Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty : Uniting the Roses

Elizabeth of York, often overshadowed by her famous descendants, was a strong and influential queen who united the warring houses of York and Lancaster.Elizabeth of York has often been overlooked by Tudor historians in favor of her infamous son King Henry VIII and his six wives, as well as her glorious Virgin Queengranddaughter 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 Englandfirst queen regnant. It was her position as the heiress to the House of York that solidified her husbandclaim 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 husbandrule, 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 Englandmost powerful and ruthless monarchies. Yet she was a devoted mother and an adored queen to the people of England. [Publisher's Text]