Tag: Medieval
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The Yearlong Queen
As the youngest of the Provence sisters, Beatrice observed her elder sisters Marguerite, Eleanor and Sanchia make glittering dynastic matches. They were a close-knit family, and despite the political stage on which they all walked, their family loyalty was notable. When their father Ramon Berenguer IV died in August 1245, the still unwed Beatrice was…
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A Queen in Name Only
Sanchia of Provence was the third daughter of Raymond Berengar V, count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. Her elder sisters Marguerite and Eleanor made noteworthy marriages to Louis IX of France and Henry III of England respectively, opening the door for Sanchia to make an equally advantageous match herself. Although not a king, she…
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The Hated Queen
Her elder sister Marguerite’s marriage to the King of France, paved the way for Eleanor of Provence to make a glittering dynastic match of her own. In 1236 she married Henry III of England becoming Queen of England. Yet despite building a close loving family with Henry and their five children, she was one of…
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Crusader Queen
Marguerite of Provence like another Queen of France before her, the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine, joined her husband Louis IX on a crusade to the Holy Land. The crusades are described by historian Dan Jones as “a series of interconnected Christian ‘holy wars’ fought against a wide variety of foes”, with the motivations for these…
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Sisters & Queens
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…
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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.…
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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…
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The Forgotten Brother: Geoffrey Plantagenet
Next in our series on the Angevins we’re going to be looking at Geoffrey Plantagenet and his family. 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 would have had a difficult…
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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. With so many sons Henry…
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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. Matilda wed Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria on the…
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