https://thefreelancehistorywriter.com/2022/01/08/eleanor-of-provenc...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Provence

http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00002879&tree=LEO

http://www.friesian.com/lorraine.htm#provence

http://www.friesian.com/lorraine.htm#savoy

Born in Aix-en-Provence, Eleanor was the second eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer V, Count of Provence (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva. All four of their daughters became queens.

Like her mother, grandmother, and sisters, Eleanor was renowned for her beauty. She was a dark-haired brunette with fine eyes.

On June 22 1235, Eleanor was bethrothed to King Henry III of England (1207–1272) and wed to him on January 14, 1236. She had never seen him prior to the wedding at Canterbury Cathedral and had never set foot in his kingdom. Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated.

Eleanor was dressed in a shimmering golden gown which was tightly-fitted to the waist, and then flared out in wide pleats to her feet. The sleeves were long and lined with ermine. After riding to London the same day where a procession of citizens greeted the bridal pair, Eleanor was crowned queen consort of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey which was followed by a magnificent banquet with the entire nobility in full attendance.

Eleanor was renowned for her learning, cleverness, and skill at writing poetry, as well as her beauty; she was also known as a leader of fashion, continually importing clothes from France. She often wore parti-coloured cottes (a type of tunic), gold or silver girdles into which a dagger was casually thrust, she favoured red silk damask, and decorations of gilt quatrefoil, and to cover her dark hair she wore jaunty pillbox caps.

Eleanor and King Henry had five children together:

1. Edward I (1239–1307)
2. Margaret of England (1240–1275)
3. Beatrice of England (1242–1275)
4. Edmund Crouchback (1245–1296)
5. Katharine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257)

Eleanor seems to have been especially devoted to her eldest son, Edward; when he was deathly ill in 1246, she stayed with him at the abbey at Beaulieu in Hampshire for three weeks, long past the time allowed by monastic rules. Her youngest child, Katharine, seems to have had a degenerative disease that rendered her deaf. When the little girl died at the age of three, both her royal parents suffered overwhelming grief.

Eleanor as Queen

Eleanor was a confident consort to Henry, but she brought in her retinue a large number of cousins, "the Savoyards," and her influence with the King and her unpopularity with the English barons created friction during Henry's reign.

Eleanor was devoted to her husband's cause, stoutly contested Simon de Montfort, and helped raise troops in France for Henry's cause.

In 1272 King Henry died, and her son Edward, who was 33 years old, became Edward I, King of England. Eleanor remained in England as Dowager Queen, and raised several of her grandchildren—Edward's son Henry and daughter Eleanor, and Beatrice's son John. When her grandson Henry died in her care in 1274, Eleanor mourned him dearly, and his heart was buried at the priory at Guildford which she founded in his memory.

Eleanor retired to a convent but remained in touch with her son, King Edward, and her sister, Queen Margaret of France.

Eleanor died on in June of 1291 in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, England. She was buried on September 11, 1291 in the Abbey of St. Mary. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory.

[http://www.medievalqueens.com/queen-eleanor-of-provence.htm]

http://web.me.com/abacusinfo/English_Queens_Consort/8._Eleanor_of_P...]

Eleanor of Provence was born in 1223 at Aix-en-Provence, Provence, France.3 She was the daughter of Raimond Berengar V, Comte de Provence and Beatrice di Savoia.2 She married Henry III, King of England, son of John I 'Lackland', King of England and Isabella d'Angoulême, on 14 January 1236 at Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England.3 She died on 24 June 1291 at Amesbury Abbey, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.3 She was buried at Amesbury Abbey, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.3

    As a result of her marriage, Eleanor of Provence was styled as Queen Consort Eleanor of England on 20 January 1236.3 She was a nun on 7 July 1284 at Amesbury Abbey, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.3

Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291[1]) was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272.

Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.

Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion.
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http://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/towns/amesbury.shtml

Interesting Note (found on this page): "In 1287, King Edward's mother, Eleanor of Provence, also took her vows and was later buried here. The precise location of her grave remains unknown, making her the only Queen of England without a known grave."

