Alan Steppe
Elizabeth Woodville, also known as Elizabeth Grey, was the Queen consort of England as the wife of King Edward IV. She was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars for control of the English throne.
Elizabeth Woodville had ten children with King Edward IV. Here are their names:
Elizabeth of York: Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. She eventually married Henry VII, uniting the houses of York and Lancaster and ending the Wars of the Roses. Elizabeth of York became the Queen consort of England and was the mother of Henry VIII.
Mary of York: Mary was the second daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. Not much is known about her life, and she likely died in childhood.
Cecily of York: Cecily was the third daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. She became a nun and lived in various religious houses for the rest of her life.
Edward V of England: Edward V was the eldest son of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. He became King of England at the age of 12 after his father’s death but was never officially crowned. He was famously placed in the Tower of London along with his younger brother and disappeared under mysterious circumstances, likely murdered.
Margaret of York: Margaret was the fourth daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. She was married to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York: Richard was the youngest son of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. Like his older brother Edward V, he was placed in the Tower of London and disappeared, presumably murdered.
Anne of York: Anne was the fifth daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. She was married to Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk.
George Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford: George was the third son of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. He died in childhood.
Catherine of York: Catherine was the sixth daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. She became the Countess of Devon through her marriage to William Courtenay.
Bridget of York: Bridget was the youngest daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. She became a nun and lived at Dartford Priory.
Elizabeth Woodville’s children played significant roles in the politics and history of England during the tumultuous period of the Wars of the Roses. After her husband’s death, Elizabeth’s fortunes changed, and she eventually retired to a convent. She lived out the rest of her life in relative obscurity and died in 1492.
