The lady Elizabeth affair
Posted August 5th, 2012 at 01:11 PM by Crystal Rainbow
King Richard III
XV
Richard had convinced the Dowager Queen Elizabeth to leave her sanctuary at Westminster Abbey, just after Buckingham’s rebellion in towards the end of October 1483. He had promised that he would find her children worthy marriages as ‘gentleman born’. Elizabeth knew that she was trapped in the sanctuary, and knew she and her family had little future unless she had went along with Richard’s plans for the marriages of her family and getting her family lands back. She had also persuaded her eldest, son Thomas, Marquis of Dorset to come back and all is safe for him to return in early in 1485. Thomas had taken his mothers advice, but Henry Tudor had caught him before he could flee and he was imprisoned him, since then Henry Tudor could never trust him again. Elizabeth Woodville had decided to go along with the truce with Richard, but she had never forgiven him for the executions of her brother Anthony Woodville and her son from her earlier marriage Richard Grey. She also had never forgiven Richard for declaring her marriage to Edward IV null and void and her children illegitimate. It had seemed that Elizabeth Woodville had bided her time as she had made a alliance with the lady Margaret Beaufort and promised her daughter the lady Elizabeth to her Margaret’s Beaufort son, Henry Tudor. When Elizabeth Woodville had heard that Anne was ill and not long for the world she had spread the nasty rumours about the King had planed to marry her daughter, and made sure it reached the Queen’s ears before she had died.
During the Christmas festivities of 1484, Queen Anne’s appearance was visibly noticeable that she was that she was ill and people of the court had started to whisper about the Queen’s barrenness. Such talk had hurt Richard and Anne as some were speculating if Richard was looking for another bride. It had made matters worse, when at the Christmas banquet the lady Elizabeth was ‘dancing and disporting herself with the gayest abandon whilst dressed in robes of the same cloth, colour and cut as those of the Queen herself’
Richard had made plans that the lady Elizabeth to marry a naval officer who was the son of Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was captured by the French just before the Tudor invasion 1485. There is not much that is recorded after his capture but it was presumed he was captured along the coast of Normandy and was imprisoned in Paris where he died of ‘hunger and poverty’.
It was a rather solemn atmosphere at Richard’s court as Queen Anne, was dying nasty rumours were circulating around that Richard was looking for another bride. It seemed that the kindness that Richard and Anne had shown towards Elizabeth Woodvilles daughters during the Christmas festivities had been all in vain. It was whispered that Richard was far from unhappy from watching his wife leaving his world and had set upon plans to marry his niece, the lady Elizabeth, Elizabeth Woodvilles daughter. There were other stories in circulation that she had poisoned, although it was widely known that she had died of tuberculosis at the age of 28. Some people had taken her death as highly suspicious as her death as she had died on 16th of March 1485, during an eclipse of the sun, which was taken by some as the work of witchcraft. It had been well known that Elizabeth Woodville had used her witchcraft skills to lure Edward IV to her charms.
The Croyland Chronicle had reported that following the days after Anne’s death, that Sir William Catesby and Sir Richard Ratcliff had an interview with Richard about the nasty rumours about marrying the lady Elizabeth. The rumours had alarmed Sir William Catesby and Sir Richard Ratcliff, but they were in no doubt in any truth in the rumours. King Richard had made it clear to them that if he really did marry his niece; he would lose the vital support of his northern friends. The People of the North loved Anne Neville and her memory had deserved to be honoured. Taking the advice form his most trusted councillors, Richard had set about writing proclamations to quash all rumours.
There are records, which still survive, of the Mercers Company, the Lord Mayor, the aldermen and the leading citizens of the City were summoned to the Hall of the Knights of St John on 30th March 1485, to hear what had to say about the rumours on marrying the lady Elizabeth. Richard had told them that he had dearly loved his wife and had not poisoned her. She had died of natural causes, at least an equal possibility. He clearly stated that, ‘in a loud and distinct voice’. There never was, and never had been, any idea of marrying his niece. It must have been such an ordeal having just having lost his wife that he had to face such atrocious and malicious rumours. The King had stated that if anybody who persisted in repeating those unfounded rumours, or anybody who caught handing out hand-bills relating to such rumours would be severely punished by the Royal Justice. Richard’s letter to the Mayor of York still survives, urging the Mayor to visit the most stringent penalties on anyone repeating those disgraceful stories.
‘It is so, that divers seditious and evil disposed persons (both in our city of London our city of London and elsewhere within this our realm) enforce themselves daily to sow seed of noise and disclaundre against our person, and against many of the lords and estates of our land, to abuse the multitude of our subjects and avert their minds from us…some by setting up of bills, some by messages and sending forth of…lies, some by bold and presumptuous open speech and communication one with another, wherethrough the innocent people which would live in rest and peace, and truly under our obeisance...be greatly abused, and oft times put in dangers of their lives, lands and goods, as oft as they follow the…devices of the said seditious persons, to our great heaviness and pity…
The rumours had travelled across the channel, into the court of France and Henry Tudor took it seriously and he believed that his plans to marry the lady Elizabeth were to be dashed. Ploydore Vergil had written in his book “Historie of England” that Henry was ‘pinched by the stomach, at the thought of King Richard’s marrying Elizabeth. Tudor had been looking for a substitute bride, and had started negotiations with the sister of Sir Walter Herbert and he was considered a man with a great deal of influence in Wales. Tudor was also in open communications with the Earl of Northumberland and men that were loyal to the King intercepted two of his messengers. When Tudor had realised that the news of Richard’s plans for marriage was just based on rumours, he just carried on with his plans on invading England.
Meanwhile Richard had been absolutely heart broken and had spent most of his time alone hunting with his falcons and hawks, venting out much sorrow in the open countryside.
XV
Richard had convinced the Dowager Queen Elizabeth to leave her sanctuary at Westminster Abbey, just after Buckingham’s rebellion in towards the end of October 1483. He had promised that he would find her children worthy marriages as ‘gentleman born’. Elizabeth knew that she was trapped in the sanctuary, and knew she and her family had little future unless she had went along with Richard’s plans for the marriages of her family and getting her family lands back. She had also persuaded her eldest, son Thomas, Marquis of Dorset to come back and all is safe for him to return in early in 1485. Thomas had taken his mothers advice, but Henry Tudor had caught him before he could flee and he was imprisoned him, since then Henry Tudor could never trust him again. Elizabeth Woodville had decided to go along with the truce with Richard, but she had never forgiven him for the executions of her brother Anthony Woodville and her son from her earlier marriage Richard Grey. She also had never forgiven Richard for declaring her marriage to Edward IV null and void and her children illegitimate. It had seemed that Elizabeth Woodville had bided her time as she had made a alliance with the lady Margaret Beaufort and promised her daughter the lady Elizabeth to her Margaret’s Beaufort son, Henry Tudor. When Elizabeth Woodville had heard that Anne was ill and not long for the world she had spread the nasty rumours about the King had planed to marry her daughter, and made sure it reached the Queen’s ears before she had died.
During the Christmas festivities of 1484, Queen Anne’s appearance was visibly noticeable that she was that she was ill and people of the court had started to whisper about the Queen’s barrenness. Such talk had hurt Richard and Anne as some were speculating if Richard was looking for another bride. It had made matters worse, when at the Christmas banquet the lady Elizabeth was ‘dancing and disporting herself with the gayest abandon whilst dressed in robes of the same cloth, colour and cut as those of the Queen herself’
Richard had made plans that the lady Elizabeth to marry a naval officer who was the son of Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was captured by the French just before the Tudor invasion 1485. There is not much that is recorded after his capture but it was presumed he was captured along the coast of Normandy and was imprisoned in Paris where he died of ‘hunger and poverty’.
It was a rather solemn atmosphere at Richard’s court as Queen Anne, was dying nasty rumours were circulating around that Richard was looking for another bride. It seemed that the kindness that Richard and Anne had shown towards Elizabeth Woodvilles daughters during the Christmas festivities had been all in vain. It was whispered that Richard was far from unhappy from watching his wife leaving his world and had set upon plans to marry his niece, the lady Elizabeth, Elizabeth Woodvilles daughter. There were other stories in circulation that she had poisoned, although it was widely known that she had died of tuberculosis at the age of 28. Some people had taken her death as highly suspicious as her death as she had died on 16th of March 1485, during an eclipse of the sun, which was taken by some as the work of witchcraft. It had been well known that Elizabeth Woodville had used her witchcraft skills to lure Edward IV to her charms.
The Croyland Chronicle had reported that following the days after Anne’s death, that Sir William Catesby and Sir Richard Ratcliff had an interview with Richard about the nasty rumours about marrying the lady Elizabeth. The rumours had alarmed Sir William Catesby and Sir Richard Ratcliff, but they were in no doubt in any truth in the rumours. King Richard had made it clear to them that if he really did marry his niece; he would lose the vital support of his northern friends. The People of the North loved Anne Neville and her memory had deserved to be honoured. Taking the advice form his most trusted councillors, Richard had set about writing proclamations to quash all rumours.
There are records, which still survive, of the Mercers Company, the Lord Mayor, the aldermen and the leading citizens of the City were summoned to the Hall of the Knights of St John on 30th March 1485, to hear what had to say about the rumours on marrying the lady Elizabeth. Richard had told them that he had dearly loved his wife and had not poisoned her. She had died of natural causes, at least an equal possibility. He clearly stated that, ‘in a loud and distinct voice’. There never was, and never had been, any idea of marrying his niece. It must have been such an ordeal having just having lost his wife that he had to face such atrocious and malicious rumours. The King had stated that if anybody who persisted in repeating those unfounded rumours, or anybody who caught handing out hand-bills relating to such rumours would be severely punished by the Royal Justice. Richard’s letter to the Mayor of York still survives, urging the Mayor to visit the most stringent penalties on anyone repeating those disgraceful stories.
‘It is so, that divers seditious and evil disposed persons (both in our city of London our city of London and elsewhere within this our realm) enforce themselves daily to sow seed of noise and disclaundre against our person, and against many of the lords and estates of our land, to abuse the multitude of our subjects and avert their minds from us…some by setting up of bills, some by messages and sending forth of…lies, some by bold and presumptuous open speech and communication one with another, wherethrough the innocent people which would live in rest and peace, and truly under our obeisance...be greatly abused, and oft times put in dangers of their lives, lands and goods, as oft as they follow the…devices of the said seditious persons, to our great heaviness and pity…
The rumours had travelled across the channel, into the court of France and Henry Tudor took it seriously and he believed that his plans to marry the lady Elizabeth were to be dashed. Ploydore Vergil had written in his book “Historie of England” that Henry was ‘pinched by the stomach, at the thought of King Richard’s marrying Elizabeth. Tudor had been looking for a substitute bride, and had started negotiations with the sister of Sir Walter Herbert and he was considered a man with a great deal of influence in Wales. Tudor was also in open communications with the Earl of Northumberland and men that were loyal to the King intercepted two of his messengers. When Tudor had realised that the news of Richard’s plans for marriage was just based on rumours, he just carried on with his plans on invading England.
Meanwhile Richard had been absolutely heart broken and had spent most of his time alone hunting with his falcons and hawks, venting out much sorrow in the open countryside.
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