Tag: Eleanor of Castile

Book Review: “Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets” by Sharon Bennett Connolly

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The typical image of a medieval princess often comes from fairy tales. They are seen as damsels in distress, waiting in a tower for their charming prince to whisk them away to create power alliances between their two countries and live happily ever after. Let’s be real, this is nothing but a fantasy. Some princesses did have happy marriages, but they weren’t wasting away in towers. They were learning how to be diplomats and rulers of their own domains, whether countries or counties. The stories of the Plantagenet princesses are especially colorful, and Sharon Bennett Connolly continues to tell their tales in the second book in her duology, “Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed the first book in this duology, “Princesses of the Early Middle Ages,” so I wanted to see how she would conclude the duology. I know more about the later Plantagenets, so I was interested to see what new information Connolly would provide to this field of study.

This title traces the daughters of King Henry III to the daughters of King Edward IV. As those who study the Plantagenets already know, two, technically three, kings did not have daughters during this period: King Henry V, King Henry VI, and, if we extend the timeline past the reign of Edward IV, Richard III. We begin with the daughters of Henry III and his wife Eleanor of Provence, who often do not get much attention since Henry III had to deal with Simon de Montfort, rebuilding Westminster Abbey, and the Provisions of Oxford. They had three daughters, Margaret, Beatrice, and Katherine (who died young). Margaret would marry Alexander III of Scotland, and Beatrice married John II, Duke of Brittany. After the death of Henry III, his son Edward I became king, alongside his wife and queen, Eleanor of Castile, whose death would later be immortalized through the Eleanor Crosses. The couple would only have one living male heir, the future Edward II, but they did have five daughters who survived infancy: Eleanor, Joan of Acre, Margaret, Mary of Woodstock, and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan. Mary of Woodstock was the only daughter who did not marry, as she was reluctantly destined to be a nun. Eleanor married twice, to King Alfonso III of Aragon and Count Henry III of Bar; Joan of Acre married Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, and then married secretly to Ralph de Monthermer. Margaret married John II, Duke of Brabant, a strong alliance marriage. Finally, Elizabeth of Rhuddlan married twice, to John I, Count of Holland, and to Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford.

Edward II would marry Isabella of France, and amidst the conflict with the favorites Piers Gaveston and Hugh le Despenser the Younger, the couple would have an heir, Edward III, John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, plus their two daughters, Eleanor of Woodstock and Joan of the Tower. Joan of the Tower would marry King David II of Scotland, while Eleanor of Woodstock would marry Reynald II, Count of Guelders. Edward III and his wife Philippa of Hainault would have five daughters, but only one of them reached her forties. Isabella, the eldest and the one who took the longest to get married, finally tied the knot with Enguerrand VIII, Lord of Coucy. Joan of the Tower was betrothed to Pedro, Prince of Castile, but on her way to Spain, she died of the Black Death. Blanche died as an infant, and Margaret of Windsor would be a child bride of John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, before she died at a young age. Finally, Mary of Waltham would marry John IV, Duke of Brittany.

Connolly explores the life of Richard II before his cousin Henry Bolingbroke became Henry IV. Before he was created king, Henry IV and his first wife Mary de Bohun had two daughters, Blanche and Philippa, whose lives would change forever once their father became King of England. Blanche married Louis III, Elector Palatine, and Philippa married Eric Pomerania, King of Denmark and Sweden. Finally, Connolly explores the lives of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s daughters. Before their father Edward IV died suddenly in 1482, they each had a different path than the one they actually took. Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter, would marry Henry VII and help found the Tudor dynasty. Cecily of York married twice, to Ralph Scrope and John, Viscount Welles, while Anne of York married Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey and Duke of Norfolk. Catherine of York married William Courtenay, Earl of Devon, and Bridget of York would become a nun.

