Elizabeth of York has often been overlooked by Tudor historians in favour of her infamous son King Henry VIII and his six wives, as well as her glorious 'Virgin Queen' granddaughter Queen Elizabeth I. But Elizabeth, the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, deserves far more recognition than she currently receives. She suffered the loss of her younger brothers, the Princes in the Tower, and lived through the reign of her maligned uncle King Richard III, who it has been suggested plotted to marry his niece. Elizabeth was born at a time when having women in power was not considered desirable, but if she had been able to rule then Elizabeth would have been England's first queen regnant. It was her position as the heiress to the House of York that solidified her husband's claim to the throne. When she married Henry VII they finally united the warring houses of Lancaster and York. It is often thought that Elizabeth was a weak, ineffectual and pious woman who was too meek to challenge her husband's rule, but in reality she held some sway over her husband and he often valued her opinion. If anything, Elizabeth was a resolute, well-respected and influential queen. Despite being of Plantagenet blood, Elizabeth of York was the mother of the Tudor dynasty, one of England's most powerful and ruthless monarchies. Yet she was a devoted mother and an adored queen to the people of England. AUTHOR: Writer and historian Beverley Adams holds a Masters Degree in English and has written several non-fiction titles for Pen and Sword Books, including The Rebel Suffragette: The Life of Edith Rigby, Ada Lovelace: The World's First Computer Programmer and her first Tudor book The Forgotten Tudor Royal, Margaret Douglas: Grandmother to King James VI/I. Her work focuses on bringing the lives of inspirational women back to life and her upcoming books include The Tragic Life of Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty. She is passionate about local history and has contributed numerous articles for her local press as well as The Historians Magazine. She lives in Lancashire. 16 b/w illustrations