Queen consort of England Tenure 14 January 1236 – 16 November 1272 Coronation 14 January 1236

Spouse Henry III of Winchester Issue Edward I Longshanks Margaret, Queen of Scots Beatrice of England Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster Katherine of England House House of Aragon (by birth) House of Plantagenet (by marriage) Father Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence Mother Beatrice of Savoy Born c. 1223 Aix-en-Provence Died 24/25 June 1291 Amesbury Burial Abbey of St Mary and St Melor in Amesbury

Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291[1]) was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272.

Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.

Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion.

Born in Aix-en-Provence, she was the second eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer V, Count of Provence (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva. All four of their daughters became queens. Like her mother, grandmother, and sisters, Eleanor was renowned for her beauty. She was a dark-haired brunette with fine eyes.[2] Piers Langtoft speaks of her as "The erle's daughter, the fairest may of life".[3] On 22 June 1235, Eleanor was bethrothed to King Henry III of England (1207–1272).[1] Eleanor was probably born in 1223; Matthew Paris describes her as being "jamque duodennem" (already twelve) when she arrived in the Kingdom of England for her marriage.

Eleanor was married to King Henry III of England on 14 January 1236. She had never seen him prior to the wedding at Canterbury Cathedral and had never set foot in his kingdom.[4] Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated. She was dressed in a shimmering golden gown which was tightly-fitted to the waist, and then flared out in wide pleats to her feet. The sleeves were long and lined with ermine.[5] After riding to London the same day where a procession of citizens greeted the bridal pair, Eleanor was crowned queen consort of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey which was followed by a magnificent banquet with the entire nobility in full attendance.[6]

Eleanor and Henry together had five children:

Edward I (1239–1307), married Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290) in 1254, by whom he had issue, including his heir Edward II; he married Margaret of France in 1299, by whom he had issue. Margaret of England (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, by whom she had issue. Beatrice of England (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, by whom she had issue. Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married Aveline de Forz in 1269, who died four years later without issue; married Blanche of Artois in 1276, by whom he had issue. Katharine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257) Four others are listed, but their existence is in doubt as there is no contemporary record of them. These are:

Richard (1247–1256) John (1250–1256) William (1251–1256) Henry (1256–1257)

Eleanor was renowned for her learning, cleverness, and skill at writing poetry,[4] as well as her beauty; she was also known as a leader of fashion, continually importing clothes from France.[3] She often wore parti-coloured cottes (a type of tunic), gold or silver girdles into which a dagger was casually thrust, she favoured red silk damask, and decorations of gilt quatrefoil, and to cover her dark hair she wore jaunty pillbox caps. Eleanor introduced a new type of wimple to England, which was high, "into which the head receded until the face seemed like a flower in an enveloping spathe".[3]

Eleanor seems to have been especially devoted to her eldest son, Edward; when he was deathly ill in 1246, she stayed with him at the abbey at Beaulieu in Hampshire for three weeks, long past the time allowed by monastic rules.[7] It was because of her influence that King Henry granted the duchy of Gascony to Edward in 1249.[citation needed] Her youngest child, Katharine, seems to have had a degenerative disease that rendered her deaf. When the little girl died at the age of three, both her royal parents suffered overwhelming grief.[8]

Eleanor was a loyal and faithful consort to Henry, but she brought in her retinue a large number of cousins, "the Savoyards," and her influence with the King and her unpopularity with the English barons created friction during Henry's reign.[9] Eleanor was devoted to her husband's cause, stoutly contested Simon de Montfort, raising troops in France for Henry's cause. On 13 July 1263, she was sailing down the Thames on a barge when her barge was attacked by citizens of London.[10] Eleanor stoutly hated the Londoners who returned her hatred; in revenge for their dislike Eleanor had demanded from the city all the back payments due on the monetary tribute known as queen-gold, by which she received a tenth of all fines which came to the Crown. In addition to the queen-gold other such fines were levied on the citizens by the Queen on the thinnest of pretexts.[11] In fear for her life as she was pelted with stones, loose pieces of paving, dried mud, rotten eggs and vegetables, Eleanor was rescued by Thomas Fitzthomas, the Mayor of London, and took refuge at the bishop of London's home.

