March 10th 1471: Queen Elizabeth in Sanctuary
St Peter’s Sanctuary, Westminster Abbey
Queen Elizabeth was at the root of the unrest in England. Warwick had negotiated a bride for King Edward, King Louis’ sister-in-Law no less, only to discover that Edward had secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, the widow of a minor supporter of the Lancastrian cause. Not only that, but Edward publicly snubbed Warwick, taking counsel from Elizabeth’s numerous family instead and promoting them to positions of power and influence. Warwick was not alone in resenting this.
When Warwick invaded and Edward hurriedly departed, Elizabeth and their three daughters were in quarters at the Tower of London. She left there secretly by night with her family and her mother and claimed Sanctuary on 1st October 1470 at Westminster Abbey. The Abbey was a chartered sanctuary which gave immunity from justice to traitors, felons, debtors and important political figures within its walls and in designated houses nearby, under certain strict conditions. It is thought that she occupied rooms within the Abbot's house complex, though a small but solid building, St Peter’s Sanctuary, in St Margaret’s Church graveyard normally accommodated fugitives. That site is now occupied by Westminster Guildhall
Despite her obvious concerns for her safety, Warwick respected her right to sanctuary. He issued an edict:
No man, of what degree or condition so ever he be, presume, attempt or be so hardy to defoul or destrouble the churches or holy places of sanctuaries of Westminster and Saint Martins within the city of London or elsewhere. No vex, trouble, spoil, rob in damage or hurt any minister, servant, inhabitant or sodjournant within the said holy places in their bodies or goods movable or immovable, for any manner cause or quarrel old or new, contrary to our said sovereign lord’s laws and his peace upon pain of death.
Warwick paid for Margaret, Lady Scrope, to attend on Elizabeth, possibly to keep an eye on her. She was provided with ‘half a beef and two muttons a week’ for her household, so she was living in some comfort.
Elizabeth was eight months pregnant at the time and at the beginning of November she was delivered of a son, baptised Edward, who became the Yorkist heir to the throne.
Somehow, Elizabeth seems to have maintained some sort of communication with her husband, Edward, in Flanders, and even seems to have been drawn into the efforts to persuade George Duke of Clarence, her brother in law, to abandon Warwick, when the time came, and return to the bosom of his family.