by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Credit – Wikipedia

Matilda, the only daughter and the eldest of the two children of King Henry I of England and his first wife Matilda (born Edith) of Scotland, was born circa February 7, 1102, probably at the manor house at Sutton Courtenay in Oxfordshire, England.  Matilda is sometimes known as Maud or Maude which are variants of Matilda.  Matilda was the Latin or Norman form and Maud/Maude was the Saxon form.

• About.com: Matilda or Maud?
• Appellation Mountain: Name of the Day: Maud
• Behind the Name: Matilda
• Behind the Name: Maud

Matilda’s paternal grandparents were King William I of England (the Conqueror) and Matilda of Flanders.  King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland were her maternal grandparents.

Matilda had one younger brother who was the heir to the throne:

• William Ætheling  or (William Adelin) (1103 – 1120), married Matilda of Anjou, no issue

Matilda’s father King Henry I is the British monarch who had the most illegitimate children, at least 24. The most notable of the illegitimate children was the oldest, Robert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester, who became Matilda’s chief military supporter during the civil war known as The Anarchy.

Nothing is known of Matilda’s early childhood. In 1108 or 1109, a marriage was contracted between Matilda and Heinrich V, Holy Roman Emperor who was about 16 years older than Matilda. In February 1110, Heinrich’s envoy Burchard, later Bishop of Cambrai, came to England to bring Matilda to Germany. Also accompanying Matilda were English clerics and Norman knights including her first cousin Henry of Blois, then an archdeacon, later Bishop of Winchester.

Matilda and Heinrich first met at Liège (now in Belgium). They then traveled to Utrecht (now in the Netherlands) where they were officially betrothed on April 10, 1110. On July 25, 1110, Matilda was crowned by Friedrich I, Archbishop of Cologne.  Eight-year-old Matilda was then placed into the custody of Bruno, Archbishop of Trier, who educated her in the German language and culture and in the government of the Holy Roman Empire. On January 7, 1114, 12-year-old Matilda married 28-year-old Heinrich at Mainz Cathedral in Mainz, Archbishopric of Mainz, Holy Roman Empire, now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Matilda, now with her own household, entered public life as the Holy Roman Empress. Matilda and Heinrich had no children.

Heinrich and Matilda; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 25, 1120, William Ætheling, King Henry I’s only legitimate son and Matilda’s brother, was returning to England from Normandy when his ship hit a submerged rock, capsized, and sank. William Ætheling and many others drowned. Although King Henry I had many illegitimate children, the tragedy of the White Ship left him with only one legitimate child, his daughter Matilda. Henry I’s nephews were his closest male heirs. Henry I’s first wife, Matilda of Scotland, had died in 1118. In 1121, 53-year-old Henry I, hoping for a male heir, married the 18-year-old Adeliza of Louvain.

• Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession

The sinking of the White Ship; Credit – Wikipedia

Matilda’s husband Heinrich was suffering from cancer. He died on May 23, 1125, at the age of 44, leaving Matilda as a 23-year-old childless widow with the choice of becoming a nun or remarrying. Some offers of marriage started to arrive but she chose to return to Normandy in 1125 or 1126.

Henry I’s marriage to Adeliza of Louvain remained childless and the future of the Norman dynasty was at risk, so Henry looked to his nephews as possible heirs. His sister Adela had married Stephen II, Count of Blois and Henry considered two sons from this marriage: his nephews Stephen of Blois (the future King Stephen of England) and Theobold, Count of Blois and Count of Champagne.  Somewhere around 1113 – 1115, Stephen first visited his uncle’s court in England. He soon became a favorite of his uncle who bestowed upon him lands won in battle, the County of Mortain (in France) and Alençon in southern Normandy. In 1125, King Henry I arranged for Stephen to marry Matilda of Boulogne, the only surviving child and heiress of Eustace III, Count of Boulogne.

Another option was William Clito, the only son of Henry I’s elder brother Robert Curthose, who was in open rebellion against his uncle for the Duchy of Normandy which Henry had taken from William Clito’s father. Upon Matilda’s return to her father’s court, Henry I’s preferred choice of a successor fell to his daughter and her successors. On Christmas Day 1126, King Henry I of England gathered his nobles at Westminster where they swore to recognize Matilda and any future legitimate heir she might have as his successors.

In 1126, King Henry I arranged for his daughter Matilda to marry Geoffrey of Anjou, eldest son of Fulk, Count of Anjou. Matilda was quite unhappy about the marriage. She was eleven years older than Geoffrey and marriage to a mere future Count would diminish her status as the widow of an Emperor. Nevertheless, the couple was married at the Cathedral of Saint Julian of Le Mans on June 17, 1128. Matilda and Geoffrey did not get along and their marriage was stormy with frequent, long separations. Matilda insisted on retaining her title of Empress for the rest of her life. In 1129,  her husband became Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou when his father left for the Holy Land where he was to become King of Jerusalem.

Matilda and Geoffrey had three sons:

• • King Henry II of England (1133–1189), married Eleanor of Aquitaine, had issue including King Richard II of England and King John of England
  • Geoffrey, Count of Nantes (1134 – 1158), unmarried
  • William, Viscount of Dieppe (1136 – 1164), unmarried

Geoffrey of Anjou; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew Stephen of Blois quickly crossed from Boulogne (France) to England, accompanied by his military household. With the help of his brother, Henry of Blois who was Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned King Stephen of England on December 22, 1135. Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153.

King Stephen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Matilda’s illegitimate half-brother Robert FitzRoy, 1st Earl of Gloucester rebelled against Stephen, starting the beginnings of civil war in England. Meanwhile, Matilda’s husband Geoffrey took advantage of the situation by invading Normandy. Matilda’s maternal uncle King David I of Scotland invaded the north of England and announced that he was supporting the claim of Matilda to the throne. Matilda gathered an invasion army and landed in England in September 1139 with the support of her half-brother Robert and several powerful barons.

In 1141, at the Battle of Lincoln, King Stephen was captured, imprisoned, and deposed while Matilda ruled for a short time. Stephen’s brother Henry, Bishop of Winchester turned against his brother and a church council at Winchester declared that Stephen was deposed and declared Empress Matilda “Lady of the English.” Stephen’s queen, Matilda of Boulogne, rallied Stephen’s supporters and raised an army with the help of William of Ypres, Stephen’s chief lieutenant. Matilda of Boulogne recaptured London for Stephen and forced Empress Matilda to withdraw from the siege of Winchester, leading to Stephen’s release in 1141 in exchange for the Empress’ illegitimate brother Robert of Gloucester who had also been captured.

Battle of Lincoln; Credit – Wikipedia

After the Battle of Lincoln, Empress Matilda established her base at Oxford Castle. In December 1141, Stephen unexpectedly marched upon Oxford. He attacked and seized the town and then besieged Matilda at Oxford Castle. Matilda responded by escaping from the castle. The popular version of the story has Matilda dressed in white as camouflage in the snow, being lowered down the wall with several knights, and escaping into the night. The chronicler William of Malmesbury, however, suggests Matilda was not lowered down the walls but instead sneaked out of one of the gates. Matilda safely reached Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Castle surrendered to Stephen the next day.

Oxford Castle; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer, July 2015

By the mid-1140s, the fighting had slowed down, there was a stalemate and the succession began to be the focus. Empress Matilda returned to Normandy in 1147. In the same year, Matilda’s husband and her eldest son Henry FitzEmpress, the future King Henry II, mounted a small, unsuccessful mercenary invasion of England. Matilda remained in Normandy where she focused on stabilizing the Duchy of Normandy and promoting her son’s rights to the English throne.