This just scratches the surface of the amount of information Connolly includes in this book. She also includes illegitimate daughters, which adds even more depth to the past. I loved learning about the daughters of the later Plantagenet kings, and now I want to learn even more. If you enjoyed reading the first book in this duology or if you just want to learn more about Plantagenet princesses, I highly recommend you read “ Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets” by Sharon Bennett Connolly.

Book Review: “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century” by Helen Carr

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The Plantagenets, a dynasty that ruled England for over three hundred years. At least that is if you include the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings. Otherwise, the reign of the Plantagenets ended with Richard II being overthrown. So, how did the Plantagenets fall? How did wars, favoritism, and the plague factor into the fall? Helen Carr examines these questions and the rule of three kings over the fourteenth century in her latest book, “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century.”

I have really enjoyed Helen Carr’s insight into medieval English history in her book, The Red Prince, so when I heard she was writing a book about the Plantagenets again, with a focus on the fourteenth century, I was excited to read it. The idea in this book that caught my attention was the idea that the Plantagenet dynasty ended when Henry of Bolingbroke overthrew Richard II. As someone who believes that the Plantagenet dynasty ended with the death of Richard III, the concept that it ended almost a century earlier is intriguing.

We begin our adventure with a double reburial of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, the idea of King Edward I and his wife Eleanor of Castile. It was a kind gesture, but the prophecy that was left behind would be almost prophetic. With the death of King Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, the throne passed to his son Edward II. While Edward I was a strong warrior, Edward II was a handsome prince who only cared about his favorites, Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger. It would cause those around him, including his wife, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, to take action against him. Isabella and Mortimer placed Edward III on the throne, but they would soon learn that Edward III was not as passive as his father.

Edward III would return to the warrior state of mind like his grandfather Edward I. With his wife Philippa of Hainault, they would have a large family with many sons, including John of Gaunt and Edward the Black Prince. It would be Edward III who would try to take the French throne for England in a conflict known as the Hundred Years’ War (not the quickest war, and it didn’t go the way Edward III envisioned it). And to top it all off, Edward III had to deal with the emergence of the Black Death and how it affected not only his own family but England and Europe as a whole.

Before Edward III died, his heir, the Black Prince, died, which meant that the Black Prince’s son, Richard II, was destined to be the next king. However, youth and favoritism failed the king as chaos reigned ever since the start of his reign, with the Peasants’ Revolt, and ended with Henry of Bolingbroke becoming the first Lancastrian King, Henry IV.

This was another wonderful book by Helen Carr. It demonstrates Carr’s ability to balance extensive research with a narrative format to create an accessible history book that novices and experts will equally enjoy. My only qualm with this book, if you can call it an issue, is that I wanted it a bit longer so we get more analysis of how this one century affected English and European history as a whole. If you want a book that dives into the history of one of England’s most tumultuous centuries, I highly recommend you read “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century” by Helen Carr.

Book Review: “Women in the Medieval Court: Consorts and Concubines” by Rebecca Holdorph

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60474164._SY475_Medieval Europe was inundated with strong rulers and dominant figures who made a difference in how the policies of certain countries were formed. We tend to focus on the male figures, from kings to lords and rebels, when we study medieval European history. Still, the women in their lives significantly influenced how their countries were governed. Although many women stood by the side of their husbands and didn’t make much of an impact on European history, some women chose to stand out from the crowd and make a name for themselves. Rebecca Holdorph has chosen to highlight a handful of these dynamic women throughout medieval Europe in her book, “Women in the Medieval Court: Consorts and Concubines.”

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Casemate Group, for sending me a copy of this book. I have seen quite a few people read this book, and since I am always interested in learning about new figures in medieval history, I knew I wanted to read this title.

To cover so many women over several centuries, Holdorph breaks her book down into four sections; noblewomen, consorts, reigning queens, and concubines. Each section starts with a cast of characters list, so the reader has a brief synopsis of each woman featured in the chapter. She then dives into the stories of the women in each section, showing how they were similar and how they differed in the roles that society gave them in life.

