![Illuminated miniature depicting the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Anciennes Chroniques d'Angleterre by Jean de Wavrin, 15th century](https://schoolshistory.org.uk/topics/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Marriage_Edward_IV_Elizabeth_Woodville_miniature_Wavrin_Anciennes_Chroniques_dAngleterre_Francais_85_f109.jpeg.jpeg)
Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville – A-Level History Lesson
The marriage of Edward IV to Elizabeth Woodville was quite unusual for its day. This A-Level History lesson explores the key points behind Edward’s chosen bride and the consequences of this secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. Elizabeth was the widow of a defeated enemy and a relative commoner at that. The ramifications of Edward’s choice of bride appear to have been great. In the first instance, it makes the Earl of Warwick look foolish as marriage negotiations were an integral part of his diplomatic roles. Second, it led to a change in the make-up of the royal household, then the court and government. A third was the impact of the marriage on factionalism within the court, something that had only recently led to the war resulting in Edward becoming king. Finally, a fourth was the role of the marriage in the eventual resumption of warfare over the crown.
Lesson Commentary: Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville
Discussion Points
- What were the functions of Royal Marriages in late medieval England?
- What was the role of a Queen Consort in this period?
- Why would the senior nobility be particularly interested in the choice of bride for King Edward IV?
Royal Marriages – Commentary
The marriage of any senior royal, especially the king, was of great importance in the late medieval period. Cast your mind back to the significance of the marriage of Henry VI to Margaret of Anjou. Here, the marriage was intended to aid the English in France. It was part of a larger set of agreements that became the Treaty of Troyes. In marrying the English monarch to a French princess, there was a diplomatic benefit which may not only improve the English standing in France (it didn’t as it turned out) but also have economic and political advantages. So too, such a marriage could have included beneficial dowries: in the case of the example of Margaret of Anjou, these dowries were effectively in name only, though dowries for wealthy, noble, or royal brides could be of great value.
In short, a medieval marriage for a man of Edward’s position had expectations attached to it:
- Diplomatic benefit. What can England gain from a marriage? Will it strengthen an alliance, or boost trade?
- Economic. What is the value of the dowry? Can England trade with these lands?
- Strategic. Linked to Diplomatic but where is the bride from, how can that improve England’s standing on the continent, will it place England in a position of strength?
Queen Consort’s and the Spectre of Margaret of Anjou
The role of a Queen Consort in late Medieval England was one that was defined by the views of the day. Women were not seen as equals during this period. Therefore it followed that some things were ‘men’s’ work and others ‘women’s’. This, generally speaking, was true of all echelons of English Society, from the lowliest of the peasants right to the highest ranks of English Society. A Queen Consort was, by and large, expected to be submissive, a patron, a hostess, a diplomatic symbol and the bearer of legitimate children who could ensure the future stability of the paternal line of descent.
In an England that had been at war with the French for over a hundred years, regularly engaging in clashes with the Scots and, latterly, a quite brutal civil war within England itself, the political focus was very much centred around the military might, or financial muscle, of men. This was a notion that had exceptions. Earlier in the Plantagenet families rule over England, Eleanor of Aquitaine had held considerable sway over both her husband and her two sons, Richard I and John, during their rule. Prior to that, Matilda had been styled the Lady of the English and been nominated as heir: resulting in the Anarchy of her cousin, Stephen’s reign.
For a long time, the Consort had been rather idealistic. From Henry III to Henry V (inclusive) the Consort was rarely a political concern following marriage. The queens essentially did the job that was expected of them (A very generalised statement but few caused significant issues). Then, Henry VI married Margaret of Anjou. She was quite the opposite of this submissive and subservient consort. Though thrust into circumstances quite unlike those that a consort had encountered before, her actions as a Queen Consort shook the foundations of what ‘normal’ looked like. As the immediate successor to Margaret as Consort, Edward’s wife would need to be politically astute and most probably very aware of the views of the senior Dukes, Earls and barons within the court.
