Every week, we talk at length about the women who are currently in the media but we don’t talk about the women who still influence us from the past. With this in mind, once a month we will take a look at an inspirational woman from the past and what she achieved.
Our first inspirational woman may not make it on to the history lists for having changed the world in any great way, but she certainly shaped the future of Britain and the British monarchy.
Elizabeth Woodville was born in October 1437, or as far as records can attest. She was the first-born child of a curious marriage in England at the time, what seems to have been a marriage for love. Her father, Sir Richard Woodville, was merely a Knight at the time of her birth while her mother, Jacquetta, came from the Royal House of Luxembourg.
Elizabeth married quite young to Sir John Grey, with whom she had two sons. Grey was killed during battle fighting for the cause of the Lancastrians. Elizabeth found herself widowed at quite a young age without means of support for her sons.
The story goes that when Edward IV took the throne, the Yorkist King following a battle with the Lancastrians, Elizabeth approached the King to ask for her estate for her sons. When Edward met her, he fell in love with her and requested her hand in marriage.
Elizabeth ruled as Queen Consort from 1471 until December 1483. In that time, she gave birth to ten children, many of whom would go on to marry into the most influential families in Britain.
In a time when a woman had little to no power, Woodville achieved something unbelievable with very little opportunities. Not only was she influential as a mother, Woodville also managed to make sure that most of her family received some of the highest positions in the land, ensuring their wealth and succession.
However, with the new roles in the family came a lot of troubles. Elizabeth’s father, Richard Woodville, and her brother were killed following a rebellion and yet, Woodville overcame, even allowing the daughters of her conspirators in her court.
Elizabeth always remained politically influential. When Edward was away putting down rebellions around the country, Elizabeth ran his court, ensuring loyalty to the Yorkists.
Following the death of Edward in 1483, her son Edward V briefly took the throne before he was “imprisoned” for safety by his uncle Richard III. Edward V and his brother Richard became the infamous Princes in the Tower. They were never seen again.
Elizabeth of York.
Even with this massive blow and with Elizabeth in hiding under Westminster, she still managed to pull the strings that would influence the monarchy. She sent her first daughter, the beautiful Elizabeth of York, to court and eventually assured peace in the kingdom by arranging her marriage with the family’s mortal enemy, Henry VII.
With what little tools she had, Elizabeth Woodville managed to create a dynasty, a dynasty that exists to today. She was the grandmother of Henry VIII and of Margaret Tudor, who married James IV of Scotland, from which the current monarchy descended from.
Elizabeth died in 1492 and was laid to rest beside her husband, Edward IV.
That’s quite the achievement for a Medieval Queen.
