128-398: The Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross is a memorial to Eleanor of Castile erected in the forecourt of Charing Cross railway station , London , in 1864–1865. It is a fanciful reconstruction of the medieval Eleanor cross at Charing , one of twelve memorial crosses erected by Edward I of England in memory of his first wife. The Victorian monument was designed by Edward Middleton Barry , also
256-625: A market cross . This was demolished in turn in 1810, although the town pump it contained survived a little longer. A drinking fountain was erected on the site by philanthropist Isabella Worley in 1874: this was relocated to Victoria Square nearby in the late 20th century. A late 19th-century ceramic plaque on the Clock Tower commemorates the Eleanor cross. ( 51°41′09″N 00°01′59″W / 51.68583°N 0.03306°W / 51.68583; -0.03306 ) Eleanor's bier spent
384-457: A comfortable, even humorous, relationship. Each year on Easter Monday , Edward allowed Eleanor's ladies to trap him in his bed and paid them a token ransom so he could go to her bedroom on the first day after Lent ; this custom was so important to Edward that in 1291, on the first Easter Monday after Eleanor's death, he gave her ladies the money he would have given them if she had been alive. Edward disliked ceremonies; in 1290, he refused to attend
512-403: A contemporary notice of her death: "a Spaniard by birth, she acquired many fine manors". John Peckham , Archbishop of Canterbury , warned Eleanor's servants about her activities in the land market and her association with the highly unpopular moneylenders: A rumour is waxing strong throughout the kingdom and has generated much scandal. It is said that the illustrious lady queen, whom you serve,
640-552: A defaulted debt but these could only be traded by royal permission, meaning Eleanor and a select group of very wealthy courtiers were the exclusive beneficiaries of these sales. The periodic excessive taxes of the Jews called "tallages" would force them to sell their bonds very cheaply, and these would be bought by courtiers. Access to these cut-price land bonds can be viewed as a form of royal patronage. Popular poem, quoted by Walter of Guisborough: The king would like to get our gold,
768-541: A drawing by Jacob Schnebbelie , in the same series in 1791. The original statues of Eleanor, which were extremely weathered, were replaced by replicas at the 1950s restoration. The originals were kept for some years at Cheshunt Public Library; but they were removed, possibly in the 1980s, and are now held by the Victoria & Albert Museum . A photograph formerly on the Lowewood Museum website shows one of
896-790: A false ritual murder allegation against the Jewish community of Lincoln, and was revived after the Expulsion of the Jews in 1290. Eleanor had been widely disliked for large-scale buying and selling of Jewish bonds, with the aim of requisitioning the lands and properties of those indebted. It has been suggested that the proximity of the shrine's design to the Eleanor crosses was deliberate, in order to position Edward and Eleanor as protectors of Christians against supposed Jewish criminality. Eleanor's crosses appear to have been intended in part as expressions of royal power; and in part as cenotaphs to encourage prayers for her soul from travellers. On
1024-596: A few cases, Eleanor's marriage projects for her female cousins provided Edward, as well as her father-in-law Henry III, with opportunities to sustain healthy relations with other realms. The marriage of Eleanor's kinswoman Marguerite de Guînes to the Earl of Ulster , one of the most-influential English noblemen in Ireland, gave Edward a new family connection in Ireland and also with Scotland because Marguerite's cousin Marie de Coucy
1152-461: A keen interest in hunting, particularly with dogs. The royal family appears to have stayed each February at Quenington in the Cotswolds for hunting. She was a keen horse rider and employed Spanish horse-breeders. Eleanor enthusiastically played chess and backgammon , and passed this interest to her children. Contemporaneous monastic chroniclers are noticeably silent on Eleanor's piety, which
1280-585: A line down part of the east of England. King Edward I had them built between 1291 and about 1295 in memory of his beloved wife Eleanor of Castile . The King and Queen had been married for 36 years and she stayed by the King's side through his many travels. While on a royal progress , she died in the East Midlands in November 1290. The crosses, erected in her memory, marked the nightly resting-places along
1408-424: A modern statue of Eleanor, erected in 1985. ( 51°45′04″N 00°20′26″W / 51.75111°N 0.34056°W / 51.75111; -0.34056 ) Eleanor's bier spent the night of 12 December 1290 at St Albans , Hertfordshire . The cross here was built between 1291 and 1293 by John of Battle at a total recorded cost of over £100, with some of the sculpture supplied by Ralph of Chichester. It
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#17327866594061536-546: A number of images of the cross and its eventual destruction are known, these all postdate its various refurbishments, and so provide no certain guide to its original appearance. However, the chronicler Walter of Guisborough refers to this and Charing Cross as being fashioned of "marble"; and it is likely that it was similar to the Hardingstone and Waltham Crosses, but even more ornate and boasting some Purbeck marble facings. The cross came to be regarded as something of
1664-411: A protective brick plinth to be erected instead, at the expense of Lord Monson . The cross is still standing, but has been restored on several occasions, in 1832–1834 , 1885–1892, 1950–1953, and 1989–90. The Society of Antiquaries published an engraving of the cross by George Vertue from a drawing by Stukeley in its Vetusta Monumenta series in 1721; and another, engraved by James Basire from
1792-457: A public hazard, both as a traffic obstruction and because of concerns about fragments of stone falling off; while in the post- Reformation period some of its Catholic imagery aroused resentment, and elements were defaced in 1581, 1599 and 1600–01. Matters came to a head during the years leading up to the Civil War. To puritanical reformers, it was identified with Dagon , the ancient god of
1920-488: A sense of humour, employing two fools , for example. Her taste in everyday clothes and emphasis on repairing rather than replacing where possible, contrasting with her predecessors and successors, suggests some practicality in her nature. With those outside her inner circle, Eleanor was frequently harsh and manipulative, and is known to have frequently lost her temper. Two letters from Peckham show some people thought Eleanor urged Edward to rule harshly, and that she could be
2048-448: A severe woman who did not take it lightly if anyone crossed her, contravening contemporaneous expectations that queens should intercede with their husbands on behalf of the needy, the oppressed and the condemned. Edward warned a convent of nuns: "if they knew what was good for them", they would accede to the queen's wishes and accept into their house a woman the convent had refused, whose vocation Eleanor had decided to sponsor. Records from