In 1272 Henry died, and her son Edward, who was 33 years old, became Edward I, King of England. She remained in England as Dowager Queen, and raised several of her grandchildren—Edward's son Henry and daughter Eleanor, and Beatrice's son John. When her grandson Henry died in her care in 1274, Eleanor went into mourning and gave orders for his heart to be buried at the priory at Guildford which she founded in his memory.

She retired to a convent; however, remained in contact with her son, King Edward, and her sister, Queen Margaret of France.

Eleanor died on 24/25 June 1291 in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, England. She was buried on 11 September 1291 in the Abbey of St Mary and St Melor, Amesbury on 9 December. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory.[12]

References/Notes :

^ a b Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Provence ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 125–26 ^ a b c Costain, The Magnificent Century, p.140 ^ a b Costain, The Magnificent Century, p.127 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, p.129 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 129–30 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, p. 142 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, p. 167 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp.130–140 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 253–54 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 206–07 ^ Howell, Eleanor (Eleanor of Provence) (c.1223–1291), queen of England"

Bibliography Margaret Howell, Eleanor of Provence: Queenship in Thirteenth-century England, 1997 Howell, Margaret (2004), "Eleanor (Eleanor of Provence) (c.1223–1291), queen of England", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford: Oxford University Press, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/8620, retrieved 2010-12-14 FMG on Eleonore Berenger of Provence The Peerage: Eleanor of Provence: [1] Thomas B. Costain, The Magnificent Century, Doubleday and Company, Garden City, New York, 1959

Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24 June 1291) was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272. Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables. Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion. Born in Aix-en-Provence, she was the second daughter of Ramon Berenguer V, Count of Provence (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva. Her three sisters also married kings. Like her mother, grandmother, and sisters, Eleanor was renowned for her beauty. She was a dark-haired brunette with fine eyes. Piers Langtoft speaks of her as "The erle's daughter, the fairest may of life". On 22 June 1235, Eleanor was betrothed to King Henry III of England (1207–1272). Eleanor was probably born in 1223; Matthew Paris describes her as being "jamque duodennem" (already twelve) when she arrived in the Kingdom of England for her marriage. Marriage and issue: Eleanor was married to King Henry III of England on 14 January 1236. She had never seen him prior to the wedding at Canterbury Cathedral and had never set foot in his kingdom. Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated. She was dressed in a shimmering golden gown which was tightly-fitted to the waist, and then flared out in wide pleats to her feet. The sleeves were long and lined with ermine. After riding to London the same day where a procession of citizens greeted the bridal pair, Eleanor was crowned queen consort of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey which was followed by a magnificent banquet with the entire nobility in full attendance. Eleanor and Henry together had five children:

1.Edward I (1239–1307), married Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290) in 1254, by whom he had issue, including his heir Edward II; he married Margaret of France in 1299, by whom he had issue.

2.Margaret of England (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, by whom she had issue.

3.Beatrice of England (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, by whom she had issue.

4.Edmund "Crouchback", 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married Aveline de Forz in 1269, who died four years later without issue; married Blanche of Artois in 1276, by whom he had issue.

5.Katharine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257)  Four others are listed, but their existence is in doubt as there is no contemporary record of them. These are:

1.Richard (1247–1256)

2.John (1250–1256)

3.William (1251–1256)

