#berengaria of Navarre

[wonder-worker]

"By establishing herself as lord of Le Mans, [Berengaria of Navarre] was no longer dependent on Sancho or John to control her future, nor did she have to consign herself to religious life. Her action at this juncture is one of the clearest examples we have of Berengaria’s agency, and it was a remarkable turning point in her path to power. Although she may not have had the ability to influence and intercede successfully with John and Sancho, the young widow negotiated with, and gained assistance from, Philip Augustus. Berengaria was not lacking other protectors, since a series of popes, respectively Innocent III (1198–1216), Honorius III (1216–27), and Gregory IX (1227–41), all upheld their role as protector of the vulnerable, including widows, against the might of rulers and overlords. Berengaria never realised the power that she should have exercised as queen consort, but she established herself in widowhood as a semi‑independent member of the ruling elite of Western Europe, outside the remaining spheres of conflict between the kings of England, France, and Navarre."

-Gabrielle Storey, Berengaria of Navarre: Queen of England, Lord of Le Mans

[angevinyaoiz]

Richard the Lionheart and Berengaria of Navarre

[maudeboggins]

I’m starting to get obsessed with Berengaria of Navarre

[historyreimagined24]

"Isabella of Angoulême: A Tale of Power, Love, and Ambition"

Step into the captivating world of Isabella of Angoulême, a tale of power, love, and ambition. Follow Isabella's remarkable journey from a young, spirited princess to a formidable queen, navigating treacherous courts and forging alliances. With its rich historical backdrop, this enchanting storybook invites you to discover the captivating life of one of the most intriguing women in medieval history. Available now, don't miss your chance to embark on this captivating adventure.

[ardenrosegarden]

95 minutes in and ready or not is many things but it's also ladies married into angevin family covered in blood fighting for their lives

i'm only 6 minutes into Ready or Not and I'm already projecting the Angevins as Horror™ onto it I'm not gonna be able to make it

[247reader]

It’s October - and that means it’s Awesome Ladies of History, Year Four! I’ll be bringing you 31 of history’s most interesting women, from the iconic to the forgotten, starting off, as per usual, with a figure from the iconic side.

Time for Eleanor of Aquitaine!

Eleanor was the elder surviving daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine, the most powerful vassal in 12th century France, a man who controlled far more land than his nominal overlord. Eleanor’s name, Aliénor, or “other Aenor,” referred her her mother, who died when Eleanor was a small child; her father likewise passed when she was twelve or thirteen, leaving her Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. Duke William’s will made Eleanor a ward of King Louis VI, who bethrothed her to his heir, another Louis, and then promptly died himself, leaving the two teenagers as king and queen of France. Young Louis initially adored Eleanor, but the monkish king and high spirited duchess were ill-suited. Eleanor, to the horror of church authorities, accompanied her husband on the Second Crusade, but the campaign was a disaster, and their already-shaky marriage disentegrated along route, despite the Pope himself attempting to mediate. With two daughters and no prospect of a son, Louis and Eleanor managed to arrange an annulment… and Eleanor promptly married again, to Louis’s rival Henry FitzEmpress, soon Henry II of England. Initially, this marriage was, though not without turbulence, a happier one. Eleanor and Henry had eight children, including five sons, one of whom died young, and Eleanor, despite later legends, seems to have accepted his affairs with the equanimity of someone whose maternal grandmother eloped with her paternal grandfather. He trusted her enough to eventually allow her to rule her duchy in person on his behalf… trust that proved misplaced. When their sons, including her favorite, Richard, revolted against their father, it was with Eleanor’s support, and it was Eleanor who faced the consequences; Henry imprisoned her for the rest of his reign.

Richard’s accession, however, set her free - and also made her perhaps the most powerful queen mother in English history. She arranged his marriage to Berengaria of Navarre, held his continental lands together during his prolonged absences, and raised his ransom when he was kidnapped returning from the Third Crusade. His death in 1199 devastated her, and her relationship with her youngest son, King John, was more fractious. She took the vows at the nunnery of Fontrevault, and died there soon after, already a legend in her own time.

