The Rose of Raby

A woman who was almost queen of England and who is said never to have got over it was born on May 3rd 1415.  Two of her sons were crowned king, one of her grandsons was named king and one of her granddaughters claimed the consort's title that she so desperately wanted for herself.  Her great grandson became arguably the most famous ever king of England and her descendants, thanks to a great granddaughter, still wear the crown today.  And yet a royal title never belonged to her.  Cecily Neville, so beautiful she was named the Rose of Raby, is known to history as one of the women who missed a consort's crown by a whisper.

In the recent adaptation of The White Queen, Cecily Neville was seen as an old and bitter woman but for most of her life she was a beautiful, powerful duchess on the brink of queenship