4.Henry (1256–1257) Eleanor was renowned for her learning, cleverness, and skill at writing poetry, as well as her beauty; she was also known as a leader of fashion, continually importing clothes from France. She often wore parti-coloured cottes (a type of tunic), gold or silver girdles into which a dagger was casually thrust, she favoured red silk damask, and decorations of gilt quatrefoil, and to cover her dark hair she wore jaunty pillbox caps. Eleanor introduced a new type of wimple to England, which was high, "into which the head receded until the face seemed like a flower in an enveloping spathe".  Eleanor seems to have been especially devoted to her eldest son, Edward; when he was deathly ill in 1246, she stayed with him at the abbey at Beaulieu in Hampshire for three weeks, long past the time allowed by monastic rules. It was because of her influence that King Henry granted the duchy of Gascony to Edward in 1249. Her youngest child, Katharine, seems to have had a degenerative disease that rendered her deaf. When the little girl died at the age of three, both her royal parents suffered overwhelming grief. Unpopularity:  Eleanor was a loyal and faithful consort to Henry, but she brought in her retinue a large number of cousins, "the Savoyards," and her influence with the King and her unpopularity with the English barons created friction during Henry's reign. Eleanor was devoted to her husband's cause, stoutly contested Simon de Montfort, raising troops in France for Henry's cause. On 13 July 1263, she was sailing down the Thames when her barge was attacked by citizens of London. Eleanor stoutly hated the Londoners who returned her hatred; in revenge for their dislike Eleanor had demanded from the city all the back payments due on the monetary tribute known as queen-gold, by which she received a tenth of all fines which came to the Crown. In addition to the queen-gold other such fines were levied on the citizens by the Queen on the thinnest of pretexts. In fear for her life as she was pelted with stones, loose pieces of paving, dried mud, rotten eggs and vegetables, Eleanor was rescued by Thomas Fitzthomas, the Mayor of London, and took refuge at the bishop of London's home.  In 1272 Henry died, and her son Edward, who was 33 years old, became Edward I, King of England. She remained in England as queen dowager, and raised several of her grandchildren—Edward's son Henry and daughter Eleanor, and Beatrice's son John. When her grandson Henry died in her care in 1274, Eleanor went into mourning and gave orders for his heart to be buried at the priory at Guildford which she founded in his memory.  She retired to a convent; however, remained in contact with her son, King Edward, and her sister, Queen Margaret of France.  Eleanor died on 24/25 June 1291 in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, England. She was buried on 11 September 1291 in the Abbey of St Mary and St Melor, Amesbury on 9 December. The exact site of her grave at the abbey is unknown making her the only English queen without a marked grave. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory.

Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291[1]) was Queen consort of England, as the spouse of King Henry III of England, from 1236 until his death in 1272.

Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.

Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion.

Queen consort of England Tenure 14 January 1236 – 16 November 1272 Coronation 14 January 1236 Spouse Henry III of England Issue Edward I of England Margaret, Queen of Scots Beatrice of England Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster Katherine of England House House of Barcelona (by birth) House of Plantagenet (by marriage) Father Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence Mother Beatrice of Savoy Born c. 1223 Aix-en-Provence Died 24/25 June 1291 Amesbury Burial Abbey of St Mary and St Melor in Amesbury

Family

Born in Aix-en-Provence, she was the second daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva. Her three sisters also married kings. Like her mother, grandmother, and sisters, Eleanor was renowned for her beauty. She was a dark-haired brunette with fine eyes.[2] Piers Langtoft speaks of her as "The erle's daughter, the fairest may of life".[3] On 22 June 1235, Eleanor was betrothed to King Henry III of England (1207–1272).[1] Eleanor was probably born in 1223; Matthew Paris describes her as being "jamque duodennem" (already twelve) when she arrived in the Kingdom of England for her marriage.

Marriage & Issue

Eleanor was married to King Henry III of England on 14 January 1236. She had never seen him prior to the wedding at Canterbury Cathedral and had never set foot in his kingdom.[4] Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated. She was dressed in a shimmering golden gown which was tightly-fitted to the waist, and then flared out in wide pleats to her feet. The sleeves were long and lined with ermine.[5] After riding to London the same day where a procession of citizens greeted the bridal pair, Eleanor was crowned queen consort of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey which was followed by a magnificent banquet with the entire nobility in full attendance.[6]

Eleanor and Henry together had five children:

Edward I (1239–1307), married Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290) in 1254, by whom he had issue, including his heir Edward II; he married Margaret of France in 1299, by whom he had issue.

Margaret (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, by whom she had issue.

Beatrice (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, by whom she had issue.

Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married Aveline de Forz in 1269, who died four years later without issue; married Blanche of Artois in 1276, by whom he had issue.

