After the death of her father, Edward IV, Elizabeth of York's uncle, Richard III, took the throne. As ThoughtCo details, she in essence became a political pawn for a time. Once Richard was killed at Bosworth in 1485, Henry VII took the throne and was betrothed to Elizabeth.
Henry VII was a longshot to win the battle for the throne during the last gasps of the War of the Roses. However, he lobbied hard for supporters and was ultimately successful at the Battle of Bosworth. His marriage to Elizabeth of York helped cement and legitimize his claim to the English throne, since she was the eldest Yorkist princess, writes History Extra. As ThoughtCo notes, their union established the Tudor dynasty, finally bringing together the Yorks and Lancasters and ending the War of the Roses.
Henry VII used his children to build ties to the rest of Europe and to maintain peace. For example, his son, Arthur, was married to Catherine of Aragon (via ThoughtCo), and his daughters to the kings of Scotland and France, according to the British Royal Family website.
Elizabeth of York died several days after childbirth in 1503, and Henry VII died six years later. Their son, Henry VIII, therefore inherited the throne directly from his father that same year. Interestingly enough, Elizabeth of York's image is usually used for the queen card in standard card decks, as per ThoughtCo.
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