For other Eleanors of England, see Eleanor of England (disambiguation)

Eleanor of Castile
Queen Consort of England
Eleanor of Castile
Reign	19 August 1274–28 November 1290
Coronation	19 August 1274
Born	?1241
	Castile, Spain
Died	28 November 1290
	Harby, Nottinghamshire
Buried	Westminster Abbey
Predecessor	Eleanor of Provence
Successor	Marguerite of France
Consort	Edward I of England
Issue	Katherine Joan John Henry Eleanor Joan of Acre Alphonso, Earl of Chester Margaret Plantagenet Berengaria Mary Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Edward II of England
Father	Fernando III
Mother	Jeanne of Dammartin

Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was the first Queen consort of Edward I of England. may refer to: Leonora of England (1161–1214), queen consort of Castile (Spain), wife of Alfonso VIII of Castile; daughter of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Brittany, daughter of Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany Eleanor of England, daughter of John I of England, wife of Simon de Montfort... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ... Events April 5 - Mongols of Golden Horde under the command of Subotai defeat feudal Polish nobility, including Knights Templar, in the battle of Liegnitz April 27 - Mongols defeat Bela IV of Hungary in the battle of Sajo. ... A former kingdom in modern-day Spain, Castile (Spanish: Castilla; usually pronounced Cast-EEL in English) now compromises the regions of Old Castile in the north-west, and New Castile in the center of the country. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Harby is the name of these places in England: Harby, Leicestershire Harby, Nottinghamshire in Sweden: Harby, Sweden This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... Eleanor of Provence (c 1223 – 26 June 1291) was Queen Consort of King Henry III of England. ... Marguerite of France was the name of two female members of the Capetian dynasty which ruled France in the Middle Ages. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1], also as Edward the Lawgiver because of his legal reforms, and as Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and who tried to do the same to Scotland. ... Joan of Acre (May 1271 - April 7, 1307) was a daughter of King Edward I of England and his first wife, Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290). ... Alphonso, Earl of Chester (24 November 1273 – 19 August 1284) was the ninth child of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile. ... Margaret Plantagenet (March 15, 1275–1333) was the tenth child and seventh daughter of King Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile. ... Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (August 7, 1282 - May 5, 1316) was a daughter of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile. ... Edward II, (25 April 1284 – 21 September? 1327), of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until deposed in January, 1327. ... United arms of Castile and León which Ferdinand first used. ... Jeanne of Dammartin or Joan of Dammartin (b. ... Events April 5 - Mongols of Golden Horde under the command of Subotai defeat feudal Polish nobility, including Knights Templar, in the battle of Liegnitz April 27 - Mongols defeat Bela IV of Hungary in the battle of Sajo. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1], also as Edward the Lawgiver because of his legal reforms, and as Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and who tried to do the same to Scotland. ...

Life

Birth

Eleanor was born in Castile, Spain, daughter of Fernando III, King of Castile and Leon and his second wife, Jeanne, Countess of Ponthieu. Her Castilian name, Leonor, became Alienor or Alianor in England, and Eleanor in modern English. She was the second of five children born to Fernando and Jeanne. Her elder brother Fernando was born in 1239/40, her younger brother Louis in 1242/43; two sons born after Louis died young. For the ceremonies in 1291 marking the first anniversary of Eleanor's death, 49 candlebearers were paid to walk in the public procession to commemorate each year of her life. This would date her birth to the year 1241. This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... United arms of Castile and León which Ferdinand first used. ... Jeanne of Dammartin or Joan of Dammartin (b. ...

Prospective bride to Theobald II of Navarre

Eleanor's marriage in 1254 to the future Edward I of England was not the first marriage her family planned for her. The kings of Castile had long claimed to be paramount lords of the Kingdom of Navarre in the Pyrenees, and from 1250 Ferdinand III and his heir, Eleanor's half-brother Alfonso X of Castile, hoped she would marry Theobald II of Navarre. To avoid Castilian control, Margaret of Bourbon (mother to Theobald II) in 1252 allied with James I of Aragon instead, and as part of that treaty solemnly promised that Theobald would never marry Eleanor. The Kingdom of Navarre (Basque: Nafarroako Erresuma) was a European state which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean. ... Pic de Bugatetin the Néouvielle Natural Reserve Central Pyrenees For the mountains in Victoria, Australia, see Pyrenees (Victoria). ... // April 30 - King Louis IX of France released by his Egyptian captors after paying a ransom of one million dinars and turning over the city of Damietta. ... Alfonso X and his court. ... Theobald V of Champagne (c. ... James I of Aragon. ...

