Elizabeth Woodville (1437 – 8 June 1492) was Queen consort of England from 1 May 1464 to 3 October 1470 and again from 11 April 1471 to 9 April 1483 as the wife of Edward IV of England. She played a pivotal role in the Wars of the Roses, both as queen and as the mother of the “Princes in the Tower.”
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Elizabeth was born in 1437 at Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire, the daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. Her family held a mid-ranked position in the English aristocracy.
She first married John Grey of Groby, a Lancastrian nobleman, with whom she had two sons: Thomas and Richard Grey. John Grey was killed in 1461 at the Second Battle of St Albans, leaving Elizabeth a widowed mother.
Marriage to Edward IV[]
In 1464, Elizabeth secretly married King Edward IV of England. It was the first time since the Norman Conquest that an English king had married one of his subjects, and she became the first commoner to be crowned Queen of England.
Her large Woodville family rose to prominence through advantageous marriages, which angered many nobles, particularly Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. Warwick defected to the Lancastrian side, sparking renewed conflict.
Reign as Queen Consort[]
As queen, Elizabeth was influential in promoting her relatives and securing positions of power for her children. Her marriage brought tensions within the Yorkist court but also strengthened Edward IV’s position.
The Princes in the Tower[]
After Edward IV’s death in 1483, Elizabeth’s son Edward V of England was briefly declared king. However, his uncle Richard III of England seized the throne. Edward V and his brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York were taken to the Tower of London and never seen again, widely believed to have been murdered.
Later Life[]
Elizabeth supported Henry Tudor, who defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and became King Henry VII of England. Her daughter, Elizabeth of York, married Henry, uniting the houses of York and Lancaster and ending the Wars of the Roses.
Elizabeth spent her final years in relative obscurity at Bermondsey Abbey, where she died on 8 June 1492.
Gallery[]
| Queen consort of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Margaret of Anjou |
1464–1470; 1471–1483 | Succeeded by: Anne Neville |