French history – History… the interesting bits!

Guest Post: Margaret of Austria by Rozsa Gaston

11/03/202411/03/2024Sharon Bennett Connolly1 Comment

For Women’s History Month it is my pleasure to welcome Rozsa Gaston to History…the Interesting Bits, with an article on Margaret of Austria. Rozsa is here to share with you why Margaret is important to history as a founding figure of European coalition politics.

Over to Rozsa….

Margaret knew, or was related to, most of early 16^th century Europe’s rulers.

Her action-packed childhood prepared her for a lifetime of leadership as ruler of the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands, and as one of the most important treaty negotiators of her era.

Let’s look at the players in Margaret of Austria’s life:

Maximilian I, archduke of Austria and the future Holy Roman Emperor – was Margaret’s father.

Charles V –future King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, is her nephew and ward. Margaret was Charles V’s legal guardian until he was 15 years old.

Henry VIII of England –Margaret’s trade partner. English sheep provided the wool for Flanders’ cloth industry. Flanders, in the Low Countries, was world renown from the 12^th century on for its fine cloth textiles and its tapestries, which were sought after the world over as a display of wealth and power.

Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s queen – was Margaret’s former sister-in-law.

Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s 2^nd queen -maid-of-honor at Margaret’s Court of Savoy in Mechelen (Malines) in the Burgundian-Habsburg Low Countries (now Belgium).

Philip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy –was Margaret’s brother.

Juana the Mad – the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain was Philip’s wife and Margaret’s sister-in-law.

Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain – Margaret’s former in-laws.

Louise of Savoy – former sister-in-law & the mother of Francis the First, King of France, Louise was the power behind the throne during her son’s reign.

Margaret of Austria was born in 1480 in Brussels, the only daughter of the heads of two of Europe’s top dynastic houses: the House of Burgundy and the House of Habsburg. Her mother, Mary of Burgundy, was ruler of Burgundy, the only child of Burgundy’s last duke. She was known throughout Europe as Mary the Rich.

Margaret’s father was Maximilian the First of Austria, head of the House of Habsburg and later to become Holy Roman Emperor. Mary and Maximilian’s dramatic love story is told in the 2017 Starz Mini Series Maximilian. Well worth viewing.

Margaret lost her mother in a riding accident at age two. One year later her father contracted with the French king, Louis the Eleventh, known as the Spider King, to marry Margaret to Louis’ son and heir, the future Charles VIII of France. Margaret was sent to France at age 3 to be raised at the French court to prepare her to become Queen of France one day.

Margaret’s statue towers over the main market square of Mechelen (pronounced “Meh ku luhn”) Belgium, 18 miles, or 29 kilometers, north of Brussels. Erected in 1849, it was made by sculptor Joseph Tuerlinckx.

Her palace in Mechelen is called the Court of Savoy. It was the first Renaissance palace built in the Low Countries and is a main tourist destination. The Low Countries are now known as the Benelux countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Margaret held one of Europe’s most important Renaissance courts at her Court of Savoy for the duration of her career from 1507-1530 as ruler of the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands.

Here is Margaret’s palace, the Court of Savoy, in Mechelen, Belgium. Despite her title, Margaret of Austria hailed from what is now called Belgium, a country that was created in 1830, 300 years after she died.

In the 16^th century the northern part of Belgium was known as Flanders, a Low Countries province within the realm of Burgundy. Everything in orange on this map is Burgundy. Burgundy now no longer exists, but it was the wealthiest realm in Europe in the 14^th to late 15th centuries.

Margaret’s native tongue was French. She ruled the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands for 23 years, with the exception of two years, from 1515-1517. During those two years, her nephew and ward, Charles the Fifth, came of age, and typical of a teenage boy, he wanted to take control of his realm for himself.

But after two years of seeing how difficult it was to manage the Netherlands’ 17 different provinces all with conflicting economic interests, he handed back control to his aunt Margaret, who was a master at negotiating trade agreements and at putting together coalitions for the greater good of the Netherlands’ economic prosperity.

Margaret was confident, self-possessed, well-organized, and enjoyed being in charge. She did not show her hand. An excellent bluffer at both diplomatic negotiations and the gaming table, she played cards and gambled with heads of state and diplomats to the Low Countries who were sent to her Court of Savoy in Mechelen.

Margaret’s travels by the age of twenty-seven made her one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan princesses.

Jan. 10, 1480 – Margaret of Austria is born in Brussels.

Age 3 – She’s sent to France to be raised under Anne of France or Anne de Beaujeu to become its queen one day.

Age 11 –Margaret is jilted by Charles VIII of France, who marries Anne of Brittany instead.

Age 13- Margaret returns to Flanders in the Low Countries and waits for her father to make another match for her.

Age 17 – Margaret goes to Spain to marry Isabella and Ferdinand’s son Juan, heir to the Spanish throne. But – he dies six months after they marry.

Ages 19-21 – Back in Flanders in the Low Countries, Margaret awaits her father’s next marriage choice for her.

Age 21 – Margaret moves to Savoy when luck arrives with her marriage to Philibert, Duke of Savoy, a childhood friend who becomes the love of her life.

Age 24 – Luck departs when Philibert dies.

Age 26 – Margaret’s life changes completely when her brother, Philip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy, dies in Spain, possibly of poisoning, and Margaret takes over rulership of the Burgundian-Habsburg Netherlands. She also takes over guardianship of Philip’s children, the future Charles the Fifth and his three sisters, all Habsburg royals who live in Brussels, and are now functionally orphaned, as their father has died and their mother, Juana of Castile, has gone insane and remains in Spain.

Ages 27-50 – Margaret lives in Mechelen where she rules the Netherlands and conducts her government from her palace, the Court of Savoy.

Age 50 – Margaret dies. Two years later her body is transported to Brou, France, where she is buried next to her beloved 2^nd husband Philibert of Savoy. Savoy was a region between France, Switzerland and the duchy of Milan, which was very strategic in the 16^th century because it controlled the pass through the Alps for French soldiers to march to Milan. At that time in history all the great European powers were interested in gaining a piece of Italy.

Margaret lived just at the moment that the feudal age gave way to the Renaissance.

