Eleanor of England
Encyclopedia
Eleanor of Leicester (1215 – 13 April 1275) was the youngest child of King John of England
and Isabella of Angoulême
.
, King John's London
was in the hands of French forces, John had been forced to sign the Magna Carta
and Queen Isabella was in shame. Eleanor never met her father, as he died at Newark Castle
when she was barely a year old. The French, led by Philip Augustus
, were marching through the south. The only lands loyal to her brother, Henry III, were in the Midlands and southwest. The barons ruled the north, but they united with the royalists under William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
, who protected the young king Henry
, and Philip was defeated.
Before William the Marshal died in 1219 Eleanor was promised to his son, also named William
. They were married on 23 April 1224 at New Temple Church in London. The younger William was 34 and Eleanor only nine. He died in London on 6 April 1231, days before their seventh anniversary. There were no children of this marriage. The widowed Eleanor swore a holy oath of chastity in the presence of Edmund Rich
, Archbishop of Canterbury.
. According to Matthew Paris
, Simon was attracted to Eleanor's beauty and elegance as well as her wealth and high birth. They fell in love and married secretly on 7 January 1238 at the King's chapel in Westminster Palace. Her brother King Henry later alleged that he only allowed the marriage because Simon had seduced Eleanor. The marriage was controversial because of the oath Eleanor had sworn several years before to remain chaste. Because of this, Simon made a pilgrimage to Rome
seeking papal approval for their union. Simon and Eleanor had seven children:
Simon de Montfort had the real power behind the throne
, but when he tried to take the throne, he was defeated with his son at the Battle of Evesham
on 4 August 1265. Eleanor fled to exile in France where she became a nun at Montargis Abbey, a nunnery founded by her deceased husband's sister Amicia, who remained there as abbess. There she died on 13 April 1275, and was buried there. She was well treated by Henry, retained her incomes, and her proctors were allowed to pursue her litigation concerning the Leicester inheritance in the English courts; her will and testament were executed without hindrance.
Elizabeth Woodville
, queen consort of Edward IV
, was her descendant.
Eleanor is also the main character in Virginia Henley
's The Dragon and the Jewel, which tells of her life from just before her marriage to William Marshal to right before the Battle of Lewes in 1264. Her romance and marriage to Simon de Montford are very much romanticized in this novel, especially since in real life Simon is killed the year following the Battle of Lewes and the pair had already had all 7 of their children; in the book, Eleanor and Simon have only just had their first two sons.
Eleanor makes a second appearance in Virginia Henley
's historical romance The Marriage Prize. Her role in the book is that of the legal guardian to a young Marshall niece, Rosamond Marshall, who was left an orphan and lived with Simon and Eleanor de Montford until her marriage to a wealthy noble knight, Rodger de Leyburn.However, in this novel her loyalty to her husband Simon and his last war with the king "battle of Evesham" where he died depicts her love and strength before and after the outcome of the battle.
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
and Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême
Isabella of Angoulême was queen consort of England as the second wife of King John from 1200 until John's death in 1216. They had five children by the king including his heir, later Henry III...
.
Early life
At the time of Eleanor's birth at GloucesterGloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, King John's London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was in the hands of French forces, John had been forced to sign the Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
and Queen Isabella was in shame. Eleanor never met her father, as he died at Newark Castle
Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire
Newark Castle, in Newark, in the English county of Nottinghamshire was built by Alexander, consecrated Bishop of Lincoln in 1123, who established it as a mint. His rebuild here was probably the model for that at Sleaford Castle, also built by Alexander....
when she was barely a year old. The French, led by Philip Augustus
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
, were marching through the south. The only lands loyal to her brother, Henry III, were in the Midlands and southwest. The barons ruled the north, but they united with the royalists under William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
Sir William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , also called William the Marshal , was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He was described as the "greatest knight that ever lived" by Stephen Langton...
, who protected the young king Henry
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
, and Philip was defeated.
Before William the Marshal died in 1219 Eleanor was promised to his son, also named William
William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was a medieval English nobleman, and the son of the famous William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.-Early life:William was born in Normandy probably during the spring of 1190...
