Edward IV Archives

October 13, 2022October 13, 2022

Top 4 Reasons Why Edward IV Marrying Elizabeth Woodville Was A Bad Idea

Image Attribution: Biagio Rebecca, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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In my last post (Top 4 Reasons Why Edward IV Marrying Elizabeth Woodville Was A Good Idea), I outlined all of the reasons why Edward IV marrying Elizabeth Woodville was actually a smart political move. However, at the very same time, it was also a really bad decision with some significant consequences. The marriage alienated many important allies and backfired in a pretty big way. So, why was marrying Elizabeth Woodville a really stupid political move for Edward IV to make?

Elizabeth Was English

While being English was a plus in many ways for Edward IV (especially given the Yorkist propaganda about Margaret of Anjou), there were some pretty negative side effects. Foreign brides often had big dowries of both land and wealth. (See Catherine of Valois: The KISS Edition for the best example of this. Catherine’s dowry was literally France! Still blows my mind every time I think about it.) Marriages between foreign royalty were often a condition to a treaty, either to end a war or gain allies to fight one. (Again, see Catherine of Valois: The KISS Edition. Her marriage to Henry V was meant to end the Hundred Years’ War.) Edward IV’s contemporaries saw his marriage as, at best, a missed opportunity and, at worst, a betrayal.

Possibly the biggest misstep that Edward IV made in his marriage to Elizabeth was that, despite being married to Elizabeth, he allowed Warwick to travel to France to begin to negotiate a marriage between Edward IV and a French princess. When Edward IV finally came clean, Warwick looked like an idiot. This humiliation at the hands of Edward IV was directed at Elizabeth and fueled Warwick’s rebellions.

Elizabeth Woodville Was a Lancaster

This was likely the only similarity that Edward and Elizabeth’s marriage had to other royal marriages. Their marriage was intended to unite the Lancasters and Yorks and end the war. Sounds like a great idea, right? Considering that was exactly what Elizabeth and Margaret Beaufort did years later when they organized the marriage between Elizabeth of York and Henry Tudor (see Elizabeth of York: The KISS Edition for info on the spectacular Elizabeth of York).

While the marriage between Elizabeth of York and Henry Tudor was relatively successful (aside from a few pretenders to the throne, rebellions, etc.), the marriage between Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV did not unite the two warring houses. In fact, many of Edward’s critical allies felt so alienated by his choice in wife that they defected to the Lancaster side and Henry VI ended up as a puppet king for a short period. In his effort to bring the country back together under his reign, Edward ended up driving it further apart.

Elizabeth Had Lots of Siblings that Edward Could Use for Political Gain

Sounds like a good thing, right? In many ways, it was. Warwick and Cecily Neville (Edward IV’s mother) held significant influence at the beginning of Edward’s reign. Warwick gained the nickname “the Kingmaker” as he was credited with winning the throne for Edward and he fully believed that his shit didn’t stink. He felt that Edward essentially owed Warwick for everything and wanted Edward to be his puppet. Cecily Neville, on the other hand, had expected to be Queen. Richard of York, Edward’s father, had been the one to start the rebellion and had been killed in the second to last battle of the first wave of the War of the Roses. While Edward was unmarried, she was the most powerful woman in the royal court and acted as though she were the Queen instead of just the King’s mother.

In his early twenties, Edward was itching to break out from under Warwick and Cecily’s control. By marrying a woman who had entirely way too many younger siblings, he was able to arrange marriages that created the power structure in court that he wanted. In doing so, he ended up alienating many of his allies. The nobles that were married to the Woodvilles were often highly desired matches and other nobles were bitter that they lost out. Warwick was not the only noble who felt that he was owed more power than he was given once Edward was on the throne. The Woodvilles’ consolidation of power through marriage was an easy target.

Elizabeth Was A Commoner

Despite Jacquetta’s royal connections, by contemporary standards, Elizabeth was a commoner. Her father was a knight whose status was raised when he married Jacquetta and a child’s social status was determined by the status of their father. While the Woodvilles had some land, they had very little wealth, so Elizabeth came to the marriage with no dowry. The most valuable thing she brought was her mother’s connections, which in the eyes of many prominent Yorkist nobles, meant very little.

So… Was It A Good or Bad Idea for Edward IV to Marry Elizabeth Woodville?

