Cecily Neville
Encyclopedia
Cecily Neville, Duchess of York (3 May 1415 – 31 May 1495) was the wife of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
, and the mother of two Kings of England
: Edward IV
and Richard III
.
Cecily Neville was a daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
and Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland
. Her maternal grandparents were John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
and Katherine Swynford
. John of Gaunt was the third son of Edward III of England
and Philippa of Hainault
.
She was the aunt of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
, the most powerful peer and military commander in 15th-century England, where he was also known as "The Kingmaker".
Cecily was called "the Rose
of Raby" (because she was born at Raby Castle
in Durham
, Kingdom of England
) and "Proud Cis" because of her pride and a temper that went with it. Historically she is also known for her piety. She herself signed her name "Cecylle".
. Ralph Neville died in October 1425, bequeathing the wardship of Richard to his widow, Joan Beaufort. Cecily and Richard were married by October 1429. Their daughter Anne was born in August 1439 in Northamptonshire. When Richard became a king's lieutenant and governor general of France in 1441 and moved to Rouen
, Cecily moved with him. Their son Henry was born in February but died soon after.
The future Edward IV
was born in Rouen on 28 April 1442 and immediately privately baptised in a small side chapel. He would later be accused of illegitimacy
directly by his cousin, Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
, and by his own brother, George, Duke of Clarence
; this was probably because George and Warwick were in dispute with Edward and seeking to overthrow him. The claims would later be dismissed. Some modern historians use Edward's date of birth as an evidence of illegitimacy: the Duke had been away in the calculated days of conception and the baby's baptism
was a simple and private affair (unlike that of his younger brother, George, which was public and lavish). Although some historians suggest that the baby was prematurely born
, there are no surviving records of this. Other historians point out that Cecily's husband could easily, by the military conventions of the time, have returned briefly to Rouen, where Cecily was living at the time. In any case, Richard acknowledged the baby as his own which establishes legal paternity.
Around 1454, when Richard began to resent the influence of Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, Cecily spoke with Queen consort
Margaret of Anjou
on his behalf. When Henry VI suffered a nervous breakdown later in the year, Richard of York established himself as a Protector.
After the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, Cecily remained at their home, Ludlow Castle
, even when Richard fled to Ireland
and Continental Europe
. At the same time she surreptitiously worked for the cause of the House of York. When a parliament began to debate the fate of the York and his supporters in November 1459, Cecily travelled to London
to plead for her husband. One contemporary commentator stated that she had reputedly convinced the king to promise a pardon if the Duke would appear in the parliament in eight days. This failed and Richard's lands were confiscated, but Cecily managed to gain an annual grant of £600 to support her and her children.
After the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Northampton
in July 1460, Cecily moved to London with her children and lived with John Paston. She carried the royal arms
before Richard in triumph in London in September. When the Duke of York and his heirs officially recognized as Henry VI's successors in the Act of Accord
, Cecily became a queen-in-waiting and even received a copy of the English chronicle from the chronicler John Hardyng
.
In the Battle of Wakefield
(30 December 1460), the Lancastrians won a decisive victory. The Duke of York, his second son Edmund, Earl of Rutland
and Cecily's brother Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury
were among the casualties. Cecily sent her two youngest sons, George
and Richard
to the court of Philip III, Duke of Burgundy
. This forced Philip to ally with the Yorkists.
in London
, it became the Yorkist headquarters and when Edward defeated the Lancastrians, she became an effective Queen Mother
.
During the beginning of the Edward's reign, Cecily appeared beside him and maintained her influence. In 1461 she revised her coat of arms to include the royal arms of England, hinting that her husband had been a rightful king. When Edward married Elizabeth Woodville
, he built new queen's quarters for her and let his mother remain in the queen's quarters in which she had been living.
In 1469, her nephew, the Earl of Warwick
, father-in-law of her sons George and Richard
, rebelled against Edward IV. Warwick also begun to spread rumours that the king was a bastard and that his true father was not the Duke of York but an archer named Blaybourne at Rouen, evidence of which has been assembled. By some interpretations, that would have meant that Clarence was the rightful king. Warwick had earlier made similar accusations against Margaret of Anjou
. Cecily said little about the matter in public, despite the fact that she had been accused of adultery
. She visited Sandwich
, possibly trying to reconcile the parties. When the rebellion failed the first time, she invited Edward and George to London to reconcile them. Peace did not last long and in the forthcoming war she still tried to make peace between her sons.
