Elizabeth Woodville: Mother Of The Princes In The Tower And Commoner Queen

David Tee - AncientPages.com - Elizabeth did not appear in English history until her mother, Jacquetta of Luxemburg, secretly married her second husband, Richard of Woodville. Their marriage was secret for fear that a scandal would arise and the young couple would be denounced for their affair.

Left: Portrait of Elizabeth Woodville as Queen of England c.?1472. Queens' College, Cambridge. Credit: Public Domain - Right: The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower, 1483 by Sir John Everett Millais, 1878, part of the Royal Holloway picture collection. Edward V at right wears the garter of the Order of the Garter beneath his left knee. Credit: Public Domain

When the marriage became known a year later, a scandal did occur, with Richard being imprisoned. But the King honored his mother and pardoned both. Richard was sent home, and he and his wife lived long, raising a large family.

The eldest of the children was Elizabeth. She was said to be the most beautiful Queen England ever had.

Elizabeth Woodville's Marriage To King Edward IV

There are many stories about how Elizabeth met the King. One had her holding her two fatherless children under a tree, waiting for Edward IV to pass by. Another is that Elizabeth practiced sorcery and used her magical powers to bewitch the young King. Another story has them meeting traditionally as she was a court member.

No matter how she and Edward met, he was her second marriage. Her first husband, whom she married at 15, was killed in the battle of St. Albans. Her loyalty had always been to the Lancaster branch of the family tree, and when she married the King from the York side, Edward lost allies, and his reign was threatened.

Part of the problem for Edward was the Earl of Warwick was trying to arrange a marriage between Edward IV and a French princess. The Wars of the Roses erupted, dethroning Edward IV for a brief time, but he soon regained his throne after defeating the Lancasters at the Battles of Barnett and Tewkesbury.

King Edward V and the Duke of York in the Tower of London by Paul Delaroche. The theme of innocent children awaiting an uncertain fate was popular amongst 19th-century painters. Image via Wikipedia

Elizabeth and Edward went on to have ten children during their union.

What Did Elizabeth Woodville Know About The Princes In The Tower?

Elizabeth may have been somewhat of a schemer as the Queen. It has been reported that she helped to marry her 20-year-old brother to the widow Katherine Neville, who was already 80 years old at the time.

Then she helped her eldest son from her first marriage receive a Marquis title. She also helped advance many of her family members ruffling many feathers of the current nobles. These were minor activities compared to what was done to two of her young sons, today known as the princes in the tower.

Edwards IV's son, Edward V, was too young to hold power or reign in his father's place. When Edward IV died suddenly, his brother Richard of Gloucester took the opportunity to seize power for himself.

He had his two nephews imprisoned and possibly murdered. No one knows for sure what happened. If Elizabeth knew of their deaths, she did not record it. It is highly doubtful that she did not know of their imprisonment.

But Elizabeth was hiding in an Abbey to protect herself, and news of her son's demise may have spurred her to ally with the mother of Henry Tudor. To help legitimize Henry's claim to the throne, Elizabeth agreed to let her daughter, also called Elizabeth, marry the young Henry.

This union helped unite the house of York and Lancaster and brought the Tudor dynasty to the English throne.

Her two sons from her first marriage also joined Henry Tudor in the battle against Richard III. Unfortunately, one of her sons, Richard Grey, was beheaded by the rebellious King Richard III.

Illuminated miniature depicting the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Anciennes Chroniques d'Angleterre by Jean de Wavrin, 15th century. Credit: Public Domain

One rumor claims that Elizabeth, Edward IV's wife, had a hand in having her two young sons killed. But it is only a rumor, and not much can be made of it.

When Henry Tudor ascended the throne after the overthrow of Richard III and his marriage to Elizabeth of York, he became Richard VII. Some of his first acts were to restore the legitimacy of the union between his mother-in-law and Edward IV.  He also restored her dowry and gave her an annual salary.

Yet it seems that Elizabeth was not that grateful for the restoration of her marriage to her beloved husband. She was later accused and convicted of trying to overthrow her son-in-law. Unfortunately, her dowry was taken from her, and she was banished to the Bermondsey Abbey.

Elizabeth died in the Abbey in 1492. It was 11 years later when a man, James Tyrell, was accused and convicted of killing Elizabeth's two young sons. The blame was placed on the shoulders of Richard III though some say that Richard VII was actually responsible.

There is just no surviving evidence, to tell the truth of the matter. The disappearance will always remain a mystery.  As for Elizabeth's participation in their removal, that will never be known.

Elizabeth Woodville's Legacy

It is said that Elizabeth was a charming woman. It is why Edward IV so desired her. But her beauty was not the only legacy she left behind. She obtained a stature that few women could achieve or even hold.

Elizabeth started as a commoner, but throughout her life, she became a Queen to Edward IV, the mother of another king Edward V, mother-in-law to Henry VII, and grandmother to Henry VIII.

Her link to royalty may overshadow all the controversies, scandals, and conspiracies during her lifetime. The whole true story of Elizabeth may never be known as records have a way of becoming lost or purposefully mislaid.

One ruler may want to protect their father's legacy; thus, they remove certain unpopular accounts and replace them with more favorable ones. For Elizabeth, we know that she died alone in the Abbey and did not have enough money to pay for her funeral.

Her son Lord Dorsett, from her first marriage, paid those expenses.

Written by – David Tee AncientPages.com Staff Writer

Updated on November 29, 2022

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