Bridget of York

Bridget of York, the tenth and youngest child of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville, was born on 10 November 1480 at Eltham Palace, London, England. She was baptized the following day, with Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and Elizabeth of York as her godmothers, and William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester, as her godfather. Bridget’s life was marked by the political turmoil following her father’s death in 1483. Her brother Edward V’s succession to the throne was disrupted by their uncle, Richard III, leading to the family seeking asylum in Westminster Abbey. Bridget’s subsequent life was spent largely in religious seclusion at Dartford Priory in Kent, where she died before December 1507.

Despite her royal lineage, Bridget’s life was devoid of the political and military events that often marked the lives of her contemporaries. Her existence was shaped by the dramatic changes in the English monarchy during her early years, including the usurpation of the throne by Richard III and the reversal of her illegitimacy by Henry VII. Bridget never married, choosing instead a life of religious devotion. She attended her mother’s funeral and maintained correspondence with her sister, the queen, until her death. She was buried in Dartford Priory, which was later transformed into a royal residence after the English Reformation.