Katherine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257)

Four others are listed, but their existence is in doubt as there is no contemporary record of them. These are:

Richard (1247–1256) John (1250–1256) William (1251–1256) Henry (1256–1257)

Eleanor was renowned for her learning, cleverness, and skill at writing poetry,[4] as well as her beauty; she was also known as a leader of fashion, continually importing clothes from France.[3] She often wore parti-coloured cottes (a type of tunic), gold or silver girdles into which a dagger was casually thrust, she favoured red silk damask, and decorations of gilt quatrefoil, and to cover her dark hair she wore jaunty pillbox caps. Eleanor introduced a new type of wimple to England, which was high, "into which the head receded until the face seemed like a flower in an enveloping spathe".[3]

Eleanor seems to have been especially devoted to her eldest son, Edward; when he was deathly ill in 1246, she stayed with him at the abbey at Beaulieu in Hampshire for three weeks, long past the time allowed by monastic rules.[7] It was because of her influence that King Henry granted the duchy of Gascony to Edward in 1249.[citation needed] Her youngest child, Katherine, seems to have had a degenerative disease that rendered her deaf. When the little girl died at the age of three, both her royal parents suffered overwhelming grief.[8]

Unpopularity

Eleanor was a loyal and faithful consort to Henry, but she brought in her retinue a large number of cousins, "the Savoyards," and her influence with the King and her unpopularity with the English barons created friction during Henry's reign.[9] Though Eleanor and Henry supported different factions at times, she was made regent of England when her husband left for Normandy in 1253.[10] Eleanor was devoted to her husband's cause, stoutly contested Simon de Montfort, raising troops in France for Henry's cause. On 13 July 1263, she was sailing down the Thames when her barge was attacked by citizens of London.[11] Eleanor stoutly hated the Londoners who returned her hatred; in revenge for their dislike Eleanor had demanded from the city all the back payments due on the monetary tribute known as queen-gold, by which she received a tenth of all fines which came to the Crown. In addition to the queen-gold other such fines were levied on the citizens by the Queen on the thinnest of pretexts.[12] In fear for her life as she was pelted with stones, loose pieces of paving, dried mud, rotten eggs and vegetables, Eleanor was rescued by Thomas Fitzthomas, the Mayor of London, and took refuge at the bishop of London's home.

Later life

In 1272 Henry died, and her son Edward, who was 33 years old, became Edward I, King of England. She remained in England as queen dowager, and raised several of her grandchildren—Edward's son Henry and daughter Eleanor, and Beatrice's son John. When her grandson Henry died in her care in 1274, Eleanor went into mourning and gave orders for his heart to be buried at the priory at Guildford which she founded in his memory. In 1275 Eleanor's two remaining daughters died Margaret 26th February and Beatrice 24th March.

She retired to a convent; however, she remained in contact with her son, King Edward, and her sister, Queen Margaret of France.

Eleanor died on 24/25 June 1291 in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, England. She was buried on 11 September 1291 in the Abbey of St Mary and St Melor, Amesbury on 9 December. The exact site of her grave at the abbey is unknown making her the only English queen without a marked grave. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory.[13]

In fiction

Eleanor is the protagonist of The Queen From Provence, a historical romance by British novelist Jean Plaidy which was published in 1979. Eleanor is a main character in the novel Four Sisters, All Queens by author Sherry Jones, as well as in the novel The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot.

Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291[1]) was Queen consort of England, as the spouse of King Henry III of England, from 1236 until his death in 1272.

Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.

Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion.

Family[edit] Born in Aix-en-Provence, she was the second daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva. Her three sisters also married kings. Like her mother, grandmother, and sisters, Eleanor was renowned for her beauty. She was a dark-haired brunette with fine eyes.[2] Piers Langtoft speaks of her as "The erle's daughter, the fairest may of life".[3] On 22 June 1235, Eleanor was betrothed to King Henry III of England (1207–1272).[1] Eleanor was probably born in 1223; Matthew Paris describes her as being "jamque duodennem" (already twelve) when she arrived in the Kingdom of England for her marriage.

