"Elizabeth of York - A Tudor Queen and Her World" by Alison Weir (2013)

[An Ard Ri]

"Elizabeth of York - A Tudor Queen and Her World"
by Alison Weir (2013)

I got this as a Christmas present and its in my 'to read pile' & was wondering if anyone had read it?

Alison Weir on Elizabeth of York

Publisher's blurb
Elizabeth of York would have ruled England, but for the fact that she was a woman. The eldest daughter of Edward IV, at seventeen she was relegated from pampered princess to bastard fugitive, but the probable murders of her brothers, the Princes in the Tower, left Elizabeth heiress to the Royal House of York. In 1486, Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor, married her, thus uniting the red and white roses of Lancaster and York.

Elizabeth is an enigma. She had schemed to marry Richard III, the man who had deposed and probably killed her brothers, and it is likely that she then intrigued to put Henry Tudor on the throne. Yet after marriage, a picture emerges of a model consort, mild, pious, generous and fruitful. It has been said that Elizabeth was distrusted and kept in subjection by Henry VII and her formidable mother-in-law, Margaret Beaufort, but contemporary evidence shows that Elizabeth was, in fact, influential, and may have been involved at the highest level in one of the most controversial mysteries of the age.

Alison Weir builds an intriguing portrait of this beloved queen, placing her in the context of the magnificent, ceremonious, often brutal, world she inhabited, and revealing the woman behind the myth, showing that differing historical perceptions of Elizabeth can be reconciled.

v cover
reproduced for promotional purposes

 

[Baroness of Books]

I'm so glad someone is reading this bio as well. I'm reading it right now; just got it from my library. According to Weir, Princess Elizabeth was quite proactive to marry Henry Tudor and conspired with his supporters to overthrow Richard III and put them both on the throne.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Elizabeth of York



Elizabeth of York - YouTube

 

[An Ard Ri]

Alison is currently working on a biography of Lady Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox,I'm excited about this one too!

Alison Weir - The Official Site of Author and Historian Alison Weir

 

[Baroness of Books]

Lady Margaret is an interesting figure in the Tudor dynasty as well; great niece to Henry VIII and cousin to Mary and Elizabeth and considered an heir to the throne. I read a good deal about her in the book "Tudor: Passion, Manipulation, Murder" by Leanda de Lisle.

Alison Weir writes pretty decent historical novels about her subjects as well.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors for information on the Tudors. She is well-informed and erudite but writes in a very engaging, easy to follow manner.

 

[Erin9]

I'm so glad someone is reading this bio as well. I'm reading it right now; just got it from my library. According to Weir, Princess Elizabeth was quite proactive to marry Henry Tudor and conspired with his supporters to overthrow Richard III and put them both on the throne.

I'm reading it now. I thought that was interesting, too. I also found her thoughts on Elizabeth's motivations regarding marriage to Richard III quite plausible.

I always like her work, think she does a good job in presenting her arguments. I do think she goes into a bit too much detail with some of her lists. It doesn't add much imo.The main downside is that there is less known about her true feelings, so Weir infers a lot about what she thinks Elizabeth thought.

 

[Baroness of Books]

Right, you have to realize what Weir is inferring about her subject and what is hard truth in what is written. But it's interesting to think that Elizabeth of York was perhaps not quite the docile princess as she is portrayed in history, at least before her marriage. I haven't reached her post-marriage life yet in the book.

 

[Emmily]

Sounds like a good book! Must get it.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Sounds like a good book! Must get it.

I started it earlier,perfect reading for by the fire on a frosty winters day!

 

[Zonk]

I own a couple of Alison Weir's books and I enjoy them as well. She is a very through researchers.

I might pass on the Elizabeth York book but I am definitely interested in the Lady Margaret Douglas book. It seems like certain subjects have been written about ad nasuesm maybe not Elizabeth of York but Lady Douglas!? I can't wait to read that.

 

[LauraS3514]

I'm reading it now. I thought that was interesting, too. I also found her thoughts on Elizabeth's motivations regarding marriage to Richard III quite plausible.

I always like her work, think she does a good job in presenting her arguments. I do think she goes into a bit too much detail with some of her lists. It doesn't add much imo.The main downside is that there is less known about her true feelings, so Weir infers a lot about what she thinks Elizabeth thought.

