Reigned 1216-1272. A minor when he took the throne he did not take the reigns of Government himself until 1234. Baronian discontent simmered, boiling over in 1258 when Henry facing financial disaster attempted to raise large sums from his magnates. Reforms were agreed upon but then renouced by Henry. Simon de Montford lead a rebellion against the King (the Barons Wars) which was defeated after initial success, thereafter Hnery ceeded much of his power to his son. Burke say he was born 10 Oct 1206 and married 14 Jan, crowned 1216.
Henry III, the first monarch to be crowned in his minority, inherited the throne at age nine. His reign began immersed in the rebellion created by his father, King John. London and most of the southeast were in the hands of the French Dauphin Louis and the northern regions were under the control of rebellious barons - only the midlands and southwest were loyal to the boy king. The barons, however, rallied under Henry's first regent, William the Marshall, and expelled the French Dauphin in 1217. William the Marshall governed until his death in 1219; Hugh de Burgh, the last of the justiciars to rule with the power of a king, governed until Henry came to the throne in earnest at age twenty-five.
A variety of factors coalesced in Henry's reign to plant the first seeds of English nationalism. Throughout his minority, the barons held firm to the ideal of written restrictions on royal authority and reissued Magna Carta several times. The nobility wished to bind the king to same feudal laws under which they were held. The emerging class of free men also demanded the same protection from the king's excessive control. Barons, nobility, and free men began viewing
England as a community rather than a mere aggregation of independent manors, villages, and outlying principalities. In addition to the restrictions outlined in Magna Carta, the barons asked to be
consulted in matters of state and called together as a Great Council. Viewing themselves as the natural counselors of the king, they sought control over the machinery of government, particularly in the appointment of chief government positions. The Exchequer and the Chancery were separated from the rest of the government to decrease the king's chances of ruling irresponsibly.
Nationalism, such as it was at this early stage, manifested in the form of opposition to Henry's actions. He infuriated the barons by granting favors and appointments to foreigners rather than the
English nobility. Peter des Roches, the Bishop of Winchester and Henry's prime educator, introduced a number of Frenchmen from Poitou into the government; many Italians entered into English society
through Henry's close ties to the papacy. His reign coincided with an expansion of papal power <ETH> the Church became, in effect, a massive European monarchy <ETH> and the Church became as creative as it was excessive in extorting money from England. England was expected to assume a large portion of financing the myriad officials employed throughout Christendom as well as providing employment and parishes for Italians living abroad. Henry's acquiescence to the demandsof Rome initiated a backlash of protest from his subjects: laymen were denied opportunity to be nominated for vacant ecclesiastical offices and clergymen lost any chance of advancement.
Matters came to a head in 1258. Henry levied extortionate taxes to pay for debts incurred through war with Wales, failed campaigns in France, and an extensive program of ecclesiastical building. Inept diplomacy and military defeat led Henry to sell his hereditary claims to all the Angevin possessions in France except Gascony. When he assumed the considerable debts of the papacy in its fruitless war with Sicily, his barons demanded sweeping reforms and the king was in no position to offer resistance. Henry was forced to agree to the Provisions of Oxford, a document placing the barons in virtual control of the realm. A council of fifteen men, comprised of both the king's supporters and detractors, effected a situation whereby Henry could nothing without the council's knowledge and consent. The magnates handled every level of government with great unity initially but gradually succumbed to petty bickering; the Provisions of Oxford remained in force for only years. Henry reasserted his authority and denied the Provisions, resulting in the outbreak of civil war in 1264. Edward, Henry's eldest son, led the king's forces with the opposition commanded by Simon de Montfort, Henry's brother-in-law. At the Battle of Lewes, in Sussex, de Montfort defeated Edward and captured both king and son - and found himself in control of the
government.
Simon de Montfort held absolute power after subduing Henry but was a champion of reform. The nobility supported him because of his royal ties and belief in the Provisions of Oxford. De Montfort, with two close associates, selected a council of nine (whose function was similar to the earlier council of fifteen) and ruled in the king's name. De Montfort recognized the need to gain the backing of smaller landowners and prosperous townsfolk: in 1264, he summoned knights from each shire in addition to the normal high churchmen and nobility to an early pre-Parliament, and in 1265 invited burgesses from selected towns. Although Parliament as an institution was yet to be formalized, the latter session was a precursor to both the elements of Parliament: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Later in 1265, de Montfort lost the support of one of the most powerful barons, the Earl of Gloucester, and Edward also managed to escape. The two gathered an army and defeated de Montfort at the Battle of Evasham, Worcestershire. de Montfort was slain and Henry was released; Henry resumed control of the throne but, for the remainder of his reign, Edward exercised the real power of the throne in his father's stead. The old king, after a long reign of fifty-six years, died in 1272. Although a failure as a politician and soldier, his reign was significant for defining the English monarchical position until the end of the fifteenth century: kingship limited by law.

