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, and her marriage to Henry VII followed his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which marked the end of the civil war known as the Wars of the Roses.

Elizabeth's younger brothers, the "Princes in the Tower," mysteriously disappeared from the Tower of London shortly after their uncle Richard III seized the throne in 1483. Although a law declared the marriage of her parents as invalid, Elizabeth and her sisters returned to court under Richard III after spending ten months in sanctuary in Westminster Abbey. It was rumoured that Richard was planning to marry Elizabeth. The final victory of the Lancastrian faction in the Wars of the Roses may have seemed a disaster for the Yorkist princess. However, Henry Tudor knew the importance of Yorkist support for his invasion and promised to marry Elizabeth before he arrived in England.

Elizabeth seems to have played little part in politics after coming to the throne. Her marriage appears to have been a successful and happy one, although her eldest son, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died aged 15 in 1502, and three other children died young. Her second and only surviving son became king of England as Henry VIII, while her daughters Margaret and Mary became the queens consort of Scotland and France respectively.

Ancestry and early life

Elizabeth was born on 11 February 1466 at the Palace of Westminster as the eldest child of King Edward IV and his wife, Elizabeth Woodville. Her childhood was spent under the care of a royal governess.

When her father died in 1483, her young brother Edward became king. Their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, took control. Soon after, Elizabeth's brother and his brother disappeared from the Tower of London. Later, Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII after winning a battle, agreed to marry Elizabeth to help unite the country.

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. Though their marriage began as a political decision, they grew to care for each other deeply.

Elizabeth was crowned queen in 1487 and had several children, though not all survived. She was known for her kindness, generosity, and love of books. She helped design Greenwich Palace and enjoyed activities like dancing and gaming with her husband. Sadly, her first son Arthur passed away in 1502, but Elizabeth supported Henry through his grief.

Death and aftermath

In 1502, Elizabeth became pregnant again and stayed in the Tower of London during her time there. She gave birth to a daughter named Katherine on February 2, 1503, but sadly, Katherine passed away just 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 about her passing.

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

Henry VII thought about marrying again to make friends with Spain, but he passed away as a widower in 1509. Every year on the anniversary of Elizabeth’s death, he made sure a special service was held in her honor. He was buried next to Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey. Her tomb was looked at in the 1800s, and it was found that the wood around her coffin had been taken away to make space for another person to be buried there.

Issue

Elizabeth of York and King Henry VII had several children. Their first child was Arthur, Prince of Wales, who unfortunately passed away in 1502. Another child was Margaret, who later became Queen of Scotland. Their most famous son was Henry VIII, who became King of England. They also had other children, including Elizabeth, Mary—who became Queen of France—and Edmund, Duke of Somerset. Sadly, some of their children, like Edward Tudor and Katherine, passed away very young and were buried in Westminster Abbey.

Appearance and legacy

The Tudor rose became a special 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 still stands as a symbol of England.

Elizabeth was known for her beauty during her time. She was tall and had fair skin, traits she inherited from her parents. 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 been shown in several movies, TV shows, and plays. In the 1995 film Richard III, she was played by Kate Steavenson-Payne. On television, she appeared 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 performed as Elizabeth in a production 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.