Stephen unsuccessfully attempted to have his son Eustace recognized by the Church as the next King of England. By the early 1150s, most of the barons and the Church wanted long-term peace. Ironically, Stephen’s son Eustace died on the same day that Henry FitzEmpress’ eldest son William was born. Although William died when he was three years old, the irony of the birth and the death on the same day must have been noticed at the time.

When Henry FitzEmpress re-invaded England in 1153, neither side’s forces were eager to fight. After limited campaigning and the siege of Wallingford, Stephen and Henry agreed upon a negotiated peace, the Treaty of Winchester, in which Stephen recognized Henry as his heir. Stephen died on October 25, 1154, and Henry ascended the throne as King Henry II, the first Angevin King of England.

Empress Matilda lived long enough to see her son Henry firmly established on the English throne. She spent the rest of her life in Normandy, often acting as Henry’s representative and presiding over the government of the Duchy of Normandy. Matilda helped Henry deal with several diplomatic issues and was involved in attempts to mediate between Henry and his Chancellor Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1160s. As she grew older, Matilda paid increasing attention to church affairs and her personal faith, although she continued to remain involved in governing Normandy.

Matilda, aged about 65, died on September 10, 1167, in Rouen, Duchy of Normandy, now in France. She was buried before the high altar of Bec Abbey in Bec-Hellouin, Duchy of Normandy, now in France. Her epitaph read: “Great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring: here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry”. Her tomb was damaged in a fire in 1263 and later restored in 1282, before being destroyed in 1421 by English mercenaries during the Hundred Years War between England and France. In 1684, some of her remains were found and reburied in a new coffin. Matilda’s remains were lost again after the destruction of the abbey church by Napoleon’s army but were found once more in 1846, and then reburied at Rouen Cathedral in Normandy, France.

Matilda is one of the main characters in Sharon Kay Penman‘s excellent historical fiction novel When Christ and His Saints Slept. The years of the civil war fought by Matilda and Stephen serve as a backdrop for Ellis Peters‘s historical detective series about Brother Cadfael, set between 1137 and 1145.

Rouen Cathedral; By Daniel Vorndran / DXR, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31189606

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
“Empress Matilda.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Dec. 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
“Mathilde l’Emperesse.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Jan. 1114. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
“Matilda (England).” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
Susan. “King Henry II of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 7 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Credit – Wikipedia

Born on September 23, 1158, Geoffrey was the fourth of the five sons and the fifth of the eight children of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was named after Henry II’s brother Geoffrey, Count of Nantes who had died two months before his nephew’s birth.

Geoffrey’s parents, Henry II and Eleanor holding court; Credit – Wikipedia

Geoffrey had seven siblings:

• William IX, Count of Poitiers (1153 – 1156), died in childhood
• Henry the Young King (1155 – 1183), married Marguerite of France, no children
• Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony and Bavaria (1156 – 1189), married Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, had five children, including Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
• King Richard I of England (1157 – 1199), married Berengaria of Navarre, no children
• Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile (1162 – 1214), married King Alfonso VIII of Castile, had twelve children including King Enrique I of Castile; Berengaria, Queen Regnant of Castile and Queen of León; Urraca, Queen of Portugal; Blanche, Queen of France, and Eleanor, Queen of Aragon
• Joan of England, Queen of Sicily (1165 – 1199), married (1) King William II of Sicily, no surviving children (2) Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, had two children, Joan died in childbirth with her third child who also died
• King John of England (1166 – 1216), married 1) Isabella, 3rd Countess of Gloucester, marriage annulled, no children (2) Isabella, Countess of Angoulême; had five children, including King Henry III of England; Joan of England, Queen of Scots, and Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress

13th-century depiction of Henry and his legitimate children: (l to r) William, Young Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan and John; Credit – Wikipedia

Geoffrey’s father King Henry II of England was determined to expand and maintain his French territory. Henry II’s brother Geoffrey had been Count of Nantes and Nantes was one of the two traditional capitals of Brittany. Upon the death of Geoffrey in 1158, Conan IV, Duke of Brittany attempted to reclaim Nantes. However, Henry II annexed it for himself and steadily increased his power in Brittany. Henry II considered himself overlord of Brittany and Conan IV, Duke of Brittany as his vassal.

In 1166, Henry II invaded Brittany to punish a local barons’ revolt. In order to gain complete control over the duchy, Henry II forced Conan IV to abdicate in favor of his five-year-old daughter Constance and then betrothed his eight-year-old son Geoffrey to Constance. Henry never claimed the Duchy of Brittany. After Conan IV abdicated, Henry II held guardianship over Brittany for Conan’s daughter Constance, and then for his son Geoffrey to rule by the right of his wife. Henry II had now provided his three surviving sons with territory of their own: Henry would become King of England and have control of Anjou, Maine, and Normandy; Richard would inherit Aquitaine and Poitiers from his mother and Geoffrey would become Duke of Brittany. Henry II’s youngest son John would be born later in 1166 and would have no land, hence his nickname John Lackland.

Henry’s claims over lands in France (in dark orange, orange and yellow) at their peak; Credit – By France_blank.svg: Eric Gaba (Sting – fr:Sting)derivative work: Hchc2009 (talk) – France_blank.svg, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12603376

In May 1169, Geoffrey was enthroned and invested as Duke of Brittany at Rennes Cathedral and received the homage of the Breton nobles at Christmas of 1169. Geoffrey and Constance were finally married in July 1181.

Geoffrey and Constance had three children:

• Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany (1184–1241), unmarried
• Matilda of Brittany (1185 – 1189)
• Arthur I, Duke of Brittany (1187 – 1203), unmarried

As the sons of King Henry II grew up, tensions over the future inheritance of the empire began to emerge, encouraged by King Louis VII of France and then his son King Philippe II of France. In 1173, Henry the Young King rebelled in protest and was joined by his brothers Richard and Geoffrey and by their mother Eleanor of Aquitaine (The Revolt of 1173-1174). France, Scotland, Flanders, and Boulogne allied themselves with the rebels. King Henry II eventually defeated the revolt and had Eleanor imprisoned for the next sixteen years for her part in inciting their sons. In 1182–83, Henry the Young King had a falling out with his brother Richard when Richard refused to pay homage to him on the orders of King Henry II, Geoffrey supported his brother Henry. As Henry the Young King was preparing to fight Richard, he became ill with dysentery (also called the bloody flux), the scourge of armies for centuries, and died.

Seal of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany; Credit – Wikipedia

With the death of his eldest son, King Henry II had to make plans for the disposition of his empire, but he kept his thoughts secret. This caused more ill feelings between him and his three remaining sons, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. King Philippe II of France was determined to exploit the situation to his benefit. Geoffrey spent a lot of time at Philippe’s court in Paris and the two were close friends. Dissatisfied with having just the Duchy of Brittany, Geoffrey also wanted the County of Anjou and Philippe encouraged him in his plans to once again rebel against his father.

Geoffrey remained in Paris through the summer of 1186, but his plans came to naught because on August 19, 1186, Geoffrey died at the age of 27. One contemporary source says Geoffrey died of a fever. However, several other sources say he was thrown from his horse during a tournament and trampled to death. Geoffrey was buried in the choir of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. King Philippe II of France was so overcome with grief for his friend that he had to be restrained from throwing himself upon Geoffrey’s coffin in the open tomb. Geoffrey’s half-sister from his mother’s first marriage to King Louis VII of France, Marie, Countess of Champagne, attended his funeral and contributed funds to pay for masses for his soul.

