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One of the most controversial moments in Elizabeth of York’s life was when rumors spread that Richard III wanted to marry her. Now, as a princess, having a king want to marry you is not normally an issue. It becomes an issue when that King is your uncle who likely ordered the murder of your brothers.
The Dress that Started It All
It was Christmas at Richard III’s court. His only son had just died and Queen Anne’s health was failing. Elizabeth and her sisters recently left sanctuary after Richard signed an agreement that they would not come to harm (AKA he would not murder them like he did their brothers). This was likely the first event at court that Elizabeth and her sisters had attended since her father died. She arrived in a dress that was way too similar to Queen Anne’s dress.
The rumor was that Richard gave both Elizabeth and Anne the dresses. It was seen as a sign that he anticipated Anne’s death (or a possible divorce) and would replace her with Elizabeth. Theoretically, it was solution to Richard’s political troubles. The disappearance of the Princes in the Tower and executing powerful nobles without a trial had him on shaky grounds. It had not been long since Henry VII’s first attempt at invading England and Richard was feeling the pressure to bring some level of peace to the realm. Marrying Elizabeth would have united two of the major factions in England. There was one problem with this plan.
The One, Very Big, Impossible Problem was…
…that Elizabeth was his fucking niece! Incest was not unusual for royal marriages but niece and uncle was like four steps too close. These rumors only did more damage to his reputation and opened more doors for Henry VII. Parliament forced Richard to publicly deny the intent to marry Elizabeth.
It was assumed that Elizabeth was not on board for this plan (for a variety of reasons); however, a seventeenth century historian named George Buck claimed to have found a letter from Elizabeth that indicated that she wanted the marriage. Of course, this letter disappeared soon after the discovery, so there is no way to know if it was actually existed.
So back to the big question. Did Elizabeth of York want to marry Richard III?
We will likely never know what Elizabeth thought about most things in her life. There is no diary or record that focuses solely on her life. Much of it is pieced together by accounting records of her household and the stories of her mother, father, mother-in-law, uncle, husband, and son. My (snarky) opinion is…
Hell No!
It may just be my 21st century perspective, but I find it hard to believe that Elizabeth would have actually wanted to marry her uncle. First off, he is her uncle (so gross. Oh God, so gross). While he was not a huge part of her life growing up, he was still her beloved father’s brother.
Secondly, he is very likely responsible for the death of her younger brothers. He needed to get them out of the way so that he could become King of England. In some ways, Elizabeth herself was in his way. There was significant support growing behind Elizabeth as the remaining of her father. Her safety was at the whim of Richard III and she was very aware of that fact.
On the other hand, the only reason (that I can see at least) that Elizabeth would have considered marrying Richard was to protect herself and her remaining family. Henry VII’s first invasion failed. Her brothers were missing and likely dead at the hands of Richard. She was safe only as long as Richard kept his word. And frankly, that was not much reassurance. If the George Buck letter is real and she did in fact want to marry Richard, it would have only been to ensure safety for her and her family.
That being said, I stand by my original opinion. There is no way in hell Elizabeth wanted to marry Richard.
Sources:
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| Author | Source Name |
| Alison Weir | The War of the Roses. |
| Alison Weir | Elizabeth of York: A Tudor and Her World. |
| Dan Jones | The War of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors. |
| Lisa Hilton | Queens Consort: England’s Medieval Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York. |
| Sarah Gristwood | Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the War of the Roses. |
| Roland Hui | The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens. |
| Leanda de Lisle | Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England’s Most Notorious Family. |
1. The Princes disappeared. No one knows what happened to them. Why would Elizabeth’s mother let her daughters join the royal court if she thought Richard had killed her sons?
2. Richard is *known* to have been looking to Spain for a wife after his beloved Anne died.
3. Do you know who it was that said the dresses were similar? A monk. How much do you supposed he knew about women’s clothing.
4. So turn the question around. Did Richard want to marry his niece? No.
All really good points. There is definitely a Tudor-era propaganda slant to this “scandal” as well.