For the first time in over
300 years, England would again welcome a new English Queen to court.
Yet this lady was classed as a schemer and plotter.
Some cunning activity brought her rise to fame,
and one that lured a man into her open arms.
Or maybe she was simply a pawn in a much bigger plan of the King.
The answer is unknown as to who, why and where.
However, perhaps this was six of one and half a dozen of the other.
The people thought very differently; although rejoicing at the news
that their Queen was of English birth, they would soon conceal fears
that you should not always wish for something you might later regret.
It was now too late, and King Edward IV would introduce his new Queen
to the world; she was none other than Elizabeth Woodville.
Elizabeth already widowed was undoubtedly a surprise package.
She had been a staunch supporter
of the Lancastrian cause and one in which
she opposed the Yorkist regime for many years.
So why the change?
Elizabeth was the daughter of Richard Woodville,
another one of the family that also married secretly.
Elizabeth's first husband was Sir John Grey, who had been killed
at the battle of St Albans in 1461,
although she had two sons with him.
Elizabeth came from a large family with twelve brothers and sisters,
all looking eagerly to move up the rankings of power.
Gain a higher social status and, of course, become wealthy.
Edward IV was a well-known womaniser, and he had many mistresses;
over time, he quickly removed them from his life.
His fast and loose approach was not a satisfying sight for many,
so this begs the question, how on earth did
Elizabeth manage to, as reported, snare her man?
There are several reports as to how the couple first met.
Some were romantic, but an Italian, Dominic Mancini, wrote one description.
Although the king attempted his usual way of gaining a woman through gifts,
he would ultimately fail when he received a knockback after using threats.
It continues that Edward was so annoyed by Elizabeth's reaction he held
a dagger at her throat and warned her she must give in to his passion.
But Elizabeth remained firm and said, " OK, do it;
I'd rather die than live with a defiled king.
This reaction shocked Edward; never before had a woman
stood up to him like this, and he enjoyed it.
So much so the couple were married in 1464,
with their only witness being Elizabeth's mother.
The wedding night was brief as Edward was off again to fight another battle.
Five months after their marriage, Edward eventually presented Elizabeth to his
court at Reading abbey and announced that this lady was to become Queen.
You could say that all was not well, the Yorkists raged;
his mother couldn't believe he had married a Lancastrian widow
and one who was six years older than himself.
Warwick, the kingmaker, was humiliated and shocked by the news.
Unfortunately for all those who opposed the couple,
it was too late; not only that, but Elizabeth was pregnant too.
Edward didn't hang around,
and he quickly reinforced his marriage by promoting the Woodvilles.
He was also looking into future weddings for their family,
and all said to be advantageous for their social climb and rank.
Within a year, most Woodvilles were now married
into some of the kingdom's most significant families.
How much longer could this intense play by Edward continue?
It would all lead to an uprising in 1469 against Edward.
Warwick executed Elizabeth's father and his son John.
It culminated with Edward now on the run
and restored Henry VI to the throne once again.
Elizabeth, who was deep into her labour, decided against fleeing with her husband.
She instead sought sanctuary at Westminster abbey.
This enabled her to give birth to her son and heir
to the throne Edward a safe place during his father's exile.
Elizabeth had already had several daughters, including Elizabeth, a future
queen in 1466 and Katherine, who married William Courtenay, earl of Devonshire.
Elizabeth had seven daughters, but sadly, some died in infancy.
When Edward did return, he certainly made his presence felt.
Firstly by becoming triumphant over Warwick at barnet
and then Margaret of Anjou and her son at Tewkesbury.
Elizabeth was present to welcome him back and presented his son Edward
the newly born heir.
Just two years later, she would have another son, this time
Richard, duke of York; this second boy now clearly solidified the succession.
Edward was now secure on the throne; his enemies were dead or long gone.
He reconciled his family matters,
especially with his brother George, and even his younger brother
Richard of Gloucester was once again on board with the king.
Although the
Woodvilles continued their mean streak, it became an irritation for Edward.
At last, he could actually begin to settle down with his Elizabeth,
and who knows, maybe over time, family harmony may return once again!
Edward was said to be a good looking chap.
He was handsome and at 6 feet 4 inches
with a body to match; it's understandable what women saw in him.
He had dark eyes and hair.
Elizabeth was slim, and she had long wavy hair
and blue eyes again; she was a good looking lady.
Yet, although Edward was said
to be fond of his wife, he soon returned to his adulterous ways.
His indiscrimination took him to new heights, and it made little difference
if the ladies he sought were married or not.
It's unclear how Elizabeth reacted to his misgivings, but she seemed to accept
that this was the way, and there was little she could do.
But once again, family problems reared up for Edward;
so much had happened in his absence
it was now coming back to haunt him.
The Neville inheritance was one such problem.
George and Richard began to argue over
who should have what and how much.
Richard had married Anne Neville, widow of Prince Edward
and joint heiress of George's wife, Isabella.