Edward IV was briefly overthrown by Warwick and Margaret of Anjou, and for about six months (October 1470 - April 1471) Henry VI was restored to the throne. The breach between Edward and his brother George was apparently never really healed, for George was executed for treason in the Tower of London
on 18 February 1478. Edward IV died suddenly on 9 April 1483, leaving two sons aged 13 and 10. Cecily Neville's youngest son Richard, their uncle, was appointed their protector by Edward's will, but he had them placed in the Tower, whence they were never to emerge. The subsequent enquiry found that that Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville
had been invalid: their children were thus illegitimate, making Richard the legal heir to the crown. The Princes in the Tower
were declared illegitimate by Act of Parliament in 1483 allowing their uncle, Richard, to be crowned Richard III
on 6 July 1483. The Princes in the Tower were supposed to have been murdered around this time.
She was on good terms with Richard's wife, Anne Neville
, with whom she discussed religious works such as the writings of Mechtilde of Hackeborn.
Richard's reign was brief, as he was defeated and killed on 22 August 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field
by the last Lancastrian, Henry Tudor
. Thus, by 1485 Cecily's husband and four sons had all died, although two of her daughters, Elizabeth
and Margaret
, still lived. On 18 January 1486, Cecily's granddaughter, Elizabeth of York
, eldest daughter of Edward IV, married Henry VII and thus became Queen. Cecily devoted herself to religious duties and her reputation for piety comes from this period.
Cecily Neville died on 31 May 1495 and was buried in the tomb with Richard and their son Edmund at the Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay
, Northamptonshire, with a papal indulgence
. All subsequent English monarchs, beginning with Henry VIII
, are descendants of Elizabeth of York, and therefore of Cecily Neville.
were:
. Actresses who have played the role include: Elinor Aickin, Eleanor Bron
, Annette Crosbie
, Helen Haye
, Mary Hinton, Anne Jeffreys
, Janet May, and Maggie Smith
. She is essential to the plot of the novel Sovereign
by C. J. Sansom
.
Cecily Neville is portrayed in "The White Queen", Philippa Gregory
's novel about Elizabeth Woodville
, and is mentioned in the second novel of the Cousin's War series,"The Red Queen" about Lady Margaret Beaufort. Novelist Anne Easter Smith
dramatized the Duchess’s life in her 2011 historical novel “Queen by Right”.
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
, and the mother of two Kings of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
: Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
.
Cecily Neville was a daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Sir Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, 4th Baron Neville de Raby, Lord of Richmond, Earl Marshal, KG, PC , was an English nobleman of the House of Neville...
and Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland was the third or fourth child of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his mistress, later wife, Katherine Swynford; and, in her widowhood, a powerful landowner in the North of England.-Early life and marriages:She was likely born at the Swynford manor of...
. Her maternal grandparents were John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
and Katherine Swynford
Katherine Swynford
Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster , née Roet , was the daughter of Sir Payne Roet , originally a Flemish herald from County of Hainaut, later...
. John of Gaunt was the third son of Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
and Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
.
She was the aunt of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
, the most powerful peer and military commander in 15th-century England, where he was also known as "The Kingmaker".
Cecily was called "the Rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
of Raby" (because she was born at Raby Castle
Raby Castle
Raby Castle is situated near Staindrop in County Durham and is one of the largest inhabited castles in England. The Grade I listed building has opulent eighteenth and nineteenth century interiors inside a largely unchanged, late medieval shell. It is the home and seat of John Vane, 11th Baron...
in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
) and "Proud Cis" because of her pride and a temper that went with it. Historically she is also known for her piety. She herself signed her name "Cecylle".
Duchess of York
In 1424, when Cecily was nine years old, she was betrothed by her father to his thirteen year old ward, Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of YorkRichard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
. Ralph Neville died in October 1425, bequeathing the wardship of Richard to his widow, Joan Beaufort. Cecily and Richard were married by October 1429. Their daughter Anne was born in August 1439 in Northamptonshire. When Richard became a king's lieutenant and governor general of France in 1441 and moved to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Cecily moved with him. Their son Henry was born in February but died soon after.