Stuck at the French court for two years after being jilted by the French king, an unexpected friendship formed between Margaret and Anne of Brittany, who was three years older and who took her place as Queen of France.

Instead of hating each other, Margaret and Anne were both politically astute enough to recognize that they were pawns in the hands of the French. They became lifelong friends and wrote to each other until Anne of Brittany’s death. They sent scholars to serve at each other’s courts and were both instrumental in bringing Renaissance art and humanist learning to their respective courts of Burgundy and France.

After returning to the Low Countries from France at age 13, Margaret’s father Maximilian arranges a match for her with Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain’s son and heir, Juan. Maximilian also arranges for Margaret’s older brother Philip, Duke of Burgundy, to marry Juan’s sister, Juana, known to history as Juana the Mad. At age 17 Margaret is on track to become Queen of Spain. But after only 6 months of marriage her 19-year-old husband dies. 6 months later Margaret gives birth to their child, a stillborn daughter. She never has another child.

Margaret spends the year after Juan’s death at Isabella and Ferdinand’s Alhambra Palace in Granada, teaching French to their youngest daughter Catherine of Aragon, future Queen of England.

Queen Isabella of Spain is a huge influence on Margaret, who spends two years observing her ruling her kingdom as well as managing her husband Ferdinand, whose kingdom of Aragon is much smaller than Isabella’s kingdom of Castile.

Margaret and Catherine of Aragon remained lifelong friends.

At age 19 Margaret leaves Spain and returns to the Low Countries to await her father’s next marriage choice for her. Margaret’s 2^nd husband, Philibert, Duke of Savoy, was a childhood friend from Amboise, where he also grew up at the French court with his sister Louise of Savoy. The same age as Margaret, he and she fell madly in love.

But Philibert was not interested in ruling Savoy and had left it to his illegitimate half brother to manage. Soon after Margaret arrived, she ousted his half brother and took over ruling Savoy herself. Philibert was not a natural-born leader, but an excellent athlete and hunter, very good-looking with a faithful heart. He was happy for Margaret to take the reins and he supported her leadership.

But at age 24, Philibert went out hunting on a hot day and developed a lung inflammation after drinking ice cold water from a mountain stream. He died 9 days later. Margaret remained in Savoy as Duchess and ruler for two more years, devoting herself to building a church to honor Philibert, and where she intended to be buried with him.

Margaret’s church at Brou is a masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic architecture. It’s a must-see for visitors to the Geneva-Lyon area. Commissioned by her in 1506 it took 26 years to build. Margaret is buried there with her husband Philibert and his mother, Margaret of Bourbon, who was from the same Bourbon or Bourbon dynasty that rules Spain today with King Felipe of Spain at its head.

The Church and Royal Monastery at Brou is 69 miles west of Geneva and 50 miles north of Lyon. Author of the foreword to my book on Margaret of Austria, Austrian archduke Géza von Habsburg has visited and says that the restaurant in its town square serves the best coq au vin (or chicken in wine sauce) in all of France.

These are the tomb effigies of Philibert and Margaret. Someone has placed a rose on Philibert’s chest, undoubtedly because he was so handsome.

Margaret designed the placement of Philibert’s effigy so that he appears to be looking at her.

The standard Renaissance style of the day was to place the lying-in-state effigy on top and the deathbed effigy on the bottom. Their actual tombs are in the crypt below the church nave. Unusually, they were not desecrated during the French Revolution because Brou was so obscurely located that the revolutionaries couldn’t find it. When Margaret’s tomb was opened in the 19^th century, her long dark blonde hair was still intact.

Margaret of Austria and her father Maximilian I both hated the French. Why?

They had both been jilted by the French, due to the land grab of Charles the Eighth’s powerful older sister, Anne of France, who ruled France as regent while Charles was still a child.

In 1490 when Anne of Brittany was 13 and ruling Brittany, she was married by proxy to Margaret’s father Maximilian I. But he failed to come to her rescue when France invaded Brittany the next year. Anne never actually met Maximilian.

Charles, the 21-year-old king of France, was betrothed to Margaret, who was only 11 at that time. But in Dec. of 1491 Charles wed Anne of Brittany in order to acquire Brittany for France.

Margaret spent the next two years from ages 11-13 in limbo in France, while Charles VIII of France and Maximilian I argued over the return of her dowry.

Anne of France was one of Europe’s most politically powerful women of the late 15^th century. She escorted Margaret of Austria at age 3 from the Low Countries border to the French court in Amboise where Margaret lived for the next 10 years under her guardianship.

Plans to marry Margaret to the French king changed when Anne of France decided Brittany was a bigger plum for France to acquire than Margaret’s dowry lands on the French/Low Countries border. After eight years of overseeing Margaret’s education Anne of France cast Margaret aside overnight and replaced her with Anne of Brittany as Charles’ wife.

Margaret never forgave Anne of France or her younger brother Charles for their betrayal. But — the lessons Margaret learned from Anne of France in self-control and political maneuvering honed Margaret’s political skills as governor of the Netherlands and as an important treaty negotiator years later.

Game of Queens by well-known British historian and author Sarah Gristwood opens with a chapter on Margaret of Austria. I highly recommend Game of Queens to those interested in women who held political power in 16^th century Europe.

Margaret not only ruled the Netherlands but negotiated pan-European treaties on behalf of her father Maximilian, the Holy Roman Emperor, her father-in-law Ferdinand of Aragon, and her nephew, Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor.

Treaty of Cambrai by Francisco Jover y Casanova, 1871

Margaret’s most important treaty was the 1529 Treaty of Cambrai that she negotiated with her sister-in-law Louise of Savoy. Louise of Savoy was the power behind the throne of her son Francis, King of France. The 1529 Treaty of Cambrai took 2 and a half weeks to negotiate and ended the war between the Holy Roman Empire and France. It is known to history as The Ladies’ Peace.

Margaret on the left signs on behalf of her nephew, Charles the Fifth, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor.

Louise of Savoy on the right signs on behalf of her son, Francis I, King of France.

In 1529 Charles V and Francis I were Europe’s two most powerful rulers. A close third was Henry VIII of England, but he was still up-and-coming in those days, and England was still a bit of a backwater compared to continental Europe.

