I . York
a city in north-east England on the River Ouse . It used to be the administrative centre of the county of North Yorkshire , but now has its own unitary authority . It is known especially for its ancient buildings, including York Minster . It was an important city in Roman times and in the Middle Ages, and it was the most important city in the Anglo-Saxon region of Northumbria . The city has many visitors and its attractions include the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Viking Centre, which has exhibitions about the period when people from Scandinavia invaded Britain.
II . the Duchess of York
(1959– )
the title given to Sarah Ferguson after her marriage in 1986 to Prince Andrew , Duke of York (III)(1). The royal couple had two children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, but separated in 1992. The Duchess is often referred to informally as ‘Fergie’.
III . the Duke of York
1. (1960– ) Andrew, the third child of Queen Elizabeth II . He was educated at Gordonstoun in Scotland, a college in Ontario, Canada, and the Royal Naval College , Dartmouth. He became a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy , and took part in the Falklands War . He used to be known as ‘Prince Andrew’, but in 1986 the Queen made him the Duke of York. He married Sarah Ferguson in that year, and she therefore became the Duchess of York. They had two daughters, Princess Beatrice, born in 1988, and Princess Eugenie, born in 1990. In 1992 the Duke and Duchess separated, though they still remain friends. ➡ note at Royal Family .
2. (1763–1827) the second son of King George III , who was a soldier. There is a well-known nursery rhyme about him that begins:
Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
3. a title given to various second sons of kings and queens of Britain since 1474, when King Edward IV gave it to his son Richard. King Henry VIII held the title of Duke of York before he became king.
IV . the House of York
the English royal house (= family) to which the kings of England between 1461 and 1485 belonged. They were Edward IV , Edward V and Richard III , and were descended from the first Duke of York, Edmund of Langley (1341–1402).
See also Wars of the Roses .