If you read the previous post, “Top 4 Reasons Why Edward IV Marrying Elizabeth Woodville Was A Good Idea“, you may have noticed that many of the reasons why marrying Elizabeth Woodville was a good idea are the same as why it was a bad idea. That is because this was a moment of chaos. The political situation at the beginning of his reign was unstable. To be frank, it likely did not matter who Edward married. There were always going to be rebellions. Edward was always going to be too dominant for Warwick to be satisfied with his power. Cecily was always going to have a power struggle with the new queen. Medieval queens in general were an easy target for anyone who had an issue with the king. Elizabeth just became one of the most notorious.

What do you think? Was it really Elizabeth Woodville that was the problem? Did Edward make a mistake? Was marrying Elizabeth a good political move or a bad one?

RECOMMENDED SOURCES

Link Disclaimer: Some links within this website may lead to other sites that we believe may be useful or informative. The Snarky History Nerd Blog does not incorporate any materials appearing in such linked sites by reference. These links to third party sites or information are not intended as, and should not be interpreted by you as, constituting or implying our endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation of the third party information, products, or services found there. We do not maintain or control these sites and accordingly make no guarantee concerning the accuracy, reliability, or currency of the information found there.

Author Name	Book Name
Dan Jones	The War of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors.
Alison Weir	War of the Roses
Elizabeth Norton	England’s Queens: A Biography
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.
Arlene Okerlund	Elizabeth: England’s Slandered Queen
David Baldwin	Elizabeth Woodville: Mother of the Princes in the Tower
David McGibbon	Elizabeth Woodville: A Life – The Real Story of the “White Queen”
Alicia Carter	The Women of the War of the Roses: Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, & Elizabeth of York
Phillipa Gregory, David Baldwin & Michael Jones	The Women of the Cousins’ War: The Duchess, The Queen & The King’s Mother
Gemma Hollman	Royal Witches: Witchcraft and the Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England

September 29, 2022September 29, 2022

Top 4 Reasons Why Edward IV Marrying Elizabeth Woodville Was A Good Idea

Image Attribution: unknown scribe, Public domain [PD-US-expired], via Wikimedia Commons

In a time when nobility, especially royalty, married for political power, lands, and money, a king marrying for love was both unheard of and unacceptable. But, to this day, most people believe that Edward IV married Elizabeth Woodville for love (or lust) and that this decision caused the War of the Roses to once again explode. According to some, the blood of thousands of English men coated Elizabeth Woodville’s hands and the blame was laid solely at her feet. But, did Edward choose to marry Elizabeth based completely on love or was there a political motivation behind this move? Was this marriage as much of a political clusterfuck as many want you to believe?

As much as Edward was led around by his little brain (he was well known to be a horndog who slept with lots of women before and during his marriage to Elizabeth), he also was not stupid. Here are the top 4 reasons why Edward IV marrying Elizabeth Woodville was a good idea.

1. Elizabeth Woodville was English

Elizabeth was the first English born Queen since the Norman Conquest. Every Queen of England before her was a foreigner, which, depending on the queen, was a good or a bad thing. It was a good thing for Catherine of Valois while she was the Queen because her dowry was the French throne, but as Dowager Queen, it made her untrustworthy and stripped her of almost all of her power. The last Queen before Elizabeth, Margaret of Anjou, came with no dowry and, in fact, cost England much of their French lands. While she had her good moments, her favoritism of the Beauforts and the fact that she was on the losing side of the War of the Roses have made her one of the most reviled Queens in English history. Having another French Queen (which is what Warwick wanted) was very likely to blow up in Edward IV’s face, so it was no surprise that he went looking for an English Queen.

2. Elizabeth Woodvile Was a Lancaster

Elizabeth’s mother, Jacquetta of Luxembourg was Henry VI’s aunt by marriage and Margaret of Anjou’s cousin by marriage. She was an influential member of the Lancaster court. Due to her mother’s connections, Elizabeth’s first husband was a staunch Lancaster supporter and died during the first round of the War of the Roses. Her connections made her one of the more high ranking nobles on the Lancaster side left in England (aside from the Beauforts, who would have been more likely to kill Edward in his sleep than rule as Queen by his side).

