Old Bones: The Loves and Losses of Cecily Neville

by Rachel Di Placito

Love, loss and betrayal; the life of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York and mother of two kings.

A beloved daughter who made a great dynastic marriage, Cecily Neville’s future was bright and promising. Changing fortunes saw her live through the Wars of The Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster. During this time, she watched her husband, and four sons go to their graves amid the violence of fifteenth century England. She dedicated her life to her family and to God, but this was not enough to save them from treason and battle.

Cecily was a woman of influence with royal blood, from whom all English and British monarchs now descend. She experienced tumult and heartbreak during her remarkable life but would only find her way back to her family in death.

Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2025

Reviews

[Pauline Calkin]

Alone in her private chamber Cecily Neville, dowager Duchess of York, has just recorded in her Book of Hours the death of her fourth and last son, Richard III. It is just the latest in a long list of losses she has suffered in her life, and she now begins a look back on her life, beginning with happenings in Ludlow in 1459. This is not a novel like Annie Garthwaite’ The King’s Mother which focuses on Cicely, her thoughts and feelings, but treats with various important events which affected her life. Indeed,, she is not present during many of the episodes. For example, we see her husband, Richard, Duke of York, and second son, Edmund, in Ireland where they fled after Ludford Bridge, and then we follow George and Richard as they are exiled in the Low Countries after the deaths of their father and brother Edmund. The episodes are also very Richard-centric, that is, they follow his life story as the focus of Cecily’s interest. Richard is shown in a very positive light, without nuance but it is an enjoyable read—at least for a Ricardian like me.
Some bits I particularly liked. One was the interesting portrayal of Edmund: he falls in love in Ireland, and, he is suspicious of Warwick when the latter visits the Duke of York in Dublin. Those suspicions prove justified when the Duke makes his claim for the throne. Another small gem were the scenes with Cecily’s daughter, Elizabeth, Duchess of Suffolk, who was overly fond of her wine.
A pet peeve: constantly referring to Lancasterians as the Red Rose. Also, the history is a bit muddled at times, for example, Elizabeth Woodville et al. do not go into sanctuary until June 1483. But the inaccuracies weren’t enough to ruin the novel. Not one of the best, but still entertaining.