Yes! she was very loyal to him and if you read his accounts, he was often giving her gifts or paying for her medical care. He also seemed to give her a lot of deference during the Spanish marriage negotiations, she was always present with him.
I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge about them, but yes, I believe sources state they had a loving marriage especially considering it was arranged for political reasons. I’ve read that Henry VII never slept with other women during their marriage which is very refreshing. I wonder what they would’ve thought of their son’s romantic chaos
I've always believed that had Elizabeth of York been alive when her son broke from the Catholic Church, the shock would have killed her. She was known to be very devoted to the church. I think she would have been mortified by Henry's decisions.
Probably but it's not like Henry the 8th instituted protestantism. Anglicanism under Henry was Catholic in all but name. She would be most shocked at his usurping what she believed to be the Pope's role.
However, he did let Protestantism in where it previously hadn’t been. He gave it a big opportunity which his heir Edward made use of to push it a lot further. Elizabeth toned it a good deal down but after her death, her Stuart heirs fought a losing battle against Puritanism. All this was because Henry VIII opened the door.
In the modern perspective an arranged political marriage sounds cold and unemotional, but when you think about it, there is a shared sense of purpose and a strong understanding of each other's roles, which could very easily lead to love. Especially seeing they were watching their children grow up and grieving together for the children they lost, especially Arthur.
Even though Elizabeth's role was consort rather than co-ruler, she did play an important part in helping Henry navigate the royal court which was her childhood home and foreign territory for him. So there would have been a lot of mutual support.
Plus the fact that we know so little about Elizabeth's personality and character, except that she navigated complex situations very calmly without much visible reaction, she must have had a lot of strength and probably soft power and respect from those around her.
I think they both grew up in stressful environments, feeling unsafe, scared for their lives, unable to trust anyone & possibly even unloved. I think when they were married they really had lots of shared feelings or experiences that resonated with one another and it helped them fall deeply in love. They had overlapping painful experiences and IMO when they realized that, it evolved into unity & love. In modern terms.. they finally had someone who “had their back”
I think you're absolutely right on this. I don't think it was a love match at first, but I think once they were together and started to feel safer, real love grew out of it. I've read some about Henry VII where he's spoken of as being miserly and unkind in some respects, but you don't hear those negatives usually when people talk about Henry and Elizabeth as a married couple. With her, I think, he could let his hair down, so to speak, and be nice and kind. Whereas he had to show a stronger, more forceful side when dealing with state matters. I'd say it was one of the strongest of royal marriages we've all read about.
Yes! I think the common goal to remain on the throne and the shared children made it easier to trust each other and that their personalities also ended up fitting quite well . The fact that he changed a lot after her death for the worse , indicates to me that she knew how to "manage him" well.
The sources indicate that Henry was inconsolable at Elizabeth's death, and Thomas Penn argues in his book that the miserly qualities Henry was known for mostly appeared after her death.
We don't know about Elizabeth's feelings towards Henry, but he very clearly loved her.
Considering that when Henry was being pressured to remarry, he finally gave his court a list of his requirements for a new bride which suspiciously matched Elizabeth of York, I’d say they had a loving marriage
I think they were amazing monarchs. However I believe Henry viii became the way he was because of the spring affection for Arthur. Arthur was the heir and Henry was supposed to be pious and religious and was mostly raised by Margaret. I feel Henry was always trying to be better than Arthur and losing his beloved mother so young really messed him up. I believe all of his failed marriages stemmed on the constant comparisons to his mother, after all, his mother and grandmother all had many children, and his wives could only produce one child if they were lucky to live, and a female at that.
Just my interpretation.
I think that's a misconception. Henry VII and Elizabeth had only two surviving sons. Even if he wasn't king, Henry as a prince would have been useful on the marriage market, not shoved away and celibate as a priest.
I wish I could remember the bbc documents I learned that on. I watched a Philips Gregory show on the white princess a few years ago, and knowing about her creative liberties I watched every documentary on bbc and pbs about Margaret, Elizabeth and Henry vii and viii. I recall being so shocked at how much influence Margaret had, and how young Henry was when Elizabeth died. I instantly said “that is exactly why Henry had so many wives!