[forthegothicheroine]

I know this historical romance I'm reading isn't going to end with Joan of England/Berengaria of Navarre because it's from 1965, but it keeps seeming like it will!

[edwardseymour]

Top 5 Angevins?

put “top 5” anything in my ask and i will answer ok go

john, fuck OFF about it i don't want to hear SHIT from ANYONE. that man was hysterical. asked the duke of austria to raise richard's ransom price and threatened to convert to islam. lost the crown jewels in the wash. best king we ever had.

geoffrey. i genuinely think that man was evil, there was something deeply rotten within him. the way he handled brittany was incredibly cunty, however.

joan of sicily, richard's favourite sister. love that period where she, her mother (eleanor of aquitaine) and berengaria of navarre effectively went on crusade with richard. we nearly had her as co-ruler of jerusalem and it nearly got richard excommunicated iirc.

henry the young king. succession wants what he has.

richard i comes last because even though i mentioned him with his sister i literally sat here staring at this trying to do the maths trying to work out who i had forgotten for several seconds before remembering mummy's favourite war criminal...

[princesssarisa]

Character Ask: Maid Marian (Disney)

Favorite thing about them: Her blend of sweetness, elegance and romanticism with playfulness and adventurousness. She's both a quintessential "lady fair" for a hero of legend to love and a true kindred spirit to Robin Hood.

Least favorite thing about them: I wish her role were bigger, and while it's perfectly fine that she's not much of a fighter, I wish she were slightly more involved in the action than just throwing one pie in a guard's face.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I like pink and lavender.

*I get along well with children.

*I admire people who defy oppressors and help the poor.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not a king's niece.

*I'm not British.

*I'm not an anthropomorphic fox.

Favorite line: When Robin proposes marriage mid-battle:

"Oh, darling, I thought you'd never ask me! But you could have chose a more romantic setting!"

brOTP: Lady Kluck.

OTP: Robin Hood.

nOTP: Prince John, Sir Hiss, or the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Random headcanon: I'll take this one from TV Tropes: She's the niece of Berengaria of Navarre, King Richard's wife, making her Richard's niece by marriage. This explains why she's a vixen instead of a lioness, and why neither she nor Prince John behave as if they're related to each other.

Unpopular opinion: I don't think I have one.

Song I associate with them:

"Love"

Favorite picture of them:

[histoireettralala]

Blanche, Marguerite, and Queenship

Blanche's actions as queen dowager amount to no more than those of her grandmother and great-grandmother. A wise and experienced mother of a king was expected to advise him. She would intercede with him, and would thus be a natural focus of diplomatic activity. Popes, great Churchmen and great laymen would expect to influence the king or gain favour with him through her; thus popes like Gregory IX and Innocent IV, and great princes like Raymond VII of Toulouse, addressed themselves to Blanche. She would be expected to mediate at court. She had the royal authority to intervene in crises to maintain the governance of the realm, as Blanche did during Louis's near-fatal illness in 1244-5, and as Eleanor did in England in 1192.

In short, Blanche's activities after Louis's minority were no more and no less "co-rule" than those of other queen dowagers. No king could rule on his own. All kings- even Philip Augustus- relied heavily on those they trusted for advice, and often for executive action. William the Breton described Brother Guérin as "quasi secundus a rege"- "as if second to the king": indeed, Jacques Krynen characterised Philip and his administrators as almost co-governors. The vastness of their realms forced the Angevin kings to rely even more on the governance of others, including their mothers and their wives. Blanche's prominent role depended on the consent of her son. Louis trusted her judgement. He may also have found many of the demands of ruling uncongenial. Blanche certainly had her detractors at court, but she was probably criticsed, not for playing a role in the execution of government, but for influencing her son in one direction by those who hoped to influence him in another.

The death of a king meant that there was often more than one queen. Blanche herself did not have to deal with an active dowager queen: Ingeborg lived on the edges of court and political life; besides, she was not Louis VIII's mother. Eleanor of Aquitaine did not have to deal with a forceful young queen: Berengaria of Navarre, like Ingeborg, was retiring; Isabella of Angoulême was still a child. But the potential problem of two crowned, anointed and politically engaged queens is made manifest in the relationship between Blanche and St Louis's queen, Margaret of Provence.