The future Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
was born in Rouen on 28 April 1442 and immediately privately baptised in a small side chapel. He would later be accused of illegitimacy
Bastard (Law of England and Wales)
A bastard in the law of England and Wales is a person whose parents, at the time of his/her birth, were not married to each other....
directly by his cousin, Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
, and by his own brother, George, Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick, KG was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the...
; this was probably because George and Warwick were in dispute with Edward and seeking to overthrow him. The claims would later be dismissed. Some modern historians use Edward's date of birth as an evidence of illegitimacy: the Duke had been away in the calculated days of conception and the baby's baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
was a simple and private affair (unlike that of his younger brother, George, which was public and lavish). Although some historians suggest that the baby was prematurely born
Premature birth
In humans preterm birth refers to the birth of a baby of less than 37 weeks gestational age. The cause for preterm birth is in many situations elusive and unknown; many factors appear to be associated with the development of preterm birth, making the reduction of preterm birth a challenging...
, there are no surviving records of this. Other historians point out that Cecily's husband could easily, by the military conventions of the time, have returned briefly to Rouen, where Cecily was living at the time. In any case, Richard acknowledged the baby as his own which establishes legal paternity.
Around 1454, when Richard began to resent the influence of Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, Cecily spoke with Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
on his behalf. When Henry VI suffered a nervous breakdown later in the year, Richard of York established himself as a Protector.
After the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, Cecily remained at their home, Ludlow Castle
Ludlow Castle
Ludlow Castle is a large, partly ruined, non-inhabited castle which dominates the town of Ludlow in Shropshire, England. It stands on a high point overlooking the River Teme...
, even when Richard fled to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. At the same time she surreptitiously worked for the cause of the House of York. When a parliament began to debate the fate of the York and his supporters in November 1459, Cecily travelled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to plead for her husband. One contemporary commentator stated that she had reputedly convinced the king to promise a pardon if the Duke would appear in the parliament in eight days. This failed and Richard's lands were confiscated, but Cecily managed to gain an annual grant of £600 to support her and her children.
After the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Northampton
Battle of Northampton (1460)
The Battle of Northampton was a battle in the Wars of the Roses, which took place on 10 July 1460.-Background:The Yorkist cause seemed finished after the previous disaster at Ludford Bridge...
in July 1460, Cecily moved to London with her children and lived with John Paston. She carried the royal arms
Coat of arms of England
In heraldry, the Royal Arms of England is a coat of arms symbolising England and its monarchs. Its blazon is Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure, meaning three identical gold lions with blue tongues and claws, walking and facing the observer, arranged in a column...
before Richard in triumph in London in September. When the Duke of York and his heirs officially recognized as Henry VI's successors in the Act of Accord
Act of Accord
The Act of Accord was passed by the English Parliament on 25 October 1460, fifteen days after Richard, Duke of York had entered the Council Chamber and laid his hand on the empty throne. Under the Act, King Henry VI of England was to retain the crown for life but York and his heirs were to succeed....
, Cecily became a queen-in-waiting and even received a copy of the English chronicle from the chronicler John Hardyng
John Hardyng
John Hardyng , English chronicler, was born in the north.As a boy he entered the service of Sir Henry Percy , with whom he was present at the Battle of Shrewsbury . He then passed into the service of Sir Robert Umfraville, under whom he was constable of Warkworth Castle, Northumberland, and Kyme...
.
In the Battle of Wakefield
Battle of Wakefield
The Battle of Wakefield took place at Sandal Magna near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire in Northern England, on 30 December 1460. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses...
(30 December 1460), the Lancastrians won a decisive victory. The Duke of York, his second son Edmund, Earl of Rutland
Edmund, Earl of Rutland
Edmund, Earl of Rutland was the fifth child and second surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville...
and Cecily's brother Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury
Richard Neville, jure uxoris 5th Earl of Salisbury and 7th and 4th Baron Montacute, KG, PC was a Yorkist leader during the early parts of the Wars of the Roses.-Background:...
were among the casualties. Cecily sent her two youngest sons, George
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick, KG was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the...
and Richard
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
to the court of Philip III, Duke of Burgundy
Philip III, Duke of Burgundy
Philip the Good KG , also Philip III, Duke of Burgundy was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty . During his reign Burgundy reached the height of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts...