Marriage

In 1252, Alfonso X resurrected flimsy ancestral claims to the duchy of Gascony, in the south of Aquitaine, last possession of the Kingdom of England in France. Henry III of England swiftly countered Alfonso's claims. Early in 1254 the two kings began to negotiate; after haggling over the financial provision for Eleanor, Henry and Alfonso agreed she would marry Henry's son Edward, and Alfonso would transfer his Gascon claims to Edward. For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ... Map of the historical and cultural area of Gascony. ... (Region flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrénées-Atlantiques Arrondissements 18 Cantons 235 Communes 2,296 Statistics Land area1 41,308 km² Population (Ranked 6th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right)1 Capital Winchester, then London from 11th century. ... Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was crowned King of England in 1216, despite being less than ten years of age. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ...

The young couple married at the monastery of Las Huelgas, Burgos on 1 November 1254. Henry III took pride in resolving the Gascon crisis so decisively, but his English subjects feared that the marriage would bring Eleanor's kinfolk and countrymen to live off Henry's ruinous generosity. Several of her relatives did come to England soon after her marriage. She was too young to stop them or prevent Henry III paying for them, but she was blamed anyway and her marriage was unpopular. Las Huelgas is a monastery that lies approximately 1. ... The cathedral Our Lady of Burgos. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ...

Second Barons' War

There is little record of Eleanor's life in England until the 1260s, when the Second Barons' War, a civil war between Henry III and his barons, divided the kingdom. During this period Eleanor supported Edward's interests, importing archers from her mother's county of Ponthieu in France. Later rumors that she sought more troops from Castile led to her removal from Windsor Castle in June 1264 after the Battle of Lewes; Edward was imprisoned and she was kept at Westminster. After Edward and Henry's army defeated the baronial army at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, Edward took a major role in reforming the government and Eleanor rose to prominence at his side. The 1260s is the decade starting January 1, 1260 and ending December 31, 1269. ... The Second Barons War (1264–1267) was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of rebellious barons lead by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward (later Edward I of England). ... A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight against each other for the control of political power. ... Ponthieu is a former province of northern France. ... Windsor castle, a thousand-year-old fortress transformed into a royal palace. ... A contemporary monument to the Battle of Lewes, a crucial 1264 battle in the Second Barons War in England. ... The Battle of Lewes was a battle fought at Lewes in Sussex, from May 12 to May 14, 1264. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... The Battle of Evesham was an important battle in the history of England which took place on August 4, 1265. ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ...

Crusade

By 1270, the kingdom was pacified and Edward and Eleanor left to join his uncle Louis IX of France on the Eighth Crusade. Louis died at Carthage before they arrived, however, and after they spent the winter in Sicily, the couple went on to Acre in Palestine, where they arrived in May 1271. For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... Louis IX (25 April 1215 – 25 August 1270), commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 to his death. ... The Eighth Crusade was a crusade launched by Louis IX of France, (who was by now in his mid-fifties) in 1270. ... Carthage (Greek: , Latin: , from the Phoenician meaning new town; Arabic: ) refers both to an ancient city in North Africa located in modern day Tunis and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... The city of Acre [1] is in the Western Galilee district in northern Israel. ... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ...

The crusade was militarily unsuccessful, but Baibars of the Bahri dynasty was worried enough by Edward's presence at Acre that an assassination attempt was made on the English heir in June 1272. He was wounded in the arm by a dagger that was thought to be poisoned. The wound soon became seriously inflamed, and an English surgeon saved him by cutting away the diseased flesh, but only after Eleanor was led from his bed, "weeping and wailing." al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari (also spelled Baybars) (Arabic: ) was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria. ... The Bahri dynasty or Bahriyya Sultanate المماليك البحرية was a Mamluk dynasty of Kipchak Turk origin that ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1382 when they were succeeded by the Burji dynasty, another group of Mamluks. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ...

