Mary of York (11 August 1467 – 23 May 1482) was the second daughter of King Edward IV of England and his queen consort Elizabeth Woodville.
The first years of Mary's life were spent in close connection with her older sister Elizabeth of York (later Queen consort of England), who was eighteen months older. The princesses were raised and religiously educated together and were accustomed from childhood to frequent moves between royal residences. From time to time, the girls were called to the court, where they were present at the festivities and during state visits. Also, a strict daily routine was provided for the princesses, and special attention was paid to their safety. It is noteworthy that in the accounts dating back to the childhood of the princesses, there are almost no expenses for toys.
In 1469, Mary's father had a conflict with his longtime supporter the Earl of Warwick, who, in alliance with Mary's uncle the Duke of Clarence and the former Queen Margaret of Anjou, had mutinied against the King. Soon Edward IV was removed from the throne, and Mary with her mother and sisters found refuge in Westminster Abbey, where they spent the next five months. Mary's younger brother Edward was also born in the asylum, whose birth spurred the princess's father to accelerate the reconquest of his kingdom. In April 1471, Edward IV returned London to his rule and immediately moved the family from the refuge to the residence of his mother, and then to the Tower of London.
After the final defeat of the Warwick party and the restoration of peace in the country, Mary and her older sister began to look for suitors. Elizabeth was supposed to be the wife of the Dauphin Charles, heir of the French throne, with Mary as a replacement for her older sister in case of her premature death or other obstacle to marriage. In 1481, the Danish prince Frederick, Duke of Holstein and Schleswig (later King Frederick I) was supposed to be Mary's fiancé, but when negotiations were underway for marriage, she fell seriously ill and died.
Birth and early years
Mary was born on 11 August 1467 at Windsor Castle as the second daughter of children of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville; being the second child from her parents' ten children, the princess also had two half-brothers from her mother's first marriage to John Grey of Groby: Thomas and Richard Grey. Her paternal grandparents were Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (who claimed the rights of the House of York to the English throne) and Cecily Neville, and her maternal grandparents were Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers, and Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Dowager Duchess of Bedford. The girl was baptized shortly after birth; among her sponsors was the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Thomas Bourchier.
In 1467, the King granted his wife lifelong use of Sheen Palace in Surrey, where the royal nursery was organized: according to tradition, royal offspring were brought up away from London and the court for their safety and health. Here, Mary, along with her older sister Elizabeth (born 11 February 1466), was brought up under the guidance of a governess Lady Margaret Berners (wife of John Bourchier, 1st Baron Berners, great-grandson of King Edward III and a close friend of the Queen Elizabeth's family); Lady Margaret received a salary of 100£ for her services (as of 2013 – 50,000£) per year. In Sheen Palace, Mary, together with Elizabeth, spent her infancy and part of her childhood; in addition to the governess, the princesses were given an extensive staff of servants and 400£ a year for their needs (as of 2013 – about 200,000£). The princesses also used to travel a lot from childhood, as the royal couple, along with their children and a vast court, traveled between a hundred royal residences, located mostly in the Thames valley.
Religious upbringing and court life
The religious education of the royal offspring began at a very early age, and by the age of four, the children should have known the psalter. Feast days, in particular the Presentation of the Lord, Easter, Saint George's Day, Trinity, All Saints' Day and the Nativity of Christ, as well as saints' days, were marked with special services in the chapel, sermons and entertainment; Elizabeth and Mary these days made offerings during Mass. On Maundy Thursday, girls gave gifts to the poor; on Good Friday they were taught to crawl to the cross on their knees. During the Great Lent and the Advent fasts, girls were required to fast or abstain from meat. On New Year's Eve, the princesses received gifts, and on the Twelfth Night they were allowed to join in the celebrations and feast.