At her marriage in 1234 Margaret of Provence was too young to play an active role as queen. The household accounts of 1239 still distinguish between the queen, by which they mean Blanche, and the young queen — Margaret. By 1241 Margaret had decided that she should play the role expected of a reigning queen. She was almost certainly engaging in diplomacy over the continental Angevin territories with her sister, Queen Eleanor of England. Churchmen loyal to Blanche, presumably at the older queen’s behest, put a stop to that. It was Blanche rather than Margaret who took the initiative in the crisis of 1245. Although Margaret accompanied the court on the great expedition to Saumur for the knighting of Alphonse in 1241, it was Blanche who headed the queen’s table, as if she, not Margaret, were queen consort. In the Sainte-Chapelle, Blanche of Castile’s queenship is signified by a blatant scattering of the castles of Castile: the pales of Provence are absent.

Margaret was courageous and spirited. When Louis was captured on Crusade, she kept her nerve and steadied that of the demoralised Crusaders, organised the payment of his ransom and the defence of Damietta, in spite of the fact that she had given birth to a son a few days previously. She reacted with quick-witted bravery when fire engulfed her cabin, and she accepted the dangers and discomforts of the Crusade with grace and good humour. But her attempt to work towards peace between her husband and her brother-in-law, Henry III, in 1241 lost her the trust of Louis and his close advisers — Blanche, of course, was the closest of them all - and that trust was never regained. That distrust was apparent in 1261, when Louis reorganised the household. There were draconian checks on Margaret's expenditure and almsgiving. She was not to receive gifts, nor to give orders to royal baillis or prévôts, or to undertake building works without the permission of the king. Her choice of members of her household was also subject to his agreement.

Margaret survived her husband by some thirty years, so that she herself was queen mother, to Philip III, and was still a presence ar court during the reign of her grandson Philip IV. But Louis did not make her regent on his second, and fatal, Crusade in 1270. In the early 12605 Margarer tried to persuade her young son, the future Philip III, to agree to obey her until he was thirty. When Philip told his father, Louis was horrified. In a strange echo of the events of 1241, he forced Philip to resile from his oath to his mother, and forced Margaret to agree never again to attempt such a move. Margaret had overplayed her hand. It meant that she was specifically prevented from acting with those full and legitimate powers of a crowned queen after the death of her husband that Blanche, like Eleanor of Aquitaine, had been able to deploy for the good of the realm.

Why was Margaret treated so differently from Blanche? Were attitudes to the power of women changing? Not yet. In 1294 Philip IV was prepared to name his queen, Joanna of Champagne-Navarre, as sole regent with full regal powers in the event of his son's succession as a minor. She conducted diplomatic negotiations for him. He often associated her with his kingship in his acts. And Philip IV wanted Joanna buried among the kings of France at Saint-Denis - though she herself chose burial with the Paris Franciscans. The effectiveness and evident importance to their husbands of Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile in England led David Carpenter to characterise late thirteenth-century England as a period of ‘resurgence in queenship’.

The problem for Margaret was personal, rather than institutional. Blanche had had her detractors at court. It is not clear who they were. There were always factions at courts, not least one that centred around Margaret, and anyone who had influence over a king would have detractors. They might have been clerks with misgivings about women in general, and powerful women in particular, and there may have been others who believed that the power of a queen should be curtailed, No one did curtail Blanche's — far from it. By the late chirteenth century the Capetian family were commissioning and promoting accounts of Louis IX that praise not just her firm and just rule as regent, but also her role as adviser and counsellor — her continuing influence — during his personal rule. As William of Saint-Pathus put it, because she was such a ‘sage et preude femme’, Louis always wanted ‘sa presence et son conseil’. But where Blanche was seen as the wisest and best provider of good advice that a king could have, a queen whose advice would always be for the good of the king and his realm, Margaret was seen by Louis as a queen at the centre of intrigue, whose advice would not be disinterested. Surprisingly, such formidable policical players at the English court as Simon de Montfort and her nephew, the future Edward I, felt that it was worthwhile to do diplomatic business through Margaret. Initially, Henry III and Simon de Montfort chose Margaret, not Louis, to arbitrate between them. She was a more active diplomat than Joinville and the Lives of Louis suggest, and probably, where her aims coincided with her husband’s, quite effective.