Geoffrey’s death left Constance a widow at the age of 25 with two young daughters (little Matilda died three years later) and pregnant with another child. On March 29, 1187, in Nantes, Brittany, Constance gave birth to Geoffrey’s posthumous son.  King Henry II wanted his grandson to be named Henry, but in defiance of Henry II, the infant was named Arthur after the legendary King Arthur. King Philippe II of France claimed the guardianship of Arthur, but King Henry II refused because he did not want Philippe II to gain a stronghold in Brittany. Constance was to act as a regent for her son, but Henry II did not trust her. In 1188, Henry II arranged for Constance to marry Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, one of the most powerful earls in England. The marriage was an unhappy one, the couple became estranged, and there were no children.

In 1189, King Henry II died and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son King Richard I. As Richard’s marriage was childless, in 1191, he officially proclaimed his nephew Arthur as his heir. Then in 1196, Constance had nine-year-old Arthur proclaimed Duke of Brittany and her co-ruler. Because of this, King Richard I had Constance abducted and imprisoned by her estranged husband. Arthur was secretly taken away by his tutor to the French court to be brought up with the future King Louis VIII, son of King Philip II.

In 1199, Constance was released and her second marriage was annulled. That same year, Constance married Guy of Thouars and the couple had two daughters including Alix of Thouars who succeeded her half-brother Arthur as Duchess of Brittany. Constance died at the age of 40 on September 5, 1201, at Nantes. The cause of her death is suspected to be leprosy and/or childbirth complications after giving birth to twin girls who also died. Constance was buried at the Abbey of Villeneuve in Sorinières, south of Nantes, which she had founded. Her third husband Guy of Thouars and their daughter Alix are buried with her.

Geoffrey and Constance’s surviving children Arthur, Duke of Brittany, and Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany had unhappy endings. In 1199, as King Richard I of England lay dying of a gangrenous arrow wound, he named his brother John his successor fearing his 12-year-old nephew Arthur was too young to be able to successfully reign. This decision bypassed the children of his deceased brother Geoffrey, both of whom had better claims to the throne based upon the laws of primogeniture.

Arthur I, Duke of Brittany paying homage to King Philip II of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Many members of the French nobility refused to recognize John upon his accession to the English throne and his French lands. They were of the opinion that Arthur had a better claim because his father was an older brother of John. In 1202, 15-year-old Arthur started a campaign against his uncle John in Normandy with the support of King Philip II of France. John’s territory of Poitou revolted in support of Arthur. Arthur besieged his grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, John’s mother, in the Château de Mirebeau in Poitou.   John marched on Mirebeau, taking Arthur by surprise on July 31, 1202. Arthur was captured and imprisoned in the Château de Falaise in Falaise, Normandy. By 1203, Arthur had disappeared. His fate is unknown, but presumably, he was murdered on the orders of his uncle John.

Eleanor of Brittany; Credit – Wikipedia

Arthur’s sister Eleanor was also King John’s prisoner because she and any children she had could pose a threat to John’s throne. She remained imprisoned for her entire life, into the reign of John’s son King Henry III of England, dying in 1241 at the age of 57. Her imprisonment in England made it impossible for her to claim her inheritance as Duchess of Brittany. During her 39 year imprisonment, Eleanor, who was apparently innocent of any crime, was never tried or sentenced. She was considered a state prisoner, was forbidden to marry, and guarded closely even after her childbearing years.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
Bretagne, Histoire de. “Geoffroy II de Bretagne.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 1181. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.
“Constance, Duchess of Brittany.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Nov. 2016. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.
“Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Jan. 2017. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.
“Henry II, King of England.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Jan. 2017. Web. 10 Jan.
Kelly, Amy. Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings. New York: Book-of-the-Month-Club, 1950. Print.
Susan. “King Henry II of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 7 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.
Susan. “King John of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 21 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.
Weir, Alison. Eleanor of Aquitaine By the Wrath of God, Queen of England. London: Jonathan Cape, 1999. Print.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Credit – Wikipedia

Matilda of England was born on January 6, 1156, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Named after her paternal grandmother Empress Matilda, Lady of the English, she was the eldest daughter and the third of the eight children of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Through her youngest son Wilhelm of Winchester, she is an ancestor of the House of Hanover which ascended the British throne in 1714.

Matilda’s parents, King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine; Credit – Wikipedia

Matilda was baptized by Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury in the Priory Church of the Holy Trinity in Aldgate, London.  She was brought up in both England and Normandy.

Matilda had seven siblings:

• William IX, Count of Poitiers (1153 – 1156), died in childhood
• Henry the Young King (1155 – 1183), married Marguerite of France, no children
• King Richard I of England (1157 – 1199), married Berengaria of Navarre, no children
• Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany (1158 – 1186), married Constance, Duchess of Brittany, had three children
• Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile (1162 – 1214), married King Alfonso VIII of Castile, had twelve children including King Enrique I of Castile; Berengaria, Queen Regnant of Castile and Queen of León; Urraca, Queen of Portugal; Blanche, Queen of France, and Eleanor, Queen of Aragon
• Joan of England, Queen of Sicily (1165 – 1199), married (1) King William II of Sicily, no surviving children (2) Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse, had two children, Joan died in childbirth with her third child who also died
• King John of England (1166 – 1216), married 1) Isabella, 3rd Countess of Gloucester, marriage annulled, no children (2) Isabella, Countess of Angoulême; had five children, including King Henry III of England; Joan of England, Queen of Scots, and Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress

13th-century depiction of Henry and his legitimate children: (l to r) William, Young Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan, and John; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1165, Rainald of Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne came to Rouen, Normandy with the purpose of negotiating two marriages with King Henry II, one between his second daughter Eleanor and a son of Friedrich I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor, and the other between his eldest daughter Matilda and Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, who was a cousin of Friedrich I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor. The marriage plans for Eleanor fell through, however, her sister Matilda did marry Heinrich the Lion.

Heinrich the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Duke of Bavaria was one of the most powerful princes of his time, one of the most important allies of his cousin Friedrich I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor, and was the founder of several German cities including Munich and Brunswick, which was his capital. He was born circa 1129, so he was about 27 years older than Matilda. He was a member of the House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) which has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th centuries. Heinrich’s first marriage to Clementia of Zähringen had been annulled due to political reasons.

At the end of September of 1167, Matilda left England with her mother Eleanor of Aquitaine bound for Normandy with three ships carrying a large entourage, her trousseau, and a large dowry totaling £4500, worth nearly one-quarter of England’s annual revenue. From Normandy, Matilda traveled with her future husband’s envoys to Germany. On February 1, 1168, at Minden Cathedral in the Duchy of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany, 11-year-old Matilda married 38-year-old Heinrich. Despite the age difference, the marriage was a happy one and led to an increase in trade between England and the Holy Roman Empire.

Wedding of Matilda and Heinrich from a portrait on their tomb; Credit – Wikipedia

Matilda and Heinrich had five children:

• Matilda or Richenza (1172–1204) married (1) Godfrey, Count of Perche, had issue  (2) Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy, no issue
• Heinrich V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (circa 1173–1227), married (1) Agnes of Hohenstaufen, had issue (2) Agnes of Landsberg, no issue
• Lothar of Bavaria (circa 1174–1190)
• Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor and Duke of Swabia (circa 1175–1218), (1) Beatrice of Swabia, no issue (2) Maria of Brabant, no issue
• Wilhelm of Winchester, Lord of Lüneburg (1184–1213), married Helena of Denmark, had one  child Otto, 1st Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, ancestor of the House of Hanover

Matilda’s effigy: Credit – By de:Benutzer:Brunswyk – de:Benutzer:Brunswyk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69965062

In 1172, Heinrich went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and Matilda served as regent during his absence. Matilda was a strong supporter of the 1173 canonization as a saint of Thomas Becket who had been murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by four of her father’s knights in 1170. Brunswick Cathedral where Matilda and Heinrich are buried had been dedicated to St. Thomas Becket, St. Blaise, and John the Baptist upon its consecration.

