Queen of Sorcery or The Mother of the Monarchy.
She was a 14th Century “It Girl” and her descendants still don the crown. Elizabeth Woodville, the White Rose of York, married the Lancastrian Edward IV, The Red Rose of Lancaster. They created the Tudor Dynasty, a royal line that passed down for centuries, to King Charles III, as well as Princes: William and Harry.
Elizabeth Woodville was so much more than accusations against her. It’s been said that she used spells to win the heart of Edward IV, to protect her children from harm, as well as to help her family stay in power. As with all the other women we talked about: there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir Richard Woodville and Jacquetta of Luxembourg. She married Edward IV and together they had ten children. Including Edward V and Richard III. You know where this is going, don’t you?
Like the others, Elizabeth was wealthy in her own right. She owned several estates, when she wasn’t running the royal household, and running after her ten children, she carved out time to be a patron of both art and literature.
She wasn’t actually formally tried for witchcraft. However, she was accused of practicing witchcraft on several occasions. It wasn’t until the death of her beloved Edward died that the accusations reached their peak. Realizing that she and her children were in imminent danger, she was forced to flee the country.
To add insult to injury, it was suggested that she be executed for her witchcraft in her new country. There is no evidence to support the claim. Wow, it’s still flabbergasting to me that one lie, misrepresentation, and gossip could mean death for a woman. Two of her sons disappeared in the Tower of London, while under the care of their uncle, Richard III. All of this horribleness all because of a case of sibling rivalry.
I overheard the historians saying that she was never executed, but she lived in exile in France until her death in 1492. I’m thinking that France was not a bad place to start a new life.
- The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
- Elizabeth Woodville: The True Story of the White Queen by Alison Weir
- The Lives of the Queens of England by Agnes Strickland
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. And stay tuned for more hauntedly historic gossip.
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