Elizabeth of York - Alison Weir

Title - Elizabeth of York: The first Tudor Queen
Author - Alison Weir
ISBN - 9780099546474
Genre - Non Fiction
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

Many are familiar with the story of the much-married King Henry VIII of England and the celebrated reign of his daughter, Elizabeth I. But it is often forgotten that the life of the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, Henry’s mother and Elizabeth’s grandmother, spanned one of England’s most dramatic and perilous periods. Now New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir presents the first modern biography of this extraordinary woman, whose very existence united the realm and ensured the survival of the Plantagenet bloodline.
Her birth was greeted with as much pomp and ceremony as that of a male heir. The first child of King Edward IV, Elizabeth enjoyed all the glittering trappings of royalty. But after the death of her father; the disappearance and probable murder of her brothers—the Princes in the Tower; and the usurpation of the throne by her calculating uncle Richard III, Elizabeth found her world turned upside-down: She and her siblings were declared bastards.
As Richard’s wife, Anne Neville, was dying, there were murmurs that the king sought to marry his niece Elizabeth, knowing that most people believed her to be England’s rightful queen. Weir addresses Elizabeth’s possible role in this and her covert support for Henry Tudor, the exiled pretender who defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth and was crowned Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth’s subsequent marriage to Henry united the houses of York and Lancaster and signaled the end of the Wars of the Roses. For centuries historians have asserted that, as queen, she was kept under Henry’s firm grasp, but Weir shows that Elizabeth proved to be a model consort—pious and generous—who enjoyed the confidence of her husband, exerted a tangible and beneficial influence, and was revered by her son, the future King Henry VIII.
Drawing from a rich trove of historical records, Weir gives a long overdue and much-deserved look at this unforgettable princess whose line descends to today’s British monarch—a woman who overcame tragedy and danger to become one of England’s most beloved consorts. 

I dont like reading Historical non fiction because of how long they take me to read, i have ead this book on and off for about 4 months and it wasn't because it was a bad book it was because for some strange reason it takes me so long to read historical non fiction. I have loved the Tudor period from a very young age we are taught from a very young age about Henry VIII and his six wives, Elizabeth I Queen Glorianna and the Spanish Armada, Mary I and the hundreds of Protestants she burned. But we (will I) was never taught about Henry VII and his wife and it wasn't until 2013 that i learned about them, and fell in love with them and wanted to know more and more until they became by favourite royals in British History. So when i found this book i was extremely excited and it didn't disappoint. 

Weir has a way of writing from her fiction to her non fiction it just flows and tells a story and the way she captured Elizabeth and her time it was very well researched and well thought out. Elizabeth is so under appreciated it is good to see her getting the recognition she deserves and Weir definitely give her that. 
I will say at times it felt like Weir was taking speculation as fact and that bugged me and is the main reason this wasn't 5 flags. 

There was so much drama in both generations before and after and that is why some people forget about her because she did her duty and kept quite raised her children, loved and supported her husband and was the perfect image of how a medieval Queen should be. But she wasn't boring she knew how to survive and in a time where her own husband was threatened by her birth status and her family creeping up and trying to take the crown, she knew that to survive she had to be loyal and quiet and keep out of politics. 

Overall, this book is a must read for people who love non fiction, History and The Tudors because it explains so much about Henry VIII's upbringing and could explain his six wives. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading