Henry Tudor urged by Parliament to marry Elizabeth of York

On 10 December 1485 the speaker of the commons urged King Henry VII to marry Elizabeth of York.

A key negotiation in the build-up to the invasion of England and Wales by Henry Tudor was between his mother and Elizabeth Woodville. A contract of marriage between Henry and Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, would provide the new regime with focal points for supporters of all factions at the head of government and reduce any further bloodshed risk.

The agreement was made, and the expectation was that the wedding ceremony would occur shortly after the victory at Bosworth. By December, it still had not taken place. The speaker of the commons, Thomas Lovell, raised the matter and implored the King to proceed with the marriage for the country’s good promptly. The following is a translation of the Parliamentary roll as provided by British History Online:

“Be it remembered that on 10th December in the present year, the commons of the realm of England, appearing before the lord king in full parliament through Thomas Lovell their speaker, humbly petitioned his royal highness, earnestly requesting his highness that, considering that by authority of the said parliament it was decreed and enacted that the inheritance of the realms of England and France, with the royal pre-eminence and power, should be, rest, remain and stay in the person of the same lord king, and the heirs lawfully begotten of his body, the same royal highness should take to himself that illustrious lady Elizabeth, daughter of King Edward IV, as his wife and consort; whereby, by God’s grace, many hope to see the propagation of offspring from the stock of kings, to comfort the whole realm.”