England was still reeling from the Yorkist victory and Edward knew that his reign was on shaky ground. Taking a Lancaster bride, especially one whose mother had been as high ranking as Jacquetta, bridged some of the gaps between the Lancasters and the Yorkist supporters. At this point in his reign, Edward needed peace more than he needed the foreign lands, support, and funds that a French bride would have given him.

3. Elizabeth and Jacquetta Were Very Fertile

Fertility was always a concern for nobility but especially for Edward. The two kings before him had only had one child each and there were rumors that Henry VI’s only son was not actually his son. Not to mention, the direct Lancaster line essentially died out because out of Henry VI’s four sons, they produced only one grandson, Henry VI. The more children Edward had, the more secure his reign would be. Jacquetta had safely given birth to 14 children (that poor woman. Oh my God, no drugs or anything.) Elizabeth already had two sons of her own from her first marriage. There was little doubt that Elizabeth could and would provide Edward with the children that he would need.

4. Elizabeth Had Lots of Siblings that Edward Could Use for Political Gain

In an ideal world, Edward, at this point, would have only been Prince of Wales. His father, Richard, Duke of York, should have been made king upon winning the first part of the War of the Roses. It was only after his father’s brutal death and the desecration of his body that Edward took charge of the rebellion which led him to being crowned King. That made his relationships with his supporters complicated. Warwick took credit for putting him on the throne and since Edward was young, Warwick wanted him to essentially be his puppet. Cecily Neville, his mother, also wielded a significant amount of power. If Edward was ever going to stand on his own two feet as a king, he needed to get out from underneath their thumbs.

Since the Woodvilles held little power in the early days of the Yorkist regime, any and all of their eventual power was given to them by Edward and could be taken away at any point. Edward was able to marry Elizabeth’s siblings off to suit his political and financial needs, effectively taking power back from his over-reaching supporters, such as Warwick.

Here are 4 pretty significant political reasons why Edward IV married Elizabeth Woodville. Next time, I will outline 4 reasons why marrying Elizabeth was a bad political move.

Let me know what you all think! Do you agree or disagree with my arguments?F

Recommended Sources

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August 10, 2022August 9, 2022

Elizabeth Woodville: The KISS Edition

Image Attribution: Royal Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Elizabeth Woodville was probably one of the most controversial, if not hated English Queen Consorts. She was the first English-born Queen Consort to marry into the Plantagenet dynasty. Not only that, but she was also considered a “commoner” because her father was a knight. Despite being painted as a villain by her enemies, she was a shrewd politician who came out on top in most situations, with a few significant exceptions.

Becoming Dame Lady Grey

Elizabeth Woodville was the first-born child to Sir Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. This marriage was incredibly scandalous. Jacquetta was sister to the Count of Luxembourg and married the Duke of Bedford prior to his death. The Duke of Bedford was the most powerful man in England and France as the primary regent and eldest uncle to Henry VI, making Jacquetta the most powerful woman in England and France. Since Bedford had no heirs, his significant estate was left to his widow. Legally, Jacquetta needed the permission of the king to remarry, so when she married Richard in secret, shit hit the fan.

Luckily, around the time Elizabeth was born, Henry VI had forgiven Jacquetta and Richard. Jacquetta and Elizabeth spent a significant amount of time at court, especially after Henry VI married Margaret of Anjou, who was related to Jacquetta. Elizabeth had front row seats to the political strife that led to the outbreak of the War of the Roses.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth’s first marriage was not very advantageous. Due to the rampant sexism of the time, a child’s social status was determined by their father’s status, not their mother’s. While Henry VI gave Sir Richard Woodville the title, Baron Rivers, due to his marriage to Jacquetta, he was not considered nobility. This meant that his children, including Elizabeth, were considered to be of lower birth than their contemporaries (which, in my humble opinion, was bullshit).

Despite being the daughter of the king’s aunt by marriage, Elizabeth married Sir John Grey, heir to the Barony Ferrers of Groby. She had two sons with her first husband. Unfortunately, her husband died during the first part of the War of the Roses, fighting on the Lancastrian side. As a Lancastrian widow, Elizabeth and her children were in a very precarious situation when she met Edward IV.

