Elizabeth of York

Elizabeth of York (11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503) was Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until she died in 1503. She was the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. She married Henry VII after he won the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses.

Elizabeth's brothers, called the "Princes in the Tower," disappeared from the Tower of London after their uncle Richard III became king in 1483. Though some people thought Richard planned to marry Elizabeth, Henry Tudor promised to marry her before he came to England.

After becoming queen, Elizabeth did not play a big role in government. Her marriage to Henry VII was happy. Her first son, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died at age 15, and three other children died when they were young. Her second son became king as Henry VIII. Her daughters Margaret and Mary became the queens consort of Scotland and France.

Ancestry and early life

Elizabeth was born on 11 February 1466 at the Palace of Westminster. She was the eldest child of King Edward IV and his wife, Elizabeth Woodville.

When she was young, Elizabeth was cared for by a royal governess.

When her father died in 1483, her brother Edward became king. Their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, took control. Not long after, Elizabeth's brother and his brother went missing from the Tower of London. Later, Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII after winning a battle, agreed to marry Elizabeth. This helped bring the country together.

Queen of England

Elizabeth of York became Queen of England when she married King Henry VII on January 18, 1486. This marriage helped bring peace after a long civil war called the Wars of the Roses.

Elizabeth was crowned queen in 1487 and had several children. She was known for her kindness and love of books. She helped design Greenwich Palace and enjoyed dancing with her husband. Sadly, her first son Arthur passed away in 1502.

Death and aftermath

In 1502, Elizabeth became pregnant again and stayed in the Tower of London. She had a daughter named Katherine on February 2, 1503, but Katherine passed away a few days later. Elizabeth also became very ill and passed away on February 11, 1503, which was her 37th birthday. Her family was very sad.

In 2012, a special book called the Vaux Passional was found again in the National Library of Wales. It shows how Henry VII looked and felt after Elizabeth’s passing. It shows him looking sad, and his daughters Mary and Margaret are wearing black clothes to show their sadness. Young Prince Henry is shown crying.

Henry VII thought about marrying again, but he passed away as a widower in 1509. Every year on the anniversary of Elizabeth’s death, he held a special service in her honor. He was buried next to Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey.

Issue

Elizabeth of York and King Henry VII had several children. Their first child was Arthur, Prince of Wales, who sadly passed away. Another child was Margaret, who became Queen of Scotland. Their most famous son was Henry VIII, who became King of England. They had other children too, including Elizabeth and Mary, who became Queen of France. Sadly, some of their children passed away when they were very young.

Appearance and legacy

The Tudor rose became an important symbol for England when Elizabeth married Henry VII in 1486. It combines the White Rose of York with the Red Rose of Lancaster. Today, the White Rose is still a symbol of England.

Elizabeth was known for her beauty. She was tall and had fair skin. Though not as famous as her son Henry VIII, she appears in English stories and songs, like the Queen of Hearts card and the song "Sing a Song of Sixpence."

Depiction in media

Elizabeth of York has appeared in many movies, TV shows, and plays. In the 1995 film Richard III, she was played by Kate Steavenson-Payne. On TV, she was in The Shadow of the Tower (1972) with Norma West, The White Queen (2013) with Freya Mavor, The White Princess (2017) with Jodie Comer, and The Spanish Princess (2019) with Alexandra Moen. In 2024, Willow Oliveira acted as Elizabeth in a play of Richard III by Elm Shakespeare.

Ancestry and family tree

Ancestry

Family tree

Elizabeth's father, uncle, brother, husband, and son were all kings of England. Two of her daughters were queens of other countries.