Eleanor+of+Provence

﻿Eleanor of Provence Queen of England to Henry the Third toc



**Biographical Details**
﻿Eleanor of Provence was brought up surrounded by three sisters under the care of her influential parents, [|Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence]and her mother, [|Beatrice of Savoy]. At the age of 12, Eleanor of Provence married [|King Henry the Third of England], and a week later was crowned as the Queen consort in a separate coronation ceremony. Following three years of marriage, Eleanor of Provence gave birth to their first son, [|Edward I], the future heir to the throne and throughout their married life, Eleanor and Henry were parents to eight other children.
 * < **Tenure** ||< 20 January 1236 - 16 November 1272 ||
 * < **Coronation** ||< 20 January 1236 ||
 * < **Year of Birth** ||< 1223 ||
 * < **Date of Death** ||< June 1291 ||
 * < **Marriage** ||< 14 January 1236 ||

Reign as Queen consort of England to Henry III
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Eleanor of Provence retained the title of Queen consort of England for a tenure of thirty-six years. During this period, she was widely considered unpopular in the public gaze, primarily through her actions of Eleanor in promoting her relatives from France into key positions in both the church and administration sectors in England. The perception of Eleanor as ‘perhaps the most unpopular queen that ever presided over the court of England’ also arose from the prevalent belief that her young age and largely incomplete education at the time of her coronation, leading to concerns over her maturity and capability in the role of queen consort.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Influence and Legacy
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Eleanor held significant power in her position as Queen to Henry the Third and her influence over him was widely attested, and it can be speculated that Eleanor was heavily involved in fundamental decisions affecting society in the thirteenth century. A key incident that Eleanor presided over was the events relating to the reformist [|Simon de Montfort]and actions following the revolution of 1263. Eleanor played a fundamental role in the release of her husband and eldest son who were held captive for a period of time, and her peaceful and compassionate intentions were beneficial and essential in the upkeeping of peace in society. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Her legacy as a key figure in thirteenth century medieval society is particularly evident through the prominent role Eleanor of Provence played in securing the futures and inheritances for all of her children, as was apparent in the case of her second son, Edmund, ﻿who Eleanor aspired to secure the crown of Sicily. Eleanor of Provence held major influence in the futures of her children, and her legacy is obvious in the future societal implications which may have resulted from the royal marriages of her children.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">﻿Death
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Eleanor of Provence survived her late husband by a period of twenty years, dying as a nun in the year of 1291.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Sources
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The primary sources available for Eleanor of Provence predominately involve the letters published by her and communication between her and King Henry III, with a compilation of these primary documents available from this [|website]. One particular [|letter] written to her eldest son, Henry, reflects her overwhelming devotion to her family, her connection, interest and concern she felt in matters occurring in her hometown region of France and her influence in her role as Queen consort.

References and Additional Reading
<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Chibnall, M., ‘Review: Eleanor of Provence,’ //The English Historical Review,// 104, (1999)

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Eleanor of Provence, “Letter from Eleanor of Provence to Edward I” in //Medieval Women’s Latin Letters//: http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letter/655.html (accessed 17 August 2011)

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Howell, M., //Eleanor of Provence: Queenship in Thirteenth Century England// (Blackwell, 2001)

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Stafford, P., ‘Shorter Notices: Eleanor of Provence,’ //The English Historical Review,// 114, (1999)

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Strickland, A., & Strickland, E., //Lives of the Queens of England from the Norman Conquest// (Cambridge University Press, 1854)