aka: Berenger, Eleanor of Provence, b. ABT 1217
After King Henry died she tooks the veil at Amesbury.
The Complete Peerage vol.IV,p.320-321,note c.

------------


Place of Burial:
Amesbury
Birthdate:
1223
Birthplace:
Aix-en-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Death:
Died June 24, 1291 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, England
Occupation:
Queen consort of England, Queen of England

Managed by:
Rick Lakin
Last Updated:
July 21, 2011

About Éléonore de Provence, reine consort d'Angleterre
Born in Aix-en-Provence, Eleanor was the second eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer V, Count of Provence (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva. All four of their daughters became queens.
Like her mother, grandmother, and sisters, Eleanor was renowned for her beauty. She was a dark-haired brunette with fine eyes.
On June 22 1235, Eleanor was bethrothed to King Henry III of England (1207–1272) and wed to him on January 14, 1236. She had never seen him prior to the wedding at Canterbury Cathedral and had never set foot in his kingdom. Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated.
Eleanor was dressed in a shimmering golden gown which was tightly-fitted to the waist, and then flared out in wide pleats to her feet. The sleeves were long and lined with ermine. After riding to London the same day where a procession of citizens greeted the bridal pair, Eleanor was crowned queen consort of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey which was followed by a magnificent banquet with the entire nobility in full attendance.
Eleanor was renowned for her learning, cleverness, and skill at writing poetry, as well as her beauty; she was also known as a leader of fashion, continually importing clothes from France. She often wore parti-coloured cottes (a type of tunic), gold or silver girdles into which a dagger was casually thrust, she favoured red silk damask, and decorations of gilt quatrefoil, and to cover her dark hair she wore jaunty pillbox caps.
Eleanor and King Henry had five children together:
1. Edward I (1239–1307)
2. Margaret of England (1240–1275)
3. Beatrice of England (1242–1275)
4. Edmund Crouchback (1245–1296)
5. Katharine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257)
Eleanor seems to have been especially devoted to her eldest son, Edward; when he was deathly ill in 1246, she stayed with him at the abbey at Beaulieu in Hampshire for three weeks, long past the time allowed by monastic rules. Her youngest child, Katharine, seems to have had a degenerative disease that rendered her deaf. When the little girl died at the age of three, both her royal parents suffered overwhelming grief.
Eleanor as Queen
Eleanor was a confident consort to Henry, but she brought in her retinue a large number of cousins, "the Savoyards," and her influence with the King and her unpopularity with the English barons created friction during Henry's reign.
Eleanor was devoted to her husband's cause, stoutly contested Simon de Montfort, and helped raise troops in France for Henry's cause.
In 1272 King Henry died, and her son Edward, who was 33 years old, became Edward I, King of England. Eleanor remained in England as Dowager Queen, and raised several of her grandchildren—Edward's son Henry and daughter Eleanor, and Beatrice's son John. When her grandson Henry died in her care in 1274, Eleanor mourned him dearly, and his heart was buried at the priory at Guildford which she founded in his memory.
Eleanor retired to a convent but remained in touch with her son, King Edward, and her sister, Queen Margaret of France.
Eleanor died on in June of 1291 in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, England. She was buried on September 11, 1291 in the Abbey of St. Mary. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory.
sources
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Provence
[http://www.thepeerage.com/p10193.htm#i101924
[http://www.geneall.net/F/per_page.php?id=9459 [ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8323576]
[http://larryvoyer.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I63368&tree=v7_28
[http://nygaard.howards.net/files/4322.htm
[http://www.medievalqueens.com/queen-eleanor-of-provence.htm
[http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p405.htm#i4594 [ http://web.me.com/abacusinfo/English_Queens_Consort/8._Eleanor_of_Provence.html]
-------------------- http://thepeerage.com/p10193.htm#i101924
Eleanor of Provence was born in 1223 at Aix-en-Provence, Provence, France.3 She was the daughter of Raimond Berengar V, Comte de Provence and Beatrice di Savoia.2 She married Henry III, King of England, son of John I 'Lackland', King of England and Isabella d'Angoulême, on 14 January 1236 at Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England.3 She died on 24 June 1291 at Amesbury Abbey, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.3 She was buried at Amesbury Abbey, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.3
As a result of her marriage, Eleanor of Provence was styled as Queen Consort Eleanor of England on 20 January 1236.3 She was a nun on 7 July 1284 at Amesbury Abbey, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.3
-------------------- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Provence
Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291[1]) was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272.
Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.
Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/towns/amesbury.shtml
Interesting Note (found on this page): "In 1287, King Edward's mother, Eleanor of Provence, also took her vows and was later buried here. The precise location of her grave remains unknown, making her the only Queen of England without a known grave." -------------------- Eleanor of Provence