Holdorph covers many European countries from the 11th to the 15th century to give her audience a broad scope of what it meant to be a woman in power in medieval Europe. We are introduced to noblewomen like Anna Komnene, the author of the Alexiad, Marie of France, Alice de Lacy, and the Rose of Raby herself, Cecily Neville. While examining the lives of these noblewomen, Holdorph looks at how their public lives differed from their private lives. Next, she explores the lives of queen consorts, those who married a prince or a king and ruled beside their husbands; some of the women included in this chapter are Eleanor of Castile, Maria de Luna, Isabeau of Bavaria, and Margaret of Anjou. In this section, Holdorph explores how these women became queens and what the job of the queen consort meant for each woman.

The third section focuses on the women who were allowed, for a time, to rule their respective countries on their own; women like Urraca of Castile and Leon, Berenguela of Castile, and Margrete of Denmark. Holdorph explores how each queen came to power and how they ruled their kingdoms for a little bit. Finally, we are introduced to the mistresses of rulers, known in this book as concubines, who made an impact that ended up costing them their lives. The women featured in this section include Maria de Padilla, Alice Perrers, Katherine Swynford, and Agnes Sorel, to show what it meant to be a good mistress versus a bad mistress.

I enjoyed learning about new powerful women from European countries other than England and France during the medieval period. My one complaint is that I wish Holdorph would have written this book in chronological order. Since many of these stories in this book were relatively new to me, the jumping back and forth between centuries and stories added to my confusion. Holdorph would have made a more significant point if she had her miniature biographies in chronological order and then summarized her points at the end of each section.

Overall, I found this a decent book. Holdorph does have a passion for this subject of medieval queens, but I think there are some elements of this book that could be improved on to make it more understandable for her audience. Suppose you want a solid introduction to medieval European women who may be unfamiliar with many casual history fans. In that case, I recommend you read “Women in the Medieval Court: Consorts and Concubines” by Rebecca Holdorph.

Book Review: “Queens of the Crusades: England’s Medieval Queens Book Two” by Alison Weir

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52355570 (1)One of the most prominent royal families of English history was the Plantagenets, who reigned for over three hundred years. In the first one hundred years of this family’s infamous history, five kings ruled (the first two are considered kings of the Angevin dynasty): Henry II, Richard I, John, Henry III, and Edward I. These five kings saw England change drastically, but they also participated in the international political landscape of the day, which involved the series of wars that today we simply refer to as the Crusades. The early Plantagenet kings saw much bloodshed and war, but they were not alone in their struggle to keep the dynasty going. These men would not have gotten as far as they did without their wives who stood by their sides. In Alison Weir’s latest installment of England’s Medieval Queens series, “Queens of the Crusades”, she takes a deep dive into the lives of the first five Plantagenet queens to show how remarkable these women truly were to stand beside their husbands during the times of the Crusades in Europe.

I would like to thank Ballantine Books, Random House, and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have been a massive fan of Alison Weir’s nonfiction books for years now. To have an opportunity to read this title and review it is simply astounding. As soon as Weir announced this new installment of England’s Medieval Queens series, I knew I wanted to read it because I had enjoyed Queens of the Conquest immensely.

The five queens that Weir covers in this particular book are Eleanor of Aquitaine, Berengaria of Navarre, Isabella of Angouleme, Alienor of Provence, and Eleanor of Castile. Many are familiar with the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II and how it soured as their sons fought against their father, but it is worth noting that every queen in this book led a rather remarkable life. Eleanor of Aquitaine may have been alive during the time of Thomas Becket’s murder and Isabella of Angouleme witnessed her husband King John seal the Magna Carta, but some of these queens witnessed battles of the Crusades being fought as they traveled with their husbands to distant lands. There was also the matter of ruling two kingdoms, England and parts of France plus keeping the peace with Wales and Scotland, all while raising their children. There was never a dull moment for the lives of the early Plantagenet queens.