2176-516: A significant method for Eleanor to acquire land was the cheap purchase of debts owed by Christian landlords to Jewish moneylenders. In exchange for cancelling the debts, she received the lands pledged against the debts. Since the early 1200s, the Jewish community had been taxed well beyond its means, leading to a reduction in the capital the small number of rich Jewish moneylenders had to support their lending. Jews were also disallowed from holding land assets. Bonds for lands could be sold to recoup against
2304-427: A slender hexagonal pinnacle. It is possible that the other northern crosses (Lincoln, Grantham and Stamford) were in a similar relatively simple style; and that this reflects either the need to cut back expenditure in the latter stages of the project for financial reasons, or a decision taken at the planning stage to make the crosses progressively larger and more ornate as the sequence proceeded south. An engraving of
2432-602: A son John, who was followed in early 1268 by a second boy named Henry, and in June 1269 by a healthy daughter named Eleanor. Eleanor of Castile came from a family who were heavily involved in the Crusades ; Eleanor appears to have been very committed to the church's call to arms, and took a vow to participate. Women were not obliged to travel to fulfil their vow and if not prohibited from doing so were discouraged. Although other female members of her family had travelled on crusade, it
2560-401: A stone cross at each stopping place on the journey to London, ending at Charing Cross , known as Eleanor crosses . This series of monuments may have included the renovated tomb of Little St Hugh – who was falsely believed to have been ritually murdered by Jews – to bolster her reputation as an opponent of supposed Jewish criminality. Eleanor exerted a strong cultural influence. She
2688-651: A tour north through Eleanor's properties began, but proceeded much more slowly than usual, and the autumn Parliament was convened in Clipstone rather than in London. Eleanor's children were summoned to visit her in Clipstone, despite warnings travel might endanger their health. Following the conclusion of the Parliament, Eleanor and Edward set out on the short distance from Clipstone to Lincoln . By this time, Eleanor
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#17327866594062816-618: A trip to Gascony, where their next child Alphonso – named for Eleanor's half-brother Alfonso X – was born, Edward and Eleanor returned to England and were crowned together on 19 August 1274. Available evidence indicates Eleanor and Edward were devoted to each other, and it appears that Edward was faithful to her in the marriage. The couple were rarely apart; Eleanor accompanied Edward on military campaigns in Wales, giving birth to their son Edward at Caernarfon Castle on 25 April 1284. Their household records narrate incidents that imply
2944-542: Is a very fair crosse and large". It stood at Swine Green, St Catherine's , an area just outside the city at the southern end of the High Street , but had disappeared by the early 18th century. The only surviving piece is the lower half of one of the statues, rediscovered in the 19th century and now in the grounds of Lincoln Castle . ( 52°54′37″N 00°38′25″W / 52.91028°N 0.64028°W / 52.91028; -0.64028 ) Eleanor's bier spent
3072-565: Is also evidence Eleanor exchanged books with her brother Alfonso X. Eleanor is assumed to have spoken French, which was her mother's language and the dominant language of the English court. All of the extant literary works created for Eleanor are in French. In the domestic sphere , Eleanor emphasised comfort and made changes to residences to reflect her taste. She commissioned piped bath works at Leeds Caste and tiled bathrooms elsewhere, echoing
3200-549: Is also possible that hereditary heart conditions caused Eleanor's death. Eleanor returned from Gascony in August 1289, and there are signs from early 1290 that Eleanor may have been aware of her impending death. Arrangements were made for the marriage of her daughters Margaret and Joan, and negotiations for the marriage of young Edward of Caernarfon to Margaret, the Maid of Norway , heiress of Scotland, were hurried on. In mid 1290,
3328-810: Is assumed that these last three were erected in 1294 or 1295, and that they were certainly finished before the financial crisis of 1297 which brought a halt to royal building works. A number of artists worked on the crosses, as the account rolls show, with a distinction generally drawn between the main structures, made locally under the direction of master masons appointed by the King, and the statues of Eleanor, made of Caen stone , and other sculptural details, brought from London. Master masons included Richard of Crundale, Roger of Crundale (probably Richard's brother), Michael of Canterbury, Richard of Stow, John of Battle and Nicholas Dymenge. Sculptors included Alexander of Abingdon and William of Ireland, both of whom had worked at Westminster Abbey, who were paid £3 6s. 8d. apiece for
3456-679: Is conceivable that the substantial steps of the standing Market Cross comprise stones that originally belonged to the Eleanor Cross. A letter from the 18th-century antiquary William Stukeley (now untraceable) is alleged to have stated that he had one of the lions from Eleanor's coats of arms in his garden. A modern relief stone plaque to Eleanor was installed at the Grantham Guildhall in 2015. ( 52°39′22″N 00°29′37″W / 52.65611°N 0.49361°W / 52.65611; -0.49361 ) Eleanor's bier spent
3584-418: Is evidence Eleanor's managers could impose very strict terms, and that she would have known of their actions; and she paid close attention to her property dealings. Eleanor acquired debts that had to be cleared on her succession to Ponthieu in 1279, and went on to acquire 24 properties in the region in the following years, partly financed from her English income. Eleanor's executors' financial accounts record
3712-530: Is little record of Eleanor's life in England until the 1260s, when the Second Barons' War between Henry III and his barons divided the kingdom. During this time, Eleanor actively supported Edward's interests, importing archers from Ponthieu , France. Eleanor was in England during the war, and held Windsor Castle and baronial prisoners for Edward. Rumours Eleanor was seeking fresh troops from Castile led
3840-483: Is occupying many manors, lands, and other possessions of nobles, and has made them her own property – lands which the Jews have extorted with usury from Christians under the protection of the royal court. Peckham also warned Eleanor of complaints against her officials' demands upon her tenants. The majority of the lands Eleanor acquired were not acquired through the cheap acquisition of Jewish bonds. This method declined after 1275, and especially after 1281, because
3968-426: Is seen today. Later, less intrusive restorations were undertaken in 1877 and 1986. Further restoration work was completed in 2019. The bottom tier of the monument has carvings of open books. These probably included painted inscriptions of Eleanor's biography and of prayers for her soul to be said by viewers, now lost. John Leland , in the early 1540s, recorded it as "a right goodly crosse, caullid, as I remembre,
Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-420: Is significant in English history for the evolution of a stable financial system for the king's wife and for the honing this process gave the queen-consort's prerogatives. As queen, Eleanor had income other than that from her estates. Queen's gold was paid as an additional sum of ten percent on taxes. She also benefited from revenues from vacant estates, and could be granted income from trials and seizures, but
4224-494: Is the best-preserved example. All three monuments have lost their crosses "of immense height" that originally surmounted them; only the lower stages remain. The Waltham cross has been heavily restored and to prevent further deterioration, its original statues of Eleanor are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum , London. The monument now known as " Charing Cross " in London, in front of the Charing Cross railway station ,
4352-693: The Battle of Northampton . The monument was restored in 1713, to mark the Peace of Utrecht and the end of the War of the Spanish Succession , and this work included the fitting of a new terminal in the form of a Maltese cross . Further repairs were undertaken in 1762. At a later restoration in 1840, under the direction of Edward Blore , the Maltese cross was replaced by the picturesque broken shaft which
4480-565: The British Museum and the collection of the Royal Society of Antiquaries . However, due to the fragmentary nature of this evidence, he also drew from a wider range of sources including the other surviving Eleanor crosses and Queen Eleanor's tomb at Westminster Abbey . In this search for precedents Barry was assisted by his fellow architect Arthur Ashpitel . The coats of arms of England , León , Castile and Ponthieu appear on
4608-632: The Duchy of Gascony in the south of Aquitaine – the last possession of the Kings of England in France ;– which he claimed had formed part of the dowry of Eleanor of England . Henry III of England swiftly countered Alfonso's claims with both diplomatic and military moves. Early in 1253, the two kings began to negotiate; after haggling over the financial provision for Eleanor, Henry and Alfonso agreed she would marry Henry's son Edward, who now held
4736-399: The Earl of Surrey (d. 1240). Another was erected at Reading for Edward I's sister Beatrice (d. 1275). Yet another, almost contemporary with the Eleanor crosses, was erected near Windsor for Edward's mother, Eleanor of Provence (d.1291). The closest precedent for the Eleanor crosses, and almost certainly their model, was the series of nine crosses known as montjoies erected along
4864-705: The Gilbertine priory of St Katherine in the south of the city, or at the priory of the Dominicans. Her viscera , with the exception of her heart, were buried in the Angel Choir of Lincoln Cathedral on 3 December. Eleanor's other remains were carried to London, a journey of about 180 miles (290 km), that lasted 12 days. Her body was buried in Westminster Abbey , at the feet of her father-in-law King Henry III on 17 December; while her heart
4992-667: The Philistines , and was seen as the embodiment of royal and Catholic tradition. At least one riot was fought in its shadow, as opponents of the cross descended upon it to pull it down, and supporters rallied to stop them. After Charles I had fled London to raise an army, the destruction of the cross was almost the first order of business for the Parliamentary Committee for the Demolition of Monuments of Superstition and Idolatry, led by Sir Robert Harley , and it
5120-566: The 1980s. Eleanor was born in Burgos to Ferdinand III of Castile and Joan, Countess of Ponthieu . She was named after her paternal great-grandmother Eleanor of England , the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England . Eleanor was the second of five children; her elder brother Ferdinand was born in 1239/40, her younger brother Louis in 1242/43, and two brothers who were born after Louis's death in childhood. Because her parents were separated for 13 months while King Ferdinand
5248-506: The Crown forced them to sell their bonds. These transactions associated Eleanor with the abuse of usury and the supposed exploitation of Jews, bringing her into conflict with the church. She profited from the hanging of over 300 Jewish alleged coin clippers and after the expulsion of the Jews in 1290, she gifted the former Canterbury Synagogue to her tailor. Eleanor died at Harby near Lincoln in late 1290; following her death, Edward built
Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-449: The Crown had largely removed the wealth of the Jewish community. By the late 1280s, Eleanor's income from the lands she had acquired was sufficient to fund future purchases. Eleanor's selection of lands was judicious, and aimed at consolidation of her estates. Neighbouring rather than isolated lands were chosen, and the price of the potential acquisitions was less important than whether it would make sense for her estate's management. Eleanor
5504-544: The Gascon crisis but Eleanor's position in England would have been difficult; some of her relatives travelled to England soon after her marriage. Eleanor's brother Henry of Castile stayed in England for three years, hoping Henry III would help him reconcile with his father Alphonso. While Eleanor was still young and childless, the prospect of a new Castilian family faction at court would have been troubling for those surrounding Henry, making Eleanor's position precarious. There
5632-604: The Geddington Cross, is found in his diaries in the Bodleian Library , Oxford. A single small fragment from among Stukeley's finds, a carved Purbeck marble rose, was rediscovered in about 1976, and identified as part of the cross in 1993. Following the closure of Stamford Museum in 2011, this fragment is now displayed in the Discover Stamford area at the town's library. A modern monument
5760-559: The Geddington cross (drawn by Jacob Schnebbelie and engraved by James Basire ) was published by the Society of Antiquaries in its Vetusta Monumenta series in 1791. It was "discreetly" restored in 1892. ( 52°13′02″N 00°53′50″W / 52.21722°N 0.89722°W / 52.21722; -0.89722 ) Eleanor's bier spent the night of 8 December 1290, and perhaps also that of 7 December, at Hardingstone , on
5888-774: The Northumbrian lord John de Vescy , who married a close friend and relation of hers. In the 1280s, Archbishop Peckham wrote a theological work for Eleanor to explain angels and their roles. She almost certainly commissioned the Alphonso Psalter , which is now in the British Library , and is also thought to be the commissioner of the Bird Psalter , which bears the arms of Alphonso and his prospective wife. Eleanor's accounts reveal her corresponding in 1290 with an Oxford master about one of her books. There
6016-633: The Quenes Crosse", although he seems to have associated it with the 1460 Battle of Northampton. It is also referred to by Daniel Defoe in his Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain , in reporting the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675: "... a townsman being at Queen's Cross upon a hill on the south side of the town, about two miles (3.2 km) off, saw the fire at one end of the town then newly begun, and that before he could get to
6144-535: The Town Clerk, described it as "so defaced, that only the Ruins appeare to my eye". It had probably been destroyed by 1659, and certainly by the early 18th century. In 1745, William Stukeley attempted to excavate the remains of the cross, and succeeded in finding its hexagonal base and recovering several fragments of the superstructure. His sketch of the top portion, which seems to have stylistically resembled