Queen consort of England Tenure 14 January 1236 – 16 November 1272 Coronation 14 January 1236

Spouse Henry III of Winchester Issue Edward I Longshanks Margaret, Queen of Scots Beatrice of England Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Leicester and Lancaster Katherine of England House House of Aragon (by birth) House of Plantagenet (by marriage) Father Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence Mother Beatrice of Savoy Born c. 1223 Aix-en-Provence Died 24/25 June 1291 Amesbury Burial Abbey of St Mary and St Melor in Amesbury
Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291[1]) was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272.
Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought a large number of relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry citizens who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables.
Eleanor was the mother of five children including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion.
Born in Aix-en-Provence, she was the second eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer V, Count of Provence (1198–1245) and Beatrice of Savoy (1205–1267), the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and his second wife Margaret of Geneva. All four of their daughters became queens. Like her mother, grandmother, and sisters, Eleanor was renowned for her beauty. She was a dark-haired brunette with fine eyes.[2] Piers Langtoft speaks of her as "The erle's daughter, the fairest may of life".[3] On 22 June 1235, Eleanor was bethrothed to King Henry III of England (1207–1272).[1] Eleanor was probably born in 1223; Matthew Paris describes her as being "jamque duodennem" (already twelve) when she arrived in the Kingdom of England for her marriage.
Eleanor was married to King Henry III of England on 14 January 1236. She had never seen him prior to the wedding at Canterbury Cathedral and had never set foot in his kingdom.[4] Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated. She was dressed in a shimmering golden gown which was tightly-fitted to the waist, and then flared out in wide pleats to her feet. The sleeves were long and lined with ermine.[5] After riding to London the same day where a procession of citizens greeted the bridal pair, Eleanor was crowned queen consort of England in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey which was followed by a magnificent banquet with the entire nobility in full attendance.[6]
Eleanor and Henry together had five children:
Edward I (1239–1307), married Eleanor of Castile (1241–1290) in 1254, by whom he had issue, including his heir Edward II; he married Margaret of France in 1299, by whom he had issue. Margaret of England (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, by whom she had issue. Beatrice of England (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, by whom she had issue. Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married Aveline de Forz in 1269, who died four years later without issue; married Blanche of Artois in 1276, by whom he had issue. Katharine (25 November 1253 – 3 May 1257) Four others are listed, but their existence is in doubt as there is no contemporary record of them. These are:
Richard (1247–1256) John (1250–1256) William (1251–1256) Henry (1256–1257)
Eleanor was renowned for her learning, cleverness, and skill at writing poetry,[4] as well as her beauty; she was also known as a leader of fashion, continually importing clothes from France.[3] She often wore parti-coloured cottes (a type of tunic), gold or silver girdles into which a dagger was casually thrust, she favoured red silk damask, and decorations of gilt quatrefoil, and to cover her dark hair she wore jaunty pillbox caps. Eleanor introduced a new type of wimple to England, which was high, "into which the head receded until the face seemed like a flower in an enveloping spathe".[3]