Later storytellers embellished this incident, claiming Eleanor sucked poison from the wound, but this fanciful tale has no foundation. They left Palestine in September 1272 and heard of Henry III's death (16 November 1272) in Sicily that December. Edward and Eleanor returned to England and were crowned together on 19 August 1274. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ...

Queen consort of England

Arranged royal marriages in the Middle Ages were not always happy, but available evidence indicates that Eleanor and Edward were devoted to each other. They were rarely apart; she accompanied him on military campaigns in Wales, famously giving birth to their son Edward on 25 April 1284 amid the construction of Caernarfon Castle. This article is about the country. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events War and politics King Charles II of Naples is captured in a naval battle off Naples by Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon. ... The ward of Caernarfon Castle, showing (from left to right) the Black Tower, the Chamberlains Tower, and the Eagle Tower. ...

Their household records witness incidents that imply a comfortable, even humorous, relationship. Each year on Easter Monday, Edward let Eleanor's ladies trap him in his bed and paid them a token ransom so he could go to her bedroom on the first day after Lent; so important was this custom to him that in 1291, on the first Easter Monday after Eleanor's death, he gave her ladies the money he would have given them had she been alive. Edward disliked ceremonies and in 1290 refused to attend the marriage of Earl Marshal Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk; Eleanor thoughtfully (or resignedly) paid minstrels to play for him while he sat alone during the wedding. It has been suggested that Cuaresma be merged into this article or section. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Earl Marshal (alternatively Marschal or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United Kingdom. ... Roger Bigod (1270 - December 1306), was 5th Earl of Norfolk. ... For the 18th century American form of music and performance known as minstrelsy, see minstrel show. ...

A love match?

That Edward remained single until he wed Marguerite of France in 1299 is often cited to prove he cherished Eleanor's memory. In fact he considered a second marriage as early as 1293, but this does not mean he did not mourn Eleanor. Eloquent testimony is found in his letter to the abbot of Cluny in France (January 1291), seeking prayers for the soul of the wife "whom living we dearly cherished, and whom dead we cannot cease to love." The several locations known as Charing Cross are named for the twelve elaborate stone crosses (of which three survive) that Edward had erected between 1291 and 1294 in her memory, marking the route of her body as it was taken to London. (The story that the name "Charing" is from the French chère reine or "dear Queen" is mere legend, as is the name's supposed derivation from "char ring," allegedly referring to a circular roadway in which the nobles' carriages (chars) waited while their owners attended court. In fact the name Charing is found for that part of London at least as early as the 1250s and probably existed long before that.) Marguerite of France (1282 – 14 February 1317) was a daughter of Philip III of France and Maria of Brabant. ... Events Osman I declares the independence of the Ottoman Principality The County of Holland is annexed by the County of Hainaut April 1, 1299 Kings Towne on the River Hull granted city status by Royal Charter of King Edward I of England. ... Events May 20 - King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcala The Minoresses (Franciscan nuns) are first introduced into England Births Deaths Categories: 1293 ... The abbey today The Abbey of Cluny (or Cluni, or Clugny) was founded on 2 September 909 by the Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Auvergne, William I, who placed it under the immediate authority of Pope Sergius III. The Abbey and its constellation of dependencies soon came to exemplify... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... The Victorian Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The name Charing Cross, now given to a district of central London in the City of Westminster, comes from the original hamlet of Charing, where King Edward I placed a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile. ...

However, only one of Eleanor's sons survived childhood and, even before she died, Edward worried over the succession: if that son died, their daughters' husbands might cause a succession war. Despite personal grief, Edward faced his duty and married again. He delighted in the sons his new wife bore, but attended memorial services for Eleanor to the end of his life, Marguerite at his side on at least one occasion.

Popularity

Eleanor is warmly remembered by history as the queen who inspired the Eleanor crosses, but she was not so loved in her own time. The English saw her as a greedy foreigner. Walter of Guisborough preserves a contemporary poem: The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The Eleanor crosses are lavishly decorated stone monuments in the shape of a cross that Edward I of England erected in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. ... Walter of Guisborough[1] was a canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire and English chronicler of the fourteenth century. ...