6272-537: The age at which their daughters could marry foreign rulers, preventing her 12-year-old daughter Eleanor from leaving England in 1282. Eleanor of Castile was in part educated in diplomatic practices – such as giving gifts to visiting princes and envoys, as a means to win influence, and in the art of interceding to reduce friction from disputes – by Edward's mother Eleanor of Provence . While Edward honoured his obligations to Eleanor's father Alfonso X, his support may be seen as relatively limited. When Alfonso's need
6400-463: The architect of the railway station, and includes multiple statues of Queen Eleanor by the sculptor Thomas Earp . It does not occupy the original site of the Charing Cross (destroyed in 1647), which is now occupied by Hubert Le Sueur 's equestrian statue of Charles I , installed in 1675. Barry based the memorial on the three surviving drawings of the Charing Cross, in the Bodleian Library ,
6528-523: The baronial leader Simon de Montfort to order her removal from Windsor Castle in June 1264 after the defeat of the royalist army at the Battle of Lewes . Edward was captured at Lewes and imprisoned, and Eleanor was confined at Westminster Palace . After Edward's and Henry's army defeated the baronial army at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, Edward took a major role in reforming the government, and Eleanor rose to prominence. In July 1266, after she had birthed three short-lived daughters, Eleanor gave birth to
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#17327866594066656-463: The bathroom culture of Castile. Eleanor popularised the use of tapestries and carpets; the use of hangings and especially floor coverings was noted as a Spanish extravagance on her arrival in London but by the time of her death, it was much in vogue among rich magnates. Eleanor also promoted the use of fine tableware, elegantly decorated knives, and forks, though it is uncertain whether forks were used as personal eating utensils or as serving pieces from
6784-416: The chronicler may have been writing to flatter her son Edward II, who had succeeded his father in 1307. Eleanor of Castile had birthed at least 16 children, suggesting she was not frail. Shortly after the birth of her last child, financial accounts from Edward's household and her own show frequent payments for medicines for the queen's use. The nature of the medicines is not specified in these documents, so
6912-464: The common bowls or platters. She also had considerable influence on the development of garden design in the royal estates. Extensive spending on gardens, including the use of water features (such as fountains) – commonly found in Castilian garden designs – is in evidence at her properties and in most places she stayed. The picturesque Gloriette (or elevated garden building) at Leeds Castle
7040-506: The consequences of the Baronial rebellions and to defend the Earl of Cornwall in 1287 against charges of incompetence, arguing they were unjustified. Eleanor was a "clever operator" at court with "unique influence" due to Edward's love for her. She appears to have limited her role to avoid the wide criticism her mother-in-law had experienced, and perhaps due to her immediate concerns with pregnancies and building her landholdings. Edward
7168-542: The evening of 28 November 1290, aged 49 and after 36 years of marriage. Edward was at Eleanor's bedside to hear her final requests. Edward was greatly affected by Eleanor's death, shown for instance in his January 1291 letter to the abbot of Cluny in France, in which he sought prayers for the soul of the wife "whom living we dearly cherished, and whom dead we cannot cease to love". Only one of Eleanor's four sons survived childhood, and even before she died, Edward worried over
7296-516: The final night of its journey, 16 December 1290, in the Royal Mews at Charing, Westminster , a few hundred yards north of Westminster Abbey. The area subsequently became known as Charing Cross . The cross here was the most expensive of the twelve, built of Purbeck marble from 1291 onwards by Richard of Crundale, the senior royal mason, with the sculptures supplied by Alexander of Abingdon , and some items by Ralph de Chichester. Richard died in
7424-557: The first night of the journey at the Priory of Saint Katherine without Lincoln and her viscera were buried in Lincoln Cathedral on 3 December 1290. The Lincoln cross was built between 1291 and 1293 by Richard of Stow at a total recorded cost of over £120, with sculptures by William of Ireland (also named as William " Imaginator ", or image-maker). John Leland , in the early 1540s, noted that "a litle without Barre [gate]
7552-546: The funeral route of King Louis IX of France in 1271. These were elaborate structures incorporating sculptural representations of the King, and were erected in part to promote his canonisation (a campaign that in 1297 succeeded). Eleanor's crosses never aspired to this last purpose, but in design were even larger and more ornate than the montjoies , being of at least three rather than two tiers. ( 53°12′51″N 00°32′47″W / 53.21417°N 0.54639°W / 53.21417; -0.54639 ) Eleanor rested on
7680-523: The goldsmith William Torell . Her heart burial at the Blackfriars was marked by another elaborate monument, but probably not with a life-sized effigy. The Blackfriars monument was lost following the priory's dissolution in 1538. The Lincoln monument was destroyed in the 17th century, but was replaced in 1891 with a reconstruction, not on the site of the original. The Westminster Abbey monument survives. The twelve crosses were erected to mark
7808-544: The higher powers were in Eleanor's favour. Apart from her religious foundations, Eleanor was not given to direct good works; she left her chaplains to distribute alms for her. Eleanor gave significant funds to charitable foundations. Eleanor birthed between 14 and 17 children, only six of whom survived into adulthood. Most of Eleanor's children were born at Windsor, although she gave birth to three while on travels. It has been suggested Eleanor and Edward were more devoted to each other than to their children. As king and queen, it
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#17327866594067936-627: The hope she would marry Theobald II of Navarre . The marriage would have afforded several advantages: the Pyrenees kingdom afforded passage from Castile to Gascony; and Theobald II was not yet of age so an opportunity to rule or potentially annex Navarre into Castile existed. To avoid Castilian control, in August 1253, Margaret of Bourbon – mother and regent to Theobald II – allied with James I of Aragon instead, and as part of that treaty, solemnly promised Theobald would never marry Eleanor. In 1252, Alfonso X resurrected an ancestral claim to
8064-405: The income she received from these sources was at the king's discretion rather than being a right. Eleanor was granted significant income from hidden or unclaimed assets resulting from trials. For instance, during the late 1270s, Jews were targeted for coin-clipping offences. Although the evidence was largely fictional, around ten percent of the Jewish population – over 300 individuals –