Heinrich governed his lands independently of the Holy Roman Empire and his independent government and expansion efforts caused conflict with clergy and other nobles as well as Friedrich I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor. Eventually, Heinrich was overthrown in 1180. After fighting a losing war, he was forced into exile in 1182 and sought refuge with his father-in-law King Henry II of England. Matilda accompanied her husband into exile along with their daughter Richenza and their sons Heinrich and Otto. Their son Lothar remained in the Holy Roman Empire. Until June of 1184, the family lived at Henry II’s court in Normandy (Henry was also Duke of Normandy). The family then moved to England for about a year where Matilda and Heinrich’s youngest child was born in Winchester and where they spent Christmas of 1184 at Windsor Castle.

Through diplomatic efforts with Friedrich I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor, King Henry II of England, and the Pope, Heinrich was allowed to return to his lands after three years of exile. In the spring of 1185, Heinrich and his family traveled from England to Normandy where his children Richenza (who had changed her name to Matilda while in exile), Otto and Wilhelm were left to be raised in their grandfather’s court. At the end of September of 1185, Heinrich the Lion returned to Brunswick with Matilda and their eldest son Heinrich.

Early in 1189, the Holy Roman Emperor again ordered Heinrich to go into exile, but this time Matilda remained in Brunswick to protect her husband’s interests. Heinrich would not make peace with the Holy Roman Emperor, this time Heinrich VI, Holy Roman Emperor, the son of Friedrich I (Barbarossa), until 1190, nor would he ever see his wife Matilda again. On June 28, 1189, Matilda died at Brunswick at the age of 33, about a week before the death of her father King Henry II of England. She was buried at the still incomplete Brunswick Cathedral where her husband Heinrich was also buried upon his death in 1195.

Tomb of Matilda and Heinrich; Photo Credit – Von Brunswyk – DE:Wiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4217450

Crypt of Heinrich the Lion, Sarcophagus of Heinrich on left and Matilda on right; Photo Credit – Von Brunswyk, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18904214

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
Abrufstatistik. “Heinrich der Löwe.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 2008. Web. 8 Jan. 2017.
Abrufstatistik. “Mathilde Plantagenet.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2017.
“Henry the lion.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Dec. 2016. Web. 8 Jan. 2017.
Kelly, Amy. Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings. New York: Book-of-the-Month-Club, 1950. Print.
“Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Aug. 2016. Web. 8 Jan. 2017.
Weir, Alison. Eleanor of Aquitaine By the Wrath of God, Queen of England. London: Jonathan Cape, 1999. Print.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester; Credit – Wikipedia

The third of the three daughters and the youngest of the five children of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême, Eleanor was born in 1215 in Gloucester, England. She was given the name Eleanor in honor of her grandmother Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Eleanor had four siblings:

• King Henry III of England (1207 – 1272), married Eleanor of Provence, had five children including King Edward I of England
• Richard, Earl of Cornwall, King of the Romans (1209 – 1272), married (1) Isabel Marshal, had three sons and a daughter, only one son survived childhood, Isabel died in childbirth (2) Sanchia of Provence, had two sons, only one son survived childhood (3) Beatrice of Falkenburg, no children
• Joan of England (1210 – 1238), married Alexander II, King of Scots, no children
• Isabella of England (1214 – 1241), married Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor, had at least four children

13th-century depiction of John and his legitimate children, (l to r) Henry, Richard, Isabella, Eleanor, and Joan; Credit – Wikipedia

Eleanor never knew her father.  On October 18, 1216, when Isabella was only a year old, her father King John died leaving his elder son King Henry III, a nine-year-old, to inherit his throne amid the First Barons’ War (1215–17), in which a group of rebellious barons supported by a French army, made war on King John because he refused to accept and abide by the Magna Carta. In July 1217, Eleanor’s mother Isabella of Angoulême left England and returned to France to assume control of her inheritance, the County of Angoulême, basically abandoning her children by King John. In 1220, she married Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche with whom she had nine children, who were Eleanor’s half-siblings.

As a young child, Eleanor was promised in marriage to William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, the son of the great William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who had served Eleanor’s grandfather King Henry II, her uncle King Richard I, her father King John and had been the Regent of her brother King Henry III.   On April 23, 1224, nine-year-old Eleanor married 34-year-old William at the Temple Church in London.   Because of Eleanor’s young age, she remained at her brother’s court until 1229 when she moved into the household of her husband.  Eleanor accompanied William on his trips through England, France, and Ireland.  After a seven-year, childless marriage, William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke died on April 6, 1231, and was buried in the Temple Church in London, next to his father, where their effigies may still be seen.

Effigy of William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Credit – www.findagrave.com

After her husband’s death, 16-year-old Eleanor took a vow of chastity in the presence of Edmund Rich, the Archbishop of Canterbury.  Because of her age, Eleanor was placed under the guardianship of her brother King Henry III.   Henry made a financial agreement that was unfavorable to Eleanor with Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, the brother and heir of Eleanor’s dead husband.

Seven years later, at her brother’s court, Eleanor met Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, a younger son of Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester, a French nobleman and crusader. With the consent of King Henry III, because Simon had allegedly seduced Eleanor, Eleanor and Simon were secretly married on January 7, 1238, in the king’s private chapel at the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Two months later, the marriage became public.  Eleanor’s other brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, claimed that the marriage was not valid because it lacked the approval of the barons.  Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury condemned the marriage because Eleanor had taken a vow of chastity. The barons protested the marriage of their king’s sister to a foreigner of modest rank.  Simon was forced to go to Rome for papal approval of the marriage.

Eleanor and Simon had seven children:

• Henry de Montfort (1238 – 1265), unmarried, killed in the Battle of Evesham along with his father
• Simon the Younger de Montfort (1240 – 1271), unmarried
• Amaury de Montfort, Canon of York (1242/1243-1300), unmarried
• Guy de Montfort, Count of Nola (1244–1288), married Margherita Aldobrandesca, Lady of Sovana, had issue, Elizabeth Woodville, wife of King Edward IV of England is his descendant
• Joanna de Montfort (born and died between 1248 and 1251)
• Richard de Montfort (died after 1265)
• Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales (1252 – 1282), married Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, died after giving birth to her only child, a daughter, Gwenllian of Wales, who as an infant, was captured by King Edward I and spent the rest of her life in a convent

In the early years of their marriage, Simon and Eleanor had good relations with Eleanor’s brother King Henry III. Their first child, born in November 1238, more than nine months after the wedding, was christened Henry in honor of his royal uncle. In February 1239, de Montfort was formally invested as the Earl of Leicester. He also acted as the king’s counselor and was one of the nine godfathers of Henry’s eldest son who would inherit the throne and become King Edward I.

King Henry III’s wife was Eleanor of Provence, the daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. Many of Eleanor’s maternal Savoy relatives came to the English court including uncles Pietro and Bonifacio. Pietro lived in England for a long time, served as a diplomat, and became Earl of Richmond. Bonifacio became Archbishop of Canterbury, a position secured by his niece’s husband King Henry III. In 1247, Henry’s half-brothers from his mother’s second marriage, the Lusignans came to England and competed for lands and promotions with the queen’s Savoy relatives. Henry’s relatives were rewarded with large estates, largely at the expense of the English barons. From 1236 to 1258, the weak king fluctuated repeatedly between various advisers including his brother Richard of Cornwall and his Lusignan half-brothers, which greatly displeased the English barons. In addition, the English barons were displeased with Henry III’s demands for extra funds, Henry’s methods of government, and widespread famine.