"The king desires to get our gold/the queen, our manors fair to hold..."

John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury warned Eleanor that her activities in the land market caused rumor and scandal across the realm. Eleanor's often aggressive acquisition of lands was an unusual degree of economic activity for any medieval noblewoman, let alone a queen: between 1274 and 1290 she acquired estates worth above Ł2500 yearly. In fact, Edward initiated this process and his ministers helped her. He wanted the queen to hold lands sufficient for her financial needs without drawing on funds needed for government. One of his methods to help Eleanor acquire land was to give her debts Christian landlords owed Jewish moneylenders; she then foreclosed on lands pledged for the debts. Association with the unpopular moneylenders further blighted her reputation. John Peckham or Pecham (died 1292), was Archbishop of Canterbury in the years 1279-1292. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ...

Peckham also warned of the outcry against her officials' demands upon her tenants. On her deathbed, Eleanor asked Edward to name justices to examine the officials' actions and make reparations. The proceedings from this inquest reveal a pattern of ruthless exactions, often without the queen's knowledge. She righted a number of such wrongs when she heard of them, but not often enough to prevent a third warning from Pecham that many in England thought she urged Edward to rule harshly. In fact Edward allowed her little political influence, but her officials' demands were ascribed to her imagined personal severity, which was used to explain the king's administrative strictness. In other words, the queen was made to wear the king's unpopular mask. It was always safer to blame a foreign-born queen than to criticize a "good" king, and easier to believe he was misled by a meddling wife. Eleanor was neither the first queen nor the last to be blamed for a king's actions, but in her case the unsavory conduct of her own administration made it even easier to shift such blame to her.

Limited political influence

Contemporary evidence shows clearly that Eleanor had no impact on the political history of Edward's reign. Even in diplomatic matters her role was minor, though Edward did heed her advice on the age at which their daughters could marry. Otherwise she merely bestowed gifts on visiting princes or envoys. Edward always honored his obligations to Alfonso X, but even when Alfonso's need was desperate in the early 1280s, Edward did not send English knights to Castile; he sent only knights from Gascony. In England, Eleanor did mediate disputes of a minor nature, but only with the help of ranking members of Edward's entourage. Edward was prepared to stop her if he felt she had gone too far in any of her activities, and expected his ministers to do likewise. The 1280s is the decade starting January 1, 1280 and ending December 31, 1289. ...

If she was allowed no effective official role, Eleanor was an intelligent woman and found satisfying outlets for her energies. She was an active patroness of vernacular literature, with scribes and an illuminator in her household to copy books for her. Some of these were apparently vernacular romances and saints' lives, but Eleanor's tastes ranged widely. The number and variety of new works written for her show that her interests were sophisticated. On Crusade in 1272, she had De Re Militari by Vegetius translated for Edward. After she succeeded her mother as countess of Ponthieu in 1279, a romance was written for her about the life of a supposed 9th century count of Ponthieu. In the 1280s, Archbishop Peckham wrote a work for her to explain what angels were and what they did. In January 1286 she thanked the abbot of Cerne for lending her a book--possibly the treatise on chess known to have been written at Cerne in the late thirteenth century--and her accounts reveal her in 1290 corresponding with an Oxford master about one of her books. De Re Militari (Latin On military matters) was a treatise of late Roman warfare that became a military guide in the middle ages. ... Vegetius (Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus) was a celebrated military writer of the 4th century. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was the century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni wears a late Roman military outfit in this 17th century depiction An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ...

The queen was a devoted patron of Dominican Order friars, founding several priories in England and supporting their work at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. Not surprisingly, Eleanor's piety was of an intellectual stamp; apart from her religious foundations she was not given to good works, and she left it to her chaplains to distribute alms for her. She patronized many relatives, though given foreigners' unpopularity in England and the criticism of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence's generosity to them, she was cautious as queen to choose which cousins to support. Rather than marry her male cousins to English heiresses, which would put English wealth in foreign hands, she arranged marriages for her female cousins to English barons. Edward strongly supported these endeavors. Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare (Praise, Bless, Preach) Saint Dominic saw the need for a new type of organization to address the needs of his time, one that would bring the dedication and systematic education of the older monastic orders to bear on the religious problems of the burgeoning population of cities... Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare (Praise, Bless, Preach) Saint Dominic saw the need for a new type of organization to address the needs of his time, one that would bring the dedication and systematic education of the older monastic orders to bear on the religious problems of the burgeoning population of cities... The University of Oxford (usually abbreviated as Oxon. ... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ...

