reported widely in printed tracts of the period, notably F...
.
- In the 1965 three-part series, War of The Roses, Elizabeth was played by Susan Engel
Susan Engel is a British actress.-Theatre:Engel's work in theatre includes: Angels in America , Richard III, King Lear , The Good Person of Sezuan, Watch on the Rhine , Spring Awakening, The Hour We Knew Nothing Of Each Other and Her Naked Skin at the National Theatre, London; Women...
.
- In the 1973 Hugarian TV Movie, III. Richárd, Elizabeth was played by Rita Békés.
- In the 1983 TV film, The Third Part of Henry the Sixth and The Tragedy of Richard III, Elizabeth was played by Rowena Cooper.
- In the 1995 film, Richard III
Richard III may refer to:*Richard III of England**Richard III , a play by William Shakespeare***Richard III , a USA film***Richard III , a UK/USA film starring Ian McKellen...
, Elizabeth was played by Annette BeningAnnette Francine Bening is an American actress.-Early life:Bening was born in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Shirley, a church singer and soloist, and Grant Bening, a sales training consultant and insurance salesman. Her parents, natives of Iowa, were practicing Episcopalians and conservative...
.
- In the 1996 film, Looking For Richard
Looking for Richard is a 1996 documentary film, the first film directed by Al Pacino. The film is both a performance of selected scenes of William Shakespeare's Richard III and a broader examination of Shakespeare's continuing role and relevance in popular culture...
, Elizabeth was played by Penelope Allen.
- In the 2005 film, Richard III
Richard III may refer to:*Richard III of England**Richard III , a play by William Shakespeare***Richard III , a USA film***Richard III , a UK/USA film starring Ian McKellen...
, Elizabeth was played by Caroline Burns Cooke.
- In the 2008 film, Richard III
Richard III may refer to:*Richard III of England**Richard III , a play by William Shakespeare***Richard III , a USA film***Richard III , a UK/USA film starring Ian McKellen...
, Elizabeth was played by Maria Conchita AlonsoMaría Conchita Alonso , better known as María Conchita, is a Grammy Award-nominated Cuban-born Venezuelan singer and actress.-Early life:...
.
Further reading
- David Baldwin, Elizabeth Woodville (Stroud, 2002) http://lccn.loc.gov/2003501109
- Christine Carpenter, The Wars of the Roses (Cambridge, 1997) http://lccn.loc.gov/97007038
- Michael Hicks, Edward V (Stroud, 2003) http://lccn.loc.gov/2004401877
- Rosemary Horrox, Richard III: A Study of Service (Cambridge, 1989) http://lccn.loc.gov/88022899
- J.L. Laynesmith, The Last Medieval Queens (Oxford, 2004) http://lccn.loc.gov/2004041528
- Arlene Okerlund, Elizabeth Wydeville: The Slandered Queen (Stroud, 2005); Elizabeth: England's Slandered Queen (paper, Stroud, 2006) http://lccn.loc.gov/2005482149
- Charles Ross, Edward IV (Berkeley, 1974) http://lccn.loc.gov/74079771
External links
|-
|-