To an extent the difference between Blanche’s and Margaret’s position and influence simply reflected political reality. Blanche was accused of sending rich gifts to her family in Spain, and advancing them within the court. But there was no danger that her cultivation of Castilian family connections could damage the interests of the Capetian realm. Margaret’s Provençal connections could. Her sister Eleanor was married to Henry III of England. Margaret and Eleanor undoubtedly attempted to bring about a rapprochement between the two kings. This was helpful once Louis himself had decided to come to an agreement with Henry in the late 1250s, but was perceived as meddlesome plotting in the 1240s. Moreover, Margaret’s sister Sanchia was married to Henry's younger brother, Richard of Cornwall, who claimed the county of Poitou, and her youngest sister, Beatrice, countess of Provence, was married to Charles of Anjou. Sanchia’s interests were in direct conflict with those of Alphonse of Poitiers; and Margaret herself felt that she had dowry claims in Provence, and alienated Charles by attempting to pursue them. Indeed, her ill-fated attempt to tie her son Philip to her included clauses that he would not ally himself with Charles of Anjou against her.

Lindy Grant- Blanche of Castile, Queen of France

[wonder-worker]

A central element of the myth of [Eleanor of Aquitaine] is that of her exceptionalism. Historians and Eleanor biographers have tended to take literally Richard of Devizes’s conventional panegyric of her as ‘an incomparable woman’ [and] a woman out of her time. […] Amazement at Eleanor’s power and independence is born from a presentism that assumes generally that the Middle Ages were a backward age, and specifically that medieval women were all downtrodden and marginalized. Eleanor’s career can, from such a perspective, only be explained by assuming that she was an exception who rose by sheer force of personality above the restrictions placed upon twelfth-century women.

-Michael R. Evans, Inventing Eleanor: The Medieval and Post-Medieval Image of Eleanor of Aquitaine

"...The idea of Eleanor’s exceptionalism rests on an assumption that women of her age were powerless. On the contrary, in Western Europe before the twelfth century there were ‘no really effective barriers to the capacity of women to exercise power; they appear as military leaders, judges, castellans, controllers of property’. […] In an important article published in 1992, Jane Martindale sought to locate Eleanor in context, stripping away much of the conjecture that had grown up around her, and returning to primary sources, including her charters. Martindale also demonstrated how Eleanor was not out of the ordinary for a twelfth-century queen either in the extent of her power or in the criticisms levelled against her.

If we look at Eleanor’s predecessors as Anglo-Norman queens of England, we find many examples of women wielding political power. Matilda of Flanders (wife of William the Conqueror) acted as regent in Normandy during his frequent absences in England following the Conquest, and [the first wife of Henry I, Matilda of Scotland, played some role in governing England during her husband's absences], while during the civil war of Stephen’s reign Matilda of Boulogne led the fight for a time on behalf of her royal husband, who had been captured by the forces of the empress. And if we wish to seek a rebel woman, we need look no further than Juliana, illegitimate daughter of Henry I, who attempted to assassinate him with a crossbow, or Adèle of Champagne, the third wife of Louis VII, who ‘[a]t the moment when Henry II held Eleanor of Aquitaine in jail for her revolt … led a revolt with her brothers against her son, Philip II'.

Eleanor is, therefore, less the exception than the rule – albeit an extreme example of that rule. This can be illustrated by comparing her with a twelfth century woman who has attracted less literary and historical attention. Adela of Blois died in 1137, the year of Eleanor’s marriage to Louis VII. […] The chronicle and charter evidence reveals Adela to have ‘legitimately exercised the powers of comital lordship’ in the domains of Blois-Champagne, both in consort with her husband and alone during his absence on crusade and after his death. […] There was, however, nothing atypical about the nature of Adela’s power. In the words of her biographer Kimberley LoPrete, ‘while the extent of Adela’s powers and the political impact of her actions were exceptional for a woman of her day (and indeed for most men), the sources of her powers and the activities she engaged in were not fundamentally different from those of other women of lordly rank’. These words could equally apply to Eleanor; the extent of her power, as heiress to the richest lordship in France, wife of two kings and mother of two or three more, was remarkable, but the nature of her power was not exceptional. Other noble or royal women governed, arranged marriages and alliances, and were patrons of the church. Eleanor represents one end of a continuum, not an isolated outlier."

