Queen's Oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Queen's Oak |
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The blackened stump of the tree photographed in 2006
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| Location | Near Potterspury, Northamptonshire |
| Date felled | August 1997 |
The Queen's Oak was a famous tree near Potterspury in Northamptonshire, England. People believed it was the place where Elizabeth Woodville first met her future husband, King Edward IV. The tree was badly burned in 1994 and sadly died in 1997.
The Royal Meeting at Queen's Oak
The Queen's Oak is best known for a legendary meeting. It's said that Edward IV, who was the King of England, met Elizabeth Woodville there. Edward was a leader of the Yorkist side in the War of the Roses. Elizabeth was a widow whose first husband had fought for the Lancastrian side.
This important meeting supposedly happened on April 13, 1464. Just 18 days later, Edward and Elizabeth secretly got married. Their marriage was quite a surprise at the time. Elizabeth was not from a royal family and had no special wealth (dowry). She also already had children from her first marriage.
The story says Elizabeth waited under the oak tree. She wanted to ask King Edward to give back her sons' family lands. These lands had been taken away because of the war. At that time, the tree stood in Whittlewood Forest, a royal hunting area. This famous meeting was even shown in a TV show called The White Queen in 2013.
The Tree's History and Size
Over time, the tree became known as the Queen's Oak. This was because of its connection to the legend of Edward and Elizabeth. It was located about half a mile northeast of Watling Street. This is a very old road between Potterspury and Paulerspury in Northamptonshire.
The Queen's Oak was once part of the boundary of Potterspury Park. In the mid-1800s, a man named Henry Newton planted acorns from the tree on his land. By 1879, the tree was huge. Its trunk measured about 8.83 meters (29 feet) around. It was so big that 18 people could fit inside its hollow trunk! By 1937, a path of lime trees led up to the Queen's Oak.
The End of the Queen's Oak
Sadly, the Queen's Oak caught fire in 1994. It was badly damaged by the flames. Even though it was hurt, one branch managed to survive for a few more years. But in August 1997, the last part of the tree finally died.
Scientists tested the tree's wood after it died. They found that the Queen's Oak was about 340 years old. This means it was likely planted around the year 1650.