The Secret Queen Consort

*unknown scribe, Public domain [PD-US-expired], via Wikimedia Commons*

There was no definitive record about Elizabeth and Edward’s first meeting. In fact, their marriage was kept secret for months afterwards. Edward only revealed that he married Elizabeth when his close ally, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, presented Edward and Parliament with a potential marriage alliance with a French princess. At this point, Edward was forced to admit that he was already married.

The most popular story for how Elizabeth and Edward met was that she, with her young sons at her side, “ambushed” him on the side of the road while he was travelling (as much as a young woman with two young children could ambush a king). In the wake of her husband’s death and the Lancastrian defeat, her sons were denied their inheritance. She approached Edward to plead for aid.

For Edward, it was love at first sight. He first tried to seduce her, but she refused to become his mistress. He then (in typical toxic masculinity fashion) attempted to force her, but she held him off until he agreed to marry her. They married in secret, with only Jacquetta present, according to legend. Elizabeth quickly became pregnant with their first child, the spectacular Elizabeth of York.

To say that this was a scandal was a massive understatement. Warwick was so insulted that he threw a hissy fit and switched alliances. He, with Edward’s brother, George of Clarence, briefly overthrew Edward and placed Henry VI back on the throne. Elizabeth fled into sanctuary with her children and mother, until Edward took back his throne.

The Queen Mother in Sanctuary

The next several years were relatively peaceful; at least, until Edward IV died suddenly. His son, Edward V, was still a child and Richard III, Edward IV’s youngest brother, became primary regent. In an effort to consolidate power, Elizabeth had her brother, Anthony Woodville, and her son from her first marriage, Richard Grey, escort Edward V to London. However, Richard III intercepted them and arrested Anthony and Grey. He took custody of Edward V, under the guise of ensuring that he arrive at London for his coronation safely.

John Cassel, Public domain [PD-US-expired], via Wikimedia Commons

Elizabeth, seeing the writing on the wall, once again fled to sanctuary. While many saw this action as an overreaction (as women tended to do when their family members were arrested without cause), her fears were soon proven right as Richard III had Anthony and Grey executed. Edward V resided in the Tower of London for “his protection.” Richard III forced Elizabeth to release her second son, Richard (named after his grandfather and uncle), into Richard III’s custody, to join Edward V in the Tower of London. Soon after, Edward V and his brother disappeared, becoming the infamous “Princes in the Tower.”

Dame Lady Grey, Once Again

The key to Richard III claiming the throne, despite his brother’s multiple legitimate children, was to “prove” that the marriage between Elizabeth and Edward was illegitimate. Richard III claimed that Edward had participated in an engagement ceremony with Lady Eleanor Butler, which, at that time, was equivalent to a legally binding marriage, prior to his marriage to Elizabeth. He passed an Act of Parliament that declared that the marriage between Elizabeth and Edward was invalid, making all their children illegitimate. Richard III used this to declare himself Edward IV’s heir and crowned King of England.

Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

With her youngest sons missing and presumed dead, any sort of power and protection for herself and her daughters seemed well out of reach as long as Richard III remained in power. So, Elizabeth switched sides once again and aligned herself with Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the last Lancastrian heir, Henry VII. They communicated secretly using a physician and arranged for Henry VII to marry her eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York, after Henry VII usurped the throne from Richard III. The first invasion ultimately failed; however, this alliance ultimately set the stage for the Tudor dynasty.

After the failed invasion by Henry VII, Elizabeth was forced to come to an agreement with Richard III. At this point, Elizabeth and her daughters had been in sanctuary for over a year and there was no end in sight. Accepting the new status quo, Elizabeth agreed to leave sanctuary with her daughters only if Richard III made a public oath to do no harm to her daughters and secure their futures (AKA marriages, because that was all women were good for, according to the jerks in charge). Richard III did so, and Elizabeth finally left sanctuary. She retired from court and her daughters split their time between living with her and attending court.

And Introducing the Queen Mother… Once Again

Things seemed to calm down for Elizabeth for a time. Her daughters were safe-ish (I mean, as safe as they could be) and while she did not have any power, she was also not in constant fear for her life. In typical War of the Roses fashion, shit hit the fan once again.