[angevinyaoiz]

SHE'S HERE!!!!!!!!!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Richard the Lionheart was an English king and one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.

He is known both for his military skill and the neglect of his realm because of his long absence.

Early Life

Born on 8 September 1157, Richard the Lionheart was the third legitimate son of King Henry II of England (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189).

Often believed to have been the favorite son of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122 – 1 April 1204), Richard had three older siblings, William (who died in infancy), Henry and Matilda, as well as four younger: Geoffrey, Lenora, Joan, and John.

King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine

As with many English rulers of the Plantagenet line, Richard was essentially French and his focus tended to lean toward the family's lands in France rather than England.

Following the separation of his parents in 1167, Richard was invested duchy of Aquitaine.

King Richard I of England / Richard the Lionheart

Revolt Against Henry II

Well-educated and of dashing appearance, Richard quickly demonstrated skill in military matters and worked to enforce his father's rule in the French lands.

In 1174, encouraged by their mother, Richard and his brothers Henry (the Young King) and Geoffrey (Duke of Brittany) rebelled against their father's rule.

Responding quickly, Henry II was able to crush this revolt and captured Eleanor.

With his brothers defeated, Richard submitted to his father's will and asked for forgiveness.

His greater ambitions checked, Richard turned his focus to maintaining his rule over Aquitaine and controlling his nobles.

Shifting Alliances

Ruling with an iron fist, Richard was forced to put down major revolts in 1179 and 1181–1182.

During this time, tensions again rose between Richard and his father when the latter demanded that his son pay homage to his older brother Henry.

Refusing, Richard was soon attacked by Henry the Young King and Geoffrey in 1183. Confronted by this invasion and a revolt of his own barons, Richard was able to skillfully turn back these attacks.

Following the death of Henry the Young King in June 1183, Richard's father King Henry II ordered John to continue the campaign.

Seeking aid, Richard formed an alliance with King Philip II of France in 1187. In return for Philip's assistance, Richard ceded his rights to Normandy and Anjou.

That summer, upon hearing of the Christian defeat at the Battle of Hattin, Richard took the cross at Tours with other members of the French nobility.

Victory and Becoming King

In 1189, Richard and Philip's forces united against Henry II and won a victory at Ballans in July.

Meeting with Richard, Henry agreed to name him as his heir. Two days later, Henry died and Richard ascended to the English throne.

He was crowned at Westminster Abbey in September 1189.

Following his coronation, a rash of anti-Semitic violence swept through the country as Jews had been barred from the ceremony.

Punishing the perpetrators, Richard immediately began making plans to go on a crusade to the Holy Land. Going to extremes to raise money for the army, he finally was able to assemble a force of around 8,000 men.

After making preparations for the protection of his realm in his absence, Richard and his army departed in the summer of 1190.

Dubbed the Third Crusade, Richard planned to campaign in conjunction with Philip II and Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Crusade Begins

Rendezvousing with Philip at Sicily, Richard aided in settling a succession dispute on the island, which involved his sister Joan and conducted a brief campaign against Messina.

During this time, he proclaimed his nephew, Arthur of Brittany, to be his heir, leading his brother John to start planning a revolt at home.

Moving on, Richard landed in Cyprus to rescue his mother and his future bride, Berengaria of Navarre.

Berengaria of Navarre

Defeating the island's despot, Isaac Komnenos, he completed his conquest and married Berengaria on 12 May 1191.

Pressing on, he landed in the Holy Land at Acre on June 8.

Shifting Alliances in the Holy Land

Arriving in the Holy Land, Richard gave his support to Guy of Lusignan, who was fighting a challenge from Conrad of Montferrat for the kingship of Jerusalem.

Conrad was in turn backed by Philip and Duke Leopold V of Austria. Putting aside their differences, the Crusaders captured Acre that summer.

