Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk

Elizabeth of York
Duchess of Suffolk
Elizabeth Plantagenet, Duchess of Suffolk, detail from her effigy in St Andrew's Church, Wingfield, Suffolk
Born	(1444-04-22)22 April 1444 Rouen, Normandy
Died	after January 1503 (aged 58?) Wingfield, Suffolk
Spouse	John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
Issue	John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln Geoffrey de la Pole Edward de la Pole, Archdeacon of Richmond Elizabeth de la Pole, Lady Morley Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk Dorothy de la Pole Humphrey de la Pole Anne de la Pole Catherine de la Pole, Lady Stourton Sir William de la Pole Richard de la Pole
House	York
Father	Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
Mother	Lady Cecily Neville

Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk (22 April 1444 – c. 1503) was the sixth child and third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville.

She was a younger sister of Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter, Edward IV of England and Edmund, Earl of Rutland. She was an older sister of Margaret of York, George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence and Richard III of England.

Sometime before February 1458, Elizabeth was married to John de la Pole. John was the eldest son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Alice Chaucer. His maternal grandparents were Thomas Chaucer and Maud Burghersh.

Her father-in-law had served as the principal power behind the throne for Henry VI of England from 1447 to 1450. His three years in this position saw the near-complete loss of the English possessions in northern France, towards the end of Hundred Years' War. Suffolk could not avoid taking the fall for the failure. He had been imprisoned in the Tower of London and had been attainted. Consequently, John had not succeeded to his titles when his father was executed on 2 May 1450.

Her older brother Edward IV of England restored his brother-in-law to the title of Duke of Suffolk in 1463. She remained the Duchess of Suffolk until his death in 1491/1492. They were settled in Wingfield Suffolk.