All three of these men were young and ambitious, all ruled by powers behind the throne: Francis by his mother Louise, Henry by his chancellor Cardinal Wolsey, and Charles V by his aunt Margaret.

Charles V’s title of Holy Roman Emperor was an elected position. He ran against Francis I and Henry VIII for that office and won in 1519, due to Margaret’s gifts, visits, trade incentives, and bribes to the seven German Prince-Electors who voted him into office.

What was the secret of Margaret’s success? She had strong female mentors. She was mentored by Europe’s most powerful female political leaders of her times, Anne of France, and Isabella of Spain.

Secondly, Margaret had a devoted support team. She was supported in her political leadership by both her father, Maximilian of Austria, and her 2^nd husband, Philibert of Savoy. She brought a team of six counselors with her to the Low Countries in 1507 from Savoy, including her legal counsel and two private secretaries. These men were devoted to her and served at her court for their entire lives.

The Card Players by Lucas van Leyden, c. 1525, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid

Another secret to Margaret’s success was that Margaret was a master bluffer both at cards and at the diplomatic negotiating table. She never showed her hand.

Henry VIII’s chancellor Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is thought to be on the right. You can see how worried he looks, up against master card shark Margaret. Margaret got a lot of deals done over the gaming table at her evening parties at the Court of Savoy. She was sociable, vivacious, charming, and careful not to let anyone know what she was really thinking. Her evening entertainments functioned in the same way as present-day CEO’s golf outings do where important decisions are made on the golf course.

This is a painting of Margaret of Austria’s nephew Charles V’s palace in Brussels, to give you an idea of the scope of Burgundian splendor. Coudenberg Palace burned down in 1731. You can tour its ruins today on Coudenberg Hill in the Royal Quarter neighborhood of Brussels in Belgium.

Without a doubt, I would say that Margaret of Austria was one of the most powerful and influential historical figures of the northern European Renaissance.

She set the precedent for successful female rule in the Netherlands, a tradition that continues to this day with unbroken female rulership from 1890 to 2013 thru Queens Wilhelmina, Juliana, and Beatrix.

Discover more of Margaret’s story in my 2023 book on her life, Margaret of Austria, with a foreword by noted historian Susan Abernethy of The Freelance Writer’s blog and European Women in History.

About the author:

Rozsa Gaston is a historical fiction author who writes books on women who reach for what they want out of life.

She is the author of Margaret of Austria, 2023 Chaucer Book Awards finalist for Pre-1750s Historical Fiction, the Anne of Brittany Series: Anne and Charles; Anne and Louis, General Fiction Winner of the 2018 Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize; Anne and Louis: Rulers and Lovers; and Anne and Louis Forever Bound, First Place Winner of the 2022 Chaucer Book Award for Pre-1750s Historical Fiction.

Other works include Sense of Touch, Marguerite and Gaston, and The Least Foolish Woman in France.

Gaston studied European history at Yale and received her master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia. She worked at Institutional Investor magazine, then as a columnist for The Westchester Guardian.

She is currently working on a book on Anne Boleyn at Margaret of Austria’s court. She lives in Bronxville, New York with her family.

Gaston can be found online on Facebook, or at her website.

Her motto? History matters.

My Books:

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.

Out Now! Women of the Anarchy

Two cousins. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for her birthright and that of her children. On the other side is her cousin, Queen Matilda, supporting her husband, King Stephen, and fighting to see her own son inherit the English crown. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how these women, unable to wield a sword, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It show how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other.

Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK.

Coming on 15 June 2024: Heroines of the Tudor World

Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation. In the era dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation, Heroines of the Tudor World examines the threats and challenges faced by the women of the era, and how they overcame them. From writers to regents, from nuns to queens, Heroines of the Tudor World shines the spotlight on the women helped to shape Early Modern Europe.

Heroines of the Tudor World is now available for pre-order from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK.

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. It is is available from King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops or direct from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon. Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.

Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.

Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell and Elizabeth Chadwick, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.

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Christine de Pisan, Literary Trailblazer

25/02/202313/04/2023Sharon Bennett Connolly2 Comments

Christine de Pisan (sitting) lecturing to a group of men

Christine de Pisan was the first woman in history to make a living from writing.

Christine de Pisan was born around 1364 in Venice, Italy; the family was from the village of Pizzano, just outside Bologna. Her father, Tommaso di Benvenuto da Pizzano, was a graduate of the University of Bologna and was a lecturer in astrology at the university, but moved to Venice in 1357. In the late 1360s Tommaso was invited to join both the Hungarian and the French royal courts. He chose France and moved his family, including Christine and her two brothers Paolo and Aghinolfo, to Paris, in December 1368, becoming royal physician and astrologer to Charles V. Christine’s father paid particular attention to his daughter’s education, allowing her to be taught to the same standards as a boy of her age, although her mother disapproved. She was tutored in history, literature, religion and the classical languages.¹

In 1380, at the age of fifteen, Tommaso arranged a marriage for Christine with Etienne de Castel. Ten years older than Christine, Etienne was a graduate of the University of Paris and became a royal secretary in the year they married. The position of royal secretary was a lifetime appointment and only open to the intellectual elite, as they were often involved in diplomatic events. In the same year, on 16 September, Tommaso’s patron Charles V died, leaving the family in a precarious financial position. Christine was further challenged by a series of tragedies toward the end of the decade. Her father, Tommaso, died in 1387, leaving Christine’s mother and niece in his daughter’s care. Around the same time, Christine lost a child, his name unknown; although two children, Marie and Jean, survived infancy. In 1390 her husband Etienne passed away at Beauvais and Christine was left with the responsibility of providing for herself and her young children, as well as her mother and niece.

Christine explained herself, in her book Mutation of Fortune, how she had to take on the mantle of the man of the house,

Let me summarise this moment,

Just who I am, what all this meant.