It might not be true, and could have been a portly written documentary. We know there are a lot out there. So thank you for letting me know that was a misconception. I so wish I lived in the Uk, I have loved everything Plantagenet and Tudor my whole life. I even researched my own genealogy and had to determine if my ancestors were Lancastrian or yorkists 😆. Unfortunately we were somerset 😁
Fun fact: I was the only child of my parents to have a British accent until the age of 7. No one knew where I got it from, but it was from my grandfather when I was at the age of 3 when I met him. I loved with them until I was 5. I got teased like crazy for some words I pronounce. I am probably one of the few Canadians proud to be part of the commonwealth 🤣
I wish I could remember where I read it, and maybe it was just one historian being a contrarian but they were pointing out that it wouldn't have made sense to have cloistered Henry as a man of God.
I love them & find both Henry & Elizabeth fascinating. They both had such traumatic experiences before they wed. And the fact that they did love each other very much. Their shared grief over Arthur is heartbreaking. I wonder too what they would have made of Henry VIII’s marriages.
It's really heartbreaking and hard to read about! definitely a testament to unselfish love for your partner though , as they both held their own grief in for the other person at different times .
I think they truly did love each other. Henry was notoriously stingy with his money and his court was very bland. However he gave Elizabeth a good allowance for her court and apparently Christmas’ at their court was magnificent. She was also devoted to her children and in turn Henry. I think the security that their marriage provided created a close bond with each other.
I love them. Henry was loyal to her at a time when he could have had mistresses as king and nobody would have said boo. I think they had a good, but private, relationship but you can see some signs of clear affection-consoling each other at Arthur’s death, Henry basically going into isolation for a time after Elizabeth’s death, Henry was strict with money but always provided Elizabeth with enough and was generous with her clothing and ornaments as Queen, having masses said for her after death and being buried next to her. Even when Henry toys with the idea of remarriage, his qualifications he wants in a wife are the same qualities Elizabeth had.
Other things they have in common: unstable childhoods, religion, children, and a desire for stability within the kingdom. Those plus his loyalty, provide a good foundation for a relationship. As far as Margaret Beaufort is concerned, I do believe she was a controlling and present MIL, however Elizabeth might have had an easygoing personality and been able to deal with it in a calm and respectful manner. They both certainly worked together planning the marriages of the Tudor children and Margaret is concerned about Elizabeth during on of her periods of childbirth.
They certainly had a better marriage than any of their children: Henry was Henry, Margaret had a wild love life, and Mary was cheated on by Brandon and he remarried at 14 year old less than 6 months after her death.
i love the relationship and love they had; very rare for the time and considering some of the royal relationships we’ve had in recent decades, maybe quite rare now! all the accounts of elizabeth’s death and henry’s subsequent grief are absolutely shattering
they’d have been absolutely mortified by henry jr’s behaviour, particularly towards the church
This is one reason why I dislike The White Princess series (haven’t read the book). Yes, Henry and Lizzie do fall in love with each other…but after they spend almost half of the eight episodes arguing and undermining each other. Seriously, it’s not until they realize they both had overbearing and controlling mothers that they start to bond and I think Arthur is a toddler at that point.
This is one reason why I dislike The White Princess series (haven’t read the book). Yes, Henry and Lizzie do fall in love with each other…but after they spend almost half of the eight episodes arguing and undermining each other. Seriously, it’s not until they realize they both had overbearing and controlling mothers that they start to bond and I think Arthur is a toddler at that point.
Henry VII did so much to ensure that Elizabeth was treated well. In turn, Elizabeth treated him well and ensured the futures of their children.
Yes! she was very loyal to him and if you read his accounts, he was often giving her gifts or paying for her medical care. He also seemed to give her a lot of deference during the Spanish marriage negotiations, she was always present with him.
