Elizabeth of York, the first child of the
Yorkist dynasty, was born into a life of royal perquisites and privileges. Most
of her 37 years on earth were afflicted, however, by political turmoil and
personal tragedies. Her moments of glory inevitably metamorphosed into
months — into years
— of suffering, pain, and tragedy.
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| Elizabeth of York |
Throughout Elizabeth of York’s life, the family
and home that were her physical and emotional refuge were constantly under
siege. Her grandfather, three brothers, and two uncles were executed during the
"wars of the cousins." Her grandmother and mother were accused as witches.
Twice, she herself fled to Sanctuary. The first decade of her
queenship was fraught with rebellions that threatened both her political and
personal well-being. Yet, she remained calm and caring and
loving. Her subjects called her “the gracious queen.”
In discussing Elizabeth of York’s life, I
shall focus on several defining events in her life, a life that most of us
would probably prefer to observe from a distance, rather than to adopt
— even if
only for a day.
Arlene Okerlund, Professor Emerita of English at San José State
University in California, specializes in Shakespeare and in
medieval/Renaissance studies. During her 36 years at SJSU, she served as Dean
of the College of Humanities and the Arts from 1980 to 1986 and as Academic Vice
President from 1986 to 1993. She returned to
teaching in 1994 and twice taught in SJSU’s Semester-Abroad-in-England, where
she loved studying English history on site.
Professor Okerlund took early retirement in 2001 to complete a
biography of England’s first Yorkist queen. Elizabeth Wydeville: The Slandered
Queen, published in 2005, is now available in paperback as Elizabeth: England’s Slandered Queen. Her biography of Elizabeth of York appeared in 2009 (paperback, 2011). During retirement, Professor Okerlund teaches
Shakespeare with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and plays tenor banjo
with the Peninsula Banjo Band.
