Joan of England (1335-1348)
Encyclopedia
Joan of England was a daughter of King Edward III of England
and his Queen, Philippa of Hainault
. Joan, also known as Joanna, was born perhaps in February 1333 in the Tower of London
. As a child she was placed in the care of Marie de St Pol
, wife of Aymer de Valence
and foundress of Pembroke College, Cambridge
. She grew up together with her sister Isabella
, her brother Edward
, and their cousin Joan of Kent
. Joan died in the Black Death that struck Europe in 1348.
and were his special guests at the Imperial Diet
in the church of Saint Castor
. Edward III had formed an alliance with Louis against Philip VI of France
, but in 1341 the emperor deserted him.
It is possible that Joan was betrothed to one of the sons Louis had with his wife Margaret of Holland, Philippa's older sister, and actually stayed in their court to be educated there. However, Edward III withdrew her in 1340.
In 1345, she was betrothed to Peter of Castile, son of Alfonso XI of Castile
and Maria of Portugal. A few years later, in early August of 1348, Joan left England with the blessing of her parents. Thanks to a heavily-armed retinue she was, perhaps, the most protected woman of Europe at the time, and it is said that her trousseau
alone required an entire ship. The travel schedule included a visit to one of her family's castle
s in Bordeaux
.
also wanted to make a display of power and wealth before his allies in Castile.
The fleet that carried the Princess and her retinue consisted of four English ships, which departed from Portsmouth
and were received in Bordeaux by the awestruck mayor Raymond de Bisquale. Some say that he immediately warned Joan and her companions of the plague but that they didn't listen and proceeded to settle in the royal castle overlooking the estuary of the Gironde
.
Joan's entourage included three leading officials: Robert Bouchier, the former royal chancellor;
Andrew Ullford, a diplomatic lawyer; and the cathedral priest of Bordeaux, Gerald de Podio, who was
to see to the Princess's spiritual needs. Joan also had a remarkable Castilian minstrel, Gracias de Gyvill, who had been dispatched to England by Prince Pedro in order to entertain her with music and songs of the land of which she was to be Queen.
The Princess was also escorted by over a hundred formidable English bowmen, some of them veterans of the Battle of Crecy
, and she even travelled with a luxurious portable chapel, so that she could enjoy Catholic services without having to use the local churches all along the way to Castile. The chapel featured a couch decorated with fighting dragons and a border of vines, powdered with gold Byzantine
coins, while the altar cloth was decorated with dragons and serpents.
Joan's wedding dress was made with more than 150 meters of rakematiz
, a thick imported silk, but she also had a suit of red velvet, two sets of twenty four buttons made of silver gilt and enamel, five corsets woven with gold patterns of stars, crescents and diamonds and at least two elaborate dresses with an inbuilt corset. These dresses were also made of rakematiz, one in green and the other in dark brown. The green was embroidered all over with images of rose arbors, wild animals and wild men, while the brown had a base of powdered gold and displayed a pattern of circles, each enclosing a lion as a symbol of monarchy.
Additional items in Joan's trousseau included beds and bed curtains, ceremonial garments, and clothes for everyday wear and for riding. Information concerning these can be found in her wardrobe account of 1347.
Joan feared for her life and was moved probably to a small village called Loremo, where she remained for some time. However, she could not escape the disease and became its first victim in the camp, suffering a violent and quick attack and dying on 2 September 1348.
Some accounts document that Joan was buried in Bayonne Cathedral, and her statue, in Westminster Abbey
, is on the South Side of her father's tomb.
On 15 October 1348, Edward III sent a letter to King Alfonso of Castile terminating the marriage arrangements and describing the sorrow that he and his family were suffering after the sudden death of the Princess. He described Joan as a martyred angel looking down from Heaven to protect the royal family, and concluded with traditional and formal piety:
"We have placed our trust in God and our life between his hands, where he held it closely through many dangers"
On 25 October, Edward III sent an expedition to Bordeaux to retrieve Joan's body and return it for burial in London. The leader was a northern ecclesiastical lord, the bishop of Carlisle, who was overpaid by the King because of the high risk involved. It is unknown what happened next. There is no record of Joan's remains being returned to England nor any account of a funeral of any kind. According to medievalist Norman Cantor
, in his book The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era (2004), Joan actually died in Bordeaux, where the mayor, in an effort to arrest the plague, set fire to the port, burning the Plantagenet castle there as well. Joan's body, inside the castle at the time, could not be recovered.