How I, a woman, became a man by a flick of Fortune’s hand

How she changed my body’s form

To the perfect masculine norm.²

Illumination from *The Book of the City of Ladies*

Etienne had taken care of all the family’s financial dealings and it was a steep learning curve for Christine to learn to manage the accounts and pay off the family’s debts. Shortly after Etienne’s death, Christine found work as a copyist for a number of Parisian manuscript workshops. Eventually, around 1399, she began to compose her own prose and poetry as a means of supporting her family, and it was the grief of losing Etienne that informed Christine’s early works of poetry. Initially, she would send her works to members of the court, who sent her money in gratitude, with patrons eventually including Louis, Duke of Orléans, the Duke de Berry and France’s queen, Isabella of Bavaria. And as Christine’s fame spread beyond France, she could also count Philip II the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and Thomas Montagu, 4th Earl of Salisbury, among her patrons. Writing in ballads and lais (poetry put to music), Christine could express her love and grief for Etienne and the sense of loss and loneliness she now felt,

Like the mourning dove I’m now alone,

And like a shepherdless sheep gone astray,

For death has long ago taken away

My loved one whom I constantly mourn…³

Christine de Pisan’s poems, amounted to ten volumes of verses, including L’Épistre au Dieu d’Amours (Letter to the God of Loves) which was published in 1399. In the early 1400s she also published Letters on the Debate of the Romance of the Rose, a response to Jean de Meun’s Le Roman de la Rose (The Romance of the Rose) attacking the traditional view of women causing the sins of men. Christine is, above all, remembered and revered for her work, Le Livre de la Cité des Dames (The Book of the City of Ladies), published in 1405. Well received in France, even in her own lifetime, it was later translated into Flemish and English. The book tells of the lives of past and present heroines, including pagan, Hebrew and Christian ladies who were renowned for being examples of exemplary womankind, famed for their chastity, loyalty and devotion. It included the lives of female saints who remained steadfast in their devotion to God in the face of martyrdom. City of Ladies was Christine’s response to the misogynistic portrait of womankind that was present in many works of the era, in which women were blamed for the misery in which men found themselves. The book suggests that women were capable of being anything, from warriors to artists and teachers, but stops short of suggesting that her contemporaries should pursue such careers.⁴

A page from Christine de Pisan’s *The Book of the Three Virtues*

In the same year, 1405, the sequel to City of Ladies, entitled Le Livre des Trois Vertus (The Book of the Three Virtues) was also published. This text was more of an instructional treatise, showing women how they should behave and how they could make a significant contribution to society from their various social spheres. In it Christine recommends that women should be modest and obedient as virgins, tolerant and humble as wives, and courageous and dignified as widows. It is possible that Le Livre des Trois Vertus was written as a book of instruction for eleven-year-old Marguerite de Nevers, the daughter of the Duke of Burgundy and bride of Louis of Guyenne, the heir to the throne of France. Although the book appears to be a contradiction of Christine’s own life, when she was making a name for herself as a writer to support her family, it has to be remembered that Christine was living in a male-dominated era, rather than the 21st century. She has often been advanced as the first feminist, but while she wanted to correct the negative view of women and improve the conditions of women, advancing arguments for better education and a role beyond the home, she was not intending to be revolutionary.

Christine’s writing proved so successful that she managed to pull herself out of debt and make a living at it; she was the first woman to ever become a professional writer. Her ability to write for varied audiences meant her work was often sought after. She eventually started receiving commissions to write specific items for her noble patrons, including political and moral works. A biography of Charles V, Le Livre des Fais et des Bonnes Meurs du Sage Roy Charles V (The Book of the Deeds and Good Character of the Wise King Charles V), which Christine wrote in 1404, was commissioned by the late king’s brother Philip, Duke of Burgundy. Her other works included The Book of the Body Politic and Feats of Arms and Chivalry. The latter was published anonymously as Christine doubted it would be taking seriously if a woman was identified as the author.

As Charles VI increasingly slipped into bouts of madness in the early 15th century, and France found itself on the verge of civil war, Christine would write about peace and the necessity of stable government. However, as France was dragged back into the Hundred Years War against England, she became increasingly marginalised. She retired from public life and retreated to the convent at Poissy, where her daughter was a nun. Her last work, in 1429, Le Ditié de Jehanne d’Arc (The Poem of Joan of Arc), extolled the virtues of Joan, the Maid of Orléans, as valiant and brave, chaste and pure; it was the only work written about Joan during her own lifetime. Writing at the height of Joan’s success. It portrayed the Maid, the leader of the revival of French fortunes in the war against the English, as the embodiment of the women Christine had written of in City of Ladies. However, Christine does not appear to have lived long enough to see the final chapters, and the tragedy, of Joan’s life – her imprisonment and death at the hands of the English. Christine probably died in 1430, the year before Joan.

Christine de Pisan presents her book to Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen of France

Christine de Pisan was one of the most remarkable women of her age. In her world, women were denied their own voice and independence. There were strictures placed on every aspect of their lives, by tradition and society. And yet she circumvented these strictures, not only by writing, but by writing to make a living, and by giving a voice and identity to women everywhere. She was not a feminist; the notion of feminism simply did not exist. However, she was a forerunner for the feminist movement, and a sign of the independence that women would eventually achieve.

The poet, political and social observer Christine de Pisan was the culmination of a series of remarkable female trailblazers, including Hildegard of Bingen, Heloise ( of Heloise and Abelard fame) and Marie de France. She proved that women were just as capable as men of making successful careers as writers.

Notes:

1. The Life and Triumphs of Christine de Pizan (article), faculty.msmc.edu; 2. The Writing of Christine de Pizan translated by Nadia Margolis, edited by Charity Cannon Willard; 3. ibid; 4. The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pisan, translated by Rosalind Brown-Grant

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Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available, please get in touch by completing the contact me form.

Coming 30 May 2023!

King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is now available for pre-order from Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon UK. (I will hopefully have a US release date shortly)

In a time when men fought and women stayed home, Nicholaa de la Haye held Lincoln Castle against all-comers. Not once, but three times, earning herself the ironic praise that she acted ‘manfully’. Nicholaa gained prominence in the First Baron’s War, the civil war that followed the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215.

A truly remarkable lady, Nicholaa was the first woman to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Her strength and tenacity saved England at one of the lowest points in its history. Nicholaa de la Haye is one woman in English history whose story needs to be told…

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, of the successes and failures of one of the most powerful families in England, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey is now available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org.

Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org.

Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.

For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.

You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitter and Instagram.

