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Our
journey of influential queen mothers continues with Cecily
Neville, the mother of two King’s of England. Cecily was born in
1415 with royal lineage that linked her to John of Gaunt, King
Henry IV and Edward III of England. By the age of nine she was
betrothed to Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, whom she
married five years later.
Cecily’s journey to motherhood began in 1439 when she gave birth to
their first child, a daughter named Anne. Another child was born
soon after, but did not live long. After moving to France in 1441,
Cecily successfully gave birth to a son who would live into
adulthood, and become the future King Edward IV. By 1454 the royal
couple were living back in England, where the Duke of York
named himself Lord Protector. Soon after war broke out, which would
later be known as the War of the Roses. For a short time the Duke
of York had to flee England, but Cecily remained and consistently
fought for her husband.
Things soon changed after the Yorkist victory at the battle of
Northampton in 1460, which eventually led to Duke of York being
named the successor to the King. Just when things became to look up
for the Duke and Duchess of York, the Lancastrians took Richard,
their son Edmund, and Cecily’s brother, as casualties during the
battle of Wakefield. Fearing for the safety of her other children,
Cecily sent two of her sons, Richard and George, to the court of
Burgundy. This left Cecily with her eldest son, Edward, to fight
against the Lancastrians. He successfully defeated the opposition,
making him the next King of England.
From the beginning of Edward’s reign, Cecily exerted much influence
over her son, and was even given the Queen’s quarters. Three years
after becoming King, Edward married Elizabeth Woodville, but their
marriage was not supported by most of the court or public. In 1469
things soon changed when the Earl of Warwick rebelled against
Edward IV with the help of Edward’s brother, George, Duke of
Clarence. It was during this time that stories that the King was
illegitimate began to circulate among the court. Cecily Neville
never commented on whether Edward was in fact illegitimate, but the
fact that the late Duke of York acknowledged him as his son
was evidence enough to counteract any rumours.
Soon after the failed rebellion, Cecily tried to reconcile her two
sons, but the happy reunion between Edward and George didn’t last
long. For a short time in 1470, Henry VI was restored to the throne
by the Earl of Warwick and his co-conspirators. George’s
involvement with these plots against his brother later led to his
downfall. After Edward’s restoration in 1471, the King was
suspicious of his brother’s actions and alliances at court. After
some time, on 18th February 1478, George was executed due to his
involvement in the overthrow of his brother Edward. There were
rumours that Cecily supported the claim of her son George to the
throne, and a few years after he was executed she retired from
court. Before Cecily left court, her relationship with Edward was
beyond repair. Although she never commented on his legitimacy,
evidence would show she sided with the Earl of Warwick and George.
Due to this evidence, it would seem that Cecily favoured her
younger sons, George and Richard. Perhaps Cecily felt that the Earl
of Warwick was more powerful, causing her to side with him, or
maybe she knew Edward was not legitimate and therefore the true
King.
When Edward IV died unexpectedly in 1483, his will suggested that
his two young sons by Elizabeth Woodville were to be the heirs to
the throne, with Edward V expected to someday rule. After the death
of Edward IV, Cecily gave her support to her youngest son, the
future Richard III, which therefore ignored the wishes of her
deceased son. The young princes of Edward IV were locked up in the
Tower, and were never seen or heard from again. Historians
speculate that Richard III’s supporters killed the ‘Princes in the
Tower’, although some might argue it was the work of Henry Tudor’s
men. Either way, Richard III’s reign was cut short when he was
killed at Bosworth Field, which left the throne open to Henry
VII.
The War of the Roses essentially began with Cecily Neville, because
her three sons fought to be King of England. The divisions in this
large family began when Cecily sent young Richard and George to the
Low Countries, while Edward fought for the right to be King. Once
arriving back in England, Richard went to live with the Earl of
Warwick, giving the Earl a large influence over him. When the Earl
of Warwick switched his allegiances, both Richard and Edward fled
to the Low Countries. Growing up in different circumstances, with
their mother favouring George, created an environment for a power
struggle. The Earl of Warwick knew this and played his cards
beautifully, giving him the name “The Kingmaker.”
This desire for kingship created many factions that led to the
downfall of Cecily’s sons. Once Henry VII was King, Cecily retired
to due to her old age, but some feel she wanted to restore the
Yorkist lineage. Throughout her life Cecily enjoyed much influence
over English politics; she essentially had a say in what her sons
said and did. Cecily certainly relished in the many luxuries
that came with the title as Queen Mother. Her motherly
influence affected the future of England, and led to the near
extinction of the Yorkist line. Still she remains a powerful force
that intrigues historians, but little remains of her personal
accounts leading us to speculate as to how she lived her life.
Photo credit: Lisby via photopin
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