. They were married on 23 April 1224 at New Temple Church in London. The younger William was 34 and Eleanor only nine. He died in London on 6 April 1231, days before their seventh anniversary. There were no children of this marriage. The widowed Eleanor swore a holy oath of chastity in the presence of Edmund Rich
Edmund Rich
Edmund Rich was a 13th century Archbishop of Canterbury in England...
, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Simon de Montfort
Seven years later, she met Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of LeicesterSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
. According to Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris
Matthew Paris was a Benedictine monk, English chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire...
, Simon was attracted to Eleanor's beauty and elegance as well as her wealth and high birth. They fell in love and married secretly on 7 January 1238 at the King's chapel in Westminster Palace. Her brother King Henry later alleged that he only allowed the marriage because Simon had seduced Eleanor. The marriage was controversial because of the oath Eleanor had sworn several years before to remain chaste. Because of this, Simon made a pilgrimage to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
seeking papal approval for their union. Simon and Eleanor had seven children:
- Henry de MontfortHenry de MontfortSir Henry de Montfort was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and with his father played an important role in the struggle of the barons against King Henry III...
(November 1238-1265) - Simon the younger de Montfort (April 1240-1271)
- Amaury de Montfort, Canon of YorkAmaury de Montfort, Canon of YorkAmaury de Montfort was the fourth son to parliamentary pioneer Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and Eleanor of England, daughter of King John....
(1242/1243-1300) - Guy de Montfort, Count of NolaGuy de Montfort, Count of NolaGuy de Montfort, Count of Nola was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England.He participated in the Battle of Evesham against the royalist forces of his uncle, King Henry III of England, and his cousin, Prince Edward...
(1244–1288) - Joanna, born and died in Bordeaux between 1248 and 1251.
- Richard de MontfortRichard de MontfortRichard de Montfort born about 1065 in Montfort l'Amaury, Ile de France, France and died 1092. He was the son of Simon I de Montfort, Count of Évreux and Agnès d'Évreux ....
(1252–1266) - Eleanor de MontfortEleanor de MontfortEleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon was a daughter of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England. She was also the first woman who can be shown to have used the title Princess of Wales....
Princess of Wales (1258–1282)
Simon de Montfort had the real power behind the throne
Power behind the throne
The phrase power behind the throne refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of an office. In politics, it most commonly refers to a spouse, aide, or advisor of a political leader who serves as de facto leader, setting policy through influence or manipulation.The...
, but when he tried to take the throne, he was defeated with his son at the Battle of Evesham
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by Prince Edward – later King Edward I – who led the forces of his father, King Henry III...
on 4 August 1265. Eleanor fled to exile in France where she became a nun at Montargis Abbey, a nunnery founded by her deceased husband's sister Amicia, who remained there as abbess. There she died on 13 April 1275, and was buried there. She was well treated by Henry, retained her incomes, and her proctors were allowed to pursue her litigation concerning the Leicester inheritance in the English courts; her will and testament were executed without hindrance.
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth Woodville was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Elizabeth was a key figure in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Her first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby was killed at the Second Battle of St Albans...
, queen consort of Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, was her descendant.
Fiction
Eleanor appears as a major character in Sharon Kay Penman's novel Falls the Shadow, where she is called Nell.Eleanor is also the main character in Virginia Henley
Virginia Henley
Virginia Henley, née Virginia Syddall , is a British successful writer of historical-romance novels. She is well-known for her Medieval, Renaissance and other period piece romance novels.- Biography :...
's The Dragon and the Jewel, which tells of her life from just before her marriage to William Marshal to right before the Battle of Lewes in 1264. Her romance and marriage to Simon de Montford are very much romanticized in this novel, especially since in real life Simon is killed the year following the Battle of Lewes and the pair had already had all 7 of their children; in the book, Eleanor and Simon have only just had their first two sons.
Eleanor makes a second appearance in Virginia Henley
Virginia Henley
Virginia Henley, née Virginia Syddall , is a British successful writer of historical-romance novels. She is well-known for her Medieval, Renaissance and other period piece romance novels.- Biography :...
's historical romance The Marriage Prize. Her role in the book is that of the legal guardian to a young Marshall niece, Rosamond Marshall, who was left an orphan and lived with Simon and Eleanor de Montford until her marriage to a wealthy noble knight, Rodger de Leyburn.However, in this novel her loyalty to her husband Simon and his last war with the king "battle of Evesham" where he died depicts her love and strength before and after the outcome of the battle.