1236 The royal wedding took place on January 4, 1236. It was a lavish affair, all of it overseen by […]
The second Eleanor
1237 Eleanor of Provence was the second of the four daughters of poverty-stricken Count Ramon Berenger. Known as Eleanor La […]
The first rebellion
1234 By this time Richard, the earl of Cornwall, had also married into the Marshal clan. William’s sister Isabella was […]
The first Eleanor
1231 The youngest of John’s children, Eleanor (1215 – 1275) had all the beauty of her mother Isabella of Angoulême. […]
Courtly intrigue
1231 The Leicester holdings, it turned out, generated little income to cover the debts Simon had incurred to recover them. […]
Always the Jews
1231 The expedition was a total failure. Young Henry looked splendid in his armor until dysentery took hold of him […]
Arriving in England
1230 When the middle brother died during another siege, the oldest brother Amaury had only Simon to contend with for […]
The crimes of the father
1218 Simon’s namesake father had gained fame throughout Europe for his ruthless suppression of the Cathars during the Albigensian Crusade. […]
The third son
1208 Simon de Montfort was described as “tall in body and handsome in face.” He was also said to have […]
The simple king
1207 Stout and florid in later life, no doubt from a love of good wine, the one physical feature of […]
Simon and Henry
Next door to the cathedral is the Palace of Westminster with its iconic clock tower. It’s home to the houses […]
The true visionary
The Westminster Abbey we know today was the vision of King Henry III. A fickle man of unsteady purpose, Henry […]