There was NEVER a proposed marriage between Elizabeth and her uncle Richard. On the contrary, Richard had offered Elizabeth in marriage to Manuel of Portugal, Duke of Beja (the future Manuel I) while he himself was to marry Princess Joanna, the sister of the Portuguese King John II. It is quite possible that "marriages FOR the King and The Lady Elizabeth" was twisted into "marriage of the King TO The Lady Elizabeth" in the rumor/propaganda war that was happening at the time. Records of the negotiations for these marriages were found in Portuguese archives. Many official records of Richard's reign were "lost" (read: destroyed) by the Tudors.

 

[Baroness of Books]

I'm wondering how much truth there is to what Weir posits that Edward IV wanted a match between his daughter and Henry Tudor. This is also the first time I read any such thing, but it sounds reasonable since Henry was of the Lancastrian line and Edward IV could have weighed the benefits of a union between the rival houses.

 

[Erin9]

There was NEVER a proposed marriage between Elizabeth and her uncle Richard...

*shrug* Alison Weir mentions it as a possibility- not that anything was formalized. She goes into a good deal of detail about a supposed letter Elizabeth wrote regarding Richard III and their relationship and tried to discern its meaning. I found one of her references- Croyland Chronicle.

 

[Erin9]

...it's interesting to think that Elizabeth of York was perhaps not quite the docile princess as she is portrayed in history, at least before her marriage.

Agreed. She seems to make the argument that if it was something very important, Elizabeth was capable of asserting herself. She certainly suggests that Elizabeth was willing to marry RIII if necessary for her and her family's security and later helped conspire to put Henry VII on the throne. In the latter case she references the "The Song of Lady Bessy."

She suggests that post-marriage she had some influence, but it was more of a quiet, private influence. She references some of the gifts she was given by powerful people and letters requesting her assistance- noting that they wouldn't have bothered had she had no influence whatsoever- while admitting that it's difficult to assess how much she had. I believe she also references a few letters she wrote, which show some of her influence.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I first discovered Alison Weir c1999 when she released Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England.I'm really looking forward to her next biography on Lady Margaret Douglas,a historical figure who's been somewhat neglected.

 

[CarolynHarris]

Here's my review - I enjoyed the book but would have liked more discussion of female succession - considered undesirable but not "unthinkable" in the 15th century

Elizabeth of York: The First Tudor Queen by Alison Weir (Review) | Carolyn Harris: Royal Historian

 

[An Ard Ri]

I'm hoping to read this over the Easter Holiday Weekend which starts for me tomorrow!

 

[Baroness of Books]

Enjoy both your holiday and the book, An Ard Ri!

 

[An Ard Ri]

Enjoy both your holiday and the book, An Ard Ri!

Thanks,I started it earlier and will continue,5 day holiday here for me,plenty of time to read!

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I'll probably end up reading the book. What reason did Weir give as Elizabeth going for Richard and ten changing it to Henry?

 

[Ana Von Cleves]

Spoiler!!! I want to talk about photos!!!!!

I read this book a few months ago. I rather enjoyed it. It was certainly not the first time I had read about the possible marriage between Elizabeth and Richard. I don't believe it was ever very seriously considered.
Makes you wonder how the unfounded scandalous rumors of our generation will be seen in 500 or so years.


Now for the photos. Has anyone really looked at the tomb sketches yet?
Why on earth would they be stacked like cord wood in a cubby hole of a chamber? I have known for sometime that people were not actually in those fancy monuments, but in the catacombs beneath, at least for the most part. But really????? You will know what I am talking about when you go through the illustrations in the book.

Now for an off topic question for my fellow readers: Are Ian Mortimer's books worth the read? I have several of his biographies in my Amazon Kindle wish list, but I don't think I have ever read anything by him, so I thought I would ask.

Ana

 

[LauraS3514]

I read this book a few months ago. I rather enjoyed it. It was certainly not the first time I had read about the possible marriage between Elizabeth and Richard. I don't believe it was ever very seriously considered.
Makes you wonder how the unfounded scandalous rumors of our generation will be seen in 500 or so years.
Ana

Richard was planning a marriage for Elizabeth - but it was to the future Manuel I of Portugal. Richard himself was to marry Princess Joana of Portugal. Of course Bosworth changed that. I'm thinking it was so easy for Tudor agents to twist "planned marriages for the King and The Lady Elizabeth" to "marriage OF the King TO The Lady Elizabeth" and of course it was the Tudor version that history remembered for so many centuries until records of the negotiations were found in Portugal - they had not-so-mysteriously disappeared from England... Richard would never have considered such a marriage for two reasons: he was her uncle and she was illegitimate by Act of Parliament (Titulus Regius 1484). After the death of Queen Anne Richard needed an undoubtedly royal marriage and heir.

 

[Ana Von Cleves]

We heard you earlier.