Death

Further information: Eleanor cross

In the autumn of 1290, news reached Edward that Margaret, the Maid of Norway, heiress of Scotland, had died. He had just held a parliament at Clipstone in Nottinghamshire, and continued to linger in those parts, presumably to await news of further developments in Scotland. Eleanor followed him at a leisurely pace as she was unwell with a feverish illness, first reported in 1287. After the couple left Clipstone they traveled slowly toward the city of Lincoln, a destination Eleanor would never reach. The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The Eleanor crosses are lavishly decorated stone monuments in the shape of a cross that Edward I of England erected in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. ... Margaret (1283–1290), known as the Maid of Norway, is traditionally considered to have been Queen of Scots from 1286 until her death although she never came to Scotland and was never inaugurated at Scone. ... Clipstone in North Nottinghamshire is a small working class ex mining village, built on an old army base. ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ...

Her condition worsened as they reached the village of Harby, Nottinghamshire, less than 10 miles from Lincoln^{[citation needed]}). The journey was abandoned, and the queen was lodged in the house of Richard de Weston, the foundations of which can still be seen near Harby's parish church. After piously receiving the Church's last rites, she died there on the evening of the 28th of November 1290, aged 49 and after 36 years of marriage. Edward was at her bedside to hear her final requests. Harby is a village in the English county of Nottinghamshire although its proximity to the city of Lincoln cause many to believe otherwise. ... Lincoln (pronounced //) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. ...

Procession, burial and monuments

Further information: Eleanor cross

The tomb of her viscera at Lincoln Cathedral.

Edward followed her body to burial in Westminster Abbey, and erected memorial crosses at the site of each overnight stop between Lincoln and Westminster. Based on crosses in France marking Louis IX's funeral procession, these artistically significant monuments enhanced the image of Edward's kingship as well as witnessing his grief. The "Eleanor crosses" stood at Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford, Geddington, Northampton, Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St Albans, Waltham, Westcheap, and Charing - only 3 survive, none in its entirety. The finest is that at Geddington. All 3 have lost the crosses "of immense height" that originally surmounted them; only the lower stages remain. The Waltham cross has been heavily restored and to prevent further deterioration, its original statues of the queen are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The Waltham and Northampton crosses have been moved to locations different from their original sites. The monument now known as "Charing Cross" in London, in front of the railway station of that name, is an early 20th century fabrication created to advertise a nearby hotel. The original Charing cross was at the top of Whitehall, on the south side of Trafalgar Square, but was replaced by a statue of Charles I. The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The Eleanor crosses are lavishly decorated stone monuments in the shape of a cross that Edward I of England erected in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 2132 KB) Summary Eleanor of Castile, viscera tomb at Lincoln Cathedral Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 2132 KB) Summary Eleanor of Castile, viscera tomb at Lincoln Cathedral Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... Lincoln Cathedral (in full The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, or sometimes St. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... The Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The Eleanor crosses are lavishly decorated stone monuments in the shape of a cross that Edward I of England erected in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile. ... Lincoln (pronounced //) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. ... Grantham is a medium sized market town in Lincolnshire, England with about 35,000 inhabitants (40,000 including Great Gonerby), situated on the River Witham. ... Stamford is a town on the River Welland in Lincolnshire, England. ... A village (pop. ... Northampton is a large market town and a local government district in central England on the River Nene, and the county town of Northamptonshire, in the English East Midlands region. ... Location within the British Isles. ... St. ... Dunstable is a town in the county of Bedfordshire, England, with a population of 33,805 (2001 census). ... St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ... Waltham Cross is the most south-easterly town in Hertfordshire, England. ... A view of Cheapside published in 1837. ... The Victorian Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross The name Charing Cross, now given to a district of central London in the City of Westminster, comes from the original hamlet of Charing, where King Edward I placed a memorial to his wife, Eleanor of Castile. ... Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ... Trafalgar Square viewed from the northeast corner. ... The name Charles I is used to refer to numerous persons in history: Kings: Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland Charles I of France (also known as Charles the Bald) Charles I of Spain (also known as Charles V of the German Empire) Charles I of Romania Charles I...

