 Elizabeth
of York
(1502-1536)
Born: 11th February 1466 at Westminster Palace, Westminster, Middlesex
Queen of England
Died: 11th February 1503 at the Tower of London, London
Elizabeth
of York, Queen of Henry
VII, the eldest child of Edward
IV and Elizabeth Woodville, was
born at Westminster. The first marriage that was arranged for her was with
George Neville, but, when the Neville family deserted Edward's cause, this was
broken off and, in 1475, she was solemnly promised to the Dauphin of France. The
thought of this splendid alliance was no doubt one of the reasons which induced
Edward to conclude the somewhat shabby peace of Picquigny; and, when it became
obvious that the French King had no intention of allowing it to be carried out,
pure displeasure is said to have hastened his death.
At
this time (April 1483), the Princess was with her mother, her younger brother
and sisters in the Sanctuary at Westminster; and she remained there till March
1484. King Richard
III, who had probably murdered her brothers, Edward
V and Richard of York, and usurped the throne, then induced the ladies
to trust themselves to him. He is even said to have suggested that, when his own
Queen died, he would marry Elizabeth. But the obvious marriage for her was that
with the exiled heir of the House of Lancaster, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond,
and all peace-lovers, especially Bishop Morton of Ely, were constantly scheming
for that end. There is some evidence that the Princess herself, who was in
Yorkshire at the date of Henry's landing, was working secretly in his favour. It
might almost be said to be a part of Henry's 'contract with the English people'
that he should marry Elizabeth and so unite the rival Houses of York and
Lancaster; but he was particularly anxious not to appear to owe his crown to his
wife and, therefore, did not marry her until January 1486. From that time they
remained a devoted and loving couple until Elizabeth's death.
Elizabeth
bore to Henry seven children, four of whom lived to adulthood. She died at the
Tower, in 1503, and was buried in 'Henry VIl's Chapel' in Westminster Abbey.
Edited from Emery Walker's "Historical
Portraits" (1909).
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