Elizabeth of York

Elizabeth of York: England’s Rose Who United a Nation

Meynnart Wewyck

Elizabeth of York (1465-1503) 

between circa 1470 and circa 1498

Elizabeth of York (1466–1503) was Queen of England from 1486 until her death in 1503. Born into the House of York as the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, her marriage to Henry VII marked the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. Through this union, Elizabeth symbolised the reconciliation of warring factions, becoming a vital figure in England’s dynastic and national stability.

A Royal Beginning

s 

Elizabeth was born at Westminster Palace on the 11th of February 1466. As the firstborn child of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, she was part of a prominent royal family. Her early life was marked by political instability. At age three, she was briefly betrothed to George Neville, and at nine, to Charles, Dauphin of France. Neither match materialised.

She was named a Lady of the Garter at just 11, a rare honour, reflecting her status and the high hopes placed upon her. 

Sister Of a Lost King.

The political landscape shifted dramatically after her father’s sudden death in 1483. Her brother Edward V briefly succeeded to the throne, but their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, declared Edward illegitimate and took the crown as Richard III. Elizabeth and her siblings were declared bastards through the Titulus Regius, and her younger brothers, the Princes in the Tower, vanished, presumed murdered.

Elizabeth and her mother sought sanctuary in Westminster Abbey, where they remained for ten months. Rumours swirled that Richard III intended to marry Elizabeth himself after his wife’s death, though these were likely unfounded. Instead, plans were made for Elizabeth to wed Henry Tudor, a distant Lancastrian claimant to the throne.

Union of Roses

Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, ending the Wars of the Roses. Although, there were other attempted Yorkist uprising. To solidify his rule and unite the feuding houses, Henry married Elizabeth on the 18th of January 1486. Though slow to fulfill his promise, he ultimately recognised the importance of their marriage, repealed Titulus Regius, and legitimized Elizabeth’s siblings.

Their union gave rise to the Tudor Rose, a fusion of the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York, symbolising the healing of a divided nation.

A Quiet Queen

Elizabeth was crowned queen in November 1487 and quickly took to her duties. Though she played little part in political affairs, likely overshadowed by Henry’s formidable mother, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth was known for her grace, generosity, and piety. She gave to charity frequently, patronised religious institutions, and supported printers like William Caxton, showing an early interest in literature and learning.

She bore seven children, including Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret, Queen of Scots, Henry VIII, Mary, Queen of France, and several others who died young.

A Devoted Marriage

While their marriage began as a political alliance, Elizabeth and Henry VII appear to have developed genuine affection. Letters and financial records reveal mutual respect, shared interests, and moments of tenderness. Elizabeth enjoyed music, dancing, and gambling, often joining her husband in games and festivities. She was also involved in architectural projects, including the redesign of Greenwich Palace.

Despite their differences, they supported each other through personal tragedies. When Arthur died in 1502, Elizabeth comforted Henry in his grief, reminding him of their surviving children and offering hope. Later, in private, she succumbed to her own sorrow.

Her Final Chapter

Elizabeth became pregnant again in 1502 but died from postpartum complications on her 37th birthday in 1503, shortly after giving birth to a daughter, Katherine, who also died. Her death left Henry VII devastated; he secluded himself for days and never remarried, though he entertained the idea for diplomatic purposes.

Her funeral was held at Westminster Abbey, where she is buried alongside Henry in the Lady Chapel they helped found. Her tomb, topped with bronze effigies by Pietro Torrigiano, remains a striking memorial to one of England’s most important queens.

Legacy

Elizabeth of York’s greatest legacy lies in her symbolic role as a unifier. Through her marriage, the centuries old conflict between York and Lancaster was brought to a close. Her children carried the Tudor dynasty forward, most notably Henry VIII, under whom England underwent religious and political transformation.

Her image, often idealised, survives in art and literature, and she is remembered as a figure of beauty, virtue, and quiet strength. A mother of monarchs and a queen by both blood and marriage, Elizabeth helped lay the foundations for a new era in English history.

George Neville, Duke of Bedford.

George Neville, Duke of Bedford (1465 – 4 May 1483) was an English nobleman from the powerful House of Neville. He was the son of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu, and Isabel Ingoldsthorpe, heiress of Sir Edmund Ingoldsthorpe and Joan Tiptoft. As a child, George stood to inherit extensive wealth from both sides of his family.

  

George was also expected to inherit his father’s earldom, his mother’s estates, and potentially part of the Tiptoft inheritance through his grandmother. He was also heir presumptive to the vast Neville estates of his uncle, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who had no surviving sons. Altogether, his future income was estimated at around £4,000 per year. comparable to that of the king’s brother, the Duke of Clarence.