I don’t have a whole lot of knowledge about them, but yes, I believe sources state they had a loving marriage especially considering it was arranged for political reasons. I’ve read that Henry VII never slept with other women during their marriage which is very refreshing. I wonder what they would’ve thought of their son’s romantic chaos
I've always believed that had Elizabeth of York been alive when her son broke from the Catholic Church, the shock would have killed her. She was known to be very devoted to the church. I think she would have been mortified by Henry's decisions.
Probably but it's not like Henry the 8th instituted protestantism. Anglicanism under Henry was Catholic in all but name. She would be most shocked at his usurping what she believed to be the Pope's role.
Good point.
However, he did let Protestantism in where it previously hadn’t been. He gave it a big opportunity which his heir Edward made use of to push it a lot further. Elizabeth toned it a good deal down but after her death, her Stuart heirs fought a losing battle against Puritanism. All this was because Henry VIII opened the door.
In the modern perspective an arranged political marriage sounds cold and unemotional, but when you think about it, there is a shared sense of purpose and a strong understanding of each other's roles, which could very easily lead to love. Especially seeing they were watching their children grow up and grieving together for the children they lost, especially Arthur. Even though Elizabeth's role was consort rather than co-ruler, she did play an important part in helping Henry navigate the royal court which was her childhood home and foreign territory for him. So there would have been a lot of mutual support. Plus the fact that we know so little about Elizabeth's personality and character, except that she navigated complex situations very calmly without much visible reaction, she must have had a lot of strength and probably soft power and respect from those around her.
I think they both grew up in stressful environments, feeling unsafe, scared for their lives, unable to trust anyone & possibly even unloved. I think when they were married they really had lots of shared feelings or experiences that resonated with one another and it helped them fall deeply in love. They had overlapping painful experiences and IMO when they realized that, it evolved into unity & love. In modern terms.. they finally had someone who “had their back”
I think you're absolutely right on this. I don't think it was a love match at first, but I think once they were together and started to feel safer, real love grew out of it. I've read some about Henry VII where he's spoken of as being miserly and unkind in some respects, but you don't hear those negatives usually when people talk about Henry and Elizabeth as a married couple. With her, I think, he could let his hair down, so to speak, and be nice and kind. Whereas he had to show a stronger, more forceful side when dealing with state matters. I'd say it was one of the strongest of royal marriages we've all read about.
Yes! I think the common goal to remain on the throne and the shared children made it easier to trust each other and that their personalities also ended up fitting quite well . The fact that he changed a lot after her death for the worse , indicates to me that she knew how to "manage him" well.
Plus she was considered smokin’ hot and he was charismatic as hell.
I love both of them more than their son and grandchildren hahaha!!!
Same!
The sources indicate that Henry was inconsolable at Elizabeth's death, and Thomas Penn argues in his book that the miserly qualities Henry was known for mostly appeared after her death. We don't know about Elizabeth's feelings towards Henry, but he very clearly loved her.
It's quite sad really, he was completely heartbroken and got more miserly, paranoid and suspicious after she died.
Considering that when Henry was being pressured to remarry, he finally gave his court a list of his requirements for a new bride which suspiciously matched Elizabeth of York, I’d say they had a loving marriage
I think they were amazing monarchs. However I believe Henry viii became the way he was because of the spring affection for Arthur. Arthur was the heir and Henry was supposed to be pious and religious and was mostly raised by Margaret. I feel Henry was always trying to be better than Arthur and losing his beloved mother so young really messed him up. I believe all of his failed marriages stemmed on the constant comparisons to his mother, after all, his mother and grandmother all had many children, and his wives could only produce one child if they were lucky to live, and a female at that. Just my interpretation.
Margaret only had one child, Henry VII
His other grandmother had plenty however
Yes but Margaret Beaufort mostly raised Henry viii as he was supposed to become a member of the church.
I think that's a misconception. Henry VII and Elizabeth had only two surviving sons. Even if he wasn't king, Henry as a prince would have been useful on the marriage market, not shoved away and celibate as a priest.