The displeasure of the English nobility with the king ultimately resulted in a civil war, the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267). The leader of the forces against Henry was led by Eleanor’s husband Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. de Montfort wanted to reassert the Magna Carta and force the king to surrender more power to the baron’s council.

In 1264 at the Battle of Lewes, King Henry III and his son, the future King Edward I, were defeated and captured. Henry was forced to summon a parliament and to promise to rule with the advice of a council of barons. Henry was reduced to a figurehead king, and de Montfort broadened parliamentary representation to include groups beyond the nobility, members from each county of England, and many important towns. Fifteen months later, Edward led the royalists into battle again, defeating and killing de Montfort and his eldest son Edward at the Battle of Evesham on August 4,  1265. de Montfort’s remains were brutally mutilated.  The remains that could be found were buried under the altar of Evesham Abbey.

In the years that followed his death, Simon de Montfort’s grave was frequently visited by pilgrims until King Henry III heard about it. He declared that de Montfort did not deserve burial on holy ground and had his remains reburied under an insignificant tree.  Evesham Abbey and the site of de Montfort’s grave were destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of King Henry VIII.  In 1965, marking the 700th anniversary of de Montfort’s death, a memorial was laid on the site of the former altar of Evesham Abbey by Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Harry Hylton-Foster and Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Memorial stone on the site of Montfort’s grave; Credit – By Smb1001 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2202776

Today, Simon de Montfort is considered one of the fathers of representative government.  His contributions have been remembered over the years by the British Houses of Parliament.  A bas-relief of de Montfort hangs on the wall of the chamber of the United States House of Representatives where he is recognized as one of the 23 historical lawgivers.

Simon de Montfort marble bas-relief, one of 23 reliefs of great historical lawgivers in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in the United States Capitol, sculpted by Gaetano Cecere in 1950; Credit – Wikipedia

After her husband’s death, Eleanor organized a defense of Dover Castle against royalist troops, but in October of 1265, the castle was taken by her nephew, Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward I). Eleanor’s possessions were confiscated by the Crown and she was exiled to France with her 13-year-old daughter Eleanor.  She sought refuge at a de Montfort stronghold, Montargis Abbey, founded by her husband’s sister Amicia de Montfort. With the influence of King Louis IX of France, King Henry III paid his sister compensation for her confiscated lands and goods in 1367.  Eleanor lived the rest of her life as a nun at Montargis Abbey where she died on April 13, 1375, at the age of 60 and was buried.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
Abrufstatistik. “Eleanor von England.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 5 Jan. 2017.
“Eleanor of Leicester.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Sept. 2016. Web. 5 Jan. 2017.
“Simon de Montfort, 6th earl of Leicester.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Dec. 2016. Web. 5 Jan. 2017.
Susan Flantzer. “King Henry III of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 5 Sept. 2015. Web. 5 Jan. 2017.
Susan Flantzer. “Isabella of Angoulême, queen of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 23 Aug. 2016. Web. 5 Jan. 2017.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1214, Isabella was the second daughter of the three daughters and the fourth of the five children of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême.

Isabella had four siblings:

• King Henry III of England (1207 – 1272), married Eleanor of Provence, had five children including King Edward I of England
• Richard, Earl of Cornwall, King of the Romans (1209 – 1272), married (1) Isabel Marshal, had three sons and a daughter, only one son survived childhood, Isabel died in childbirth (2) Sanchia of Provence, had two sons, only one son survived childhood (3) Beatrice of Falkenburg, no children
• Joan of England (1210 – 1238), married Alexander II, King of Scots, no children
• Eleanor of England (1215 – 1275), married (1) William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, no children (2) Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, had seven children

13th-century depiction of King John and children, (l to r) Henry, Richard, Isabella, Eleanor, and Joan; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 18, 1216, when Isabella was only two years old, her father King John died leaving his elder son Henry, a nine-year-old, to inherit his throne in the midst of the First Barons’ War (1215–17), in which a group of rebellious barons supported by a French army, made war on King John because of his refusal to accept and abide by the Magna Carta. In July of 1217, Isabella’s mother Isabella of Angoulême left England and returned to France to assume control of her inheritance in the County of Angoulême, basically abandoning her children by King John. In 1220, she married Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche with whom she had nine children, who were Isabella’s half-siblings. Two-year-old Isabella was left in charge of her nurse Margaret Bisset.

Around 1225, Isabella’s brother King Henry III held negotiations for two possible marriages for Isabella, with Heinrich who was the eldest son of Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor, and with King Louis IX of France. However, both marriage projects failed. By 1228, Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Sicily had been widowed twice. In 1234, Friedrich met with Pope Gregory IX who suggested that he marry Isabella. Pope Gregory IX hoped such an alliance would promote a new English-German Crusade. Friedrich wished for more legitimate sons and also saw the marriage as a step towards promoting peace in Europe.

Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

In November 1234, Friedrich sent a delegation to England to negotiate a marriage contract. Friedrich agreed to give Isabella land in Sicily and Italy in return for a dowry of 30,000 silver marks. Count Heinrich II of Virneburg, Archbishop of Cologne and Henri I, Duke of Brabant arrived in London at Easter 1325 to escort Isabella to her groom. William Briwere, Bishop of Exeter headed up the English contingent escorting Isabella. On May 11, 1235, Isabella tearfully said goodbye to her brother King Henry III and embarked for Antwerp where she arrived four days later. Isabella was met at Antwerp by numerous armed nobles who escorted her to Cologne, fearful of an abduction of the bride by order of King Louis IX of France. Isabella spent about six weeks in Cologne.

At the beginning of July, escorted by the Archbishop of Cologne and the Bishop of Exeter, Isabella started her week-long journey to the city of Worms to meet her groom. 40-year-old Friedrich was immediately charmed by his 21-year-old bride. On July 15, 1235, in Worms Cathedral in the presence of clergy, nobility, dukes, and kings, Isabella of England married Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Isabella was crowned Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Germany and Sicily.

The wedding of Isabella and Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

After four days of wedding festivities, Isabella and Friedrich left for their honeymoon at the Imperial Palace in Haguenau, Alsace (now in France). It was at this point that Isabella had to say her farewells to the English contingent. Only two of her ladies were allowed to remain, her nurse Margaret Bisset and her servant Katherine. Isabella rarely appeared in public and had no political influence. She lived in seclusion mostly at the castle in Noventa Padovana, near Venice and Padua in present-day Italy.

There is controversy over how many children Isabella and Friedrich had, but they had at least four children:

• Jordanus (born and died 1236)
• Agnes (born and died 1237)
• Heinrich (1238 – 1254), unmarried
• Margarethe (1241 – 1270), married Albrecht, Margrave of Meissen, had issue

Isabella died in Foggia, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy at the age of 27 on December 1, 1241, after giving birth to her last child. She was buried at Andria Cathedral in Andria, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy, next to her husband’s second wife Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem (Yolande of Brienne), who also died after childbirth.

Crypt of Andria Cathedral where Isabella is buried; Photo Credit – Von Linx – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15921842

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
Abrufstatistik. “Isabella von England.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
“Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2016. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
“Isabella of England.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Feb. 2016. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
Susan. “Isabella of Angoulême, queen of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 23 Aug. 2016. Web. 31 Dec. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Reconstructive drawing of the seal of Richard, Earl of Cornwall as King of the Romans; Credit – Wikipedia

Richard, the second of the two sons and the second of the five children of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême, was born at Winchester Castle in Winchester, England on January 5, 1209. He was the only brother of King Henry III of England. All of Richard’s four siblings survived into adulthood, made excellent marriages, and all but Joan had children.

