Thursday, February 11, 2010

Today in History, Elizabeth of York Birthday and Passing

553 years ago today Elizabeth of York was born. Her birthday is February 11th 1466. A weird fluke is that she actually passed away on her birthday February 11th 1503 at the age of 37. After the heartbreaking death of her son Arthur she became pregnant once again. She gave birth to a daughter Katherine on February 2nd 1503, sadly Katherine passed away on the same day. Nine days later Elizabeth succumbing to post part-partum infection and also passed away. It always has seemed to me like she gave up fighting and gave into her broken heart. The image is her coat of arms.

"Her husband appeared to sincerely mourn her death: according to one account, he "privily departed to a solitary place and would no man should resort unto him". Despite his reputation for thrift, he gave her a splendid funeral: she lay in state in the Tower and was buried in Westminster Abbey, in the Lady Chapel Henry had built."

3 comments:

  1. I always find that so interesting when someone dies on their birthday. How sad to loose her two children :( What a different mentality you must have had to have back then concerning your children's lives.

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  2. The perpetually pregnate Queen I swear I would have hated it.

    I remember asking my mom when I was a kid once about what it was like to loose a child and she told me "I guess it would be harder to loose an older child because you get to glimps what type of person they might become and when that hope of greatness is taken away it is more painful".

    This I believe applies to Elizabeth, Arthur would have been an amazing king I think Elizabeth knew it too.

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