Elizabeth Woodville Biography

Birth of Elizabeth Woodwvile, daughter of Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. The first-born child of a socially unequal marriage that had briefly scandalised the English court. Her father, Sir Richard Woodville, was merely a knight at the time of her birth

Elizabeth Woodville marries Sir John Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby

Death of John Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, Elizabeth Woodvilles husband, killed at the 2nd Battle of St Albans

Marries Edward IV, a secret wedding, only the brides mother and two ladies in attendance

When the marriage becomes known, it causes considerable rancour on Warwicks part, and when Elizabeth's relatives, especially her brother, Earl Rivers, began to be favored he changes sides

Crowned Queen of England

Goes into sanctuary during Edward's flight

Death of Richard Duke of York, assasinated, 1 of the 2 "Princes of the Tower"

Following Edward IVs sudden death, possibly from pneumonia, in April 1483, Elizabeth Woodville became Queen Dowager for 63 days as her young son, Edward V became king, with his uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, acting as Lord Protector

While in sanctuary at Westminster refuses to reitre & become Queen Dowager

Richard enters London with the future Edward V as his captive. Elizabeth seeks sanctuary at Westminster

Fearing the Woodvilles would attempt to monopolise power, Gloucester quickly moved to take control of Edward V and had Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, and Richard Grey, brother and son to Elizabeth Woodville, arrested. The young King was transferred to the Tower of London to await the coronation

Seeks sanctuary. Richard accused Elizabeth of plotting to "murder and utterly destroy" him

Gloucester now moved to take the throne himself and on 25 June 1483 he had Elizabeth Woodvilles son and brother executed in Pontefract Castle, Yorkshire

All of Elizabeth's children by Edward, including King Edward V, are declared illegitimate, and her brother-in-law, Richard III, accepts the crown.

Elizabeth loses the title of Queen Mother and is referred to as Dame Elizabeth Grey.

Her marriage to Edward is declared null and void by Parliament in the act Titulus Regius on the grounds that Edward had previously promised to marry Lady Eleanor Butler, which was considered a legally binding contract.

Her marriage to Edward is declared null and void by Parliament in the act Titulus Regius on the grounds that Edward had previously promised to marry Lady Eleanor Butler, which was considered a legally binding contract

In an act of Parliament, the Titulus Regius, Gloucester declared his elder brothers children with Elizabeth Woodville illegitimate on the grounds that his brother had a precontract with the widow Lady Eleanor Butler, which was considered a legally binding contract that rendered any other marriage contract invalid

Now referred to as Dame Elizabeth Grey, she and the Duke of Buckingham (a former close ally of Richard III) now allied themselves with Lady Margaret Beaufort and espoused the cause of Margaret Beauforts son Henry Tudor, a great-great-great-grandson of King Edward III.

To strengthen Henrys claim and unite the two feuding noble houses, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort agreed that the latters son should marry the formers eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York, who upon the death of her brothers became the heiress of the House of York.

In an act of Parliament, the Titulus Regius, Gloucester declared his elder brothers children with Elizabeth Woodville illegitimate on the grounds that his brother had a precontract with the widow Lady Eleanor Butler, which was considered a legally binding contract that rendered any other marriage contract invalid

Henry Tudor agrees to the plan to unite the Houses of York & Lancaster and in December 1483 publicly swore an oath to that effect in the cathedral in Rennes, France

Parliament declares Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth invalid. Elizabeth's children are made illegitimate

Richard III's first Parliament of January 1484 stripped Elizabeth Woodville of all the lands given her during Edward IV's reign

Elizabeth Woodville and her daughters came out of sanctuary after Richard III publicly swore an oath that her daughters would not be harmed or molested and that they would not be imprisoned in the Tower of London or in any other prison. He also promised

to provide them with marriage portions and to marry them to "gentlemen born". The family returned to Court, outwardly reconciled to Richard III

Elizabeth Woodville leaves sanctuary after Richard III promises protection and marriage portions for her daughters.

Elizabeth and her daughters came out of sanctuary and return to court

Henry Tudor invaded England and defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. As King, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York and had the Titulus Regius revoked. Elizabeth Woodville was accorded the title and honours of a Queen Dowager

Henry Tudor invaded England and defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. As King, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York and had the Titulus Regius revoked. Elizabeth Woodville was accorded the title and honours of a Queen Dowager

Henry VII comes to the throne & marries Woodvilles eldest daughter & the Queen is reinstated

Marries Henry VII. Elizabeth Woodvilles marriage to Edward IV is declared to have been valid, and thus their children are legitimised (because Henry wanted his wife to be the Yorkist heir to the throne, to cement his hold on. Elizabeth is accorded the title of Queen Dowager

Henry VII comes to the throne & marries Woodvilles eldest daughter & the Queen is reinstated

Henry VII accuses Elizabeth Woodville of being involved in the Lambert Simnel rebellion

Henry VII banishes Elizabeth Woodville to Bermondsey Abbey and confiscates all her properties

Present at the birth of her grandson, the future Henry VIII, at Greenwich Palace

Birth of Henry VIII, son of Henry VII & Elizabeth of York

Laid to rest in the same chantry as her husband King Edward IV in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle

Death of Elizabeth Woodville