Elizabeth Woodville: Ambition, Regret, and Mystery
Like Cersei, Elizabeth Woodville grapples with remorse amidst the enigmatic disappearance of her sons, orchestrated by Richard III.
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Scholars speculate on Elizabeth Woodville’s awareness of Richard’s involvement and willingness to sacrifice her children for ambition. The parallels between Cersei and Elizabeth deepen with references to Greek mythology. Cersei’s name hints at a sorceress who transforms victims, echoing Elizabeth’s association with Melusina, a mermaid linked to shipwrecks. Historians often attribute turmoil during Edward IV’s reign to Elizabeth’s influence, underscoring the historical tendency to hold women accountable for their husbands’ actions. The narrative remains entwined with mysteries, leaving unanswered questions about Elizabeth’s motives and the fate of her sons.
The lost princes
Elizabeth Woodville, like Cersei Lannister, has had her share of regrets. Elizabeth was the mother of 12 children, including the mother of the heir to the throne, the blond Prince Edward (who was to be Edward V). After King Edward IV died, his brother Richard (later to become King Richard III) is said to have kidnapped the Crown Prince and imprisoned him in the Tower of London with his brother, Prince Richard of Shrewsbury. Neither of the boys was ever to leave the tower. They were never heard from again. I’ll probably come back to this story again because even today, the mystery of the two brothers is not solved.
It is complicated to analyze Elizabeth Woodville’s behavior after the boys’ disappearance, especially from the perspective of the more or less strained relationship she had with the new king, her brother-in-law Richard III. She could have arranged a marriage between the man who is said to have possibly killed her sons (Richard III) and her eldest daughter (Elizabeth of York, who would later become the wife of King Henry VII and mother of the much more famous Henry VIII). It is hard to understand, but it is possible that Elizabeth Woodville encouraged a relationship and even made efforts to have Richard notice her daughter at court, especially after the death of the king’s wife, Anne Neville.
According to Croyland, Elizabeth sent five of her daughters to court at Christmas 1484 to be seen and noticed when Queen Anne, the wife of King Richard III, was expected to die (tuberculosis). Shortly afterward, in January 1485, the attraction between the king and his young niece (Elizabeth) became the subject of gossip at the king’s court. Elizabeth Woodville was probably aware of this.
Alison Weir notes that given the ambition she had shown during her time as queen herself, it must have cost King Edward IV’s widow a lot of grief to see her daughter so close to marrying the man she suspected of murdering her sons. On the other hand, it is very accurate that the advantages of such a union made scruples easily overcome at that time.
However, suppose you consider that a murder is a murder. Regardless of the advantages or the historical era in which it occurred, Elizabeth Woodville had a different perspective on the events, much different from the modern perspective.
Is it possible that she didn’t think Richard III murdered her boys? Did Elizabeth Woodville know who the real murderer of her sons was if they had been murdered? If she believed Richard was the murderer, what does it say about her that she was willing to allow her daughter to marry him? Was Elizabeth Woodville afraid? Had she resigned herself to history? Was she a survivor? Or was she simply sacrificing her little ones for her ambitions? Or perhaps Elizabeth Woodville knew her boys were safe and out of harm’s way outside the tower? So many questions and, sadly, no answers.
Cersei vs Circe/Melusina
George R.R. Martin gives us another guiding thread to make things even more complicated. The name Cersei (Lannister) could be a derivative of the name Circe, the sorceress from Greek mythology who murdered her husband and was exiled to live alone on a remote island. With the help of magic, Circe often turned those who upset her into animals. For example, she turned Ulysses’ crew into pigs. Interestingly, at the beginning of the series, we see Cersei taking some potions from Grand Maester Pycelle. Admittedly, no one was turned into a piglet, but a wild pig killed Robert Baratheon.
Cersei’s name also means ‘sea siren.‘ Legend has it that Elizabeth Woodville and her mother were descendants of Melusina, a mermaid-like creature whose legs turned into fishtails when submerged in water.
Melusina’s legend is related to mermaids, the same creatures that made sailors shipwreck. Many historians believe that Edward IV caused much trouble in the kingdom he ruled because of his wife, Elizabeth Woodville. Even the downfall of the House of York is blamed on her. I don’t doubt it. Throughout history, some women have been held guilty for the choices or actions of their husbands.
More information here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine
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