In 1470, George was created Duke of Bedford, intended as a match for Elizabeth of York, the king’s daughter. However, his fortunes changed drastically after his father and uncle Warwick rebelled against King Edward IV in 1471. Both were killed, and although no act of attainder followed, George was left without most of his expected inheritance. In 1475, Parliament transferred the Neville lands to Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), who had married Warwick’s daughter.

George retained only a half-share in his maternal grandfather’s estates. Just before coming of age in 1478, Parliament revoked his dukedom, claiming he lacked the wealth to support such a title. The title of Duke of Bedford was later granted to Edward IV’s infant son, George of York.

George Neville died on 4 May 1483 at the age of 18. Despite his early promise, he was a casualty of the shifting fortunes of England’s nobility during the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VII part 2

Edward IV Plantagenet.

THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH.

In 1483, the sudden death of King Edward IV led to a power struggle. His young son, Edward V, was named heir, with Richard, Duke of Gloucester, appointed Lord Protector. However, Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was declared invalid, making their children illegitimate. Richard seized the throne and became Richard III. The young princes, Edward and Richard, were lodged in the Tower of London and soon disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

princes in the tower.

Henry, supported by French troops and Welsh allies, landed in Wales on the 7th of August 1485 and marched toward London, gathering support. He reached out to his influential stepfather, Thomas Stanley, whose allegiance was uncertain. To ensure Stanley’s loyalty, Richard took Stanley's son, Lord Strange, as a hostage.

Richard marched from Leicester to intercept Henry. The two armies met near Market Bosworth on the 22^nd August 1485. Richard’s forces had the high ground, while Henry’s were arrayed below. The Stanleys stayed neutral initially, watching the battle unfold. Richard ordered his ally, the Duke of Norfolk, to attack. Though Henry lacked battle experience, the seasoned Earl of Oxford led his troops. Oxford formed a strong defensive wedge, and Norfolk was killed in the assault. Despite this, Richard still had the numerical advantage. Henry then attempted to appeal directly to Lord Stanley. Seeing this, Richard charged toward Henry, hoping to end the battle by killing him. In the chaos, Henry's standard bearer was slain. At a critical moment,William Stanley committed his troops to Henry’s side, overwhelming Richard’s cavalry. Richard III was killed in the melee and was later buried at Grey Friars in Leicester.

Henry Tudor entered London as King Henry VII on the 27th of August 1485 and was crowned on the 30th of October. On the 10th of December, Parliament formally requested that he marry Elizabeth of York, which he did five weeks later. This union symbolised the reconciliation of the warring houses of York and Lancaster.

Elizabeth of York (1465-1503)

Their marriage produced four surviving children, including the future Henry VIII. Elizabeth died in 1503, and Henry was reportedly devastated. Henry VII ruled for over 23 years, stabilizing England after years of civil war. His accomplishments included securing the Tudor dynasty, reforming government (such as through the Court of the Star Chamber), restoring the Crown’s finances, and maintaining peace in the realm.

HENRY VI: Founder of Tudor England.

Henry VII became the first Tudor king, effectively ending the Wars of the Roses and introducing the powerful Tudor dynasty. He declared himself king retroactively from the day before the battle to legitimise the confiscation of Yorkist property. To unite the warring houses of York and Lancaster, he honoured a pledge to marry Elizabeth of York in 1486, securing the his dynasty.

Though his reign brought relative peace, Henry faced several rebellions. In 1487, Yorkists backed Lambert Simnel, a boy claimed to be Edward of Warwick. The uprising was crushed at the Battle of Stoke. Another pretender, Perkin Warbeck, claimed to be one of the missing Princes in the Tower. He was supported by European powers but was eventually captured and executed in 1499. Henry dealt harshly with internal threats, including executing his former ally William Stanley and Warwick himself, to secure his throne. Henry used marriage alliances to strengthen his international position, most notably marrying his son Arthur to Catherine of Aragon, daughter of the powerful Catholic monarchs of Spain. He also arranged the marriage of his daughter Margaret to James IV of Scotland, which would later lead to the union of the English and Scottish crowns.

Economically, Henry was cautious and focused on increasing royal income. He revived old taxes and enforced financial obligations through harsh methods, often using bonds and recognisances to control the nobility. His two most notorious tax collectors, Empson and Dudley, became symbols of his oppressive fiscal policy and were executed under Henry VIII. He bolstered trade through treaties like the Magnus Intercursus with Burgundy, a major commercial treaty signed in 1496 between England and the Duchy of Burgundy. He also became involved in the lucrative alum trade. Alum was a valuable mineral used in textile’s. Henry also promoted naval strength, supporting explorers like John Cabot, who sailed west in 1497 under Henry's commission.