. This forced Philip to ally with the Yorkists.
Mother of two kings
Her eldest son Edward successfully continued the fight against the Lancastrians. When Cecily moved to Baynard's CastleBaynard's Castle
Baynard's Castle refers to buildings on two neighbouring sites in London, between where Blackfriars station and St Paul's Cathedral now stand. The first was a Norman fortification constructed by Ralph Baynard and demolished by King John in 1213. The second was a medieval palace built a short...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, it became the Yorkist headquarters and when Edward defeated the Lancastrians, she became an effective Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
.
During the beginning of the Edward's reign, Cecily appeared beside him and maintained her influence. In 1461 she revised her coat of arms to include the royal arms of England, hinting that her husband had been a rightful king. When Edward married Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
, he built new queen's quarters for her and let his mother remain in the queen's quarters in which she had been living.
In 1469, her nephew, the Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
, father-in-law of her sons George and Richard
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
, rebelled against Edward IV. Warwick also begun to spread rumours that the king was a bastard and that his true father was not the Duke of York but an archer named Blaybourne at Rouen, evidence of which has been assembled. By some interpretations, that would have meant that Clarence was the rightful king. Warwick had earlier made similar accusations against Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
. Cecily said little about the matter in public, despite the fact that she had been accused of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
. She visited Sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
, possibly trying to reconcile the parties. When the rebellion failed the first time, she invited Edward and George to London to reconcile them. Peace did not last long and in the forthcoming war she still tried to make peace between her sons.
Edward IV was briefly overthrown by Warwick and Margaret of Anjou, and for about six months (October 1470 - April 1471) Henry VI was restored to the throne. The breach between Edward and his brother George was apparently never really healed, for George was executed for treason in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
on 18 February 1478. Edward IV died suddenly on 9 April 1483, leaving two sons aged 13 and 10. Cecily Neville's youngest son Richard, their uncle, was appointed their protector by Edward's will, but he had them placed in the Tower, whence they were never to emerge. The subsequent enquiry found that that Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
had been invalid: their children were thus illegitimate, making Richard the legal heir to the crown. The Princes in the Tower
Princes in the Tower
The Princes in the Tower is a term which refers to Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York. The two brothers were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville alive at the time of their father's death...
were declared illegitimate by Act of Parliament in 1483 allowing their uncle, Richard, to be crowned Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
on 6 July 1483. The Princes in the Tower were supposed to have been murdered around this time.
She was on good terms with Richard's wife, Anne Neville
Anne Neville
Lady Anne Neville was Princess of Wales as the wife of Edward of Westminster and Queen of England as the consort of King Richard III. She held the latter title for less than two years, from 26 June 1483 until her death in March 1485...
, with whom she discussed religious works such as the writings of Mechtilde of Hackeborn.
Richard's reign was brief, as he was defeated and killed on 22 August 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
by the last Lancastrian, Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. Thus, by 1485 Cecily's husband and four sons had all died, although two of her daughters, Elizabeth
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk was the sixth child and third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville....
and Margaret
Margaret of York
Margaret of York – also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy – was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Duchy after his death. She was a daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the sister of...
, still lived. On 18 January 1486, Cecily's granddaughter, Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, and mother of King Henry VIII of England....
, eldest daughter of Edward IV, married Henry VII and thus became Queen. Cecily devoted herself to religious duties and her reputation for piety comes from this period.
Cecily Neville died on 31 May 1495 and was buried in the tomb with Richard and their son Edmund at the Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay
Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay
The Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay is a parish church in the Church of England in Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire.-Description and History:...
, Northamptonshire, with a papal indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
. All subsequent English monarchs, beginning with Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, are descendants of Elizabeth of York, and therefore of Cecily Neville.
