Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth Woodville, born around 1437 in Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire, was the Queen of England as the spouse of King Edward IV. She was known for her beauty and her marriages, first to Sir John Grey and then to Edward IV. Her family was of middle rank, her mother being Jacquetta of Luxembourg and her father Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers. Her marriage to Edward IV was significant as it was a rare instance of a king marrying one of his subjects, leading to her crowning as queen. Elizabeth’s life was marked by the turbulent Wars of the Roses, and she faced the loss of her first husband, John Grey, at the Second Battle of St Albans, fighting for the Lancastrian cause.

After Edward IV’s death, Elizabeth Woodville’s influence persisted, even as her son Edward V was deposed by Richard III. She played a role in the accession of Henry VII, who married her daughter, Elizabeth of York, uniting the warring houses and establishing the Tudor dynasty. Elizabeth Woodville died on 8 June 1492 at Bermondsey Abbey, Surrey, and was buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.