Facial Reconstructions of Elizabeth Woodville & King Edward IV - What did they really look like?
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Published 2023-10-20
Today we will reveal re-creations of Edward, and his wife of legendary beauty, Elizabeth Woodville, for those that don't want the full history.
Edward and Elizabeth unfortunately come from a time of pretty cartoon-y portraiture. We are still one generation away from the wonderful Tudor portraits by Hans Holbein, and most of the portraiture made during the War of the Roses lacks a bit of skill.
Currently, there are no known contemporary portraits of either Edward or Elizabeth, so what we are left with are copies made from originals. We do have some pretty good descriptions of them both, which I’ll be using to inform my re-creations alongside the portraits.
Let’s start with Edward - we know he was a very tall man. Edward’s remains were exhumed in 1789, and they measured almost 6’4”, which was gigantic for the time. This examination also revealed some long brown hair, which matches his portraits.
Sir Thomas More, writing about 30 years after Edward’s death, says:
“He was…very princely to behold; of heart courageous, politic in counsel…in peace just and merciful, in war sharp and fierce.” Although, keep in mind Thomas More is a pretty biased source.
Edward was considered extremely handsome in his youth, although it sounds like his looks faded with time.
Thomas More also wrote that Edward was “Of body mighty, but in his latter days, with over-liberal diet, somewhat corpulent and burly but nevertheless not uncomely.”
Regardless of his looks, Edward was always considered likable and charismatic. As we know from the history of the War, this really worked to his political advantage because his original opponent Henry VI was seen as weak and shy. You know, these are kings that actually fought and won the crown in battle, so his height and strength were huge advantages.
For Edward’s re-creation, I’m going to use this portrait, which is generally agreed upon to be the most accurate, and shows him in his early 30s.
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All Comments (21)
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These always take my breath away. Edward IV is such a far away name and face, it's easy to reduce him to his battles and skirmishes. Same thing with Elizabeth Woodville, that's someone that lives in a fantasy realm that's how real she is. But seeing them come to life is so heart-wrenching, because they all of a sudden WERE real people, with hopes and dreams, hangnails and lopsided smiles, faces I probably have seen before on classmates or coworkers! It's humbling, because it makes their history suddenly so very real and not in fact so long ago.
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I love that you didn’t plaster Elizabeth with makeup like some of the other forensic artist videos do. You left her naturally beautiful, and didn’t try to make her look like a magazine cover model.
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The transition from Elizabeth's portrait to your recreation is amazing. Her beauty is astounding. If the portrait of her is accurate to how she looked then your recreation might well be truly her. Her strawberry blonde hair is lovely too. I've always been interested in her, starting from my teenage years. I always wanted to see a more photographic image of her. My teenage self would've been enthralled! It's interesting that despite the changes in fashion and beauty ideals over the centuries, modern eyes still find Elizabeth to be very beautiful. I think she must've been one of those very rare astounding natural beauties.
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Your recreation of Edward looks a LOT like the recreation of his younger brother Richard III from his real skull found in Leicester. Great job
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Looking at these recreations really does makes you believe that these legendary heroes and beauties have once, talked, ate, and laughed. Amazing, really 😍
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My family history is related to Elizabeth Wydeville in two different lines as distant grandmother and aunt. I've researched, paid my respects and homage at her St. George Chapel tomb at Windsor Castle, but never had a confirmation on what she really looked like. Until now. My gosh! Your art and talents are simply amazing. 🥲 Thank you.
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The wars of the roses is a subject that is complicated and fascinating to learn about. With so many players involved it's nice to see an idea of what these people probably looked like. Your work is amazing so thank you very much.
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Wow Edward really was a handsome man. Elizabeth was stunning and with her beautiful blond hair she must have been really breathtaking.
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They were truly handsome and beautiful. It’s great to see what they looked like and you’ve done a fabulous job with your recreation. Thanks for what y’all do. Very important work and very much appreciated. Hugz, Tree
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I swear my nephew is Edward IV reincarnated. He's 6"4 has a relatively similar hair length, build, and facial features too. That's if Edward was reincarnated to be a regular 19 year old kid who can't stop looking at his phone. 😂
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Just wanted to say thank you for your videos! I am a history buff and an art lover so this is the perfect combo! I also love how you present the women’s stories in a balanced way! I have always been a little sad at the portrayal of women in history: as long as they had an independent thought or tried to forge their own path, they were called witches, or evil or simply written off! Your videos always make me smile when you tell their stories!
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I love to see them moving, because it shows a charm that it's not translated with just the still painting.
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Fantastic recreation as usual! I've been studying British and medieval history and watching your recreations really brings the history to life! Ty!
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Their love story is legendary. Her mother was Duchess of Bedford, married to the son of Henry IV, grandson of John of Gaunt. Elizabeth’s father was Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers whom her mother married in secret after she was widowed.Elizabeth was mother to the Princes in the Tower rumored to have been murdered by Richard III, Henry VII, or his mother , Margaret Beaufort. I loved their story in the White Queen .
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Rebecca Ferguson was a very good choice for Elizabeth Woodville.. In the White Queen series. Lots more drama but they got a lot of looks right. Also such a striking woman years later. King Edward is DEFINITELY where Henry the 8th got his height from. He is very much like Edward except not nearly as not nearly as "good?".
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I always love these videos, but this one is particularly special. There has always been something magical and special about these two.
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Oh, I wish you had shown their re-creations together. Great job! I have visited their tombs in England.
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Thank you, Becca, for two more great recreations! Your skills, taste, and intuition never fail to impress, but it's cases like these that really make them shine. I don't mean to say that Holbein's portraits are easy to work with, but ... it's what differentiates Holbein, Fouquet, Clouets, Velasquez, and other great portrait painters from the anonymous author(s) of these portraits. Rendering an individual's features realistically yet not crudely, without flattery yet in a way that made the individuals (and viewers) admire those features, the likeness, and the personality. I believe you have that ability too. The 15th century artist depicted Edward "as he could", but you interpreted his signs perfectly, found best modern means to render the likeness - et voila, a living, breathing charismatic young man. And a lovely visage indeed! Everything we read about but hardly saw in the original portrait. Brava Becca! But for me, this case also illustrates another ancient problem and possibly a major challenge for your skills - higher degree of idealization/generalization in female portraits. Second-class artists are even more inclined to use templates, smooth female features, introduce inaccuracies, etc. Whether it was a more formal approach to depicting royal women, courtesy, or artists' negligence because women had just to look rich and chaste, the result is obvious: such portraits are often so plain and boring compared to men's likenesses... Your Elizabeth Woodville, although not quite 'breathing' like Edward for me, does look like the mother of Elizabeth of York, her successor, so your ability to discern people's true features in old portraits is just amazing.
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Ideas of beauty change over time. We look at many ‘beauties’ from the 1920s and wonder why they were deemed beautiful. We also must remember that people of high social class are always perceived and described as being better looking than lower class people. Even today.
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Your work is absolutely beautiful. Fascinating and impeccable. Thank you 🙏🏻