Marriage and issue[edit] Eleanor was married to King Henry III of England on 14 January 1236. She had never seen him prior to the wedding at Canterbury Cathedral and had never set foot in his kingdom.[4] Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated. She was dressed in a shimmering golden gown which was tightly-fitted to the waist, and then flared out in wide pleats to her feet. The sleeves were long and lined with ermine.[5] After riding to London the same day where a procession of citizens greeted the bridal pair, Eleanor was crowned queen consort of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey which was followed by a magnificent banquet with the entire nobility in full attendance.[6]

Eleanor and Henry together had five children:

Edward I (1239–1307), married Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290) in 1254, by whom he had issue, including his heir Edward II; he married Margaret of France in 1299, by whom he had issue. Margaret (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, by whom she had issue. Beatrice (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, by whom she had issue. Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married Aveline de Forz in 1269, who died four years later without issue; married Blanche of Artois in 1276, by whom he had issue. Katherine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257) Four others are listed, but their existence is in doubt as there is no contemporary record of them. These are:

Richard (1247–1256) John (1250–1256) William (1251–1256) Henry (1256–1257) Eleanor was renowned for her learning, cleverness, and skill at writing poetry,[4] as well as her beauty; she was also known as a leader of fashion, continually importing clothes from France.[3] She often wore parti-coloured cottes (a type of tunic), gold or silver girdles into which a dagger was casually thrust, she favoured red silk damask, and decorations of gilt quatrefoil, and to cover her dark hair she wore jaunty pillbox caps. Eleanor introduced a new type of wimple to England, which was high, "into which the head receded until the face seemed like a flower in an enveloping spathe".[3]

Eleanor seems to have been especially devoted to her eldest son, Edward; when he was deathly ill in 1246, she stayed with him at the abbey at Beaulieu in Hampshire for three weeks, long past the time allowed by monastic rules.[7] It was because of her influence that King Henry granted the duchy of Gascony to Edward in 1249.[citation needed] Her youngest child, Katherine, seems to have had a degenerative disease that rendered her deaf. When the little girl died at the age of three, both her royal parents suffered overwhelming grief.[8]

Unpopularity[edit] Eleanor was a loyal and faithful consort to Henry, but she brought in her retinue a large number of cousins, "the Savoyards," and her influence with the King and her unpopularity with the English barons created friction during Henry's reign.[9] Though Eleanor and Henry supported different factions at times, she was made regent of England when her husband left for Normandy in 1253.[10] Eleanor was devoted to her husband's cause, stoutly contested Simon de Montfort, raising troops in France for Henry's cause. On 13 July 1263, she was sailing down the Thames when her barge was attacked by citizens of London.[11] Eleanor stoutly hated the Londoners who returned her hatred; in revenge for their dislike Eleanor had demanded from the city all the back payments due on the monetary tribute known as queen-gold, by which she received a tenth of all fines which came to the Crown. In addition to the queen-gold other such fines were levied on the citizens by the Queen on the thinnest of pretexts.[12] In fear for her life as she was pelted with stones, loose pieces of paving, dried mud, rotten eggs and vegetables, Eleanor was rescued by Thomas Fitzthomas, the Mayor of London, and took refuge at the bishop of London's home.

Later life[edit] In 1272 Henry died, and her son Edward, who was 33 years old, became Edward I, King of England. She remained in England as queen dowager, and raised several of her grandchildren—Edward's son Henry and daughter Eleanor, and Beatrice's son John. When her grandson Henry died in her care in 1274, Eleanor went into mourning and gave orders for his heart to be buried at the priory at Guildford which she founded in his memory. In 1275 Eleanor's two remaining daughters died Margaret 26th February and Beatrice 24th March.

She retired to a convent; however, she remained in contact with her son, King Edward, and her sister, Queen Margaret of France.

Eleanor died on 24/25 June 1291 in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, England. She was buried on 11 September 1291 in the Abbey of St Mary and St Melor, Amesbury on 9 December. The exact site of her grave at the abbey is unknown making her the only English queen without a marked grave. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory.[13]

Eleanor of Provence, the queen of Henry III of England, was his loyal marriage-partner for thirty-six years. Strong-willed, ambitious and practical, she played a major role in ruling the kingdom during the volatile thirteenth century. So why is she so little remembered in the roster of medieval queens? Probably because Henry filled his reign with so many miscalculations and disasters that not even a strong helpmeet could avert them. If Eleanor had been a reigning queen instead of a queen-consort, things might have been different.

