LOCAL HISTORY

It sounds like a fairy tale, but this is a true story of how a Northamptonshire girl met and fell in love with a king hunting in the forest, married him in secret, and became the Queen of England, and grandmother to our most infamous monarch, Henry VIII.

So who was this Northamptonshire girl, and how did she attract the attention of the king?

Although Elizabeth’s father was a relatively humble knight, her mother was anything but. Jacquetta of Luxembourg was the daughter of European aristocracy, and claimed descendance from both Charlemagne the Great, and Mélusine, a mermaidlike shape-shifting water spirit with magical powers.

Jacquetta first marriage in 1433 was to Prince John of Lancaster, son of Henry IV. It was short-lived as John died whilst they were in Rouen, France. The wealthy widow was obliged to seek permission from King Henry VI before remarriage, but unbeknown to the King, Jacquetta had fallen in love with her late husband’s chamberlain, a Northamptonshire gentleman named Sir Richard Woodville. Henry VI threw them together when he asked Sir Richard Woodville to escort the widow back to England. They married in secret on the way home and were only forgiven after paying a hefty fine

The marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville from Ancienne Chronique d’Angleterre Jean de Wavrin

Elizabeth ~ England’s Northamptonshire Queen

Richard and Jacquetta were in a powerful position. Jacquetta outranked all ladies at court except for the Queen, and Richard was created Baron Rivers, perhaps a tribute to his wife’s ancestor Mélusine. At the start of the Wars of the Roses, they were firm supporters of the House of Lancaster, and made their home at Richard’s manor in Grafton, Northamptonshire. Their first child was born around 1437 in Grafton. Elizabeth Woodville grew up to be exceptionally beautiful, with all the most fashionable features in medieval society, tall, slender, with long fair hair, a pale complexion and a high forehead. Additionally, her eyes were considered beautiful, being heavy lidded, ‘like a dragon’. She was happily married at fifteen to Sir John Grey of Groby in Leicestershire and gave him two sons. Sadly, her husband was killed fighting for the Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses. She was left a widow, her lands seized by the Yorkists, and with no alternative but to return home to her parents at Grafton.

it became clear that the Yorkists had won, and that Edward IV would be crowned king. As former Lancastrian supporters, the Woodville family now changed their allegiance to support the new Yorkist regime.

Possibly the first time Elizabeth met the new king was in 1461 when he visited Stony Stratford and pardoned her father for his support of the Lancastrians. Elizabeth was desperate to regain her late husband’s lands to support herself and her sons and arranged a ‘chance encounter’ with the King whilst he was out hunting in Whittlewood forest, near Silverstone. Edward had a notorious eye for the ladies and fell hard for the beautiful young widow, so much so that on 1st May 1464 they married in secret at Grafton, probably at the Hermitage rather than the church. The only witnesses were Jacquetta, two of the King’s men and the priest and altar boy. The couple consummated their marriage, then the King rode back to his household. He returned for a longer stay at Grafton, where Edward and Elizabeth only met each other when the household was asleep. The years that followed were difficult. Warwick turned against the King and defeated the Royal forces at the Battle of Edgcote, near Banbury. Elizabeth’s father and brother were subsequently beheaded at Northampton, and the King was taken prisoner for a short time. Warwick continued plotting Edward’s death and came close to succeeding. At one point a heavily pregnant Elizabeth had to flee from the Tower of London towards safe sanctuary in Westminster Abbey, where she gave birth to Edward V.

King Edward eventually triumphed over Warwick and the Lancastrian faction, and a period of happiness followed for the Royal family. But Edward had enjoyed a self-indulgent lifestyle, and this may have contributed to his early death aged only 41 ending this period of tranquillity.

Elizabeth had produced eight living children including two Royal princes, so she began preparations for the coronation of her eldest, Edward. His father had appointed Uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester to be Protector to the young Edward until he reached maturity. Richard captured both the Royal Princes and placed them in the Tower of London for ‘safekeeping’, and probably had them quietly disposed of. He then declared the marriage between Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV invalid and proclaimed himself King Richard III.

Elizabeth and her daughters were treated well, Richard showing interest in marrying the eldest Princess Elizabeth. But when the news of the death of the Princes in the Tower leaked, the country once again was in turmoil. Richard headed north, halting at Grafton Manor. He crushed the rebellion for a short time, but supporters of Henry Tudor, the Lancastrian heir gathered, including Elizabeth Woodville’s last remaining brother Earl Rivers. The challenge for the throne culminated at Bosworth in 1485, when Richard was killed, and Henry Tudor was proclaimed King by right of conquest.

Princess Elizabeth of York now married the new King Henry VII instead of Uncle Richard, and England finally saw peace. Elizabeth Woodville had her honour restored, and lived quietly, eventually entering a convent at Bermondsey before her death aged 55. She was buried as she requested, quietly and without fuss, next to her beloved Edward. She never knew that her eldest daughter was to give birth to England’s most notorious King, Henry VIII and to become grandmother to England’s greatest Queen, Elizabeth I.

Although she was a Northamptonshire commoner by birth, she brought a touch of Mélusine magic, and vigour to the English monarchy and is an ancestor of our own Elizabeth II as her 15th Great-Grandmother. They even share the same name.

Mélusine by Julius Hübner

This discreet visiting continued until September when the news could be hidden no longer as Edward’s advisors were pressing him to marry a European bride. The shock caused by the King marrying a commoner for love was enormous, and Edward relished it. He had Elizabeth crowned Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey with pomp and circumstance, and favoured her family with money, land and titles. This caused massive resentment especially in the Earl of Warwick and the entire Neville family.

Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville

Written by Laura Malpas

> For more information about Grafton and its Royal connections, please visit www.grafton-regis.com