Birth of a Prince

Abstract

On the night of September 19/20, 1486—eight months after her marriage—Elizabeth of York gave birth to a son. The baby may have been premature, or the couple may have consummated their relationship before the formal church ceremony. The church accepted marriage as legitimate if a couple privately exchanged words of commitment in each other’s presence: “I take you as my wife... I take you as my husband.”¹ The vows had to be stated in the present tense and could not be merely an expression of intent. Alternatively, betrothal (a promise to marry) followed by sexual consummation also became a legal and binding marriage. Henry’s public betrothal in 1483, the Pope’s dispensation in March 1484, and Parliament’s endorsement of the marriage on December 10, 1485, provided every incentive for the couple to consummate their marriage before the public ceremony conducted by Archbishop Bourchier on January 18, 1486, a formality that made the union legally unassailable.