"We are sure that your Magnificence knows how, after much complicated negotiation about the intended marriage of the renowned Prince Pedro, your eldest son, and our most beloved daughter Joan, which was designed to nurture perpetual peace and create an indissoluble union between our Royal Houses, we sent our said daughter to Bordeaux, en route for your territories in Spain. But see, with what intense bitterness of heart we have to tell you this, destructive Death (who seizes young and old alike, sparing no one and reducing rich and poor to the same level) has lamentably snatched from both of us our dearest daughter, whom we loved best of all, as her virtues demanded"
"No fellow human being could be surprised if we were inwardly desolated by the sting of this bitter grief, for we are humans too. But we, who have placed our trust in God and our Life between his hands, where he has held it closely through many great dangers, we give thanks to him that one of our own family, free of all stain, whom we have loved with our life, has been sent ahead to Heaven to reign among the choirs of virgins, where she can gladly intercede for our offenses before God Himself"
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and his Queen, Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault
Philippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
. Joan, also known as Joanna, was born perhaps in February 1333 in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. As a child she was placed in the care of Marie de St Pol
Marie de St Pol
Marie de St Pol was the wife of Aymer de Valence, the Earl of Pembroke, and is best known as the foundress of Pembroke College, Cambridge....
, wife of Aymer de Valence
Aymer de Valence
Aymer de Valence, also known as Aymer de Lusignan or Thelmar de Valence, was a Bishop of Winchester around 1250.-Life:...
and foundress of Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
. She grew up together with her sister Isabella
Isabella de Coucy
Isabella of England, also known as Dame Isabella de Coucy , was the eldest daughter of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault and the wife of Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy, by whom she had two daughters.She was made a Lady of the Garter in 1376.-Early years:Isabella was the royal...
, her brother Edward
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
, and their cousin Joan of Kent
Joan of Kent
Joan, Countess of Kent , known to history as The Fair Maid of Kent, was the first English Princess of Wales...
. Joan died in the Black Death that struck Europe in 1348.
Life
In 1338, Joan was taken on her father's journey to Coblence, where they met Louis IV, Holy Roman EmperorLouis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
and were his special guests at the Imperial Diet
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
in the church of Saint Castor
Castor of Karden
Saint Castor of Karden was a priest and hermit of the 4th century who is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Castor was a pupil of Maximinus of Trier around 345 AD, and was ordained as a priest by Maximinus. Like his teacher, Castor may have come from the region of Aquitaine...
. Edward III had formed an alliance with Louis against Philip VI of France
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
, but in 1341 the emperor deserted him.
It is possible that Joan was betrothed to one of the sons Louis had with his wife Margaret of Holland, Philippa's older sister, and actually stayed in their court to be educated there. However, Edward III withdrew her in 1340.
In 1345, she was betrothed to Peter of Castile, son of Alfonso XI of Castile
Alfonso XI of Castile
Alfonso XI was the king of Castile, León and Galicia.He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ensued over who would hold regency, which were resolved in 1313...
and Maria of Portugal. A few years later, in early August of 1348, Joan left England with the blessing of her parents. Thanks to a heavily-armed retinue she was, perhaps, the most protected woman of Europe at the time, and it is said that her trousseau
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
alone required an entire ship. The travel schedule included a visit to one of her family's castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
.
Travel to Castile
Edward III had spared no expense in the preparations for Joan's journey and marriage, equipping her in the most impressive manner he could. The King loved his daughter, but it's very likely that healso wanted to make a display of power and wealth before his allies in Castile.
The fleet that carried the Princess and her retinue consisted of four English ships, which departed from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and were received in Bordeaux by the awestruck mayor Raymond de Bisquale. Some say that he immediately warned Joan and her companions of the plague but that they didn't listen and proceeded to settle in the royal castle overlooking the estuary of the Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
.
Joan's entourage included three leading officials: Robert Bouchier, the former royal chancellor;
Andrew Ullford, a diplomatic lawyer; and the cathedral priest of Bordeaux, Gerald de Podio, who was
to see to the Princess's spiritual needs. Joan also had a remarkable Castilian minstrel, Gracias de Gyvill, who had been dispatched to England by Prince Pedro in order to entertain her with music and songs of the land of which she was to be Queen.
The Princess was also escorted by over a hundred formidable English bowmen, some of them veterans of the Battle of Crecy
Battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...
, and she even travelled with a luxurious portable chapel, so that she could enjoy Catholic services without having to use the local churches all along the way to Castile. The chapel featured a couch decorated with fighting dragons and a border of vines, powdered with gold Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
coins, while the altar cloth was decorated with dragons and serpents.
Joan's wedding dress was made with more than 150 meters of rakematiz
Rakematiz
Rakematiz is a thick silk fabric embroidered with strands of gold. It was extremely rare and valuable. Apparel that incorporated rakematiz was popular in Europe in the Middle Ages....
, a thick imported silk, but she also had a suit of red velvet, two sets of twenty four buttons made of silver gilt and enamel, five corsets woven with gold patterns of stars, crescents and diamonds and at least two elaborate dresses with an inbuilt corset. These dresses were also made of rakematiz, one in green and the other in dark brown. The green was embroidered all over with images of rose arbors, wild animals and wild men, while the brown had a base of powdered gold and displayed a pattern of circles, each enclosing a lion as a symbol of monarchy.
Additional items in Joan's trousseau included beds and bed curtains, ceremonial garments, and clothes for everyday wear and for riding. Information concerning these can be found in her wardrobe account of 1347.