Book Corner: Forest of Foes by Matthew Harffy

13/12/202212/12/2022Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

AD 652. Beobrand has been ordered to lead a group of pilgrims to the holy city of Rome. Chief among them is Wilfrid, a novice of the church with some surprisingly important connections. Taking only Cynan and some of his best men, Beobrand hopes to make the journey through Frankia quickly and return to Northumbria without delay, though the road is long and perilous.

But where Beobrand treads, menace is never far behind. The lands of the Merovingian kings are rife with intrigue. The queen of Frankia is unpopular and her ambitious schemes, though benevolent, have made her powerful enemies. Soon Wilfrid, and Beobrand, are caught up in sinister plots against the royal house.

After interrupting a brutal ambush in a forest, Beobrand and his trusted gesithas find their lives on the line. Dark forces will stop at nothing to seize control of the Frankish throne, and Beobrand is thrown into a deadly race for survival through foreign lands where he cannot be sure who is friend and who is foe.

The only certainty is that if he is to save his men, thwart the plots, and unmask his enemies, blood will flow.

He’s done it again!

Magnificent adventure!

Forest of Foes by Matthew Harffy is the author’s 12th book and the 9th instalment of his magnificent Bernicia Chronicles. Beobrand is once again journeying over the Narrow Sea into Frankia. This time he is on his way to Rome, escorting a novice monk on his pilgrimage. Unfortunately, as with all Beobrand’s adventures, things don’t quite go to plan…

Beobrand and his loyal gesiths first save the wife of Clovis II, Queen Balthild, from an ambush in the woods and is then drawn into the world of the Frankish court and the conspiracies and controversies that surround it.

“What is he saying?” Beobrand asked Halinard in a quiet voice. The woman’s eyes flicked to him as he spoke, her expression questioning, no doubt surprised by his use of the Anglisc tongue. Beobrand marvelled at her apparent lack of fear.

“He says he will kill her, if let him go we do not,” said Halinard, his words clumsy yet clear.

“I hardly need you to tell me that,” replied Beobrand.

“I tell you what he says,” said Halinard, shaking his head. “He says nothing interesting.”

Brocard spoke to the man in the same calming tone he had used before. The brigand shouted more loudly, his voice cracking with his anger and fear. Behind him the maidservant looked ready to swoon.

Beobrand stepped closer to Brocard, beckoning for Halinard to follow him.

“Ask him his name,” he said in a low voice. Halinard translated. Brocard looked askance at Beobrand, then, with a shrug, he spoke to the brigand.

“Omer,” replied the brigand, narrowing his eyes as though he expected a trick.

Beobrand nodded.

“Offer him a horse,” Beobrand said. Halinard whispered his words in Frankish.

Brocard hesitated. One of his men, the one with the great bleeding wound on his face, growled something. Brocard held up his hand for patience and offered Omer a steed.

Omer replied and Beobrand understood enough to know that he wanted two mounts, one for him and one for his hostage.

“No,” Beobrand said in Frankish. He held up a single finger. “One horse.”

Omer shook his head and began to shout. Beobrand could not make out all the words, but it was clear Omer was not happy with the answer. Beobrand watched the knife blade waver at the woman’s lovely throat. Omer must know that if he killed her, he would surely follow the woman to the afterlife in moments. And yet men under such pressure do not always act reasonably and Beobrand became increasingly worried that the brigand might yet cut her throat by accident.

“Tell him he can have two horses,” he said. Halinard translated for him. Omer again looked as though he suspected he was being lured into a trap. He spoke quickly, urgently, but Beobrand could barely make sense of any of it. He was pleased though, to see that some of the tension had left Omer’s shoulders. The knife had lowered slightly from the lady’s neck. Brocard spoke up in anger at Beobrand’s offer. But before Beobrand could respond, the lady being held hostage moved with the speed of a striking serpent and Omer’s speech came to a sudden, choked halt. For a couple of heart beats he stood there, unmoving and silent, mouth opening and closing without sound. Then his hand fell, the knife tumbling from lifeless fingers.

Matthew Harffy has written yet another cracking Beobrand adventure. Changing the location to France has opened up a world of opportunities, which includes integrating the remarkable story of Balthild, the slave girl who became queen of the Franks as the wife of Clovis II. It also see Beobrand facing new challenges, including that of language. Matthew Harffy could have made life so much easier for himself by having Beobrand pick up the language of the Franks easily, but it makes for a better story, and a more credible one, that he struggles like the rest of us. No one is perfect.

As has come to be expected from Matthew Harffy’s writing, the character development is paramount and it is interesting to see how Cynan continues to grow into the role of war leader and confidant. There is tragedy along the way and, as with any great story, a few surprises that will leave the reader reeling. But it all makes for a fabulous story.

Do not expect your emotions to escape unscathed.

Forest of Foes by Matthew Harffy is an adventure not to be missed!

About the author:

Matthew Harffy lived in Northumberland as a child and the area had a great impact on him. The rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline made it easy to imagine the past. Decades later, a documentary about Northumbria’s Golden Age sowed the kernel of an idea for a series of historical fiction novels. The first of them is the action-packed tale of vengeance and coming of age, THE SERPENT SWORD.

Matthew has worked in the IT industry, where he spent all day writing and editing, just not the words that most interested him. Prior to that he worked in Spain as an English teacher and translator. Matthew lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.

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Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and England

27/03/202219/01/2024Sharon Bennett Connolly16 Comments

Tomb effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Fontevrault

Eleanor of Aquitaine is the only woman to have ever worn the crowns of both England and France. Eleanor was the ultimate survivor and, despite many setbacks, lived to a great age, revered and respected to the very end. Her life story has filled many a volume over the years; she has even been promoted as the first feminist. However, Eleanor lived within the bounds of medieval society, even if she did break the mould in many ways. Eleanor was born in the early 1120s, probably around 1122–4. Her father was Guillaume, 8th Count of Poitou and 10th Duke of Aquitaine. Her mother was Alienor, or Aenor, daughter of Aimery I, Vicomte of Châtellerault. Eleanor was one of three children; she had a sister called Petronilla and a brother, Guillaume. Little Guillaume died during childhood, shortly before the death of the children’s mother. After the death of her brother, Eleanor became her father’s heir, at least until he remarried.