Eleanor seems to have been especially devoted to her eldest son, Edward; when he was deathly ill in 1246, she stayed with him at the abbey at Beaulieu in Hampshire for three weeks, long past the time allowed by monastic rules.[7] It was because of her influence that King Henry granted the duchy of Gascony to Edward in 1249.[citation needed] Her youngest child, Katharine, seems to have had a degenerative disease that rendered her deaf. When the little girl died at the age of three, both her royal parents suffered overwhelming grief.[8]
Eleanor was a loyal and faithful consort to Henry, but she brought in her retinue a large number of cousins, "the Savoyards," and her influence with the King and her unpopularity with the English barons created friction during Henry's reign.[9] Eleanor was devoted to her husband's cause, stoutly contested Simon de Montfort, raising troops in France for Henry's cause. On 13 July 1263, she was sailing down the Thames on a barge when her barge was attacked by citizens of London.[10] Eleanor stoutly hated the Londoners who returned her hatred; in revenge for their dislike Eleanor had demanded from the city all the back payments due on the monetary tribute known as queen-gold, by which she received a tenth of all fines which came to the Crown. In addition to the queen-gold other such fines were levied on the citizens by the Queen on the thinnest of pretexts.[11] In fear for her life as she was pelted with stones, loose pieces of paving, dried mud, rotten eggs and vegetables, Eleanor was rescued by Thomas Fitzthomas, the Mayor of London, and took refuge at the bishop of London's home.
In 1272 Henry died, and her son Edward, who was 33 years old, became Edward I, King of England. She remained in England as Dowager Queen, and raised several of her grandchildren—Edward's son Henry and daughter Eleanor, and Beatrice's son John. When her grandson Henry died in her care in 1274, Eleanor went into mourning and gave orders for his heart to be buried at the priory at Guildford which she founded in his memory.
She retired to a convent; however, remained in contact with her son, King Edward, and her sister, Queen Margaret of France.
Eleanor died on 24/25 June 1291 in Amesbury, eight miles north of Salisbury, England. She was buried on 11 September 1291 in the Abbey of St Mary and St Melor, Amesbury on 9 December. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory.[12]
References/Notes :
^ a b Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Provence ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 125–26 ^ a b c Costain, The Magnificent Century, p.140 ^ a b Costain, The Magnificent Century, p.127 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, p.129 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 129–30 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, p. 142 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, p. 167 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp.130–140 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 253–54 ^ Costain, The Magnificent Century, pp. 206–07 ^ Howell, Eleanor (Eleanor of Provence) (c.1223–1291), queen of England"
Bibliography Margaret Howell, Eleanor of Provence: Queenship in Thirteenth-century England, 1997 Howell, Margaret (2004), "Eleanor (Eleanor of Provence) (c.1223–1291), queen of England", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford: Oxford University Press, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/8620, retrieved 2010-12-14 FMG on Eleonore Berenger of Provence The Peerage: Eleanor of Provence: [1] Thomas B. Costain, The Magnificent Century, Doubleday and Company, Garden City, New York, 1959
see:
http://www.geni.com/people/Eleanor-of-Provence-Queen-consort-of-England/6000000007386881233