To consolidate law and order, Henry relied on justices of the peace and strengthened the authority of the Star Chamber to curb noble power. He restricted private armies and passed laws against "livery and maintenance," targeting the practice of retaining armed followers.

Later in life, personal tragedy struck with the deaths of his son Arthur and wife Elizabeth, which deeply affected him. He considered remarriage but never followed through. His final years were marked by increasing financial exactions and growing unpopularity due to his harsh policies. Henry VII died of tuberculosis on the 21^st of April 1509 at Richmond Palace and was buried beside his wife in Westminster Abbey. He was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII who came to the throne due to the death of his brother Arthur. Despite criticism, Henry VII restored stability, strengthened the monarchy, and laid the foundations for the Tudor dynasty.

THE BATTLE OF STOKE.

The Battle of Stoke Field was fought on the 16th of June 1487 near East Stoke in Nottinghamshire and it is often considered the final battle of the Wars of the Roses. Although the Battle of Bosworth that happened in 1485 had established Henry VII as king and ended Yorkist rule, his reign was still insecure, prompting one last major Yorkist uprising. The rebellion centred on Lambert Simnel, a boy who, coached by priest Richard Symonds, claimed to be Edward, Earl of Warwick, a Yorkist heir imprisoned in the Tower of London. John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, who had once been named heir by Richard III, supported the cause. Backed by his aunt, Margaret of Burgundy, Lincoln gathered 2,000 German and Swiss mercenaries under Martin Schwartz and allied with Lord Lovell and other Yorkist exiles.

They first sailed to Ireland, where Yorkist support was strong. Simnel was crowned "King Edward VI" in Dublin on the 24^th of May 1487. With 4,500 Irish mercenaries and their continental allies, the force landed in Lancashire in early June and marched over 200 miles in five days. After a skirmish victory at Tadcaster and a diversionary attack on York, Lincoln moved south through Sherwood Forest, pursued by Henry VII’s growing army. On the16th of June, Lincoln's 8,000-strong force met Henry's army near East Stoke. The Yorkists occupied a hilltop position but were hemmed in by the River Trent on three sides. The Earl of Oxford led Henry’s vanguard, supported by seasoned commanders like Jasper Tudor and John de Vere. The battle began with a Yorkist charge, hoping to break the Lancastrian line quickly. Though initially shaken, Oxford held the line, and the longbowmen inflicted heavy losses, especially on the lightly armoured Irish kerns. The Yorkists, unable to retreat, were eventually overwhelmed. Lincoln, Schwartz, and Fitzgerald were killed; Lovell disappeared and was never conclusively seen again.

Simnel was captured but was spared by Henry, who recognized he had been a pawn. Simnel was put to work in the royal kitchens and later became a falconer. The Irish nobility and clergy who supported him were pardoned, though some clerics were later excommunicated by the Pope at Henry’s request. Henry commemorated his victory by raising his standard at Burham Furlong, marked today by a memorial. Many of his supporters were knighted in the aftermath. Henry used fines, rather than mass executions, to punish the rebels, a reflection of his strategy to weaken the nobility financially rather than provoke further unrest.

The battle solidified Henry VII’s hold on the throne and marked the end of large-scale dynastic conflict. However, Yorkist plots persisted, most notably with the appearance of another pretender, Perkin Warbeck, in the 1490s.

PERKIN WARBECK.

Perkin Warbeck (c. 1474 – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne who claimed to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, one of the two Princes in the Tower and the younger son of King Edward IV. If true, he would have had a strong claim to the throne over Henry VII. Warbeck’s mysterious identity and persistent rebellions made him a significant threat. Warbeck was born in Tournai (modern-day Belgium) as Pierrechon de Werbecque, the son of a Flemish official. His story took a dramatic turn when he arrived in Cork, Ireland, around 1491. There, Yorkist sympathisers encouraged him to claim he was Richard, Duke of York. Warbeck gained early support from European courts, including that of Margaret of Burgundy, the sister of Edward IV, who publicly recognised him as her nephew.

He was also welcomed by James IV of Scotland, who even gave Warbeck his cousin, Lady Catherine Gordon, in marriage. James used Warbeck as a political tool to pressure Henry VII, but eventually grew tired of his presence and sent him away in 1497. Warbeck launched several failed attempts to land in England and Ireland to rally supporters, including the Battle of Deal in Kent and a failed siege of Waterford. His final attempt came when he landed in Cornwall in September 1497, hoping to exploit recent unrest there. Declared “Richard IV” by locals, he quickly attracted 6,000 followers but panicked and fled when royal troops approached. He was captured at Beaulieu Abbey and surrendered without a fight.