8192-502: The junction with the A45 . The King stayed nearby at Northampton Castle . The monument is octagonal in shape and set on steps; the present steps are replacements. It is built in three tiers, and originally had a crowning terminal, presumably a cross. The terminal appears to have gone by 1460: there is mention of a "headless cross" at the site from which Thomas Bourchier , Archbishop of Canterbury, watched Margaret of Anjou 's flight following
8320-503: The king's administrations shows Hugh Despenser the Elder , who agreed to allow Eleanor to hold one of his manors for a term of years to clear his debt to her, thought it well to demand official assurances from the King's Exchequer the manor would be restored to him as soon as the queen had recovered the exact amount of the debt. A chronicle written at St Albans in 1307–1308 includes the first positive assessment of Eleanor's character, though
8448-484: The landed classes and by the church. An example of a cheaply-purchased estate is the release of Leeds Castle to Edward and Eleanor by William de Leybourne ; it became a favourite residence. Through these acquisitions, Eleanor gained an "unsavoury reputation". Records of her unpopularity are common: for instance, Walter of Guisborough highlighted her reputation and preserved a contemporaneous poem reflecting her acquisitiveness. The annalist of Dunstable Priory noted in
8576-431: The marriage of Earl Marshal Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk ; Eleanor paid minstrels to play for him while he sat alone during the wedding. Eleanor's acquisition of lands was unprecedented for an English queen: between 1274 and 1290, she acquired estates worth about £2,600 yearly. This provided a majority of her expenditure, which amounted to £8,000 a year at the time of her death, while income from her dower lands
8704-625: The medieval monuments – those at Geddington, Hardingstone and Waltham Cross – survive more or less intact; but the other nine, other than a few fragments, are lost. The largest and most ornate of the twelve was the Charing Cross. Several memorials and elaborated reproductions of the crosses have been erected, including the Queen Eleanor Memorial Cross at Charing Cross Station (built 1865). Eleanor of Castile died on 28 November 1290 at Harby, Nottinghamshire . Edward and Eleanor loved each other and much like his father, Edward
8832-482: The middle of the town, probably in the market place, and was reported by William Camden as still standing in 1586. It is said to have been demolished in 1643 by troops under the Earl of Essex . No part survives, although some of the foundations are reported to have been discovered during roadworks at the beginning of the 20th century. The Eleanor's Cross Shopping Precinct in High Street North contains
8960-557: The monument. 51°30′30″N 0°07′31″W / 51.5084°N 0.1253°W / 51.5084; -0.1253 Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I . She was educated at the Castilian court and also ruled as Countess of Ponthieu in her own right ( suo jure ) from 1279. After diplomatic efforts to secure her marriage and affirm English sovereignty over Gascony , 13-year-old Eleanor
9088-542: The nature of Eleanor's illness cannot be deduced until late 1287, when Eleanor is recorded as having a double quartan fever , while she was in Gascony with Edward. This suggests she was suffering from a strain of malaria . Malaria is not directly fatal but weakens its victims and makes them vulnerable to opportunistic infections. Among other complications, the liver and spleen become enlarged, brittle and susceptible to injury, which may cause death from internal bleeding . It
9216-598: The night of 10 December 1290 at Woburn , Bedfordshire . Work on the cross here started in 1292, later than some of the others, and was completed in the spring of 1293. It was built by John of Battle, at a total recorded cost of over £100. As at Stony Stratford, the supplier of the statues is uncertain, but some of the carvings were provided by Ralph of Chichester. No part of the cross survives. Its precise location, and its fate, are unknown. ( 51°53′10″N 00°31′16″W / 51.88611°N 0.52111°W / 51.88611; -0.52111 ) Eleanor's bier spent
9344-402: The night of 11 December 1290 at Dunstable , Bedfordshire . It rested first in the market place, before being carried into Dunstable Priory church, where the canons prayed in an overnight vigil . The cross was built between 1291 and 1293 by John of Battle at a total recorded cost of over £100. Some of the sculpture was supplied by Ralph of Chichester. It is thought to have been located in
9472-576: The night of 13 December 1290 in the parish of Cheshunt , Hertfordshire . The cross here was built in about 1291 by Roger of Crundale and Nicholas Dymenge at a total recorded cost of over £110. It probably became known as Waltham Cross because it stood at the way to Waltham Abbey , across the River Lea in Essex, which was clearly visible from its site. The sculpture was by Alexander of Abingdon , with some items supplied by Robert of Corfe. The cross
9600-631: The night of 4 December 1290 in Grantham , Lincolnshire . The master mason for the cross here is not known: it was probably constructed in 1294 or 1295. It stood at the upper end of the High Street. It was pulled down during the Civil War , but in February 1647 Grantham Corporation ordered that any stones that could be traced should be recovered for public use. No part is known to survive, but it
9728-657: The night of 5 December 1290, and possibly also that of 6 December, in Stamford, Lincolnshire . The master mason for the cross here is not known: it was probably constructed in 1294 or 1295. There is conflicting evidence about its precise location, but it is now generally agreed that it stood just outside the town on the Great North Road (modern Casterton Road, the B1081), in what is today the Foxdale area. The cross
9856-674: The norm, a likelihood that is reinforced by her later literary activities as queen. Eleanor was at her father's deathbed in Seville in 1252. Eleanor's marriage in 1254 to the future Edward I of England was not the only marriage her family planned for her. The kings of Castile had long made a tenuous claim to be paramount lords of the Kingdom of Navarre due to sworn homage from Garcia VI of Navarre in 1134. In 1253, Ferdinand III's heir Alfonso X of Castile – Eleanor's half-brother – appears to have stalled negotiations with England in
9984-571: The original statues in front of a staircase at the library. ( 51°30′51″N 00°05′41″W / 51.51417°N 0.09472°W / 51.51417; -0.09472 ) Eleanor's bier reached the City of London on 14 December 1290, and a site for the cross was selected in Westcheap (now Cheapside ). Her heart was buried in the Blackfriars priory on 19 December. The Cheapside cross
10112-476: The outskirts of Northampton . The cross here was constructed between 1291 and 1292 by John of Battle, at a total recorded cost of over £100. William of Ireland and Ralph of Chichester carved the statues. A causeway leading from the town to the cross was constructed by Robert son of Henry. The cross is still standing, close to Delapré Abbey , on the side of the A508 leading out of Northampton, and just north of
