The White Queen -The White Queen

The Tower of London, London, England, Spring 1465

We stay at Windsor till after New Year's and then we head back to London where Edward and I throw ourselves into planning my coronation. Even though I think it would be better not to spend so much money on it Edward insists on a pageantry of splendor. While I was prepared to work with limited resources he insisted that I just about empty the Royal treasury. In the end I convinced him to take more moderating measures but it is still grand, possibly grander than any coronation England has ever seen. 

We set the date of the coronation for May 26, a few weeks after my 25th birthday. London is ecstatic and as I have always been popular with the people, they throw themselves enthusiastically for planning this coronation. 

"They are more excited at the thought of your coronation then they were for the actual coronation of Margaret of Anjou," Lulu remarks wickedly one day with her standard teasing smile. 

Much to my dismay we keep with the old tradition of having me stay in the tower of London the night before my coronation. It is the one tradition with pomp and ceremony that I do not look forward to. I insist on bringing my children along with me, as I do not want them alone with the nurses in Westminster by themselves in case something were to happen. But at the same time, I don't want them at the tower. I have a terrible feeling whenever I come here. It is if the place is simply cursed with bad luck. 

"I really hate it here," I tell Ella. 

"Then thank God you only have to stay here for one night then," she replies. 

"I still don't like it," I tell her anxiously.

She raises an eyebrow at me, "Come on Eliza, it's the night before your coronation. It's just jitters. You've never liked it here. It's so big and cold and sometimes your imagination just runs wild. You'll get over it. You'll see."

I nod. Perhaps it is just my imagination like she says. But something tells me that this old place has more than it shows us. I find the next morning as they are preparing me for my coronation that I am rather excited to get out of here.

The girls bathe me and dress me. We have spared no expense with my wardrobe. I can see my gown of gold cloth over in the corner and the coronation robes in the wooden container next to the gown. My bath has rose petals and lavender water in it and they take special care to make sure that my hair is completely unknotted.

The Woodville family surrounds me. The past few months have been victorious for those who are in this room. Jackie is now six months pregnant. We have already done the ring test and now Jackie, Elizabeth, and I are sure that it will be a boy. It is exactly what we need to prove to the realm that these unions, however secret Warwick and Cecily Neville may complain they have been, are blessed by God. It is also now an open secret that Elizabeth is expecting a child of her own. It is news that cannot come at a better time. Because of the new charter that I convinced my husband to pass on female inheritance, she does not even need a son. All she needs is a healthy child and her place is secure.

As the Woodville girls help me out of the bath and wrap a linen towel around my body I catch the eyes of the eldest unmarried girl, Mary Woodville, and she asks me, "Eliza, are you nervous?"

I give her a reassuring smile, "I have been waiting for this moment for five long years. I know what to do. If you ever need help to know what to do during this, just follow your mother. She has done this before."

Mary smiles. "They say the whole of London will be out."

"Except one," I remark, and although I try to sound nonchalant about it I cannot hide the bit of bitterness in my voice. "Edward's mother has refused to come."

"I don't think you'll miss her," Mary giggles and I find myself laughing with her.

"It's one less foot to trip me up," I brush my hair out of my face and grin.