Many are familiar with the story of
the much-married King Henry VIII of England and the celebrated reign of his daughter, Elizabeth I. But it is often forgotten that the life of the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, Henry’s mother and Elizabeth’s grandmother, spanned one of England’s most dramatic and perilous periods. Now New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir presents the first modern biography of this extraordinary woman, whose very existence united the realm and ensured the survival of the Plantagenet bloodline.
Her birth was greeted with as much pomp and ceremony as that of a male heir. The first child of King Edward IV, Elizabeth enjoyed all the glittering trappings of royalty. But after the death of her father; the disappearance and probable murder of her brothers—the Princes in the Tower; and the usurpation of the throne by her calculating uncle Richard III, Elizabeth found her world turned upside-down: She and her siblings were declared bastards.
As Richard’s wife, Anne Neville, was dying, there were murmurs that the king sought to marry his niece Elizabeth, knowing that most people believed her to be England’s rightful queen. Weir addresses Elizabeth’s possible role in this and her covert support for Henry Tudor, the exiled pretender who defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth and was crowned Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth’s subsequent marriage to Henry united the houses of York and Lancaster and signaled the end of the Wars of the Roses. For centuries historians have asserted that, as queen, she was kept under Henry’s firm grasp, but Weir shows that Elizabeth proved to be a model consort—pious and generous—who enjoyed the confidence of her husband, exerted a tangible and beneficial influence, and was revered by her son, the future King Henry VIII.
Drawing from a rich trove of historical records, Weir gives a long overdue and much-deserved look at this unforgettable princess whose line descends to today’s British monarch—a woman who overcame tragedy and danger to become one of England’s most beloved consorts.
572 pages
Published December 3rd 2013
(Ballantine Books)
First Impression
Alison Weir gives an outlined account of the life of Elizabeth of York, a woman who was seen as a crucial influence to the present British Monarchy.
Through her book, Elizabeth of York, she highlights the decisions and influences of a important time in history and uses research to answer possibly some of the most controversial questions of the modern day.
My Rating ⭐
I felt that even though the book was suppose to be about Elizabeth of York it tended to be about everything else but her...
The prologue detailed information about the war of the roses, (also known as the Cousin's war).
From there Weir, gave information from her parents to Warwick, and Margaret Beaufort, sharing her marriage and her pregnancy of Henry VII.
I found that it was quite difficult to follow as the timeline seemed to be very random in one section Warwick had been killed by King Edward IV then it jumped to 1469 where Warwick was rebelling against Edward IV.
From the sections about Elizabeth, I was able to read I found that...In the year 1466, February 11th, Elizabeth, was born at Westminster, the first child between King Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville.
Growing up she would have been aware that she was the daughter of the King, with a sense of her worldly importance, becoming use to travel at infancy.
At the age of 4, Elizabeth and her siblings, Mary and Cecily, were hurried in secrecy upstream to Westminster by their mother, who was reported 7 months pregnant, and maternal grandmother, after her father was forced to flee to the low countries, to be further reunited 5 months later, and for their security moved to the tower of London.
Unfortunately at chapter 2, I decided that it wasn't going to get any better and it would be within my best interest to stop reading, which is a shame because I really enjoy history and know a lot about the Tudor period.
I'm not sure if I can honestly recommend, Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir to anyone but I am sure that there will be someone who will find it a good read.
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