10240-477: The payments of reparations to many of those who brought actions before the judicial proceedings in 1291, done on Eleanor's request shortly before her death to provide redress for wrongdoings in her property dealings. She is likely to have been aware of the heavy-handed tactics of her administrators because she was regularly notified of activities regarding her estates. Notwithstanding the manner by which she acquired her estates and income, Eleanor of Castile's queenship
10368-499: The pedestal of each was inscribed the phrase Orate pro anima ("Pray for [her] soul"). It was not unknown for memorial crosses to be constructed in the middle ages, although they were normally isolated instances and relatively simple in design. A cross in the Strand , near London, was said to have been erected by William II in memory of his mother, Queen Matilda (d. 1083). Henry III erected one at Merton , Surrey, for his cousin
10496-469: The places where Eleanor's funeral procession had stopped overnight. Their construction is documented in the executors' account rolls, which survive from 1291 to March 1294, but not thereafter. By the end of that period, the crosses at Lincoln, Hardingstone, Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St Albans and Waltham were complete or nearly so, and those at Cheapside and Charing in progress; but those at Grantham, Stamford and Geddington apparently not yet begun. It
10624-442: The practice of fostering noble children in other dignified households was common. Edward and Eleanor regretted allowing Joan of Ponthieu to foster Joan; when six-year-old Joan travelled to England in 1278, they found she had been spoilt; she was a spirited child and at times defiant. To her immediate friends and family, Eleanor appears to have been kind, loyal and considerate, and although not overtly charming; she appears to have had
10752-405: The products of her own writing office. The number and variety of new works written for her show her interests were broad and sophisticated. After Eleanor succeeded her mother as Countess of Ponthieu in 1279, a romance about the life of a fictional, ninth-century count of Ponthieu was written for her. Eleanor commissioned an Arthurian romance with a Northumbrian theme, possibly for the marriage of
10880-458: The queen and that afterwards the business would end happily for the bishop. As queen, Eleanor's major opportunity for power and influence would have come later in her life, when her sons grew older, by promoting their political and military careers. Eleanor patronised many of her relatives, though as queen, given the unpopularity of foreigners in England, and the criticism of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence's generosity to them, Eleanor of Castile
11008-461: The queen, our manors fair, to hold ... By the 1270s, this situation had led the Jewish community into a desperate position while Edward, Eleanor and a few others gained vast new estates. According to contemporaries, however, the problem resulted from Jewish " usury ", which contributed to a rise in anti-Semitic beliefs. Eleanor's participation in Jewish usury and dispossession of middling landowners caused her to be criticised, both by members of
11136-827: The route taken when her body was transported to Westminster Abbey near London. The crosses stood at Lincoln , Grantham and Stamford , all in Lincolnshire ; Geddington and Hardingstone in Northamptonshire ; Stony Stratford in Buckinghamshire ; Woburn and Dunstable in Bedfordshire ; St Albans and Waltham (now Waltham Cross ) in Hertfordshire ; Cheapside in London; and Charing (now Charing Cross ) in Westminster . Three of
11264-400: The son and daughter of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Following the marriage, they spent nearly a year in Gascony and Edward ruled as lord of Aquitaine. During this time Eleanor, aged thirteen and a half, almost certainly gave birth to her first child, a short-lived daughter. Eleanor travelled to England alone in mid 1255 and Edward followed her a few months later. Henry III resolved
11392-443: The statues; and Ralph of Chichester. The tomb of Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln was rebuilt around the same time, probably by the same crafstmen and designers as the Eleanor crosses. It featured the royal arms , and decoration commemorating Eleanor. David Stocker believes that the shrine "displays such close acquaintance with the Eleanor crosses that it has to be considered alongside them." The cult of Little St Hugh venerated
11520-430: The succession: if that son died, their daughters' husbands might cause a succession war. Edward therefore married again, in 1299 to Margaret of France . He delighted in the sons his new wife bore, but attended memorial services for Eleanor to the end of his life. Eleanor's embalmed body was borne in great state from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey , through the heartland of Eleanor's properties, and accompanied for most of
11648-566: The time they were 13, the children spent much of their time with their parents. In 1290, Eleanor sent one of her scribes to join her children's household, probably to help with their education. Eleanor's children were frequently cared for by relatives and other trusted families. In 1274, when their six-year-old son Henry lay dying at Guildford neither parent made the short journey from London to see him but Edward's mother Eleanor of Provence tended to Henry. Henry had lived with his grandmother while his parents were absent on crusade, and because he
11776-580: The title of Duke of Gascony, and Alfonso would transfer his Gascon claims to Edward. Henry was anxious for the marriage to take place; he willingly abandoned the already-made, elaborate preparations for the knighting of Edward in England and agreed Alfonso would knight Edward on or before the next Feast of Assumption . Eleanor and Edward were married at the monastery of Las Huelgas , Burgos, on 1 November 1254. Edward and Eleanor were second cousins once removed because Edward's grandfather King John of England and Eleanor's great-grandmother Eleanor of England were
11904-472: The top like a tower or Piramidy." An engraving of the Hardingstone cross (drawn by Jacob Schnebbelie and engraved by James Basire ) was published by the Society of Antiquaries in its Vetusta Monumenta series in 1791. (plaque at 52°03′32″N 00°51′24″W / 52.05889°N 0.85667°W / 52.05889; -0.85667 ) Eleanor's bier spent the night of 9 December 1290 at Stony Stratford , Buckinghamshire . The cross here
12032-474: The town it was burning at the remotest end, opposite where he first saw it." Celia Fiennes in 1697 describes it as "a Cross, a mile off the town call'd High-Cross – it stands just in the middle of England – its all stone 12 stepps which runs round it, above that is the stone carv'd finely and there are 4 large Nitches about the middle, in each is the statue of some queen at length which encompasses it with other carvings as garnish, and so it rises less and less to
12160-662: The way by Edward and a substantial cortege of mourners. Edward ordered the erection of memorial crosses at the site of each overnight stop between Lincoln and Westminster. These artistically significant monuments, which were based on crosses in France marking Louis IX 's funeral procession, enhanced the image of Edward's kingship and bear witness to his grief. Eleanor crosses stood at Lincoln , Grantham , Stamford , Geddington , Hardingstone near Northampton , Stony Stratford , Woburn , Dunstable , St Albans , Waltham , Westcheap and Charing . Only three of these monuments have survived, none in their entirety. The cross at Geddington
