Lady Margaret Beaufort gave birth to Henry VII when she was only thirteen. Her son became the Lancastrian claimant to the throne, and his succession was achieved as a result of Beaufort's negotiations with the mother of Elizabeth of York, and with her husband who she managed to convince to change sides at the Battle of Bosworth from Richard III to Henry VII.

 

She took the role of an educationalist, particularly after her separation from her fourth husband in 1499. She established the first salaried professorships at Cambridge and Oxford and by 1501 she had become a figure of great influence and a subtle negotiator in disputes between Cambridge university and civic authorities. Thanks to her impact the intellectual tide in Cambridge started to improve, and she persuaded Henry to invest in the continued construction of King's chapel (all from Hicks 2007).

 

Elizabeth of York's face is depicted in the West End of the Chapel above a Tudor Rose. She could have claimed the throne in her own right but the precedent did not occur until Mary I 67 years later. Her husband was crowned before their marriage, possibly to avoid having to share his power with her.

 

She gave birth to 7 children, but only 4 survived infancy. With the grief of Henry at the birth of their older son, Elizabeth promised to have more children. She gave birth again and died aged 37 from a post-partum infection. Her death had a deep impact on Henry who retreated to solitude allowing noone but his mother to see him. There are suggestions that Henry died from a broken heart, and he demanded a requiem mass to be sung to her on 11 February.

 

Several of Henry VIII's wives are also in the structures, most notably the 'HA' uniting Henry and Anne Boleyn in the carving on the altar screen.