Issue
Her children with Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of YorkRichard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Richard Plantagenêt, 3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster, conventionally called Richard of York was a leading English magnate, great-grandson of King Edward III...
were:
- Anne of YorkAnne of York, Duchess of Exeter-External links:* A Medieval Re-enactment Society based in London, featuring members of the Neville/Plantagenet family....
(10 August 1439 – 14 January 1476), wife of Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of ExeterHenry Holland, 3rd Duke of ExeterHenry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter was a Lancastrian leader during the English Wars of the Roses. He was the only son of John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter and his first wife Lady Anne Stafford. His maternal grandparents were Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford and Anne of Gloucester.He inherited...
and secondly, Sir Thomas St. Leger. - Henry of York (February 1441 – February 1441), died soon after his birth.
- Edward IV of EnglandEdward IV of EnglandEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
(28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483). - Edmund, Earl of RutlandEdmund, Earl of RutlandEdmund, Earl of Rutland was the fifth child and second surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville...
(17 May 1443 – 31 December 1460). - Elizabeth of YorkElizabeth of York, Duchess of SuffolkElizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk was the sixth child and third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville....
(22 April 1444 – after January, 1503), wife of John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of SuffolkJohn de la Pole, 2nd Duke of SuffolkJohn de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, KG , known as "the Trimming Duke". He was the son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Alice Chaucer, daughter of Thomas Chaucer.-Life:...
. - Margaret of YorkMargaret of YorkMargaret of York – also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy – was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Duchy after his death. She was a daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the sister of...
(3 May 1446 – 23 November 1503). Married Charles I, Duke of BurgundyCharles I, Duke of BurgundyCharles the Bold , baptised Charles Martin, was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477...
. - George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of ClarenceGeorge Plantagenet, 1st Duke of ClarenceGeorge Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 1st Earl of Warwick, KG was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the...
(21 October 1449 – 18 February 1478). - Richard III of EnglandRichard III of EnglandRichard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
(2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485).
Fictional Portrayals
Cecily Neville as the Duchess of York has been portrayed by many noted actresses in various films and television programs, especially productions of Shakespeare's Richard IIIRichard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
. Actresses who have played the role include: Elinor Aickin, Eleanor Bron
Eleanor Bron
Eleanor Bron is an English stage, film and television actress and author.-Early life and family:Bron was born in 1938 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a Jewish family of Eastern European origin...
, Annette Crosbie
Annette Crosbie
Annette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...
, Helen Haye
Helen Haye
Helen Haye was a British stage and film actress.She began acting on the stage in 1898 and debuted in London in 1911 as Gertrude in Hamlet. Her film career began in 1917. She often worked with director Alexander Korda...
, Mary Hinton, Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys
Anne Jeffreys is an American actress and singer.- Career :Born Anne Carmichael in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Jeffreys entered the entertainment field at a young age; her initial training was in voice , but she decided as a teenager to sign with the John Robert Powers agency as a junior model.Her...
, Janet May, and Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE , better known as Maggie Smith, is an English film, stage, and television actress who made her stage debut in 1952 and is still performing after 59 years...
. She is essential to the plot of the novel Sovereign
Sovereign (C. J. Sansom novel)
Sovereign, published in 2006, is a crime novel by British author C. J. Sansom. It is Sansom's fourth novel, and the third in the Shardlake series...
by C. J. Sansom
C. J. Sansom
Christopher John "C.J." Sansom is a British writer of crime novels. He was born in 1952 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was educated at the University of Birmingham, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he decided to retrain as a solicitor...
.
Cecily Neville is portrayed in "The White Queen", Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
's novel about Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
, and is mentioned in the second novel of the Cousin's War series,"The Red Queen" about Lady Margaret Beaufort. Novelist Anne Easter Smith
Anne Easter Smith
Anne Easter Smith is an English-American historical novelist. She is the aunt of England rugby No. 8, Nick Easter.Her novels are set during the Wars of the Roses, the period during which two branches of the House of Plantagenet, the Houses of York and Lancaster, were in contention for the throne...
dramatized the Duchess’s life in her 2011 historical novel “Queen by Right”.
External links
- Ladies of the Bower & Lords of the Tower A Medieval Re-enactment Society based in London, featuring members of the Neville/Plantagenet family.