Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk

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Elizabeth of York
Duchess of Suffolk
Elizabeth Plantagenet, Duchess of Suffolk, detail from her effigy in St Andrew's Church, Wingfield, Suffolk
Born22 April 1444
Rouen, Normandy, France
Diedafter January 1503 (aged ~58)
Wingfield Castle, Suffolk, England
SpouseJohn de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
IssueJohn de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln
Geoffrey de la Pole
Edward de la Pole, Archdeacon of Richmond
Elizabeth de la Pole, Lady Morley
Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Dorothy de la Pole
Humphrey de la Pole
Anne de la Pole
Catherine de la Pole, Lady Stourton
William de la Pole
Richard de la Pole
HouseYork
FatherRichard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
MotherCecily Neville

Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk also known as Elizabeth Plantagenet (22 April 1444 – c. 1503) was the sixth child and third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (a great-grandson of King Edward III) and Cecily Neville.[1] She was thus a sister of kings Edward IV and Richard III.[1]

Marriage[edit]

Sometime before February 1458, Elizabeth was married to John de la Pole.[1] John was the eldest son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Alice Chaucer.[2] His maternal grandparents were Thomas Chaucer and Maud Burghersh.[3]

Her father-in-law had served as the principal power behind the throne for Henry VI of England from 1447 to 1450.[4] His three years in this position saw the near-complete loss of the English possessions in northern France, towards the end of Hundred Years' War. Suffolk could not avoid taking the fall for the failure. He had been imprisoned in the Tower of London and had been attainted. Consequently, John had not succeeded to his titles when his father was executed on 2 May 1450.

Her older brother Edward IV of England restored his brother-in-law to the title of Duke of Suffolk in 1463.[4] She remained the Duchess of Suffolk until his death in 1491/1492.[4] They were settled in Wingfield, Suffolk.

She survived her husband by almost a decade. She is last mentioned alive in January 1503. She was mentioned being deceased by May 1504. She is buried in the church in Wingfield, Suffolk.

Issue[edit]

With Suffolk, she had the following children:

Ancestry[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Halsted, Caroline A. Richard III, as Duke of Gloucester and King of England. Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1844. 37.
  2. ^ Clutterbuck, Rev. Robert Hawley. Notes on the Parishes of Fyfield, Kimpton, Penton Mewsey, Weyhill and Wherwell in the County of Hampshire. Salisbury, UK: Bennett Brothers, 1898. 101.
  3. ^ Weir, Alison. Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine of Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster. New York: Ballantine, 2009. 296.
  4. ^ a b c Wagner, John A. Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Roses. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. 210-211.
  5. ^ Spaltro, Kathleen & Bridge, Noeline. Royals of England: A Guide for Readers, Travelers, and Genealogists. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2005. 138.
  6. ^ Condon, Margaret M. (2022). "Princess and Nun: Bridget (1480-c. 1507), the youngest daughter of Edward IV". The Ricardian. 32. p. 117.