Disobedient Facts About Cecily Of York, The Exiled Princess
Born right in the middle of the Wars of the Roses, Princess Cecily of York’s life was like a bloody episode of Game of Thrones made all too real.
Except that was just the beginning: After surviving countless attempts on her life and honor, Cecily grew into a hardened and clever woman unwilling to back down from a fight…and her defiance came with a brutal price tag.
There’s a reason no one knows about Cecily of York—but it’s your turn to find out.
1. She Was Born Into Battle
When Cecily was born in 1469, she came into the world as a Princess of England. After all, her father was King Edward IV and her mother was the renowned beauty Queen Elizabeth Woodville. But from the beginning, something was seriously wrong. In truth, Cecily didn’t inherit a shining realm, oh no. Instead, she was princess to a crumbling kingdom.
The infamous Wars of the Roses were already ramping up, and they were about to baptize Cecily into a brutal game of thrones.
2. Her Family Ran For Their Lives
Back before Cecily was born, her father Edward had deposed the old King Henry VI—and when Cecily was just a year old, it came back to bite the royal family in the butt. In 1470, the disgraced Henry played tit for tat, gathering supporters and completely ousting Edward, who had to flee to the continent for safety. In an instant, little Cecily’s life went from charmed to traumatic.
3. She Was A Pauper Princess
With her father gone and her royal titles in serious jeopardy, Cecily spent her toddler years in “sanctuary” in Westminster with her mother, hoping that the storm would blow over. It was a nightmarish existence in more ways than one. At the time, Cecily had two older sisters and her mother was heavily pregnant with another child, but the vulnerable brood had to share just a few small cramped rooms while praying for their lives.
Yet just when all hope seemed lost, fate dealt Cecily and her family another curveball.
4. She Survived By The Skin Of Her Teeth
After six excruciating months, Cecily’s father finally pushed himself back onto the English throne, reinstating the family and turning the tables once again. On top of that, Cecily’s mother gave birth to a baby boy, also named Edward, and then later to a son named Richard. With these surprising turns of events, the happy fate of the Yorks seemed sealed. Key word: seemed.
If anyone thought Cecily could escape from these early horrors scot-free, they were very wrong. They shaped her forever after—and as we’ll see, there was much more tragedy on the way.