Richard’s siblings:

• King Henry III of England (1207 – 1272), married Eleanor of Provence, had five children including King Edward I of England
• Joan of England (1210 – 1238), married Alexander II, King of Scots, no children
• Isabella of England (1214 – 1241), married Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor, had at least four children
• Eleanor of England (1215 – 1275), married (1) William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, no children (2) Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, had seven children

A 13th-century depiction of John and his children, (l to r) Henry, Richard, Isabella, Eleanor, and Joan; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 18, 1216, when Richard was only seven years old, his father King John died leaving his elder son Henry, a nine-year-old, to inherit his throne amid the First Barons’ War (1215–17), in which a group of rebellious barons supported by a French army, made war on King John because refused to accept and abide by the Magna Carta. In July 1217, Richard’s mother Isabella of Angoulême left England and returned to France to assume control of her inheritance of Angoulême, basically abandoning her children by King John. In 1220, she married Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche with whom she had nine children, Richard’s half-siblings.

In 1225, on his 16th birthday, Richard was created Earl of Cornwall by his brother. The income from Cornwall provided him with great wealth and made him one of the richest men in Europe. That same year Parliament commissioned Richard of Cornwall to lead the campaign to recapture Gascony, now in France, (1225 to 1227). The campaign was successful and Gascony remained in English hands for 200 years.

On March 30, 1231, at St. Mary the Virgin’s Church in Fawley, England, 24-year-old Richard married 30-year-old, widowed Isabel Marshal, daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who had served three kings: Henry II, Richard I, and John, and had been the protector of King Henry III, and regent of the kingdom. This was Isabel’s second marriage. She had been previously married to Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and 5th Earl of Gloucester, and had given birth to six children during her first marriage.  King Henry III was quite displeased with his brother’s marriage and wanted his only brother to make a more advantageous marriage. Henry also feared the influential and wealthy Marshal family who often opposed him. The marriage lasted only nine years as Isabel died in 1240 after giving birth to a son who also died. Richard and Isabel had a total of three sons and a daughter, but only one son survived childhood:

• John of Cornwall (born and died 1232)
• Isabel of Cornwall (1233 – 1234), died young
• Henry of Almain (1235 – 1271), married Constance of Béarn, no issue, murdered by his cousins Guy and Simon de Montfort
• Nicholas of Cornwall (born and died 1240), died shortly after birth along with his mother

In September 1240, Richard led an army of a dozen English barons and several hundred knights to the Holy Land to participate in the Barons’ Crusade. Richard saw no action, but he did negotiate a truce, continued rebuilding Ashkelon castle, negotiated for an exchange of prisoners, and reburied the remains of crusaders.

In 1239, after the birth of King Henry III’s first son and heir, the future King Edward I, provisions were made in case of the king’s death, which favored Henry III’s wife Eleanor of Provence and her maternal Savoy relatives and excluded Richard. To placate Richard, Eleanor of Provence suggested that Richard make a second marriage to her sister Sanchia, the third daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. On November 23, 1243, in Westminster Abbey, Richard married Sanchia of Provence. The cost of the wedding was mainly paid by a tax imposed upon the Jewish people of England. The marriage lasted until 1261 when Sanchia died at the age of 33 at Berkhamsted Castle in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England. Sanchia was buried at Hailes Abbey in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England, founded by Richard to thank God after he had survived a shipwreck. Richard and Sanchia had two sons. Only Edmund survived childhood and he eventually succeeded to his father’s title Earl of Cornwall.

• Unnamed son (born and died 1246)
• Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall (1250 – 1300), married Margaret de Clare, marriage dissolved, no issue

Seal of Sanchia of Provence; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 13, 1257, Richard was elected King of the Romans, the title used by the German king following his election by the prince-electors. The title King of the Romans was predominantly a claim to become Holy Roman Emperor and was dependent upon coronation by the Pope. Richard and his second wife Sanchia of Provence were crowned by Konrad von Hochstaden, Archbishop of Cologne at Aachen Cathedral on May 27, 1257. Richard had been elected by only four of the seven German Electoral Princes (Cologne, Mainz, the Palatinate, and Bohemia) and his candidacy was opposed by Alfonso X, King of Castile who had received votes from Saxony, Brandenburg, and Trier. Richard was never able to secure and maintain his position as ruler and he made only four brief visits to Germany between 1257 – 1269.

Meanwhile, in England, King Henry III’s relationship with the English barons was deteriorating. Many of Eleanor of Provence’s maternal Savoy relatives came to the English court including uncles Pietro and Bonifacio. Pietro lived in England for a long time, served as a diplomat, and became Earl of Richmond. In 1263, he became Count of Savoy.  Bonifacio became Archbishop of Canterbury, a position secured by his brother-in-law Henry III. In 1247, Henry’s half-brothers from his mother’s second marriage, the Lusignans came to England and competed for lands and promotions with the queen’s Savoy relatives. Henry III’s relatives were rewarded with large estates, largely at the expense of the English barons. From 1236 to 1258, the weak king fluctuated repeatedly between various advisers including his brother Richard of Cornwall and his Lusignan half-brothers, greatly displeasing the English barons. In addition, the English barons were displeased with Henry III’s demands for extra funds, his methods of government, and widespread famine.

The displeasure of the English nobility with King Henry III ultimately resulted in a civil war, the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267). The leader of the forces against Henry was led by his brother-in-law Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, who was married to Henry’s sister Eleanor. de Montfort wanted to reassert the Magna Carta and force the king to surrender more power to the baron’s council. Richard was a supporter of his brother during the Second Barons’ War. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lewes and imprisoned until September 1265 when his nephew the future King Edward I led the royalists into battle again, defeating and killing de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265.

60-year-old Richard made a third marriage to 15-year-old Beatrice of Falkenburg on June 16, 1269, while still nominally King of the Romans. Richard hoped that since Beatrice was German, it would bring him closer to his German subjects and his German kingdom. When no invitation arrived for the couple’s coronation as emperor and empress of the Holy Roman Empire, Richard decided to return to England in 1269, never to return to Germany. Richard and Beatrice had no children.

Beatrice of Falkenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Richard had several illegitimate children with his mistress Joan de Valletort. The most prominent was Sir Richard of Cornwall, who married Joan FitzAlan, daughter of John FitzAlan, 6th Earl of Arundel.  Joan and Sir Richard had three sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Joan of Cornwall, married Sir John Howard, from whom the Howard family and the Dukes of Norfolk, are descended.

In December 1271, Richard had a stroke that paralyzed his right side and caused him to lose the ability to speak. 63-year-old Richard, Earl of Cornwall died on April 2, 1272, at Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire, England. He was buried next to his second wife Sanchia of Provence and Henry of Almain, his son by his first wife, at Hailes Abbey in Gloucestershire, England which he had founded. His only surviving legitimate child Edmund by Sanchia succeeded as the 2nd Earl of Cornwall and was buried at Hailes Abbey with his parents when he died. Their tombs were destroyed during King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Ruins of Hailes Abbey; By Saffron Blaze – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15096276

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“Hailes abbey.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Dec. 2016. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
“Ricardo de Cornualles.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 1974. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
“Richard, 1st earl of Cornwall.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2016. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
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Susan. “King Henry III of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 5 Sept. 2015. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Credit – Wikipedia

Edmund was the second of the two sons and the fourth of the five children of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. He was born at the Palace of Westminster in London, England on January 16, 1245. King Henry III named him after his favorite saint, Edmund the Martyr, King of East Anglia who was killed in 869 by Vikings on the orders of Ivar the Boneless and his brother Ubba.  A couple of 14th-century chroniclers misinterpreted “Crouchback” as meaning Edmund had a physical deformity, but it is probable that “Crouchback” refers to his participation in the Ninth Crusades when he would have worn a cross on his back. Edmund was brought up at Windsor Castle with his siblings under the care of Aymon Thurbert, Constable of Windsor Castle.