Duke William died unexpectedly during Easter week 1137, while on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Eleanor was somewhere in her mid-teens at the time of her father’s death, and was not expected to be able to rule the valuable inheritance of Aquitaine alone. Just months after her father’s death, in July 1137, she was married to Louis VII of France. It is entirely possible the marriage had been planned during her father’s lifetime and brought forward due to the Duke’s untimely death. At the time of the wedding, Louis was heir to the French throne. Although he had been crowned as junior king in 1131, during his father’s lifetime, a tradition in the French royal house, a way of securing or at least signalling the succession. Shortly after the wedding on 1 August 1137, he succeeded as sole King of France, when his father, Louis VI, died of dysentery. During the years of the marriage the significance of Eleanor’s lands was highlighted by the fact Louis went by the combined title of ‘King of the French and Duke of Aquitaine’.

A 14th-century representation of, at left, the wedding of Louis and Eleanor; at right, Louis leaving on Crusade.

There seems to have been some issue concerning Eleanor’s fertility, with her first child not arriving until eight years into the marriage. There is a story that the revered abbot, Bernard of Clairvaux, had a meeting with Eleanor sometime around 1144, at St Denis, and promised to intercede with God for a son and heir to the French throne. Although Eleanor’s first surviving child was born soon after, in 1145, it was a daughter, Marie, rather than the much-desired son. The year 1144, however, also saw the fall of Edessa, far away in the Holy Land, prompting the pope to call for a new Crusade. A Crusade appealed to Louis, who was seeking atonement for an atrocity committed in his name during the invasion of Champagne, in support of Eleanor’s sister, Petronilla. Petronilla had caused scandal at the French court, by running away with Raoul of Vermandois and marrying him, despite the fact he already had a wife, the niece of the Count of Champagne. As a consequence, the two lovers were both excommunicated. However, conflict with Champagne soon followed. When Louis’ men took the town of Vitry, some 1,300 men, women and children sought sanctuary in the town’s church. Every single one of them perished when the church was burned to the ground by Louis’ marauding soldiers.

It may well be that Eleanor joined the Second Crusade in the hope that God looked favourably on her, enough to give her a son. Maybe she wanted to help her uncle, Raymond of Toulouse, who was Prince of Antioch, who had sent presents accompanied by appeals for help, to his niece and her husband. Or maybe it was Eleanor’s own desire for adventure. Whatever her reason, it was both Eleanor and Louis who took the cross at Vézelay on Easter Day, 31 March 1146, following an inspiring call to arms by Bernard of Clairvaux.

The Second Crusade proved to be the defining point of Eleanor’s marriage to Louis. Led jointly by Louis and the German emperor, Conrad III, it was an unmitigated disaster. Louis lost his personal bodyguard in the heavy defeat by the Seljuk Turks, at Laodicea, in January 1148, while still en route to Outremer. The French forces finally reached the Holy Land, arriving at Antioch, the home of Eleanor’s uncle, Raymond, just a few months later. The warm welcome and lavish attention to his niece soon brought about rumours that Raymond and Eleanor were more than niece and uncle. The persistent rumours of Eleanor’s infidelity, and incest with her uncle, led Louis to put her under close guard, despite a lack of any firm evidence of wrongdoing. She remained under such supervision – although discreetly, so as not to offend her vassals from Aquitaine, who made up a considerable part of Louis’ army. Looking at the evidence today, it is impossible to know whether the rumours, which included not just infidelity but also the birth of a child, had any foundation in truth or were merely fanciful accusations.

Louis fulfilled his pilgrimage by entering Jerusalem in 1148, making the final leg of the journey to the Holy Sepulchre, on foot and fasting, just like countless pilgrims before him. In a council at Acre, Louis and his allies then decided that the best course of action was to take Damascus, with the original aim of the Crusade – to retake Edessa – being forgotten or sidelined. However, attempts to retake the city ended in failure and Louis returned, first to Antioch and then to Jerusalem. The Second Crusade was at an end and, owing to the rumours of infidelity, Louis and Eleanor’s marriage had been dealt a fatal blow.

In 1149, Louis celebrated Easter in the Holy City of Jerusalem, before embarking at Acre for the return journey to France. Eleanor and her ladies travelled separately in another ship. They were reunited in September 1149 and were given a magnificent reception at Potenza, by King Roger of Sicily. From Sicily, they visited the pope, Eugenius III, at Tusculum. Eugenius attempted mediation in the royal marriage, going so far as to insist that they sleep together in a bed which he had personally blessed. Some temporary reconciliation must have been achieved, as their second daughter, Alix, was born within a year. However, with the failure to produce the desired male heir, a permanent reconciliation escaped them and
a divorce, on the grounds of consanguinity, was finally proclaimed during Lent of 1152.

Louis attempted to retain control of Aquitaine by insisting that he approve of any prospective husband of Eleanor’s; but the duchess rode away from the French court, and her daughters, returning to her own lands in Aquitaine in the spring of 1152. Eleanor’s marriage – and Aquitaine – was a coveted prize and her journey home was not without its perils. She is said to have narrowly escaped ambushes by the Count of Blois and Geoffrey of Anjou, second son of Empress Matilda and Geoffrey, Count of Anjou. Nevertheless, it seems likely that Eleanor had already decided her future even before her divorce was proclaimed by the clerics at Beaugency. A year earlier, Henry of Anjou and his father, Count Geoffrey, husband of Empress Matilda, had been in attendance at the French court for Henry to swear fealty for the Duchy of Normandy, and to settle disputes over the northwestern county, the Vexin. Although the Vexin issue was far from settled, Henry rode away, confirmed as Duke of Normandy and, possibly, with a promise of marriage from the soon-to-be divorced queen.