For academic/scholarly works on the role of a Consort, Dowager Queen or Queen Regent in medieval England, take a look at these links.
‘Queen Consort, Queen Mother: The Power and Authority of Fourteenth-Century Plantagenet Queens‘ Liza Benz. PhD Thesis, University of York.
Royal materials: the object of queens in Late Medieval English romance. Thomas Hughes Blake Jr. University of Iowa
Why was the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville so important?
Teacher notes
This section of the lesson makes use of a consequences chart. This chart identifies some of the key events and themes resulting from the marriage and begins to analyse the potential outcomes of each of these against areas of national importance. The chart could, therefore, be used as a route into exploring the complexities of the issues surrounding the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, or a relatively quick revision exercise for students prior to the examination.
Task
Using the notes on this page and information from the links (below), complete the Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville Consequences chart
![Edward IV marries Elizabeth Woodville Consequences Chart](https://schoolshistory.org.uk/topics/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/edward-iv-marriage-elizabeth-woodville-chart-1-208x300.jpg)
Marriage of Edward & Elizabeth
Diplomacy:
In the short, to medium term, the marriage is far from ideal diplomatically. The Earl of Warwick had been discussing marriage contracts with the French, so Edward’s revelation that he had already secretly married Elizabeth Woodville was a major snub to the French. This is important as England retained a claim over the French Crown and whilst the French had effectively won the Hundred Years War, it was by no means certain that fighting would not resume. A marriage of diplomatic value could have either gained the English Crown a political or military advantage or offered a strategic marriage alliance against a hostile continental power. In simple terms, Elizabeth Woodville offered nothing in relation to this.
Court:
Any new Queen Consort will have an impact on the COurt. They will have some trusted ladies in waiting, favourites and preferences for the way that the formalities of the court are fulfilled. When the Queen Consort is a foreign bride it was more often than not the case they would have a small entourage, host favoured ambassadors and make some adjustments to the decor. When the consort is English, it could mean a wholesale change in the personnel attending court. This was a particular concern following the rise of factions and Margaret of Anjou’s siding with one over the other.
Factions:
As noted above the rise of factions during the reign of Henry VI had posed problems. For Edward IV to maintain peace and ensure that the Yorkist line was established, he needed as stable a government as possible. He already had the Lancastrian faction either killed, exiled or reasonably subservient. He could ill afford for there to be a new faction emerge: yet, following changes in court, this is precisely what happened behind his back as Warwick and Clarence became increasingly disturbed by the rise of the Woodvilles. This culminated in Edward being placed under house arrest, then having to flee before returning to retake the crown.
Task: Now make notes in the relevant sections of the consequences chart.
Demeanour of Elizabeth Woodville
Discussion:
How might the demeanour of Elizabeth Woodville affect affairs of State?
Task:
Read the ‘Queen of England‘ section of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for Elizabeth Woodville. You need to log in which can be done using almost all UK Library card numbers.
Make entries onto the consequences chart. Bear in mind:
- cost of her household relative to that of Margaret of Anjou
- patronage to extended family
- marriage contracts enabled through her position
The couple had 10 children, including Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth gave birth to ten children. Two sons, Edward and Richard, and five daughters outlived Edward IV. Some chronicles of the period note that Edward had plans to marry his daughters for political and diplomatic gain on the continent: by the time of his death nothing had come of any of these ideas. In having two surviving sons, the dynasty ought to be secure: the two boys became the ‘Princes in the Tower’ but within the context of the day, Edward and Elizabeth had, as far as they were concerned, ensured the male line could be continued.
Make entries onto the consequences chart. Bear in mind:
- potential diplomatic gains from having 5 daughters who survived infancy. Their very existence was a powerful diplomatic tool.