Edmund had one brother and three sisters:

• King Edward I of England (1239 – 1307), married (1) Eleanor of Castile, had issue including his heir Edward II (2) Margaret of France, had issue
• Margaret, Queen of Scots (1240 – 1275), married Alexander III, King of Scots, had issue
• Beatrice, Countess of Richmond (1242 – 1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, had issue
• Katherine of England (1253 – 1257), died in childhood

Henry (top) and his children, (l to r) Edward, Margaret, Beatrice, Edmund, and Katherine; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1255, ten-year-old Edmund was invested King of Sicily with the consent of Pope Innocent IV. In return, his father King Henry III agreed to pay the papacy a large sum and to fight a war to remove the current King of Sicily. The English barons refused to contribute to what they called the “Sicilian business.” Ultimately Henry was unable to fulfill his financial and military commitments and the grant of the kingdom to Edmund was revoked.

The English barons had many reasons to be displeased with King Henry III and ultimately their displeasure resulted in a civil war, the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267). The leader of the forces against King Henry III was led by his brother-in-law Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, who was married to Henry’s sister Eleanor, and who wanted to reassert the Magna Carta and force the king to surrender more power to the baron’s council. During these years, Edmund traveled with his mother back and forth to France gathering mercenaries and money for his father’s struggles with the barons. After de Monfort was killed at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, Edmund was granted all the lands that de Monfort had held and was created Earl of Leicester. In 1267, Edmund received further grants of castles and was created Earl of Lancaster.

On April 8, 1269, Edmund married Aveline de Forz, Countess of Aumale and Lady of Holderness, the daughter of William de Forz, 4th Earl of Albemarle and Isabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon.  Edmund’s mother Eleanor of Provence had arranged the marriage to the great heiress with the bride’s mother and maternal grandmother Amice de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and Isabel Marshal. Edmund and Aveline were the first royal couple to be married in the rebuilt Westminster Abbey. Edmund’s father King Henry III had begun to rebuild the old Abbey of St Edward the Confessor in 1245. Because Aveline was only ten years old, the marriage was not consummated for four years. Aveline died at the age of 15, possibly in childbirth or shortly after a miscarriage, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Through Aveline, Edmund had hoped to gain the earldoms of Devon and Aumdale as well as the lordships of Holderness and the Isle of Wight. However, with Aveline’s death, her lands reverted to the crown which prevented Edmund from inheriting them.

Two years later, on February 3, 1276, Edmund married Blanche of Artois, widow of King Henri I of Navarre and daughter of Robert I, Count of Artois and Matilda of Brabant. The marriage was arranged by Edmund’s maternal aunt Margaret of Provence, the widow of King Louis IX of France, who wanted to arrange for her nephew to marry a wealthy second wife.

Seal of Blanche of Artois; Credit – Wikipedia

Edmund and Blanche had three children:

• Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster (1278 – 1322), executed, married Alice de Lacy, no issue
• Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster (1281 – 1345), married Maud Charworth, had issue including Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster whose daughter Blanche of Lancaster married King Edward III’s son John of Gaunt; they were the parents of King Henry IV
• John of Lancaster (before 1286 – circa 1317), married Alix de Joinville, no issue

Edmund was a loyal supporter of his brother King Edward I of England who succeeded to the throne in 1272. In 1271, Edmund had accompanied his elder brother Edward on the Ninth Crusade to Palestine. In 1277, Edmund was appointed commander of Wales. On December 11, 1282, Edmund ambushed and executed Llewellyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd, the last native and sovereign Prince of Wales. This lead to the final defeat and annexation of Wales in 1283.

Miniature of an Earl of Lancaster (possibly Edmund Crouchback) with St. George from a medieval manuscript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford; Credit – Wikipedia

Edmund spent the rest of his life in England and France, where he frequently acted as a diplomat for his brother. At the time of his death, Edmund was the Lieutenant of Aquitaine and was conducting a siege of Bordeaux, the capital of Aquitaine, which the French had occupied. He fell ill during the siege and died on June 5, 1296, at the age of 51. Edmund had declared that he would not be buried until his debts were paid.  His body was embalmed at a Franciscan abbey in Bayonne (now in France) and was not brought back to England until early 1297. Edmund’s remains were kept in a Franciscan convent in London until March 24, 1301, when he was buried in the presence of his brother King Edward I at Westminster Abbey in Edward the Confessor’s Chapel where his magnificent tomb may still be seen.

Effigy of Edmund Crouchback; Photo Credit – www.westminster-abbey.org

Drawing of Edmund’s tomb from Sepulchral Monuments in Great Britain by Richard Gough, 1786; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
Abrufstatistik. “Edmund Crouchback, 1. Earl of Lancaster.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 26 Dec. 2016.
“Edmund Crouchback.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2016. Web. 26 Dec. 2016.
Levy, Imogen, and Duck Soup. Edmund, earl of Lancaster and Aveline de Forz. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Dec. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Queen Victoria in her coronation robes by Sir George Hayter; Credit – Wikipedia

UPDATE: Since this article was published we have added a new area Queen Victoria’s Inner Circle. We have extended articles on some of those who served Queen Victoria and some of her relatives who lived during her reign (1837 – 1901). Many of the people listed were seen in the television series Victoria but their true life story may be very different than the story depicted in the series.

Victoria is a British television series created by Daisy Goodwin, a British television producer and novelist, and written by Goodwin and Guy Andrews. It was first shown in the United Kingdom on ITV from August – October 2016. In the United States, the series was shown on PBS as part of Masterpiece from January – March 2017. Series 1 has eight episodes. In the United States, episodes one and two were shown together on January 15, 2017.

Victoria can be classified as historical fiction in the performing arts, a historical period drama television series, and therefore, the creators had some poetic license to change the facts of the real world to make their story more interesting. Historical fiction can serve a useful purpose as it humanizes historical figures so we can better understand them. Whatever form historical fiction takes, its creators have to decide how far to take their poetic license. Certainly, we do not know exactly everything historical figures said, all their actions, all their thoughts, etc. The creators need to determine these things based on their knowledge and research of the historical person.

For instance, historical fiction in the performing arts may need to take poetic license in the settings. Anyone who has been to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Westminster Abbey will know that scenes in Victoria that occur in those settings were not filmed at those settings, simply because filming there is basically impossible. But how much poetic license should historical fiction creators take with facts? Should they change the characteristics of a real person because it will make the plot more dramatic? Should they change the facts so much that a real person is misrepresented or even defamed? How much should real events change? What responsibility do the creators of historical fiction have to tell the truth that the historical facts reveal? Many historical fiction novelists feel the need to inform their readers when they take poetic license with facts by offering an explanation in an afterword.

Historical fiction, whatever its form, can introduce a person to a historical period, event or persons. It can cause the reader or viewer to further investigate the history and this is a very positive thing. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and actually nearly all of the real people in Victoria, have had biographies and other informational texts written about them. Queen Victoria’s diaries and correspondence with several of her children can be read. The information is readily available through libraries, bookstores (both online and brick-and-mortar), newspaper archives, and the Internet.

Below are inaccuracies (and some information on real people) from the first four episodes of the television series Victoria shown in the United States 1/15/17-2/5/17. We encourage our readers to learn more about Queen Victoria and her family. You can start right here at Unofficial Royalty.  See the links below.

• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, The Prince Consort
• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Victoria’s Children and Grandchildren Index
• Unofficial Royalty: Christenings of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Their Children, and Select Grandchildren
• Unofficial Royalty: Bibliography of Royal Biographies: Queen Victoria and Family
• Unofficial Royalty: Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index

Inaccuracies in Victoria – Episodes 1 – 4 Shown in the USA 1/15/17 – 2/5/17

Lord Melbourne by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, 1836; Credit – Wikipedia

Lord Melbourne – William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (1779 – 1848): In the series, Queen Victoria and her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, appear to have a relationship that borders on the romantic. The Lord Melbourne infatuation is nonsense. Victoria never knew her father as he died when she was eight months old. Melbourne was a father figure to Victoria and was 40 years older than her.
Unofficial Royalty: William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland by Edmund Koken, circa 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernest, King of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland (1771 – 1851): Ernest was the fifth son and eighth child of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom who was also King of Hanover in Germany. At the time of Victoria’s accession to the throne, Ernest was the eldest surviving son of King George III and the first in the line of succession to the British throne until Victoria had children. The storyline with the Duchess of Kent, John Conroy, and Uncle Ernest (Duke of Cumberland and King of Hanover) trying to frame Victoria as insane never happened. Ernest arrived in Hanover (Germany) eight days after his brother King William IV died on June 20, 1837 to take up his duties as the new King of Hanover. Victoria could not succeed to the Hanover throne because it allowed for only male succession. Ernest was not in England and did not attend any balls or other events as shown in the series.
Unofficial Royalty: King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland

Sir John Conroy by Henry William Pickersgill, 1837; Credit – Wikipedia

Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet (1786 – 1854) was the equerry of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria. After Edward’s death, Conroy served as comptroller of the Duchess of Kent‘s household. The Duchess developed a very close relationship with Conroy, who wanted to use his position with the mother of the future queen to obtain power and influence. Conroy and the Duchess tried to control and influence Victoria with their Kensington System, a strict and elaborate set of rules. When Victoria became Queen, she immediately dismissed Conroy from her household, but she could not dismiss him from her mother’s household and she did, as shown in Victoria, send both her mother and Conroy off to a distant wing of the palace and cut off personal contact with them. Conroy was finally persuaded by the Duke of Wellington to leave the Duchess of Kent’s household in 1839.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet

Marianne Skerrett attributed to Dr. Ernest Becker, circa 1859; Photo Credit – https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/2906440/miss-mariann

Marianne Skerrett (1793 – 1887) was the Head Dresser and Wardrobe-Woman to Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1862. Marianne was born in 1793, so she was 44 years old when Victoria became queen, not a young woman as in the series, but that is far from the only inaccuracy. Carolly Erickson has references to Marianne in her biography of Queen Victoria, Her Little Majesty. From Erickson’s book: Marianne Skerrett was “the head of Victoria’s wardrobe, overseeing all the practical work of ordering all her clothing, shoes, hats, gloves, and undergarments…She kept the wardrobe accounts, checking all the bills to make certain no one tried to cheat her mistress, and supervised the purveyors, hairdressers, dressmakers and pearl-sewers whose task it was to keep the royal wardrobe in good repair.” In addition, Marianne and Victoria had a lot in common. From Erickson’s book: “Both were intelligent, loved animals, spoke several languages…shared a great interest in paintings and painters. Marianne was well educated, with cultivated tastes, and in time to come Victoria would rely on her to help with the purchase of paintings and in corresponding with artists.” This is a far cry from the Marianne Skerrett in the series where she is depicted as having worked in a brothel, stealing lace from Victoria to give to her cousin to sell, and also stealing some jewels until her conscience then causes her to return the jewels.
Unofficial Royalty: Marianne Skerrett

Prince Albert by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819 – 1861): Victoria fell in love with Albert at first sight. First cousins Victoria and Albert met for the first time in 1836 when Albert and his elder brother Ernst visited England. Seventeen-year-old Victoria seemed instantly infatuated with Albert. She wrote to her uncle Leopold, “How delighted I am with him, and how much I like him in every way. He possesses every quality that could be desired to make me perfectly happy.” On October 10, 1839, Albert and Ernst arrived in England again, staying at Windsor Castle with Victoria, who was now Queen. This is the meeting in the series and was not as antagonistic as shown in the series. That night, Victoria wrote in her journal, “It was with some emotion that I beheld Albert – who is beautiful.” On October 15, 1839, the 20-year-old monarch summoned her cousin Albert and proposed to him. Albert accepted, but wrote to his stepmother, “My future position will have its dark sides, and the sky will not always be blue and unclouded.”
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, The Prince Consort

King Leopold I of Belgium by Franz Xaver Winterhalter; Credit – Wikipedia

King Leopold I of Belgium (1790 – 1865) was born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the youngest son of Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Among his siblings was the mother of Queen Victoria and the father of Prince Albert.  In 1816, Leopold married Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of George, Prince of Wales who would succeed his father King George III as King George IV. Charlotte would have succeeded her father on the throne, but on November 6, 1817, a great tragedy struck the British Royal Family. After a labor of over 50 hours, Charlotte delivered a stillborn son. Several hours later, twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte, the only child of George, Prince of Wales, and King George III’s only legitimate grandchild died of postpartum hemorrhage.

Leopold had received an annuity from Parliament of £60,000 upon his marriage to Princess Charlotte. Charlotte was not Queen and did not have the funds her cousin Queen Victoria had, so perhaps it made sense that her husband would have a larger allowance than the husband of Queen Victoria. When Charlotte died, Leopold’s annuity was reduced to £50,000. He was allowed to continue living at Claremont House which Parliament had purchased as a wedding gift for Charlotte and Leopold. In 1818, during the flurry of marriages of the childless sons of King George III, made to produce an heir to the throne after Charlotte’s death, Leopold’s sister married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, King George III’s fourth son. Their daughter, Alexandrina Victoria, was born on May 21, 1819, and eight months later the Duke of Kent died. After his death, his widow the Duchess of Kent (Leopold’s sister) and her daughter Alexandrina Victoria were given little financial support from Parliament. Leopold helped support them with funds from his annuity.

In August of 1830, the southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule. On April 22, 1831, Leopold was asked by the Belgian National Congress if he wanted to be King of the Belgians. Leopold swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution on July 21, 1831, and became the first King of the Belgians.

In the series, it was stated that Leopold converted to Roman Catholicism and was, at that time, paying for the upkeep of his mistress, an actress, with his annuity. Both of these claims are false. Belgium is a mostly Catholic country and Leopold’s second marriage was to a Catholic, Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, and their children were raised as Catholics, but Leopold remained Lutheran for his entire life. Leopold did have an affair with an actress from 1828 – 1829, but this was when he was a widower living in England. Prince Leopold resigned his annuity in a letter dated July 15, 1831, to Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey prior to becoming King of Belgium on July 21, 1831, because he did not think it proper for a foreign monarch to be receiving funds from another country.
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold I of Belgium

Christian Friedrich, Baron Stockmar by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1847; Credit – Wikipedia

Where is Baron Stockmar?
Christian Friedrich, Freiherr von Stockmar (Baron Stockmar) (1787 – 1863) was a physician and a statesman from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who was sent to Victoria in 1837, the year of her accession, by her uncle King Leopold I of Belgium to advise her. Stockmar had accompanied Leopold to England when he married Princess Charlotte of Wales in 1816 and served as his personal physician, private secretary, comptroller of the household, and political advisor. When Albert and Ernst made a six-month tour of Italy in early 1839, Stockmar accompanied them. Baron Stockmar was Albert’s negotiator during the discussions regarding the marriage of Victoria and Albert and stayed in England after the marriage of Victoria and Albert, acting as their unofficial advisor. He was an important person to both Victoria and Albert and is missing from the series.
Unofficial Royalty: Christian Friedrich, Baron von Stockmar

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