Although the marriage of Henry and Eleanor is often presented as a love-match, it was a marriage of hardheaded practicality with mutual benefits. Eleanor needed a husband who was strong enough to stand up to Louis. As Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou, and with the possibility of the crown of England tantalisingly close, Henry was the ideal choice as Eleanor’s new husband. They were married in Poitiers Cathedral in May 1152; Eleanor was around thirty years old and Henry was nineteen. Louis was furious and called Henry to court to explain himself for having married without the permission of his liege lord. When Henry failed to appear, Louis formed a coalition against him, persuading King Stephen to attack Normandy from England, while he attacked from the south. Stephen was keen to oblige, hoping to secure the English succession for his son, Eustace, and neutralise the threat posed by Henry. Louis’ other allies included Thibault of Blois, recently betrothed to Alix, the two-year-old daughter of Louis and Eleanor; and Henry of Champagne, who was now married to seven-year-old Marie, Louis and Eleanor’s eldest daughter, and Eleanor’s heir to Aquitaine, at least until Eleanor and Henry had a son.

Louis had thought Henry was preoccupied with plans for invading England. Instead, he quickly reacted to the French king’s aggression, conducting a lightning campaign, which caught Louis off guard. The French king was completely outmanoeuvred and was quick to acquiesce when the Church called for peace. Henry
could then turn his attention to England, which he invaded in However, the death of Stephen’s oldest son and heir, Eustace, in August of that year ultimately led to the Treaty of Winchester, with Stephen bypassing his youngest son, William, in order to settle the succession on Henry and bring to a close the twenty years of warfare, known as the Anarchy. When Stephen died the following year, Henry’s accession followed peacefully. Henry and Eleanor were crowned, together, in a magnificent ceremony in Westminster Abbey, on 19 December 1154. They now ruled an empire that stretched from the borders of Scotland in the north, to the borders of Spain in the south.

Tomb effigies of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Fontevrault

By the time of her marriage to Henry, Eleanor had already survived the birthing chamber on at least two occasions, with the births of her daughters, Marie and Alix, by Louis VII. Although she had only produced two children in fifteen years of marriage to Louis, by the time of her coronation Eleanor had already provided Henry with a son and heir, William, born in August 1153. William died in England in 1156, aged just three, with his mother by his side, and his father away in the family’s Continental domains. However, he had already been joined in the nursery by another son, Henry, born in February 1155, and a daughter, Matilda, who was two months old when little William died. Childbirth was a dangerous time for women, with no guarantee that having survived once, twice or three times, you would survive a fourth or fifth confinement. Nevertheless, after William’s death, Eleanor safely delivered another five children into the world. Her favourite son, Richard, who was her choice as heir to Aquitaine, was born in September 1157 and another son, Geoffrey, who became Duke of Brittany when he married the duchy’s heiress, Constance, arrived twelve months later. Eleanor, who would become Queen of Castile, was born in October 1162, and Joanna, who would initially marry the King of Sicily and then Raymond VI of Toulouse, arrived in October 1165. Eleanor’s fifth son, and tenth and last child, John, was born at Christmas, 1167. Having given birth to ten children over the course of twenty-two years, Eleanor had survived the most perilous aspect of any medieval woman’s life. She would have been well aware of the risk she was taking every time she entered the birthing chamber, knowing that either she or the baby, or both, may not survive.

During their married life together Henry was constantly on the move, travelling between his vast domains, dealing with restless barons, dispensing justice and holding court. Eleanor joined him when she could, depending on her state of pregnancy or recent childbirths. In 1156, for example, still grieving for her three-year-old son William, Eleanor crossed the English Channel with her surviving son, eighteen-month-old Henry, and daughter Matilda, when Matilda was just two months old, journeying to join Henry in Anjou, before moving on to Aquitaine in October. Travel had its own dangers; the English Channel is not the calmest of sea roads and Henry’s own uncle, William, son and heir of Henry I, had been killed in the White Ship tragedy in 1120, when his ship had foundered leaving harbour, killing all but one of the people on board.

Tomb effigy thought to be William Marshal, the Temple Church, London

Land journeys could be equally hazardous. Indeed, Eleanor was almost kidnapped or killed in April 1168, when travelling through the hills of Poitou, escorted by Patrick, Earl of Salisbury, and his men. The party were ambushed by Eleanor’s rebellious vassals, Geoffrey and Guy de Lusignan. Salisbury and his men were travelling, unarmoured, when the de Lusignans fell upon them. The earl ‘sent the Queen on to the castle’ at Poitiers while he and the remainder of his men held off the attackers, giving the queen time to make it to safety. The earl was killed by a lance during the vicious skirmish; his nephew, William Marshal, was wounded in the thigh and captured after having his horse killed under him. William spent several months in captivity, his wounds healing despite the harsh treatment meted out by the de Lusignans. William was a young, penniless knight and was finally released when Queen Eleanor agreed to pay his ransom. William then joined the queen’s household, before joining that of her son, Henry. William Marshal would faithfully serve five English kings – Henry II, Henry, the Young King, crowned during his father’s lifetime, Richard I the Lionheart, King John and, finally, Henry III, for whom the aged Marshal was regent.

The years 1169 to 1173 were spent, almost exclusively for Eleanor, in her duchy of Aquitaine with her son, Richard, who she was training as her eventual successor. Richard was invested as Count of Poitou and, in 1169, paid homage to Eleanor’s first husband, King Louis, for the Duchy of Aquitaine. In 1173, however, news reached Henry II that his sons were plotting against him. The boys – now men – were tired of frequently having the possibility of power and responsibility dangled before them, only for their father to withdraw it at the last minute. Henry’s eldest son, Henry, the Young King, fled to the court of Louis VII, his father-in-law since his marriage to Louis’ daughter, Marguerite, in 1160. For unknown reasons, Eleanor sided with her sons against their father. It was later suggested that Eleanor had been incensed at Henry’s relationship with Rosamund Clifford – the Fair Rosamund – and that, wounded by this betrayal, had joined or incited her sons’ rebellion.

Eleanor prepares to poison Rosamund by Evelyn De Morgan

There is, in fact, no contemporary evidence that the affair caused Eleanor’s rebellion and her reasons remain obscure. She may have resented the restrictions of power placed on her, or the fact Henry would not allow their sons any exercise of power. Whatever the reason, Eleanor joined the rebellion, and lost. Her sons were outmanoeuvred and defeated by Henry. Far from humiliating them, however, Henry came to terms with his sons and an uneasy peace ensued. On the other hand, Henry was not so forgiving of Eleanor, who was captured while trying to escape Poitou; she had tried to reach the safety of the French court, dressed in men’s clothing. In 1174, Henry sent his queen to imprisonment in England, possibly at Salisbury, under heavy guard.