After taking the city, problems again arose as Richard contested Leopold's place in the Crusade.

Though not a king, Leopold had ascended to the command of Imperial forces in the Holy Land after the death of Frederick Barbarossa in 1190.

After Richard's men pulled down Leopold's banner at Acre, the Austrian departed and returned home in anger.

Soon after, Richard and Philip began arguing in regard to the status of Cyprus and the kingship of Jerusalem.

In poor health, Philip elected to return to France leaving Richard without allies to face Saladin's Muslim forces.

Battling Saladin

Pushing south, Richard defeated Saladin at Arsuf on 7 September 1191 and then attempted to open peace negotiations.

Initially rebuffed by Saladin, Richard spent the early months of 1192 refortifying Ascalon. As the year wore on, both Richard and Saladin's positions began to weaken and the two men entered into negotiations.

Knowing that he could not hold Jerusalem if he took it, and that John and Philip were plotting against him at home, Richard agreed to raze walls at Ascalon in exchange for a three-year truce and Christian access to Jerusalem.

After the agreement was signed on 2 September 1192, Richard departed for home.

Returning to England

Shipwrecked en route to England, Richard was forced to travel overland and was captured by Leopold in December.

Imprisoned first in Dürnstein and then at Trifels Castle in the Palatinate, Richard was largely kept in comfortable captivity.

For his release, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI demanded 150,000 marks.

While Eleanor of Aquitaine worked to raise the money for his release, John and Philip offered Henry VI 80,000 marks to hold Richard until at least Michaelmas 1194.

NOTE: Michaelmas is the feast of St. Michael, September 29.

Refusing, the emperor accepted the ransom and released Richard on 4 February 1194.

Returning to England, Richard quickly forced John to submit to his will but did name his brother as his heir, supplanting his nephew Arthur.

With the situation in England in hand, Richard returned to France to deal with Philip.

Death

Constructing an alliance against his former friend, Richard won several victories over the French during the next five years.

In March 1199, Richard laid siege to the small castle of Chalus-Chabrol.

On the night of March 25, while walking along the siege lines, he was struck in the left shoulder by an arrow.

Unable to remove it himself, he summoned a surgeon who took out the arrow but severely worsened the wound in the process.

Shortly thereafter, gangrene set in and the king died in his mother's arms on 6 April 1199.

Legacy

Richard has a mixed legacy, as some historians point to his military skill and the daring necessary to go on crusade, while others emphasize his cruelty and neglect for his realm.

Though king for 10 years, he only spent around six months in England and the remainder of his reign in his French lands or abroad. He was succeeded by his brother John.

[everydayshalloween]

Berengaria of Navarre: How about this? You leave us alone and you don't die. Great deal, huh?

Isaac Comnenus: Oh really? And how do you plan to stop us?

Berengaria: Oh, I won't! But my buddy will. Say hi, buddy! :D

Joan of England, who somehow got her hands on a sword: Hi. :)

[historyreimagined24]

Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy

In the annals of history, there are figures whose stories evoke intrigue, mystery, and fascination. Berengaria of Navarre is a figure whose life unfolds like a captivating tale woven with threads of royalty, diplomacy, and love. While her name may not be as widely recognized as some of her contemporaries, her impact on medieval Europe and her unique journey through life deserve attention and appreciation.

Unveiling Berengaria's Legacy

Berengaria of Navarre was born in 1165 in the Kingdom of Navarre, which is now part of modern-day Spain. She belonged to the House of Jiménez, a noble lineage with a rich history of royal connections. From her early years, Berengaria was immersed in the intricacies of courtly life and groomed for a future intertwined with state affairs.

Royal Alliances and Marriage

One of the defining moments in Berengaria's life came with her marriage to Richard the Lionheart, King of England. Their union, which took place in 1191, was not merely a joining of two individuals but a strategic alliance between kingdoms. Berengaria's marriage to Richard solidified diplomatic ties between Navarre and England, marking her as a pivotal figure in medieval politics.

The Absence of a Crown

Despite her marriage to a king renowned for his military prowess and charisma, Berengaria's reign as Queen of England was marked by absence rather than presence. Following their marriage, Richard embarked on the Third Crusade, leaving Berengaria behind to govern in his stead. Her role as queen consort was overshadowed by her husband's military campaigns and the exigencies of medieval warfare.