12288-643: Was a keen patron of literature and encouraged the use of tapestries, carpets and tableware in the Spanish style, as well as innovative garden designs. She was a generous patron of the Dominican friars , founding priories in England, and supporting their work at Oxford and Cambridge universities. Notwithstanding the sources of her wealth, Eleanor's financial independence had a lasting impact on the institutional standing of English queens, establishing their future independence of action. After her death, Eleanor's reputation
12416-657: Was a militarily failure but Baibars of the Bahri dynasty was worried by Edward's presence at Acre and in June 1272, an assassination attempt was made on Edward. Edward was wounded in the arm by a dagger that is thought to have been poisoned. The wound quickly became seriously inflamed and a surgeon saved Edward by excising the diseased flesh after Eleanor was led away from his bed "weeping and wailing". Eleanor and Edward left Acre in September 1272. In Sicily that December, they learnt of Henry III's death on 16 November. Following
12544-512: Was able to seek lands because of the intelligence gathered by her advisors, and had tremendous advantages and wealth in being able to choose such strategies. She was also able to compromise with those whose lands were being purchased. It was not necessarily important to her strategy whether lands were immediately handed to her, or for the lowest possible price, for instance, which distinguished her from other courtiers, whose acquisitions tended to be more straightforwardly immediately profitable. There
12672-479: Was allowed no overt political role, Eleanor found other satisfying outlets. She was an active patron of literature, maintaining the only royal scriptorium known to have existed at the time in Northern Europe, with scribes and at least one illuminator to copy books for her. Some of the works produced were vernacular romances and saints' lives but Eleanor's tastes were wider than that and were not limited to
12800-694: Was an unusual thing to do. By 1270, England was at peace, and Edward and Eleanor left to join Edward's uncle Louis IX of France on the Eighth Crusade . Louis died at Carthage before they arrived; the couple spent the winter in Sicily then proceeded to Acre in the Holy Land , where they arrived in May 1271. Eleanor gave birth to a daughter, who is known as Joan of Acre for her birthplace. The crusade
12928-562: Was built between 1291 and 1293 by John of Battle at a total recorded cost of over £100. The supplier of the statues is uncertain, but some smaller carvings were provided by Ralph of Chichester. The cross stood at the lower end of the town, towards the River Ouse , on Watling Street (now the High Street), although its exact location is debated. It is said to have been of a tall elegant design (perhaps similar to that at Geddington). It
13056-518: Was built from 1291 onwards by Michael of Canterbury at a total recorded cost of £226 13s. 4d. Under a licence granted by Henry VI in 1441, the cross was extensively restored or rebuilt in 1484–86. It was subsequently regilded several times in the 16th century on the occasion of coronations and royal visits to the City. John Stow included a detailed account of the cross and its history in his Survay of London of 1598, updating it in 1603. Although
13184-403: Was built in 1865 to publicise the railway hotel at Charing station. The original Charing cross was at the top of Whitehall on the south side of Trafalgar Square ; it was destroyed in 1647 by Puritans and later replaced with a statue of Charles I . Eleanor cross The Eleanor crosses were a series of twelve tall and lavishly decorated stone monuments topped with crosses erected in
13312-544: Was buried in the church of the London Dominicans' priory at Blackfriars (a house that she and Edward had heavily patronised) on 19 December, along with those of her young son Alphonso, Earl of Chester , who had died in 1284, and of John de Vesci , who had died in 1289. Both the burial of Eleanor's body at Westminster and her visceral burial at Lincoln were subsequently marked by ornate effigial monuments , both with similar life-sized gilt bronze effigies cast by
13440-428: Was cautious to choose which cousins to support. Rather than marry her male cousins to English heiresses, which would put English wealth in foreign hands, Eleanor arranged marriages to English barons for her female cousins. Edward strongly supported Eleanor in these endeavours, which provided him and his family – alongside Eleanor in her potential widowhood – with an expanded network of potential supporters. In
13568-536: Was considered an important quality of a queen. The lack of material may be due to Eleanor's distance from the English Bishops, who represented traditional hierarchy, and her preference for the Dominican Order of Friars, to whom she was a patron, founding several priories in England and supporting their work at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Eleanor's piety was intellectual and reinforced the idea
13696-696: Was demolished on 2 May 1643. The downfall of the Cheapside Cross is an important episode of iconoclasm in English history. Two Purbeck marble fragments of the original cross, displaying shields bearing the royal arms of England and of Castile and León , were recovered in 1838 during reconstruction of the sewer in Cheapside. They are now held by the Museum of London . ( 51°30′26″N 00°07′39″W / 51.50722°N 0.12750°W / 51.50722; -0.12750 ) Eleanor's bier spent
13824-555: Was described by William Camden in 1607 as minus elegantem ("none of the fairest"), suggesting that it was by this date in a state of decay. It is said to have been demolished in about 1643. In 1735, William Hartley, a man of nearly 80, could remember only the base still standing. Any trace has now vanished. The cross is commemorated by a brass plaque on the wall of 157 High Street. (approximately at 51°59′20″N 00°37′10″W / 51.98889°N 0.61944°W / 51.98889; -0.61944 ) Eleanor's bier spent
13952-592: Was desperate in the early 1280s, Edward did not send English knights to Castile but sent knights from Gascony , which was closer to Castile. Eleanor played a role in Edward's counsels but she did not overtly exercise power except on occasions when she was appointed to mediate disputes between nobles in England and Gascony. Eleanor directed Edward's attention to Vegetius when she commissioned an Old French translation of De Re Militari while on Crusade in Acre in 1272. She also intervened in disputes, for instance to limit
14080-494: Was developed during Eleanor's ownership; she also introduced fishponds, aviaries with song birds, and Spanish flora to her gardens and grounds. Her household food supplies appear to have reflected her Spanish upbringing; they include olive oil, French cheese and fresh fruit. She also kept a connection with Acre and her time in the Crusades, ordering foodstuffs and other items from Acre throughout her time in England. Eleanor had
14208-582: Was erected at the south end of the Market Place, and for many years stood in front of the fifteenth-century Clock Tower in the High Street, opposite the Waxhouse Gateway entrance to the Abbey . In 1596, it was described as "verie stately". However, having fallen into decay, and having probably been further damaged during the Civil War, it was eventually demolished in 1701–02, to be replaced by
