In 13th century Provence there lived four sisters. Daughters of Count Raymond Berengar V of Provence and his wife Beatrice of Savoy, all would rise to greatness becoming Queens of France, England, Germany and Sicily respectively. These sisters had a huge impact on Western Christendom, and this month we’ll explore how the personal affected the … Continue reading Sisters & Queens
Tag: Medieval History
Royal Hostages
When Robert the Bruce and his wife Elizabeth de Burgh were crowned King and Queen of the Scots on the 25th March 1306, she reportedly said “Alas, we are but king and queen of the May”. Robert had taken the crown against the might of the English, and their position was definitely an uncertain one. … Continue reading Royal Hostages
The Maid of Norway
History is full of sliding doors moments, and when looking at medieval Scotland such a moment can be seen with the death of Margaret, the Maid of Norway. Margaret, the Maid of Norway in stained glass window at Lerwick Town Hall. Image courtesy of Colin Smith under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license. The young Norwegian … Continue reading The Maid of Norway
Namesake: The Daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine
It was pretty standard in medieval Europe for people to name their children after themselves, with Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine no different. Their second son was named Henry after his father, and their second daughter was named Eleanor after her mother. Upon her marriage she became Leonor so for clarity in … Continue reading Namesake: The Daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine
The Forgotten Brother: Geoffrey Plantagenet
Next in our series on the Angevins we’re going to be looking at Geoffrey Plantagenet and his family. Geoffrey Plantagenet, Duke of Brittany Born in 1158, Geoffrey is often overlooked by history in favour of his kingly brothers Henry the Young King, Richard the Lionheart and John. With so many brothers, his father Henry II … Continue reading The Forgotten Brother: Geoffrey Plantagenet
A Good King of England? Re-Evaluating the Lionheart.
Richard Plantagenet was never meant to rule England. His surviving elder brother Henry had been crowned in 1170 to secure the Angevin succession, but the medieval world was a deadly place and his brother died of dysentery in 1183. This led to Richard becoming his father Henry II’s primary heir. Richard Plantagenet With so many … Continue reading A Good King of England? Re-Evaluating the Lionheart.
The Exiled Duchess
Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s eldest daughter Matilda was born in 1156, and was likely named after her legendary paternal grandmother the Empress Matilda. She faced the fate of many princesses and was married off young to support her family’s political manoeuvrings. 13th century depiction of Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria. … Continue reading The Exiled Duchess
The Young King
Henry Plantagenet (who I’ll refer to as the young king for the rest of the post for clarity) was born in 1155 the second son of medieval power couple Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He became their heir the following year when his elder brother William tragically died. His father’s domains were … Continue reading The Young King
Eleanor of Aquitaine: An Icon
Eleanor of Aquitaine was iconic and one blog post cannot do justice to the many interesting facets of her life, so today we’re going to focus on her later life during the reign of her sons Richard and John. Portrait in a 12th-century psalter thought to be an older Eleanor). When her husband Henry II died in … Continue reading Eleanor of Aquitaine: An Icon
Henry II: The Creator of a Dynasty
On the 19th December 1154, Henry was crowned King of England. His accession marked the beginning of the Angevin dynasty, the end of the Anarchy and the expansion of the Anglo-Norman empire. Henry II Born on the 5th March 1133, Henry was the eldest son of Empress Matilda and her second husband Count Geoffrey of … Continue reading Henry II: The Creator of a Dynasty
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