Elizabeth of York Gives Birth One Last Time

2 February 1503: Following the death of her eldest son, Prince Arthur (Katherine’s first husband) she and Henry conceived again. The child was a girl and Elizabeth named her after Mary I’s mother. But Elizabeth soon grew weak and died nine days later, on her thirty seventh birthday. The child died a day after.

“Most Tudor mothers did not die during childbirth. Surprisingly, the …odds of survival were fairly good, providing there were no complications. Estimated figures have suggested a mortality rate of around one in fifty but difficult deliveries could lead to maternal and infant death without preventative action being taken. Many survived the experience only to succumb to infection or heavy bleeding afterwards. The more babies the mother wore the greater her risk of death and resulting illness, with the increased physical toll on her body.” (Licence)

Elizabeth was always physically strong, but with each child she bore, she became weaker and after she had given birth to Arthur, she had also been very weak and she didn’t give birth to another child until three years later when Princess Margaret was born. Alison Weir in her respective biography of Elizabeth of York, suggests that the Tudor Consort could have been suffering from anemia, due to her strict regiment of fasting or religious observance.

Elizabeth of York (left) and her mother Elizabeth Woodville (right)

The Elizabeth of York we saw from recent fiction and the one from real life are two separate entities. Elizabeth was as her mother, a very religious person and everything she did revolved around religion. Proof of this, is that on the day she gave birth, she was supposed to be on confinement but she got out, preferring to spend her time attending the ceremony known as “Candlemas”.

Henry VII and Elizabeth of York tomb at the Lady Chapel located in Westminster Abbey.

She is buried at the Lady Chapel, next to her husband, Henry VII. The chapel was constructed by Henry, with specific instructions so the two of them would be remembered after their deaths. Buried next to them is Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth’s mother in law. The chapel is located at Westminster Abbey, and if you ever get to see it, it is a magnificent site and the golden effigies of Elizabeth and Henry VII still stand.

Sources:

• Elizabeth of York: The Forgotten Tudor Queen by Amy Licence
• Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and her World by Alison Weir
• In Bed with the Tudors by Amy Licence
• Tudor by Leanda de Lisle