Eleanor was kept securely at first, but her imprisonment was relaxed as the years passed, especially after the death of her son, Henry, the Young King, who had pleaded with his father from his deathbed in 1183, that his mother be treated less harshly. In subsequent years, Eleanor was allowed at court for some ceremonial occasions, and was allowed visits by her daughter, Matilda, who had been exiled with her husband, Henry of Saxony, from their German lands. Matilda was instrumental in getting the restrictions eased even further and, although she was still in the custody of guards, Eleanor was allowed to reside with Matilda at various locations in England, including Windsor and Berkhamsted. However, fifteen years of imprisonment in England, far away from her homeland and court in Aquitaine, cannot have been easy for a queen used to riding freely across the vast domains she and her husband possessed.

The queen was only released after Henry’s death in 1189; indeed, ordering his mother’s release was one of the first acts of her son, Richard I. And the queen was there to welcome him for his ceremonial entry into Winchester in August 1189. Now in her mid-sixties, Eleanor was given a new lease of life, and lived it
with the same energy and vigour she had in the years before her imprisonment. Almost immediately, Eleanor was trusted with the oversight of the government of England. In 1190 she travelled to Navarre, to collect Richard’s bride, Berengaria, and deliver the princess to her son, then en route to the Holy Land on the Third Crusade. After a winter journey over the Alps, the queen, now almost seventy, escorted Berenagria to a rendezvous with Richard at Messina in Sicily in March 1191. Having fulfilled her mission, Eleanor set off home, almost immediately; although not before what must have been an emotional reunion with her youngest daughter, Joanna, who was Queen of Sicily and had been widowed in November 1189, but held prisoner by her husband’s successor, Tancred. Richard affected her release and his sister was now to be a companion for his bride; Joanna accompanied Richard and Berenagria to the Holy Land.

Eleanor was later instrumental in securing her son’s release from captivity in Germany. Richard had been captured by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, on his return journey from the Holy Land, in December 1192. He was handed over to the Holy Roman Emperor, Heinrich VI, in March 1193. During Richard’s captivity, Eleanor was inexhaustible in her attempts to raise the ransom, some 150,000 marks and to keep her son, John, in check. John took the opportunity created by Richard’s absence to make a play for power; he and Philip II Augustus, King of France, went so far as to offer Heinrich 80,000 marks to keep Richard incarcerated. John was still in open opposition to his brother when Eleanor finally secured Richard’s release, on 4 February 1194. Eleanor travelled to Germany to personally hand over the ransom payment and escort Richard home. As news of Richard’s release reached England, John fled to France.

Richard’s death in April 1199, must have come as a horrific blow for Eleanor; the loss of her favourite son, at just forty-one years of age, caused immense grief. Richard’s death was soon followed by that of Joanna, Eleanor’s youngest daughter, who, heavily pregnant and hurt, had sought refuge with her mother at Rouen. Eleanor was by her daughter’s side as she gave birth to a son, Richard, who lived only long enough to be baptised. Joanna died within moments of her son, in September 1199, and mother and baby were buried together at the Abbey of Fontevrault.

Having lost four of her children in quick succession – her two daughters with Louis, Alix and Marie, also died in 1197 and 1198, respectively – and with her youngest son, John, now on the English throne, Eleanor undertook one final, diplomatic mission. Nearing her eightieth year, Queen Eleanor journeyed across the Pyrenees to Castile, in search of a bride for Louis, the dauphin of France and grandson of her first husband, Louis VII. England’s Dowager Queen was received at the court of Alfonso VIII and her own daughter, Eleanor, Queen of Castile, with all the pomp and pageantry the Castilians could muster. She stayed there for more than two months, taking the opportunity to spend some time with her daughter and getting to know her granddaughters. Eleanor of Aquitaine seems to have decided that twelve-year-old Blanca would make a more suitable bride for Louis than her sister, Uracca. Eleanor then brought Blanca back to France and delivered her to her bridegroom, Louis; the couple were married in Normandy, as France was under papal interdict at the time, owing to the marital indiscretions of Louis’ father, King Philip II Augustus.

Following her delivery of Blanca to her new husband, Eleanor retired to the Abbey at Fontevrault. She did not take the veil as a nun, but lived in her own house within the abbey’s precincts. However, the eighty-year-old queen had one final adventure in 1202, when she was besieged by her fifteen-year-old grandson, Arthur, Duke of Brittany, at Mirebeau. Arthur had rebelled against his uncle, King John, and made an attempt on the English throne. In a remarkable forced march, John quickly came to his mother’s rescue, capturing Arthur and his sister, Eleanor, and raising the siege. Arthur disappeared into King John’s dungeons at Rouen and probably died there during Easter, 1203. His sister, Eleanor, was sent to England, to a perpetual, if comfortable, imprisonment.

The event was Eleanor’s last major adventure; increasingly frail, she retreated to Fontevrault, where she died on 31 March 1204, aged around eighty-two. She had outlived all but two of her children, with only Eleanor in Castile, and John in England, still living. She was buried in the abbey church alongside her second husband, Henry II, and her son, Richard, and daughter, Joanna. Eleanor of Aquitaine had survived the Second Crusade, several kidnap attempts, fifteen years of imprisonment and giving birth to ten children. She was the most remarkable woman of the medieval age, the ultimate survivor and a heroine to the core.

Images:

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Sources:

.Jane Martindale, Eleanor, suo jure Duchess of Aquitaine (c.1122–1204) (article), Oxforddnb.com; Douglas Boyd, Eleanor, April Queen of Aquitaine; The Plantagenet Chronicles, edited by Elizabeth Hallam; Mike Ashley, The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens; Thomas Abridge, The greatest Knight; Mary Anne Everett Green, Lives of the Princesses of England from the Norman Conquest; Alison Weir Britain’s Royal Families, the Complete Genealogy; Robert Bartlett England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings; Alison Weir Eleanor of Aquitaine, by the Wrath of God, Queen of England; britannica.com; geni.com; royalwomenblogspot.co.uk; medievalqueens.com; Brewer’s Royalty by David Williamson