York Princesses, The
Sisters of the infamous 'Princes in the Tower', the daughters of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV survived the reign of Richard III and even thrived into the Tudor Age. This is their story.
Sisters of the infamous 'Princes in the Tower', the daughters of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV survived the reign of Richard III and even thrived into the Tudor Age. This is their story.
Sisters of the infamous 'Princes in the Tower', the daughters of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV survived the reign of Richard III and even thrived into the Tudor Age. This is their story.
Medieval, Royalty, Women
As a collective, the lives of the Princesses of York span across seven decades and the rule of five different Kings. The daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, they were born into an England that had been ruled over by the great Plantagenet Kings for almost three hundred years. Their young years were blighted by tragedy: the death of their beloved father, followed by the disappearance and possible murder of their two brothers, Edward and Richard of York, forever now known to history as the infamous Princes in the Tower. With their own futures uncertain during the reign of their uncle, Richard III, and their mother held under house arrest, the Princesses had to navigate their way through the tumultuous years of the 1480s before having to adjust to a new King and a new dynasty in the shape of Henry VII, who would bring about the age of the Tudors. Through her marriage to Henry, Elizabeth of York rebuilt her life, establishing herself as a popular, if not hugely influential Queen. But she did not forget her younger siblings, and even before her own mother’s death, she acted as a surrogate mother to the younger York princesses, supporting them both financially and emotionally.
The stories of the York Princesses are entwined into the fabric of the history of England, as they grew up, survived and even thrived in the new Tudor age. Their lives are played out against a backdrop of coronations and jousts, births and deaths, marriages and divorces and loyalties and broken allegiances. From the usurpation of Richard III, to the Battle of Bosworth, the brilliance of the court of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, to the rise of Anne Boleyn, the York Princesses were there to witness events unfold. They were the daughters, sisters and aunts of Kings, and this is their story.
The York Princesses is a natural follow-up to Sarah J. Hodder's first book, The Queen's Sisters, which told the stories of the lives of the sisters of Elizabeth Woodville.
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The York Princess has been thoroughly researched and well written. The author has provided a full bibliography if the reader wishes to dive any deeper into the subject after reading. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Medieval and Tudor history, and this book would also make a great gift! FULL REVIEW: https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/book-reviews/book-review-the-york-princesses-the-daughters-of-edward-iv-and-elizabeth-woodville-by-sarah-j-hodder/ ~ History of Royal Women, Review
The York Princesses is the second book by author Sarah J. Hodder and follows on nicely from her book Queen's Sister. This book tells the stories of the seven York princesses, many of whom are rarely mentioned in print. Though the book is short at 144 pages, it covers seven decades and the reigns of five Plantagenet and Tudor kings. I read this book in a few days, and it was easy to follow, yet informative read. I have studied the War of the Roses and the surrounding eras extensively, and yet I found plenty of sources and snippets of information I had never heard before and will definitely look into further, so I would say this book has something for everyone. Overall, it has been thoroughly researched and well written. The author has provided a full bibliography if the reader wishes to dive any deeper into the subject after reading. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in Medieval and Tudor history, and this book would also make a great gift! ~ Amy Eloise Kelly, History of Royal Women
Sarah Hodder really brings the daughters of King Edward IV to life in this beautifully written book, using vivid and colourful descriptions of ceremonies such as coronations, christenings and funerals. She also uses research from account books, and studies gifts and clothes, so that you can get a good picture of the different personalities of each sister. Many history books are dry and factual, especially today for some reason, but this one certainly isn't! I really enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more books by Sarah Hodder. I could never read enough about the Wars of the Roses and these sisters! ~ Lisa Sanderson, Book Addiction Blog
Synopsis: As a collective, the lives of the Princesses of York span across seven decades and the rule of five different Kings. The daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, they were born into an England that had been ruled over by the great Plantagenet Kings for almost three hundred years. Their young years were blighted by tragedy: the death of their beloved father, followed by the disappearance and possible murder of their two brothers, Edward and Richard of York, forever now known to history as the infamous Princes in the Tower. With their own futures uncertain during the reign of their uncle, Richard III, and their mother held under house arrest, the Princesses had to navigate their way through the tumultuous years of the 1480s before having to adjust to a new King and a new dynasty in the shape of Henry VII, who would bring about the age of the Tudors. Through her marriage to Henry, Elizabeth of York rebuilt her life, establishing herself as a popular, if not hugely influential Queen. But she did not forget her younger siblings, and even before her own mother's death, she acted as a surrogate mother to the younger York princesses, supporting them both financially and emotionally. The stories of the York Princesses are entwined into the fabric of the history of England, as they grew up, survived and even thrived in the new Tudor age. Their lives are played out against a backdrop of coronations and jousts, births and deaths, marriages and divorces and loyalties and broken allegiances. From the usurpation of Richard III, to the Battle of Bosworth, the brilliance of the court of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, to the rise of Anne Boleyn, the York Princesses were there to witness events unfold. They were the daughters, sisters and aunts of Kings, and this is their story. Critique: A simply riveting history, "The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville" is a natural follow-up to Sarah J. Hodder's first book, "The Queen's Sisters", which told the stories of the lives of the sisters of Elizabeth Woodville. Once again with laudable attention to detail and with a natural talent for bringing history to life, "The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville" will prove to be a welcome, informative, and entertaining addition to community, college and university library British & European Royal Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville" is also readily available in a digital book format. ~ Midwest book reviews, Review
The daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville were once destined to be the Queens of France, Scotland, Spain, and Archduchess of Austria. But following the death of their father, the disappearance of their brothers and being declared illegitimate during the reign of their uncle, Richard III, most of the York sisters led very different lives to the ones planned for them. As she did with the sisters of Elizabeth Woodville, Sarah rescues the Princesses from the shadow of their more famous sister, Elizabeth of York, the first Tudor Queen. Two of the Princesses did not reach adulthood, one became a nun and the others served as ladies in waiting and played key roles in events at court. Hodder has once again successfully pieced together the sources to provide an interesting account of these largely overlooked women. This concise, and very well written book is the perfect starting point for anyone wanting to know more about the York Princesses. http://www.ladyjanegrey.info/?p=16651 ~ Tamise Hills, Lady Jane Grey Blog
This book came timely to me, as I had just watched a programme on Elizabeth Woodville, a highly fictionalised one, but entertaining, so my inquiziative mind was primed and ready to read this book. Firstly I like to mention that this book is a lot smaller than most Non Fiction books on history that I have read, however, this is a good thing, as it is not intimidating at all. The style of the writing is clear and sensical, it is clear that the amount of research was enormous and I really appreciate that, it is also clear that Hodder enjoyed her subject matter. As the title suggests this book not only talks about Woodville and Edward lV, but the daughters, I love reading about the subsequent Tudors, but have always had a fondness for the Yorkist line and the Plantagenet era. I knew mostly about the eldest daughter, Elizabeth, who went on to marry Henry Tudor ( Henry Vll) and gave birth to none other than the infamous Henry Vlll. So it was very interesting to me, to learn more about the others, Cecily and Bridget in particular. Their lives as young girls / women was turbulent with spending quite a time in retreat, whilst the battle for the throne was like musical chairs and her father on and off of it. There is so much much more to this book, than I have written to day, it may be small but it is mighty and i for one really enjoyed my time reading this and recommend this for anyone who wishes to learn more about these ladies, or indeed if they just wish to read a good historical book. ~ Julie Wright, The Hungry Bookworm
The life of a medieval princess was not a life of luxury that we often see in fantasy films. It can be filled with lovely gowns and castles, but it can change in an instance. Take, for example, the lives of the daughters of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. One minute their father was King of England and life was comfortable; the next minute, they were in the sanctuary, hoping and praying that they would be able to be reunited with their father one day. Their lives were planned out for them when their father was alive, but when Edward IV died unexpectedly in April 1483, the princesses found their world taking another turn. We know what happened with the eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York, as she married Henry VII and became the first Tudor queen, but what about her sisters? In her second book, “The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville”, Sarah J. Hodder explores what happened to Elizabeth of York and her sisters once the House of York fell and the Tudors became the new dynasty. I would like to thank Chronos Books for sending me a copy of this book. I have read Sarah J. Hodder’s previous book, “The Queen’s Sisters” and I enjoyed it. When I saw that Hodder was going to release this book, I knew that I wanted to read it. I knew quite a bit about Elizabeth of York as she was the eldest child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville and the wife of Henry VII. Hodder knew that she was the most popular of the princesses so she gave a brief overview of her life and moved onto the sisters who do not get enough attention. For those who are not familiar with this family, the other sisters are Mary, Cecily, Margaret, Anne, Katherine, and Bridget. Although Elizabeth’s sisters did not win a crown, it does not mean that their lives were not exciting. To make sure that the sisters’ stories were told in an equal manner, Hodder dedicated a chapter to each one of their tales. From the youngest who died shortly after they were born to those who lived to see Henry VIII crowned King of England. The men who they married ranged from those who backed the Yorkist cause, leading to a very awkward family clash, to those who proved extremely loyal to the young Tudor dynasty. The sisters would never share the joys and heartbreaks that Elizabeth experienced as a mother (especially Bridget of York who would become a nun), but they were eyewitnesses to dramatic changes in England’s history. I found it remarkable that Elizabeth accepted her sisters with open arms after she became Queen of England, even when their husbands disagreed with Henry VII. Elizabeth supported her sisters and their families whenever she could. Hodder tells the story of strong family bonds that connected these sisters through the good times and the bad. You can tell that Hodder was passionate about the subject she was writing about as this book was very well researched. It is often difficult to tell the stories of siblings of monarchs as their sibling who sits on the throne tends to overshadow them, but Hodder brought the stories of the York princesses into the light. “The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville” by Sarah J. Hodder may be small in size, but it is full of information for those who want to know more about this extraordinary royal family. ~ Heidi Malagisi, Adventures of a Tudor Nerd
The York Princesses are the daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville and include Elizabeth of York, Queen to Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII. A chapter is dedicated to an individual each one to a single York Princess and includes major events in the chapters; how the sisters would have been involved/present at the events and how it affected them as a family. Sarah has done a wonderful job of bringing each princess to life rather than being in the background of their more famous relatives including their parents, sister Elizabeth and of course the Princes in the Tower. With relatives as high profile as those, it can be easy to forget about the princesses, but they lived through part of the Wars of the Roses, the deaths of siblings, parents, fleeing to sanctuary and the disappearance of their brothers. For young ladies born as princesses, they certainly did not live easy lives. ~ Amy McElroy, Endo The Road Book Reviews
Praise for Sarah J. Hodder: 'A thoroughly engaging read. Hodder places the Woodville sisters in the context of their times, giving us a deeper look into the lives of the women at the heart of the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses...Hodder brings these women out of the shadows and gives them voice, contributing to a better understanding of the world they inhabited.' ~ Adrienne Dillard, author of Catherine Carey in a Nutshell