'I loved her dearly, and I shall never cease to love her in death'
The Eleanor Cross at Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire
When they married, Eleanor was a Spanish princess and Edward the future King of England. Theirs was an arranged marriage, undertaken when she was in her thirteenth year and he only a few years older. Despite the businesslike background to their marriage, they became well known for their devotion to each other and were soon inseparable, Eleanor accompanying Edward whenever he travelled, including on military duties. There is a legend that during the crusades she saved his life by sucking poison from his wounds, unproven, but a nice story. They had 16 children together and their union was known to be a happy one, which wasn't necessarily the case in those days of arranged marriages, or in fact these days. Unlike other kings, Edward had no known mistresses or illegitimate children.
When Eleanor died in 1290 aged 49 at Harby near Lincoln, the King wrote 'I loved her dearly and I shall never cease to love her in death'. Edward had her body brought to Westminster Abbey in London for burial, by grand procession, which he accompanied. The procession rested 12 times on the long journey, at Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford, Geddington, Northampton, Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St. Albans, Waltham, Westcheap, and Charing (as in Charing Cross, London). At each place Edward had a large, elaborate memorial built to his Queen. Today, three originals still stand - Geddington, Hardingstone and Waltham Cross.
Isn't this a lovely story? I first heard of it when I came across the Geddington Eleanor Cross last year and I loved the idea of a King and Queen of England so devoted to each other. Last weekend we were in Waltham Abbey for King Harold Day, and visited nearby Waltham Cross in order to see the Eleanor Cross, which is covered in netting to protect it from pigeons and situated in amongst the shops. People were bustling past, no one was taking any notice of it except me, I wonder if people even wonder what it is, or bother to read the plaque attached to the railings.
I am fascinated by history - not the dates, and the battles, the military tactics and the politics, but the human stories, the stories that reach down to me through time and touch my mind, or my heart.
i love this story, it did my heart good to read it. i loved that you had your photos with the story along with the historical photos.
ReplyDeletehistory is so much more exciting when you hear the humanity of it and can put it in a perspective you can understand.
i'm sensing some type of historical writing coming your way......perhaps?