After embalming, which in the thirteenth century involved evisceration, Eleanor's viscera were buried in Lincoln Cathedral, and Edward placed a duplicate of the Westminster tomb there. The Lincoln tomb's original stone chest survives; its effigy was destroyed in the 17th century and replaced with a 19th-century copy. (On the outside of Lincoln Cathedral are two prominent statues often identified as Edward and Eleanor, but these images were heavily restored in the 19th century and probably were not originally intended to depict the couple [1].) The photo just above is a photo of Eleanor's tomb in Lincoln Cathdral, not Westminster Abbey. Lincoln Cathedral (in full The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, or sometimes St. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The queen's heart was taken with the body to London and was buried in the Dominican priory of Blackfriars in London. The accounts of her executors show that the monument constructed there to commemorate her heart burial was richly elaborate, including wall paintings as well as an angelic statue in metal that apparently stood under a carved stone canopy. It was destroyed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Categories: City of London | Districts of London | London geography stubs ... dissolution see Dissolution. ...

Eleanor's funeral took place in Westminster Abbey on 17 December 1290. Her body was placed in a grave near the high altar that had originally contained the coffin of Edward the Confessor and, more recently, that of King Henry III until his remains were removed to his new tomb in 1290. Eleanor's body remained in this grave until the completion of her own tomb. She probably ordered that tomb before her death. It consists of a marble chest with carved moldings and shields (originally painted) of the arms of England, Castile, and Ponthieu. The chest is surmounted by William Torel's superb gilt-bronze effigy, showing Eleanor in the same pose as the image on her great seal. The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ...

Legacy

Eleanor of Castile's queenship is significant in English history for the evolution of a stable financial system for the king's wife, and for the honing this process gave the queen-consort's prerogatives. The estates Eleanor assembled became the nucleus for dower assignments made to later queens of England into the 15th century, and her involvement in this process solidly established a queen-consort's freedom to engage in such transactions. Few later queens exerted themselves in economic activity to the extent Eleanor did, but their ability to do so rested on the precedents settled in her lifetime. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ...

Historical reputation

Despite her unpopularity in her own day, Eleanor of Castile has had a positive reputation since the 16th century. The antiquarian William Camden first published in England the tale that Eleanor saved Edward's life at Acre by sucking his wound. Camden then went on to ascribe construction of the Eleanor crosses to Edward's grief at the loss of an heroic wife who selflessly risked her own life to save his. Historians in the 17th century and the 18th century parrotted Camden, and in the 19th century the self-styled historian Agnes Strickland used Camden to paint the rosiest of all pictures of Eleanor. None of these writers used contemporary chronicles or records that could provide accurate information about Eleanor's life. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... William Camden William Camden (May 2, 1551 - November 9, 1623) was an English antiquarian and historian. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Agnes Strickland (1796-1874) was an English historical writer. ...

Such documents became widely available only in the late 19th century, and even when historians began to cite them to suggest that Eleanor was not the perfect queen Strickland praised, many rejected the correction. Only since 1945 have historians studied queenship in its own right and regarded medieval queens as worthy of attention. These decades produced a sizeable body of historical work that allows Eleanor's life to be scrutinized in the terms of her own day, not of the 17th or 19th centuries. Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

The evolution of her reputation is a case study in the maxim that each age creates its own history. If as a result she can no longer be seen as a paradigm of queenly virtue, her career can now be examined as the achievement of an intelligent and determined woman who was able to meet the challenges of an exceptionally demanding life.