Henry VII, once again, invaded England to claim the throne from Richard III. He defeated him in the famous Battle of Bosworth, changing the political landscape once again. Much of Henry VII’s support came from the promise that he would marry Elizabeth of York, uniting the Lancasters and Yorks and hopefully, ending the War of the Roses once and for all. Many important nobles viewed Elizabeth of York as Edward IV’s true heir, putting Elizabeth in the potentially powerful position of Dowager Queen.

Now, I am sure that you are wondering why Margaret Beaufort was not considered Dowager Queen. After all, she was the mother of the new king, Henry VII. The issue with Margaret claiming the title of Dowager Queen was that she had never been Queen Consort. The Dowager Queen had always been a previous Queen Consort. Instead, Henry VII created a new title for his mother, the King’s Mother. Frankly, since Margaret held immense power (more so than the current Queen Consort or the Dowager Queen) As Elizabeth was the mother of the current Queen Consort, whom many considered to be the actual heir to the throne, she regained the title of Dowager Queen.

Despite her title, there was no room for Elizabeth to hold power in court. Her daughter, Elizabeth of York, while being Queen Consort, wielded very little power in her own right. It was clear from the get-go that Margaret was the female power in the English court, and while she made a little room for the Queen Consort, she was not about to yield any of her power to Elizabeth Woodville.

Elizabeth ended up retiring to a convent, much like many other Dowager Queens before her. She was stripped of most of her wealth prior to retiring. The circumstances surrounding her retirement was unclear and there has been much debate on whether Henry VII ordered her to retire or if it was her choice. Either way, Elizabeth spent her final years shut away in a convent, away from her beloved family and the seat of power that she worked so hard to gain for her children.

Whether you love her or hate her, Elizabeth Woodville’s impact on history is undeniable.

Elizabeth of York: The KISS Edition

Image Attribution: After Meynnart Wewyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Similar to Catherine of Valois (See Catherine of Valois: The KISS Edition), Elizabeth of York is a largely forgotten queen who is essential to the rise of the Tudors.

Elizabeth of York: The Daughter of the War of the Roses

Elizabeth was the first born child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. From the moment of her birth, she was celebrated and treated as a national treasure. (I hope I am not the only who just had a flashback of Nicholas Cage pretending to be Indiana Jones). For the first few years of her life, Elizabeth led a charmed life. This, of course, did not last long.

When Elizabeth was four, Edward IV was overthrown by the Lancasters (in what I like to refer to as Warwick’s hissy fit). He forced to flee England and abandon his wife and children. A heavily pregnant Elizabeth Woodville sought sanctuary at Westminster Abbey for her and her daughters. While they resided in comfort, the royal family lived in fear that Warwick and the Lancasters would storm the Abbey to “take care of” (AKA murder) of them.

Protecting the Fam

One of the first things that Edward IV did, after he defeated the Lancasters, was to liberate his wife and children from sanctuary. From that point on, Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville took several steps to ensure their family’s safety. Henry VI “died of grief” (AKA murdered) and Margaret of Anjou was declawed by the deaths of her husband and her son. As George of Clarence (Edward IV’s brother and Elizabeth of York’s uncle) continued to commit treason, he was killed, likely on Edward IV’s orders. (As much as George was a turd, brothers killing brothers is never a good thing in the long run). With the obvious threats taken care of, Elizabeth and her family were safe and happy.

Uncle Dick Comes to Town

This all ended when Edward IV died unexpectedly when she was seventeen. Her twelve year old brother, Edward V, became king and her uncle Richard III became Lord Protector. Richard III hated the Woodvilles (especially the new Queen Dowager, Elizabeth Woodville) and sought to take power for himself. (The men in the York family literally destroyed each other and themselves over being the King of England. I would love to ask them if it was all worth it in the end). He took custody of Edward V and arrested Elizabeth of York’s maternal uncle and half-brother. This action sent Elizabeth and her immediate family once again into sanctuary (AKA a very long sleepover at church). Everything seemed to go downhill from there.

John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

With complete control over Edward V and the Woodvilles powerless, Richard III quickly secured more power for himself. He conducted a coup, executed and exiled Edward V’s supporters (without a trial, which is a big no no even then), and forced the Queen Dowager to release Richard (Edward IV’s second son) into his custody. Once the two biggest threats to his power were under his control, Richard III made the ultimate power move. He revealed (around the same time that the Princes “disappeared”) that Edward IV had already been married when he married the Queen Dowager, making the Princes and Princesses illegitimate. Of course, there was only one witness (the priest who could not actually be considered a legal witness), the supposed first wife was dead, and apparently, George knew? (You know, the traitor brother who literally called Edward IV, his own brother, illegitimate to get more power. There is no way he would have sat on this information.)

Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Richard III’s rule was rocked with rebellion and instability. His treatment of Edward IV’s children enraged many English citizens. As hated as the Woodvilles were, Edward IV was beloved. Despite Richard’s scheme to delegitimize Elizabeth and her siblings, her brothers were still considered the rightful heirs. After it was largely accepted that they were dead (as if they needed more family murder in the York family), Elizabeth became the rightful heir to the throne. This is the reason why Henry VII and Elizabeth were betrothed multiple times before they eventually married and why there were rumors that Richard III sought to marry Elizabeth after Anne Neville’s death. (Incest. So much incest. I definitely just threw up at little in my mouth.)

And Now We Have… The Tudors?

Moving away from potential royal incestual marriages (still so gross), Henry VII defeated Richard III and became the first Tudor king of England. This should have been a glorious time for Elizabeth. After all, she was the reason he won. Most of Henry’s supporters only fought for him because he promised to marry Elizabeth (and not in the creepy uncle way that Richard III tried to do). While Elizabeth waited for Henry to set a wedding date so that they could be crowned as King and Queen of England together, Henry had other plans.

Henry wanted to rule in his own right, not based on his wife’s claim to the throne. So he put off the wedding. He had his coronation and began to rule England as a King alone. (While I can see his point, the massive fan of Elizabeth in me is enraged on her behalf.) He did this for so long that his supporters began to get nervous that he was not going to marry Elizabeth. Finally, he chose a wedding date and they got married. Elizabeth became pregnant and then Queen (and yes, it is supposed to be the other way around). And so began the Tudor age.

Marriages Don’t Magically Solve All of the Problems

Unfortunately, her marriage to Henry VII did not end the clashes between her family and her husband. Her aunt, Margaret of Burgundy, promoted two different pretenders, including one who claimed to be Elizabeth’s youngest brother, (which was such a dick move. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound). After one of these rebellions,, Henry VII may have forced the Queen Dowager to relinquish her lands and retire to an abbey. (Some say it was her choice while others say Henry forced her into it.) Henry VII stole some of Elizabeth and her sisters’ inheritance (besides the throne) and refused to provide doweries for them. Elizabeth ended up financially supporting her sisters throughout their adult years.

Malden, Sarah, Countess of Essex (c. 1761-1838)[2][3], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

While their marriage did not miraculously heal the wounds that the War of the Roses caused, Henry and Elizabeth had a solid marriage. They had multiple children (which indicated an active sex life). Neither were overly affectionate towards each other in public (and Henry was a total Mama’s Boy); however, multiple sources indicate that they cared for and supported each other. In fact, Henry VII only developed his cold and controlling reputation after Elizabeth passed away.

For the most part, Elizabeth stayed away from politics. Whether or not this was her choice or she was sidelined by Margaret Beaufort (the #1 Badass, clink link for more info), we will probably never know. Regardless, she gave birth to multiple children, including the infamous Henry VIII, Queen Margaret Tudor of Scotland and Queen Mary Tudor of France. Her main contribution politically was negotiating marriages for her children. While she worked with Margaret on these negotiations, Elizabeth made sure that she had a voice in who daughter- and son-in-laws would be.

At the end of the day, Elizabeth of York was critical to English history despite being overshadowed by her mother and mother-in-law. She was the Daughter of the War of the Roses and the first Tudor Queen.

Links Disclaimer: Some links within this website may lead to other sites that we believe may be useful or informative. The Snarky History Nerd Blog does not incorporate any materials appearing in such linked sites by reference. These links to third party sites or information are not intended as, and should not be interpreted by you as, constituting or implying our endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation of the third party information, products, or services found there. We do not maintain or control these sites and accordingly make no guarantee concerning the accuracy, reliability, or currency of the information found there.

Sources:

Author	Source Name
Alison Weir	The War of the Roses.
Mary McGrigor	The Sister Queens: Isabella & Catherine de Valois
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.
Erin Lawless	Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I
Dan Jones	The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England

Tag: Edward IV