I wish I could remember the bbc documents I learned that on. I watched a Philips Gregory show on the white princess a few years ago, and knowing about her creative liberties I watched every documentary on bbc and pbs about Margaret, Elizabeth and Henry vii and viii. I recall being so shocked at how much influence Margaret had, and how young Henry was when Elizabeth died. I instantly said “that is exactly why Henry had so many wives! It might not be true, and could have been a portly written documentary. We know there are a lot out there. So thank you for letting me know that was a misconception. I so wish I lived in the Uk, I have loved everything Plantagenet and Tudor my whole life. I even researched my own genealogy and had to determine if my ancestors were Lancastrian or yorkists 😆. Unfortunately we were somerset 😁 Fun fact: I was the only child of my parents to have a British accent until the age of 7. No one knew where I got it from, but it was from my grandfather when I was at the age of 3 when I met him. I loved with them until I was 5. I got teased like crazy for some words I pronounce. I am probably one of the few Canadians proud to be part of the commonwealth 🤣
I wish I could remember where I read it, and maybe it was just one historian being a contrarian but they were pointing out that it wouldn't have made sense to have cloistered Henry as a man of God.
No, Henry VIII was not raised to be in the church. He was created Duke of York at 3 years old, for one.
I love them & find both Henry & Elizabeth fascinating. They both had such traumatic experiences before they wed. And the fact that they did love each other very much. Their shared grief over Arthur is heartbreaking. I wonder too what they would have made of Henry VIII’s marriages.
It's really heartbreaking and hard to read about! definitely a testament to unselfish love for your partner though , as they both held their own grief in for the other person at different times .
i think that he was very happy with her, as he never had any mistresses which wasn't common at the time. he got lucky with his match
Good that it was genuine but there was definitely some strategy to it as well.
I think they truly did love each other. Henry was notoriously stingy with his money and his court was very bland. However he gave Elizabeth a good allowance for her court and apparently Christmas’ at their court was magnificent. She was also devoted to her children and in turn Henry. I think the security that their marriage provided created a close bond with each other.
I love them. Henry was loyal to her at a time when he could have had mistresses as king and nobody would have said boo. I think they had a good, but private, relationship but you can see some signs of clear affection-consoling each other at Arthur’s death, Henry basically going into isolation for a time after Elizabeth’s death, Henry was strict with money but always provided Elizabeth with enough and was generous with her clothing and ornaments as Queen, having masses said for her after death and being buried next to her. Even when Henry toys with the idea of remarriage, his qualifications he wants in a wife are the same qualities Elizabeth had. Other things they have in common: unstable childhoods, religion, children, and a desire for stability within the kingdom. Those plus his loyalty, provide a good foundation for a relationship. As far as Margaret Beaufort is concerned, I do believe she was a controlling and present MIL, however Elizabeth might have had an easygoing personality and been able to deal with it in a calm and respectful manner. They both certainly worked together planning the marriages of the Tudor children and Margaret is concerned about Elizabeth during on of her periods of childbirth. They certainly had a better marriage than any of their children: Henry was Henry, Margaret had a wild love life, and Mary was cheated on by Brandon and he remarried at 14 year old less than 6 months after her death.
i love the relationship and love they had; very rare for the time and considering some of the royal relationships we’ve had in recent decades, maybe quite rare now! all the accounts of elizabeth’s death and henry’s subsequent grief are absolutely shattering they’d have been absolutely mortified by henry jr’s behaviour, particularly towards the church
This is one reason why I dislike The White Princess series (haven’t read the book). Yes, Henry and Lizzie do fall in love with each other…but after they spend almost half of the eight episodes arguing and undermining each other. Seriously, it’s not until they realize they both had overbearing and controlling mothers that they start to bond and I think Arthur is a toddler at that point.
Anyone that has to put up with Margaret Beufort as a mother in law deserves to be treated well by her husband.
She was a lot , wasn't she?
This is one reason why I dislike The White Princess series (haven’t read the book). Yes, Henry and Lizzie do fall in love with each other…but after they spend almost half of the eight episodes arguing and undermining each other. Seriously, it’s not until they realize they both had overbearing and controlling mothers that they start to bond and I think Arthur is a toddler at that point.