Edward's brother George was upset with the outcome of this matter
when Edward decided the inheritance should be a 50 50 split.
When Isabella died in 1476
after giving George two children, it was a disturbing time.
George was already in a bad way in terms of stability.
He had taken to drinking more and became utterly unbalanced.
He accused one of his wife's ladies that she had
poisoned Isabella; for this, the lady was taken away and killed.
Richard of Gloucester now returned with his wife Anne
and enjoyed the lavish new lifestyle at Middleham castle.
Although reasonably content, there was always a feeling
that things, as usual, would change for the worse.
Richard thought as long as his brother Edward lived, things would be fine.
As for the king's wife's family, he never liked them,
and they were always his accepted enemies.
King Edward continued to rule, but as he grew older, his idea of fun
changed from flesh in the bedroom to flesh on the kitchen table.
He grew obese, he gave up his athletic abilities
and pursuits and literally became a bit of a slob.
But he paid the ultimate price in 1483 when he suddenly died.
To the dismay of Elizabeth and the rest of the Woodvilles, Edward
had decreed that Richard of Gloucester would become the legal guardian
of his now 12-year-old heir Edward until he came of age.
When his father died, Edward v was staying
at Ludlow Castle with his then guardian lord Rivers,
who in haste tried to rush him into London for a quick coronation.
He saw the threat approaching.
But the Woodvilles had underestimated Richard's ambition and, more seriously,
the speed at which he reacted to the recent events.
Richard, who was in the north at the time, hurriedly put together
a group of men and intercepted the young heir's entourage.
Richard took Edward and escorted him to London; upon arrival,
Edward was led to the tower and told he was in protective custody.
But his tirade continued against the Woodvilles; he executed
his former friend lord Hastings for attempting to seize the king.
Elizabeth, now in a state of terror, fled to the confines
and sanctuary of Westminster abbey with her youngest son Richard of York.
But Richard wasn't long by his mother's side when he was escorted
away to be held with his brother.
The two boys disappeared into the tower, never to be seen again.
Richard continued his campaign to become ruler, claiming
that his brother's marriage to Elizabeth
was never valid and even questioning the legitimacy of her children.
A smokescreen was gathering and one in which many subjects
were now finding it difficult to see through clearly.
Propaganda of the day was confusing at best, but
the people knew in their hearts what was happening.
George's son should have been the next legitimate heir.
Afterthoughts of the disastrous regency of Henry VI put paid to any intervention.
Richard climbed onto the throne on 26 July 1483 and was crowned Richard III.
Richard was an intelligent man, and although his reign
only lasted a couple of years, he would constantly attempt
to get Elizabeth to leave the confines of Westminster.
However, Elizabeth, already tricked once by the new king,
refused and stood her ground.
Quite possibly a good decision
as Richard was not in the mood to become great friends.
He went on a rampage, killing as many Woodville members
he could find, even some former friends like the powerful duke of Buckingham.
Richard had aimed and hoped to bring them all to fruition.
Speculation grew about who would become his heir.
He'd hoped to marry off one of the royal princesses
to his young son Edward, but when the child died in 1484,
it ultimately scuppered his move and now would have to look elsewhere.
Gossip spread, Richard was trying any way he could now
to bring together a family that would succeed him on the throne,
but the reality of his marriage proposals never got off the ground.
A new man offered some light to Elizabeth, still trapped in her sanctuary.
It came in the form of Henry Tudor, a Lancastrian champion, and at last,
it seemed a man capable of upsetting Richard's reign
and possibly bringing some stability back to the kingdom.
At Bosworth Field, news soon spread
that Richard had been killed, and now a new era dawned.
Henry Tudor would be king, yet despite his woeful claim,
he was no Plantagenet and would look to gain support.
One option to bring together both Lancastrian and Yorkist forces
was to marry Princess Elizabeth, reuniting red and white roses.
It was everything Elizabeth needed to know,
and she surfaced from Westminster, a dowager queen
but one that had never felt happier at this union.
As for Henry VII, he had no problem dealing with the Woodvilles.
He wanted and needed funds, his mother in law held
vast amounts of land and properties after her marriage to Edward IV.
Yes, he was married to her daughter, but the last thing Henry wanted
was an interfering distraction.
He tried to marry her off, but that failed; his following action
was to send her to Bermondsey abbey, she was ordered to hand over everything.
Elizabeth, as expected, protested vehemently but all to no avail.
She had just spent so many years in exile she didn't want to go back to that state
of affairs, but for Henry, out of sight and out of mind was his best option.
Elizabeth was never allowed to leave
the abbey and was given a measly 400 marks a year.
It would be for another five years
Elizabeth would stay there, it has to be said
in relative comfort for the day, but it was a miserable existence.
In 1492 Elizabeth died; she was 58 and penniless.
She was taken to Windsor and buried alongside her husband, Edward IV.
Her death was muted mainly by the people
who had never taken Elizabeth fully into their hearts.