Anne of York, Countess of Surrey

Infobox British Royalty|royal
name =Anne of York
title =Countess of Surrey


imgw = 180px
spouse =Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Surrey
issue =Lord Thomas Howard
titles =
royal house =House of York
father =Edward IV of England
mother =Elizabeth Woodville
date of birth =2 November, 1475
place of birth = Westminster Palace, London
date of death = 23 November, 1511 (aged 36)
place of death = |

Anne of York (November 2, 1475 - November 23, 1511) was the seventh child and fifth daughter of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville.

She was born in the Palace of Westminster. She was a younger sister of Elizabeth of York, Mary of York, Cecily of York, Edward V of England, Margaret Plantagenet (Princess of York) and Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York. She was also an older sister of George Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford, Catherine of York and Bridget of York.

On July 18, 1479, Edward IV signed an agreement with Maximilian, Archduke of Austria. According to its terms Anne was supposed to marry his eldest son Philip the Handsome. The agreement also included the term that Maximilian would not pursue other contracts of marriage for the following three years.

Maximilian was the eldest son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and had a good chance for pursuing the title of the Holy Roman Emperor for himself later. His wife and mother to Philip was Mary, Duchess of Burgundy. Both relations made Maximilian a valuable ally for Edward IV. However the marriage treaty was repudiated after Edward's death and was never concluded.

On February 4, 1494/1495, Anne was instead married to Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Surrey. He was at the time the eldest son and heir of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk by his first wife Elizabeth Tilney.

Their only son known with certainty was Thomas Howard (c. 1496 - 1508). There are also suggestions of short-lived Henry Howard and William Howard resulting from this marriage. There was at least one stillborn child.

Anne died shortly after 22nd November 1511 and was buried first at Thetford Priory. But after the reformation. along with other Howards, in the large aisle chancel of St Michael's, Framlingham.

Anne and Thomas are considered to have survived their own children. He was a childless widower following her death. He was later remarried to Elizabeth Stafford, daughter of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Alianore Percy.

External links

* [http://www.r3.org/bookcase/wardrobe/ward2.html Remarks on the Privy Purse Expenses and Memoirs of the Siblings of Elizabeth of York ]