Children of Queen Eleanor and King Edward I

The Northampton Cross

1. Daughter, stillborn in May 1255 in Bordeaux, France.
2. Katherine, living June 17, 1264, died September 5, 1264 and buried at Westminster Abbey.
3. Joan, born January 1265, buried at Westminster Abbey before September 7, 1265.
4. John, born July 13, 1266, died August 3, 1271 at Wallingford, in the custody of his granduncle, Richard, Earl of Cornwall. Buried at Westminster Abbey.
5. Henry, born before May 6, 1268, died October 16, 1274.
6. Eleanor, born ca. 18 June 1269 and died 29 August 1298. She was long betrothed to Alfonso III of Aragon, who died in 1291 before the marriage could take place, and in 1293 she married Count Henry III of Bar.
7. Daughter, born after May 1271 in Palestine and died before September 1272.
8. Joan of Acre. born at Acre 1272 and died April 7, 1307. She married (1) Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford, (2) Ralph Morthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer.
9. Alphonso, Earl of Chester, born 24 November 1273, died 19 August 1284, buried in Westminster Abbey.
10. Margaret Plantagenet, born March 15, 1275 and died after 1333. She married John II of Brabant.
11. Berengaria, born 1 May 1276 and died before June 27, 1278, buried in Westminster Abbey.
12. Daughter, died shortly after birth, January 1278.
13. Mary, born 11 March 1279 and died 29 May 1332, a nun in Amesbury, Wiltshire (England).
14. A son, born in 1280 or 1281, who died very shortly after birth.
15. Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, born August 1282 at Rhuddlan, died 5 May 1316. She married (1) John I, Count of Holland, (2) Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford & 3rd Earl of Essex.
16. Edward II of England, also known as Edward of Caernarvon, born 25 April 1284 at Caernarvon, died 21 September 1327. He married Isabella of France.

ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1719x2819, 950 KB) Summary The Northampton Queen Eleanor Cross; picture taken (c) by R Neil Marshman 28 October 2005 Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1719x2819, 950 KB) Summary The Northampton Queen Eleanor Cross; picture taken (c) by R Neil Marshman 28 October 2005 Licensing Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version... Bordeaux (Bordèu in Gascon) is a France. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A contemporary monument to the Battle of Lewes, a crucial 1264 battle in the Second Barons War in England. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A contemporary monument to the Battle of Lewes, a crucial 1264 battle in the Second Barons War in England. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... Map sources for Wallingford at grid reference SU6089 Wallingford is a small town in Oxfordshire in southern England. ... Richard (5 January 1209 - 2 April 1272) was Count of Poitou (bef. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Conradin (right) is executed by Charles I of Sicily, thus extinguishing the Hohenstaufen dynasty, in 1268. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ... Events Births Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Categories: 1269 ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events July 2 - The Battle of Göllheim is fought between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg. ... Alfons or Alfonso III of Aragon (1265 – June 18, 1291, also Alfons II of Barcelona), surnamed the Liberal, was the king of Aragon and count of Barcelona from 1285 to 1291. ... Henry III of Bar(Henri III de Bar) (1259-Naples, September 1302) was Count of Bar from 1291 to 1302. ... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... Joan of Acre (May 1271 - April 7, 1307) was a daughter of King Edward I of England and his first wife, Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... January 18 - German king Albrecht I makes his son Rudolf king of Bohemia. ... Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford and 3rd Earl of Gloucester was born 2 September 1243, at Christchurch, Hampshire. ... Alphonso, Earl of Chester (24 November 1273 – 19 August 1284) was the ninth child of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events War and politics King Charles II of Naples is captured in a naval battle off Naples by Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... Margaret Plantagenet (March 15, 1275–1333) was the tenth child and seventh daughter of King Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // April 22 - The first of the Statutes of Westminster are passed by the English parliament, establishing a series of laws in its 51 clauses, including equal treatment of rich and poor, free and fair elections, and definition of bailable and non-bailable offenses. ... Events End of the Kamakura period and beginning of the Kemmu restoration in Japan. ... Jan II van Brabant, also called John II the peaceful, was born on September 27, 1275 and died on October 27, 1312. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 21 - Pope Innocent V succeeds Pope Gregory X as the 185th pope. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (71st in leap years). ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events November 7 - Lucerne joins the Swiss Confederation with Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. ... For other uses, see Nun (disambiguation). ... See also Amesbury, Massachusetts. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (August 7, 1282 - May 5, 1316) was a daughter of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile. ... Rhuddlan is a town in the administrative county of Denbighshire, traditional county of Flintshire, north Wales, lying on the River Clwyd. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Pope John XXII elected to the papacy. ... John I (1284-1299) was count of Holland and son of Count Floris V. John inherited the county in 1296 after the murder of his father. ... Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (1276 – March 16, 1322) was a member of an important Norman family of the Welsh Marches. ... Earl of Essex is a title that has been held by several families and individuals, of which the best-known and most closely associated with the title was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1566 - 1601). ... Edward II, (25 April 1284 – 21 September? 1327), of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until deposed in January, 1327. ... Caernarfon, 2002 Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now normally used in preference over the Anglicised form, Caernarvon or Carnarvon) is a Royal Town in Gwynedd in north-west Wales. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events War and politics King Charles II of Naples is captured in a naval battle off Naples by Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon. ... Caernarfon, 2002 Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now normally used in preference over the Anglicised form, Caernarvon or Carnarvon) is a Royal Town in Gwynedd in north-west Wales. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 25 - Edward III becomes King of England. ... Isabella returns to England with her son, Edward III. Jean Fouquet, 1455x1460. ...

