Elizabeth of York

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Elizabeth of York (1466–1503), queen of Henry VII. Henry set the seal on his great victory at Bosworth in August 1485 by his marriage in January 1486 to Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Edward IV, thus uniting the houses of York and Lancaster. She had spent the first year of Richard III's reign in sanctuary at Westminster and there were rumours that Richard was to marry her after his wife's death in March 1485. She does not seem to have wished for a political role as queen and died soon after the birth of her last child in the Tower on 11 February 1503. She was said to be beautiful, with golden hair and a pleasant manner. She was buried in Henry VII's great new chapel at Westminster abbey.

J. A. Cannon

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Elizabeth of York

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