Initially treated with leniency by Henry VII, Warbeck confessed to being an impostor and was kept under guard at court. However, after attempting to escape and conspiring with Edward, Earl of Warwick, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. In 1499, both were executed, Warbeck by hanging at Tyburn, and Warwick by beheading on Tower Hill.

Warbeck's story fueled speculation for centuries. Some believed he might truly have been Richard, the lost prince, due to his physical resemblance to Edward IV and the passionate support he received from key Yorkists. However, his own confession, likely made under duress, named him as a Fleming of modest origin. Despite being dismissed by the Tudor regime as a fraud, Warbeck's life has remained a topic of intrigue in history.

Warbeck was buried at Austin Friars, London, in an unmarked grave. His story is remembered as one of the most dramatic and persistent challenges to Tudor authority, highlighting the fragile nature of royal legitimacy in the turbulent aftermath of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VII Part 1.

HENRY VII: Part 1

Before we talk about Henry VII, I want to explain to you a little about the world in which he was born. England was in the grip of a civil war called the War of the Roses. England was in chaos, and was an extremely dangerous place politically, power struggles and war was commonplace.

The Wars of the Roses: A Struggle for the English Crown

The Wars of the Roses was a civil wars fought in England between 1455 and 1487. The conflict arose from a power struggle between two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the red rose, and the House of York, represented by the white rose. The wars began when discontent with the weak rule of King Henry VI (a Lancastrian) allowed Richard, Duke of York, to challenge his authority. Over the next three decades, both houses fought for control of the English throne, leading to shifting alliances, multiple battles, and several changes of monarch. Key battles included Towton in 1461, where Edward IV of York claimed the throne, and Barnet and Tewkesbury in 1471, which crushed Lancastrian hopes. However, Yorkist rule weakened after Edward's death, especially under the controversial reign of Richard III. The conflict ended in 1487 when Henry Tudor, a Lancastrian with a distant claim, became king and married Elizabeth of York, uniting the warring factions. Their marriage symbolically ended the feud and began the Tudor dynasty. The Wars of the Roses were marked by bloodshed, betrayal, and dynastic rivalry, reshaping the English monarchy and paving the way for a more centralized, stable rule compared to what had been.

Now lets talk about the early part of Henry Tudors life...

The Early Life of Henry VII: A Journey Shaped by Conflict and Exile

Henry VII

Henry VII was born on January the 28th 1457, at Pembroke Castle in Wales during the height of the Wars of the Roses. From the moment of his birth, Henry’s life was entwined with political instability and danger.

His father, Edmund Tudor, was the half-brother of the Lancastrian King Henry VI. A nobleman of Welsh descent, Edmund was captured by Yorkist forces in South Wales and died in captivity, only months before Henry was born. This left Henry’s mother, a young noblewoman named Margaret Beaufort, widowed and alone. Though she descended from royal blood, her family's claim to the throne was not without controversy, and her influence at this stage of Henry’s life was limited by her youth. Following Edmund’s death, Henry was placed under the protection of his uncle, Jasper Tudor, a loyal Lancastrian and Earl of Pembroke. Jasper became a key figure in Henry’s early life, acting as his guardian and political shield in an era of constant power shifts. When Edward IV of the House of York took the throne in 1461, control of Pembroke Castle and young Henry passed to William Herbert, a Yorkist noble appointed by the new king. Henry was raised in the Herbert household for several years - safe, but in the care of the rival faction. This arrangement ended in 1469 when Herbert was executed after a political fallout. Jasper Tudor returned to escort Henry to the court during the brief restoration of the Lancastrian King Henry VI in 1470. But after Edward IV reclaimed power the following year, Henry was forced to flee once again, this time to Brittany, along with Jasper. Henry remained in exile for 14 years under the protection of Duke Francis II of Brittany and also in France. His childhood was as you can imagine far from stable, he was constantly moved in order to protect him from Yorkist supporters. He narrowly escaped attempts by English envoys to return him to Yorkist control. In one instance, he pretended to be ill to delay departure and ultimately found sanctuary in a monastery until the danger passed. With the deaths of key Lancastrian figures in battle or by execution, Henry gradually became the primary claimant to the Lancastrian cause. Though his claim was not the strongest by strict hereditary standards, he became a symbol of resistance and hope for those opposed to Yorkist rule. His Welsh heritage also became a powerful asset, Henry’s supporters drew on legend, claiming he was descended from Cadwaladr, the last ancient British king, and rallied behind his red dragon banner.

