An intriguing new biography of the fifteenth-century Duchess of York and mother to two kings of England. Wife to Richard, Duke of York, mother to Edward IV and Richard III, and aunt to the famous Kingmaker, Richard, Earl of Warwick, Cecily Neville was a key player on the political stage of fifteenth-century England. She is rumored to have been known as the Rose of Raby because of her beauty and her birth at Raby Castle, and as Proud Cis because of her vanity and fiery temper, But Cecily’s personality and temperament have actually been highly speculated upon. In fact, much of her life is shrouded in mystery. Aside from Cecily’s role as mother and wife, who was she really? Matriarch of the York dynasty, she navigated through a tumultuous period and lived to see the birth of the future Henry VIII. From seeing the house of York defeat their Lancastrian cousins; to witnessing the defeat of her own son, Richard III, at the battle of Bosworth, Cecily then saw one of her granddaughters become Henry VII’s queen consort. Her story is full of controversy, and the few published books on her life are full of guesswork. In this highly original history, Dr. John Ashdown-Hill—renowned for his role in locating the long-lost remains of Richard III in 2012—seeks to dispel the myths surrounding Cecily using previously unexamined contemporary sources. Includes illustrations

Discover the true story of Richard III’s mother, one of her era’s great survivors

You are born high, but marry a traitor's son. You bear him twelve children, carry his cause and bury his past. You play the game, against enemies who wish you ashes. Slowly, you rise. You are Cecily. But when the king who governs you proves unfit, what then? Loyalty or treason

This is the first scholarly biography of Cecily Neville, duchess of York, the mother of Edward IV and Richard III. She was said to have ruled Edward IV 'as she pleased' and Richard III made his bid for the throne from her home. Yet Cecily has been a shadowy figure in modern histories, noted primarily for her ostentatious piety, her expensive dresses, and the rumours of her adultery. Here J. L. Laynesmith draws on a wealth of rarely considered sources to construct a fresh and revealing portrait of a remarkable woman. Cecily was the only major protagonist to live right through the Wars of the Roses. This book sheds new light on that bloody conflict in which Cecily proved herself an exceptional political survivor. Skilfully manipulating her family connections and contemporary ideas about womanhood, Cecily repeatedly reinvented herself to protect her own status and to ensure the security of those in her care. From her childhood marriage to Richard duke of York until her final decade as grandmother of the first Tudor queen, the story of Cecily Neville's life provides a rich insight into national and local politics, women's power and relationships, motherhood, household dynamics and the role of religion in fifteenth-century England.

A tale of the Wars of the Roses follows Elizabeth Woodville, who ascends to royalty and fights for the well-being of her family, including two sons whose imprisonment in the Tower of London precedes a devastating unsolved mystery.

The forgotten story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. A strong woman who claimed the throne for her family in a time of war... ‘A compelling story of divided loyalties and family betrayals. Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman & Home

From the award-winning author of "A Rose for the Crown" and "The King's Grace" comes another masterful historical novel--the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and one of history's most intelligent and courageous women.