14336-551: Was erected in Stamford in 2009 in commemoration of Eleanor: see Replicas and imitations below. ( 52°26′15″N 00°41′07″W / 52.43750°N 0.68528°W / 52.43750; -0.68528 ) Eleanor's bier spent the night of either 6 or 7 December 1290, or possibly both, in Geddington , Northamptonshire . The master mason for the cross here is not known: it was probably constructed in 1294 or 1295. It
14464-401: Was expelled from England, their houses, debts and other property was forfeit to the Crown. Around £2,000 was raised for the Crown from sales but much was given away in about 85 grants to courtiers, friends and family; Eleanor gave the synagogue at Canterbury to her tailor. Eleanor was given little overt political role; even in diplomatic matters her role was minor. Edward heeded her advice on
14592-504: Was impossible for them to spend much time in one place; when the children were very young, they could not tolerate the rigours of constant travel with their parents. The children had a household that was staffed with attendants who were carefully chosen for competence and loyalty, and with whom the parents regularly corresponded. The children lived in this comfortable establishment until they were about seven years old, after which they began to accompany their parents on important occasions. By
14720-464: Was in decay by the early 17th century, and in 1621 the town council ordered some restoration work, although it is unknown whether this was carried out. Richard Symonds reported in 1645: "In the hill before ye come into the towne, stands a lofty large crosse built by Edward III [ sic ], in memory of Elianor his queene, whose corps rested there coming from the North." In 1646 Richard Butcher,
14848-482: Was just two years old when they left England in 1270, he could not have had substantial memories of them when they returned to England in August 1274, only weeks before his death. The dowager queen was a more familiar and comforting presence to her grandson than his parents would have been. Edward and Eleanor allowed her mother Joan, Countess of Ponthieu to raise their daughter Joan of Acre (1274–1278) in Ponthieu;
14976-453: Was located outside the village of Waltham, but as the village grew into a town in the 17th and 18th centuries, it began to suffer damage from passing traffic. In 1721, at the instigation of William Stukeley and at the expense of the Society of Antiquaries , two oak bollards were erected "to secure Waltham Cross from injury by carriages". The bollards were subsequently removed by the turnpike commissioners , and in 1757 Stukeley arranged for
15104-577: Was married to Edward at the monastery of Las Huelgas , Burgos, on 1 November 1254. She is believed to have birthed a child not long after. Fuller records of Eleanor's life with Edward start from the time of the Second Barons' War onwards, when Simon de Montfort 's government imprisoned her in Westminster Palace . Eleanor took an active role in Edward's reign as he began to take control of Henry III 's post-war government. The marriage
15232-468: Was on a military campaign in Andalusia – from which he returned to the north of Spain in February 1241 – Eleanor was probably born towards the end of that year. The courts of her father and her half-brother Alfonso X of Castile were known for their literary atmosphere. Both kings encouraged extensive education of the royal children so it is likely Eleanor was educated to a standard higher than
15360-519: Was particularly close; Edward and Eleanor travelled together extensively, including the Ninth Crusade , during which Edward was wounded at Acre . Eleanor was capable of influencing politics but died too young to have much effect. In her lifetime, Eleanor was disliked for her property dealings; she bought up vast lands such as Leeds Castle from the middling landed classes after they went into arrears on loan repayments to Jewish moneylenders, and
15488-555: Was prepared to resist Eleanor's demands or to stop her if he felt she was excessive in her activities, and he expected his ministers to restrain her if her actions threatened to inconvenience important people in his realm; on one occasion, the Lord Chancellor Robert Burnell assured the Bishop of Winchester , from whom the queen was demanding the repayment of a debt the bishop owed her, that he would speak with
15616-408: Was recorded by William Camden in 1607; and still stands in the centre of the village, the best-preserved of the three survivors. It is unique among the three in having a triangular plan, and a taller and more slender profile with a lower tier entirely covered with rosette diapering , instead of the arch-and-gable motif with tracery which appears on both the others; and canopied statues surmounted by
15744-425: Was sentenced to death; their assets were seized and forfeit to the Crown, together with fines for those who escaped hanging. Over £16,500 was collected, from which Eleanor received a significant portion. Other income from Jews came from seizures of their property at death, particularly if Eleanor had close financial relationships with them. Following the 1290 Edict of Expulsion , with which the whole Jewish population
15872-406: Was shaped by conflicting fictitious accounts – both positive and negative – portraying her as either the dedicated companion of Edward I or as a scheming Spaniard. These accounts influenced the fate of the Eleanor crosses, for which she is probably best known today. Historians have generally neglected Eleanor and her reign as a topic of serious study, but she has received more attention since
16000-511: Was the mother of Edward's brother-in-law Alexander III . The earliest of Eleanor's recorded marriage projects linked one of her Châtellerault cousins with a member of the Lusignan family, Henry III's highly favoured maternal relatives, strengthening the king's ties with that family and creating a new tie between the English king and a powerful family in Poitou, northern Gascony. Although she
16128-464: Was travelling fewer than eight miles (13 km) per day. Eleanor's final stop was at the village of Harby, Nottinghamshire , less than seven miles (11 km) from Lincoln. The journey was abandoned and the queen was lodged in the house of Richard de Weston , the foundations of which can still be seen near Harby's parish church. After piously receiving the Church's last rites, Eleanor died there on
16256-416: Was very devoted to his wife and remained faithful to her throughout their married lives. He was deeply affected by her death and displayed his grief by erecting twelve so-called Eleanor crosses, one at each place where her funeral cortège stopped for the night. Following her death the body of Queen Eleanor was carried to Lincoln , about 7 miles (11 km) away, where she was embalmed – probably either at
16384-416: Was worth £4,500, to which she would be entitled in the event of Edward's death. Edward initiated this process, as he wanted the queen to hold lands sufficient for her financial needs without drawing on funds needed for government, and to be independent if she was widowed. The process began after the Battle of Evesham when Eleanor received the grant of lands formerly held by rebels. Between 1270 and 1281,
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