As daughter of Count Raymond of Provence, Eleanor grew up steeped in the sunny, pleasure-loving culture of Southern France. She was acquainted with the nobility of the Mediterranean world. When she married Henry she brought from her birthplace her taste for the good life and her familiarity with many influential players on the European stage. Eleanor also brought her relatives to install in important offices in England. This didn't endear her to Henry's barons or to the English people, who mistrusted foreigners.

What Henry, an ambitious but ineffective king, lacked in willpower Eleanor more than made up for. Like her two predecessors on the English throne, Isabella of Angoulême and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Provence was fiercely ambitious for her children and supremely self-confident in exercising her power.

She was intimately involved in Henry's battles. These included excursions to France to fight for the Continental lands the French and English had been squabbling about for decades. At home, Henry and Eleanor had rebellious barons to contend with. When Henry was captured by his own barons and forced to agree to their terms for reforms, Eleanor went to France and raised a formidable army to free her husband. But her invasion fleet was wrecked before it reached England. Her son Edward (later Edward I), as combative as his mother, fought off the rebels and rescued his father.

After Henry died in 1272 Eleanor became Queen Dowager, but she never gave up her active role in promoting the royal family's interests. Only after fourteen years did she take off her crown and don the veil at the nunnery of Amesbury. There she lived a quiet, pious life until her death in 1291.

Queen Eleanor of Provence was beautiful, resourceful, clever-and unpopular. Her foreign airs and entanglements, her influence on her husband and her imperious manner could not endear her to the English. The chronicler summed up her contradictory qualities after her death: "the generous and devout virago."

Hughes of Gwerclas 1/2/3/4:

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Queens Consort. England's Medieval Queens by Lisa HAMILTON. Phoenix. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7538-2611-9

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Another property that became associated with English queens was the convent of Barking, which was granted to Matilda of Boulogne in the next reign and provided Eleanor of Provence with five months' worth of revenues during her widowhood.

Added by Y. DROST, 14 DEC 2015

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Birth: 1222 Aix-en-Provence Departement des Bouches-du-Rhône Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France Death: Jun. 25, 1291 Amesbury Wiltshire Unitary Authority Wiltshire, England

British Monarch. Some historians place her birth in 1217. The daughter of Raymond Berengar, count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy, Eleanor married King Henry III of England in 1236. By all accounts, the union was a happy one, and the couple had 9 children, only four of whom survived to adulthood. Eleanor was a vigorous and incisive woman who held much influence over Henry, as did her unpopular family members. This caused severe conflict between Henry and his barons. During the rise of Simon de Montfort in 1264, Eleanor raised an army of French mercenaries for the defense of her husband and son. Upon the death of Henry in 1272, Eleanor retired to a life in the veil in the Convent at Amesbury, though she never took the final vows. Until her death of old age, she was consulted many times in matters of state by her son Edward I. *Note: Eleanor's heart was entombed at Grayfriar's Church, London. (bio by: Kristen Conrad)

Family links:

Parents:

 Raimond Bérenger IV de Provence (1198 - 1245)

 Beatrice of Savoy (1198 - 1266)

Spouse:

  King Henry (1207 - 1272)

Children:

  Edward I (1239 - 1307)*

 Margaret Plantagenet (1240 - 1275)*

 Béatrice d'Angleterre (1242 - 1275)*

 Edmund Plantagenet (1245 - 1296)*

 Richard of England (1247 - 1250)*

 John of England (1250 - 1252)*

 Katherine of England (1253 - 1257)*

 Henry of England (1260 - 1260)*

Siblings:

 Marguerite de Provence (1221 - 1295)*

  Eleanor of Provence (1222 - 1291)

 Sanchia of Provence (1225 - 1261)*

 Beatrice de Provence (1234 - 1267)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial: St Mary & St Melor Churchyard Amesbury Wiltshire Unitary Authority Wiltshire, England

Maintained by: Find A Grave Originally Created by: Kristen Conrad Record added: Jan 26, 2004 Find A Grave Memorial# 8323576