The first few years of Bridget’s life were extremely tranquil, as she was brought up in the court of her father, Edward IV. Upon his death on April 9th 1483 her life was to drastically change. Her brother, Edward V, was proclaimed King of England and consequently returned from his seat at Ludlow Castle in Wales to take up the reins of Kingship in London. However, their mother greatly feared their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, now Lord Protector. Her fears were confirmed when her brother and her son from her first marriage were imprisoned and murdered under Richard’s instruction. Elizabeth famously quoted, ‘I fear the destruction of my family.’ Elizabeth consequently fled to sanctuary with her youngest son and six daughters, including three-year-old Bridget.
Richard III SucceedsThe worst was still to come when her brother, Edward V, was imprisoned in the Tower of London in June 1483. Bridget’s other brother, Richard, Duke of York was soon to join him in the Tower. Her brothers were never seen again. The Lord Protector announced her parents’ marriage as void and her mother nothing more than a whore. The royal children were publicly claimed to be illegitimate. Consequently the Lord Protector formally deposed Edward V and proclaimed himself Richard III.
Battle of Bosworth
During the next two years Bridget spent her life in the cramped conditions of Sanctuary, until the death of Richard III at the definitive Battle of Bosworth, in August 1485. The new king, Henry VII, then married her eldest sister Elizabeth in January 1486, and her family were at last restored to favour. This family unity was not to last though, as in the summer of 1487 Bridget’s mother retired to Bermondsey Abbey, after falling out with the new King.
At the age of ten in 1490, the Queen Dowager placed her daughter Bridget into the only Dominican nunnery in England. Once here, Bridget was to completely disappear from public life. A question asked by several historians is, what was the reason for this exclusion? One reason may have been that Elizabeth, upon entering Bermondsey Abbey in 1487, decided that a life dedicated to God was the best choice for her youngest daughter. Another theory, however, is that Bridget was excluded because she had mental incapacities and was hidden away to save the royal family any embarrassment. Whatever the answer may be, one thing is known, which is that Bridget only left the convent once in June 1492 to attend her mother’s funeral. Following this little is known of the life that Bridget led, apart from the fact that she never achieved a higher status than that of a mere nun.
Death Of Bridget Of YorkBridget must have heard of the death of her sister, Queen Elizabeth, in February 1503, as well as the death of her brother in law, Henry VII, in April 1509. She survived well into the reign of her nephew, Henry VIII, and was only outlived by one sibling, Katherine, a year her senior. Bridget herself died in 1517, some twenty five years after her last public appearance. Her whole adult life had been dedicated to God, within the walls of the nunnery, where her family had made little or no effort to see her. Bridget’s life can therefore be seen to have been something of a tragedy. Whether or not she was indeed hidden away by her family because of her mental incapacities will never be known. This secret died with her.
Sources:
Hilliam, David., Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards, Sutton Publishing, 1998.
Hilliam, David, Monarchs, Murders & Mistresses: A Book of Royal Days, Sutton Publishing, 2000.
Williamson, David., Kings & Queens of Great Britain, The Promotional Reprint Company Ltd, 1991.