Death
As Princess Joan embarked on her journey, the Black Death had not yet appeared in England, and it is unlikely that the party was aware of the danger. Despite the severe outbreak of plague in Bordeaux, at first it did not occur to Joan and her advisors to leave town. Soon, they watched in horror as the members of the entourage began falling sick and dying. Robert Bouchier, the leader of the retinue, died on 20 August.Joan feared for her life and was moved probably to a small village called Loremo, where she remained for some time. However, she could not escape the disease and became its first victim in the camp, suffering a violent and quick attack and dying on 2 September 1348.
Some accounts document that Joan was buried in Bayonne Cathedral, and her statue, in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, is on the South Side of her father's tomb.
Aftermath
Andrew Ullford, the diplomatic lawyer, was not affected by the plague and traveled to England in October, in order to inform the king of his daughter's death, which shocked the English. Not only was she one of the earliest English victims of the epidemic, which by then had begun attacking England, but her death also seemed to prove that even royalty would not be spared.On 15 October 1348, Edward III sent a letter to King Alfonso of Castile terminating the marriage arrangements and describing the sorrow that he and his family were suffering after the sudden death of the Princess. He described Joan as a martyred angel looking down from Heaven to protect the royal family, and concluded with traditional and formal piety:
"We have placed our trust in God and our life between his hands, where he held it closely through many dangers"
On 25 October, Edward III sent an expedition to Bordeaux to retrieve Joan's body and return it for burial in London. The leader was a northern ecclesiastical lord, the bishop of Carlisle, who was overpaid by the King because of the high risk involved. It is unknown what happened next. There is no record of Joan's remains being returned to England nor any account of a funeral of any kind. According to medievalist Norman Cantor
Norman Cantor
Norman Frank Cantor was a historian who specialized in the medieval period. Known for his accessible writing and engaging narrative style, Cantor's books were among the most widely-read treatments of medieval history in English...
, in his book The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era (2004), Joan actually died in Bordeaux, where the mayor, in an effort to arrest the plague, set fire to the port, burning the Plantagenet castle there as well. Joan's body, inside the castle at the time, could not be recovered.
Letter to Alfonso
Here is an excerpt from the letter that King Edward III sent to King Alfonso of Castile (translated by Rosemary Horrox in her book The Black Death):"We are sure that your Magnificence knows how, after much complicated negotiation about the intended marriage of the renowned Prince Pedro, your eldest son, and our most beloved daughter Joan, which was designed to nurture perpetual peace and create an indissoluble union between our Royal Houses, we sent our said daughter to Bordeaux, en route for your territories in Spain. But see, with what intense bitterness of heart we have to tell you this, destructive Death (who seizes young and old alike, sparing no one and reducing rich and poor to the same level) has lamentably snatched from both of us our dearest daughter, whom we loved best of all, as her virtues demanded"
"No fellow human being could be surprised if we were inwardly desolated by the sting of this bitter grief, for we are humans too. But we, who have placed our trust in God and our Life between his hands, where he has held it closely through many great dangers, we give thanks to him that one of our own family, free of all stain, whom we have loved with our life, has been sent ahead to Heaven to reign among the choirs of virgins, where she can gladly intercede for our offenses before God Himself"
In later Culture
- The History ChannelThe History ChannelHistory, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
's two-hour Special The Plaguehttp://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/microsites/theplague/ depicts Joan's journey to Castille. In the microsite's gallery, picture #8 represents her.
- Joan's story is discussed in another non-fiction book by Norman CantorNorman CantorNorman Frank Cantor was a historian who specialized in the medieval period. Known for his accessible writing and engaging narrative style, Cantor's books were among the most widely-read treatments of medieval history in English...
, In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death & the World it Made, in which the author wonders what would have happened had she survived her journey and married her prince.
- Joan's life in the weeks leading up to her death are key to the fictional plot of the graphic novel, Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths ForetoldDestiny: A Chronicle of Deaths ForetoldDestiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold is a 1996 comic book mini-series published by Vertigo, written by Alisa Kwitney and with art by Kent Williams, Michael Zulli, Scott Hampton and Rebecca Guay...
. However, Joan's story is told in a rather distorted way, and the author presents few historical facts. Joan wasn't going to marry a man but a boy of her own age, and Pedro still had a long way to go to attain his subsequent reputation for cruelty and sadism. Also, Joan spent nearly a month at Bordeaux before she died.
- Joan is a key character in the early chapters of The Lady Royal by Molly Costain HaycraftMolly Costain HaycraftMolly Costain Haycraft is a Canadian author. She was born in Toronto, Canada, and spent her childhood in Philadelphia, where her father, the well-known novelist Thomas B. Costain, was an editor for The Saturday Evening Post. She is the author of several novels about women in English royal history...
, a fictionalized biography of her older sister Isabella. The novel depicts the sisters as close friends and confidantes and alleges that Isabella was visiting with Joan and her retinue at the time of the younger princess's death.