No evidence of any disputes between the couple
Read the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography page on Elizabeth Woodville. Is the statement that there were no disputes accurate? What of the Kings closest family, were there any disputes there that the King would inevitably have become embroiled in, in some way. See the biographies of Edward IV, Richard Duke of Gloucester (King Richard III) and George Duke of Clarence.
Adapt the table if you feel that is appropriate. Make notes.
Elizabeth as Queen Consort
The manner in which Elizabeth acts as Queen Consort has a bearing on the way in which the court is run. On a simple level, her household budget and choice of staff will affect the mood of proceedings. As a de facto hostess, she can keep people relatively happy, make introductions, get people working together… or create factions. Bizarrely, you could say that Elizabeth excelled at both of these. She was excellent at reading situations – see her later handling of the Richard III assumption of power and the management of her families affairs. She was also more reserved than her predecessor in the role. Whilst Elizabeth was politically astute, it was not the ‘in your face’ method adopted by Margaret at the height of the crisis of the late 1450s and early 1460s: and this would be well received after years of interference in ‘men’s affairs’ by Margaret. Yet at the same time, her promotion of family interests created a faction that, upon the death of her husband, split the country and led to a resumption of warfare: albeit with her daughter as the betrothed of the invading Henry Tudor.
There are two key points that need to be borne in mind in relation to Elizabeth’s position as the Queen Consort. 1) She was the widow of a Lancastrian, killed fighting against the Yorkists. 2) Rumour had it that Elizabeth was involved in witchcraft and sorcery.
Task: Now make notes in the relevant sections of the consequences chart.
Exclusion of Warwick?
The role of Warwick in this period is extremely important to understand and will be dealt with in a dedicated lesson. Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick also has a detailed biography here.
Elizabeth posed a problem to Warwick from the outset. Whatever her personal qualities, the very fact that she had married the King made her an issue.
Firstly
Elizabeth’s position interfered with the diplomatic work that Warwick had been doing on behalf of the Council. This undermines him and, in simple terms, made him look quite silly. Nobody likes to be made to look a fool so the relationship was strained immediately.
Secondly
Previous affiliations. Elizabeth was Lancastrian by upbringing and had been married to a Lancastrian knight who had fought against the Yorkists. Though the Woodville family had escaped attainder, they were held in suspicion by some within the Yorkist camp, a feeling that could and did engender mistrust of the family following Elizabeth’s elevation to the highest of statuses.
Third
Warwick’s own ambition. He had been the power behind the rise of the Yorkists. It was his men and funds that had held firm when the Lancastrians were in the ascendancy. So, it stood to reason that it should be his family who benefited the most from the new regime. That meant positions, patronage, marriage contracts. The problem, as Warwick saw it, was that these were now being given largely to the Woodville family.
Task: Now make notes in the relevant sections of the consequences chart. Remember to refer to our biography and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography for a more detailed discussion of these issues and related events.
Edwards betrothal to Eleanor Butler
This comes with a health warning. It is this liaison that was used to legitimise Richard III taking the crown from Edward V. As such you may find some rather one-sided work online about it (biased in both directions is pretty common on this issue, though some balanced articles are available).
So, fact check:
- Edward DID have several mistresses
- Sources DO exist that suggest that he had agreed a pre-marriage contract prior to marrying Elizabeth Woodville
- Those sources are of dubious origin, circumstantial or based on gossip
- If Edward IV had made that contract and not had it annulled before his marriage to Elizabeth, then his marriage to Elizabeth would be considered null and void under the churches laws of that time
- If that were the case, Prince Edward and Prince Richard are illegitimate and not in line to inherit the throne
- The matter was not raised until after the death of Edward IV
” the said King Edward was and stood married and troth-plight to one Dame Eleanor Butler….with whom the same King Edward had made a precontract of Matrimony, long time before he made the said pretensed Marriage with the said Elizabeth…in manner and form above-said”
Titulus Regius, Act of Parliament. 1483
Read these articles and add to the consequences chart
Marrying for Love: Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Amy Licence, History Extra.Links