Henry's early life was defined by loss, exile, and survival. But these formative years shaped him into a cautious, politically savvy figure destined for a far greater role in England’s future.

I want to discuss more about Henrys parents Edmund Tudor and Margaret Beaufort, both Lancastrians and both had an strong influences on Henrys childhood even though Edmund had died before Henrys birth and Margaret only got to visit him rarely. The ties they had with him strongly shaped Henrys childhood. 

Edmund Tudor, Father of a Dynasty

Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, was the father of Henry VII and a key figure in the lead-up to the Tudor dynasty. The son of Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois the widow of Henry V, Edmund was born around 1430. His parents married in secret, defying a statute that forbade marriage to a dowager queen without royal consent. He was raised initially by the Abbess of Barking and he later came under the care of his half-brother, King Henry VI, who ensured his education and legitimized both Edmund and his brother Jasper in 1452. Edmund was made Earl of Richmond and given the wardship of the wealthy heiress Margaret Beaufort. In 1455, he married Margaret, she was just 12 years old and he was 24, she soon became pregnant, but Edmund would not live to see the birth of their son.

On the 10th of August 1456, during the early stages of the Wars of the Roses, Edmund was captured by Yorkist forces and imprisoned at Carmarthen Castle in Wales. He died after contracting Bubonic plague on 1st November, just two months before Henry VII was born, though murder was suspected and a trial was held, no one was found to be guilty. He was originally buried at Grey Friars in Carmarthen but his remains were later moved by his grandson Henry VIII to St David’s Cathedral, where they rest today.

Brass rubbing of Edmond Tudor's tomb at St.David's Cathedral, Wales.

Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty

Margaret Beaufort, Henrys mother, was born on the 31st May 1443 at Bletsoe Castle, she was a descendant of King Edward III through her father, John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. After her father’s downfall and early death 

 -possibly by suicide- Margaret became his sole heiress, inheriting both wealth and a distant claim to the throne. At just one year old, Margaret’s wardship was granted to William de la Pole, who arranged a childhood marriage between her and his son, John. This union was later dissolved, and her guardianship passed to Edmund and Jasper Tudor, half-brothers of King Henry VI. In 1455, twelve-year-old Margaret married Edmund Tudor, who died the following year while she was seven months pregnant. At just thirteen, Margaret gave birth to Henry at Pembroke Castle. She never bore another child due to complications from the birth. Her son was raised by Jasper Tudor, while Margaret remarried twice, using her marriages to protect Henry’s interests. After the Lancastrians fell from power, Henry fled to France. Margaret, determined to see her son crowned, remained at court and later allied with Elizabeth Woodville against Richard III. She helped orchestrate Henry’s claim and supported his eventual rise to kingship. As “My Lady the King’s Mother,” Margaret gained rare legal and political autonomy, overseeing royal affairs and championing education, founding colleges at Cambridge. After Henry VII’s death in 1509, she ensured a smooth succession for her grandson, Henry VIII. She died shortly after his coronation. Margaret Beaufort was a determined, politically astute woman who played a pivotal role in founding the Tudor dynasty—ensuring her son became king and shaping the future of England.

Pembroke Castle

It was the Battle of Tewkesbury, that was the catalyst to Henry and Jaspers retreat from England.

Battle of Tewkesbury in Brief: The Clash That Sealed Edward IV's Power 

The Battle of Tewkesbury was a decisive conflict during the Wars of the Roses between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Fought on the 4th of May 1471, it marked a turning point in the struggle for the English throne.The Yorkist forces, led by King Edward IV, faced the Lancastrians, commanded by Queen Margaret of Anjou and her son, Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Edward IV had recently regained the throne after returning from exile and was determined to crush Lancastrian resistance. The two armies clashed near the town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire. The Yorkists, well-organized and tactically superior, won a resounding victory. Many prominent Lancastrians were killed or captured. Most notably, Prince Edward, the Lancastrian heir who was killed in the aftermath, either in battle or during his capture, sealing the fate of the Lancastrian cause. Queen Margaret was taken prisoner, and Henry VI, already imprisoned in the Tower of London, was murdered shortly after. The battle effectively left the House of York in control of the English throne. 

The death of Henry VI and his only son, left Henry VII in a hugely dangerous position. He was now an heir to the Lancastrian line, albeit tenuously. They were in no position to fight for the throne, many Lancastrians had been killed in battle and Edward had a lot of support. Henry, only a child at the time, was taken into exile...just waiting for the right time for his return to England and with it the recognition as king.

Part Two coming soon.