Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty: Uniting the Roses

Elizabeth of York has often been overlooked by Tudor historians in favour of her infamous son King Henry VIII and his six wives, as well as her glorious ‘Virgin Queen’ granddaughter Queen Elizabeth I.But Elizabeth, the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, deserves far more recognition than she currently receives.She suffered the loss of her younger brothers, the Princes in the Tower, and lived through the reign of her maligned uncle King Richard III, who it has been suggested plotted to marry his niece. Elizabeth was born at a time when having women in power was not considered desirable, but if she had been able to rule then Elizabeth would have been England’s first queen regnant.It was her position as the heiress to the House of York that solidified her husband’s claim to the throne.When she married Henry VII they finally united the warring houses of Lancaster and York.It is often thought that Elizabeth was a weak, ineffectual and pious woman who was too meek to challen