Eleanor as a mother

It has been suggested that Eleanor and Edward were more devoted to each other than to their children. As king and queen, however, it was impossible for them to spend much time in one place, and when they were very young, the children could not travel constantly with their parents. The children had a household staffed with attendants carefully chosen for competence and loyalty, with whom the parents corresponded regularly. The children lived in this comfortable establishment until they were about seven years old; then they began to accompany their parents for important occasions, and by their teens they were with the king and queen much of the time. In 1290, Eleanor sent one of her scribes to join this household, presumably to share in her children's education, and in 1306 Edward sharply scolded the woman in charge of his children because she had not kept him informed of their health. Events March 25 - Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scotland June 19 - Forces of Earl of Pembroke defeat Bruces Scottish rebels at the Battle of Methven Philip IV of France exiles all the Jews from France and confiscates their property In London, a city ordinance degrees that heating with...

Two incidents cited to imply Eleanor's lack of interest in her children are easily explained in the contexts of royal childrearing in general, and of particular events surrounding Edward and Eleanor's family. When their six-year-old son Henry lay dying at Guildford in 1274, neither parent made the short journey from London to see him; but he was tended by Edward's mother Eleanor of Provence, who had raised the boy during the four years his parents were on Crusade. The grandmother was thus at that moment more familiar to him than his parents, and the better able to comfort him in his illness. Since Henry was always sickly, the gravity of his illness was perhaps not realized until it was too late for his parents to reach him. Similarly, Edward and Eleanor allowed her mother Jeanne to raise their daughter Joan in Ponthieu (1274-78). This implies no parental lack of interest in the girl; the practice of fostering noble children in other households of sufficient dignity was not unknown and Jeanne was, of course, a dowager queen of Castile. Her household was thus safe and dignified, but it does appear that Edward and Eleanor had cause to regret their generosity in allowing Jeanne to foster young Joan. When the girl reached England in 1278, aged six, it turned out that she had been badly spoiled by her grandmother. She was spirited and often defiant throughout childhood, and in adulthood remained quite a handful for Edward. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Eleanor of Provence (c 1223 – 26 June 1291) was Queen Consort of King Henry III of England. ...

Sources

• Parsons, John Carmi. Eleanor of Castile: Queen and Society in Thirteenth Century England, 1995.
• Parsons, John Carmi, "The Year of Eleanor of Castile's Birth and Her Children by Edward I," Mediaeval Studies 46 (1984): 245–265, esp. 246 n. 3.
• Parsons, John Carmi, "'Que nos lactauit in infancia': The Impact of Childhood Care-givers on Plantagenet Family Relationships in the Thirteenth and Early Fourteenth Centuries," in Women, Marriage, and Family in Medieval Christendom: Essays in Memory of Michael M. Sheehan, C.S.B, ed. Constance M. Rousseau and Joel T. Rosenthal (Kalamazoo, 1998), pp. 289-324.

See also

• Infanta of Castile

Infanta de Castile or Infanta of Castile is said to refer to Eleanor of Castile, Edward Is wife, although she was not actually an infanta. ...

External links

• Genealogy
• Encyclopedia.com
• The Columbia Encyclopedia