Sisters of Richard III: The Plantagenet Daughters of York

Sarah J Hodder

May 2024 · Pen and Sword History

About this ebook

This book is the narrative of three women of York, sisters to not one, but two kings of England. Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret Plantagenet were the daughters of Richard, Duke of York and his wife, Cecily Neville, and therefore sisters to Edward IV and Richard III. These women watched from the sidelines as their father challenged England’s anointed king and lost his life, as their brothers fought together for the throne of England and then amongst themselves and as the Plantagenet dynasty fell, making way for the reign of the Tudors. But they were not just bystanders; they had their own stories to tell. Anne of York was married to the Lancastrian Duke of Exeter who sided against her father and brother, before finding later happiness, albeit briefly, with her second husband. Elizabeth of York married John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk and became the mother of eleven children who would become thorns in the side of the Tudor kings and Margaret of York became Duchess of Burgundy, a hugely influential woman in her adopted kingdom although she never stopped supporting her family back in England. Between them, they witnessed and contributed to one of the most turbulent times in English history yet they have naturally been overshadowed by their more famous brothers. This is their story.

About the author

Sarah J Hodder began her career as a production manager for Shire Publications, a unique niche publisher that introduced her to an eclectic mix of subjects and encouraged her already well-founded love of books. After leaving Shire to raise her daughter, she was able to explore and develop her passion for history, particularly medieval and Tudor. Her focus is very much on social history and family relationships and she writes mainly on the lives of women during this period. Sarah is the author of The Queen’s Sisters (Chronos Books, 2020), The York Princesses (Chronos Books, 2021) and Cecily-Bonville-Grey, Marchioness of Dorset (Chronos Books, 2022).