Elizabeth Of York

Elizabeth of York
By Arlene Naylor Okerlund
Summary of the book
The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that took place from 1455 to 1487 in the medieval England. The war received the name of The Wars of the Roses because of the symbols that represented each group, The White Rose for The House of York, and The Red Rose for TheHouse of Lancaster. Several issues caused the conflict, and the members from both Houses were descendants of King Edward III. The book Elizabeth of York, written by Arlene Naylor Okerlund, narrates the life of Elizabeth of York, who reigned in England for fourteen years. This queen is recognized because her marriage to Henry VII signaled the end of The Wars of The Roses; she inaugurated the 118-yearTudor dynasty; Elizabeth was also very popular between the people, and helped her husband to survive to the different rebellions that occurred during his rule; she also influenced the English Renaissance.
Elizabeth of York, daughter of Elizabeth Wydeville and King Edward IV, was born in February 11, 1466. Edward IV was the one who defeated the Lancastrian king Henry VI. Edward IV brought theprosperity and stability that England needed after the inept governance of king Henry VI. The royal family lived in a secure and promising world that was suddenly destructed when Edward IV went to fight with the rebels in the north; he was imprisoned by the earl of Warwick and the duke of Clarence, who were Edward’s cousin and brother, and who also captured Queen’s Elizabeth grandfather, earlrivers, and her brother Sir John Wydeville; they were both beheaded. The citizens of England did not support Warwick and Clarence, so the rebels had to free Edward IV, but the tranquility did not last long. Warwick and Clarence, with the companion of the Lancastrian queen Margaret of Anjou, were planning to attack England, which they actually did. They forced Edward IV into exile in the Netherlands.With her children, queen Elizabeth had to go to the Sanctuary at Westminster Abbey; she tried to defend her husband’s rights by asking to the Mayor of London to ask the City to take control of the Tower, but the rebels released the Lancastrian king Henry VI and restored him into power. Edward IV persuaded the duke of Burgundy to fund ships for an invasion of England, and arrived to London in 1471;he moved his family to his mother’s residence. His troops killed the earl of Warwick at the battle of Barnet and defeated the remnant of the Lancastrian forces at Tewkesbury. This victory brought back the royal life to princess Elizabeth and the rest of the family.
Elizabeth of York lost her father when she was sixteen years old. Edward IV was planning revenge against Louis XI because he brokethe promise of marrying his son, the Dauphin Charles with princess Elizabeth; he suddenly fell ill and died. When this happened, England was immersed in two years of rebellion. Edward V and his Council had to stabilize the nation, but Richard, duke of Gloucester, took control over his nephew and captured Anthony Wydeville. Richard Grey, princess Elizabeth’s half-brother, along with Sir ThomasVaughan, who was Edward V’s chamberlain, were also sent to prison and never seen again. Queen Elizabeth and her five daughters and youngest son, Prince Richard, were forced to move to Westminster once again. Gloucester and his supporters took away the property that Edward IV left to his family. He also accused queen Elizabeth W. of plotting to murder him, and separated prince Richard from her; he senthim with Edward V that was in the Tower. Later, Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth W. was declared adulterous and their children bastards. More terrible news came when Sir Richard Grey and Anthony Wydeville were executed, and Gloucester assumed England’s royal power. The two princes disappeared from the tower, and Richard’s son, Edward Middleham, received the title of Prince of Wales. The duke of...