I found each queen in this book fascinating to read about, even though I did not know much about their lives. I obviously knew about Eleanor of Aquitaine, but the other queens have been briefly mentioned in other books that it felt like I was discovering their stories for the first time. The way they governed England and the way that they showed their love for their husbands and their children were different, but they each made a significant impact on the story of the Plantagenet dynasty. If I did have a problem with this book it would be that I found myself confused on which Eleanor was which, especially when Alienor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile were alive during the same time.

Overall, I found this book extremely informative and meticulously researched. Alison Weir has yet again made the lives of these queens that time seemed to have forgotten come to life. I believe that this is an excellent introductory book for anyone who wants to learn about the early queens of the Plantagenet dynasty. It is engaging, thought-provoking, and masterfully written. If this sounds like you, check out the second book in the England’s Medieval Queens series by Alison Weir, “Queens of the Crusades”.

Book Review: “Edward II’s Nieces The Clare Sisters: Powerful Pawns of the Crown” by Kathryn Warner

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50021431Being part of a royal family has its perks, like power and prestige. However, especially in medieval Europe, it meant that you could not marry the person you loved. Marriage was used as a tool to create strong alliances and the women from royal families were used as extremely powerful pawns to strengthen these connections. During the reigns of King Edward II and Edward III, three sisters proved to be very valuable pawns in the marriage market. They were the Clare sisters, Eleanor, Margaret, and Elizabeth. Their stories of their numerous marriages and abductions help to tell the tale of English politics during the reigns of their uncle King Edward II and his son Edward III. Kathryn Warner’s latest book, “Edward II’s Nieces The Clare Sisters: Powerful Pawns of the Crown” explores how these sisters and their families helped transform England during this transformative time in history.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I was not familiar with these three sisters before I read this book and I wanted to learn about them. This is the second book that I have read by Kathryn Warner and it was just as enjoyable and informative as the first one.

To understand why these three sisters were important pawns in the marriage market, Warner explains who their parents were. Their mother, Joan of Acre, was the daughter of King Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. Joan of Acre married one of the most powerful noblemen in England, Gilbert “the Red” de Clare, earl of Gloucester. The couple had four children; Gilbert, Eleanor, Margaret, and Elizabeth. The massive de Clare estate would have gone to Gilbert (since he was the only son and women could not inherit under normal circumstances), however, he died at a young age, which meant that the estate was divided amongst his sisters, making them extremely valuable as wives to whoever the king wished.

Between the three sisters, there were seven husbands. Some of the marriages were relatively traditional and others were abductions in which the sisters had no choice but to marry their kidnappers. Some of the husbands, Hugh Despenser the Younger, Piers Gaveston, and Hugh Audley, were favorites (and, in the cases of Hugh and Piers, lovers) of King Edward II, allowing for their wives to have rather a unique position in history. All three of the sisters enjoyed times when they were in good favor of King Edward II and Isabella of France, but they all would experience times when they were placed under arrest in the 1320s. Each sister left a lasting legacy, especially Elizabeth who founded Clare College at the University of Cambridge.

Warner could have easily written three short biographies about each sister, but by combining their stories into one biography, the readers can understand the complex story of the Clare inheritance and how marriage, money, and power truly played a role in the reign of King Edward II. My only concern with this book is that I wish Warner included some sort of family tree/ trees to show how everyone was connected. Warner did include lists of the sisters’ husbands and children in the back, but when I was reading, I was getting slightly confused about how they related to one another and I think that family trees might have helped clear up the confusion that I had.

Overall, I found this book intriguing and complex. By telling the story of Eleanor, Margaret, and Elizabeth de Clare as three biographies in one book, Warner presents a new perspective into the life and reign of Edward II. The Plantagenet family during this time was a closely knit web of power that had to rely on each other to survive or to fall. If you want a great book to introduce you to three fascinating sisters whose marriages during the reign of the infamous Edward II transformed England then, “Edward II’s Nieces The Clare Sisters: Powerful Pawns of the Crown” by Kathryn Warner is a wonderful place to start.