A Queen in Waiting

Berengaria's patience and fortitude were tested during Richard's captivity in Austria. While her husband languished in captivity, she navigated the intricate web of medieval politics to secure his release. Her efforts, although fraught with challenges, eventually bore fruit, leading to Richard's freedom and their reunion.

An Enduring Legacy

Berengaria's story is not merely a footnote in the annals of history but a testament to the resilience and strength of medieval women. Despite the constraints of her time, she wielded influence and power in the corridors of power, leaving an indelible mark on the pages of history.

Rediscovering Berengaria's Footsteps

Centuries may have passed since Berengaria's time, but her legacy endures, waiting to be rediscovered and celebrated. From the sun-drenched landscapes of Navarre to the storied castles of England, traces of her journey linger, inviting curious minds to unravel the mysteries of her life.

Exploring Navarre

Navarre, with its rugged beauty and rich cultural heritage, serves as the cradle of Berengaria's legacy. Visitors can immerse themselves in the region's history by exploring ancient castles, quaint villages, and picturesque landscapes that harken back to Berengaria's time.

Tracing Richard's Footsteps

In England, traces of Berengaria's presence intertwine with the legacy of Richard the Lionheart. From the towering ramparts of medieval castles to the hallowed halls of cathedrals, echoes of their reign resonate, offering glimpses into a bygone era of chivalry and romance.

Berengaria's Enduring Legacy

In the tapestry of medieval history, Berengaria of Navarre emerges as a luminous thread, weaving together the disparate strands of politics, romance, and diplomacy. Her journey, marked by triumphs and tribulations, is a poignant reminder of the enduring power of resilience and determination. As we rediscover her footsteps and unravel the mysteries of her life, let us pay homage to Berengaria's indomitable spirit and celebrate her legacy for generations to come.

[historiamedieval]

Berengária de Navarra nasceu por volta de 1165, a filha mais velha de Sancho VI 'o Sábio' Rei de Navarra e Sancha de Castela. Ela tinha 3 irmãos, Sancho (futuro rei Sancho VII de Navarra), Fernando e Ramiro, bispo de Pamplona e duas irmãs Constança e Branca de Navarra, que se casaram com o conde Teobaldo III de Champagne. Berengária foi descrita como tendo cabelos e olhos escuros, "pequena e uma excelente musicista... em todas as coisas, uma consorte adequada para um rei". Ambroise, um menestrel normando contemporâneo, a descreveu como "elegante e prudente". Ricardo I da Inglaterra, 'o Coração de Leão', estava noivo desde a infância de Alys da França, irmã do rei Filipe Augusto. No entanto, o pai de Ricardo, o rei Henrique II, fez de Alys sua amante e, portanto, Ricardo relutou em se casar com ela. A fofoca afirmava que Alys até deu à luz o filho do falecido rei. A mãe de Ricardo, Eleanor da Aquitânia, a rainha viúva da Inglaterra, escolheu Berengária como futura esposa para seu filho. Um casamento com Berengária era desejável, pois traria um dote que ajudaria Ricardo a financiar a Terceira Cruzada e forneceria proteção para as fronteiras do sul da Aquitânia. Ricardo era um grande amigo de seu irmão, Sancho, Berengária conheceu Ricardo apenas uma vez antes de seu casamento, em um torneio em Pamplona realizado por seu pai. A indomável Eleanor da Aquitânia, então com 70 anos, viajou pelos Pirineus para coletar Berengária e escoltá-la até a Sicília, onde deveriam se encontrar com Ricardo. Ao chegar à Sicília, eles se juntaram à irmã de Ricardo, Joana, a rainha viúva da Sicília. Eles esperavam encontrar Ricardo em Messina, mas ele já havia continuado sua jornada para a Terra Santa. Berengaria e Eleanor chegaram à Sicília durante a Quaresma e, portanto, o casamento só poderia ocorrer depois da Páscoa. Continua dos comentários _______ 📸Efígie de Bérengária de Navarra, Abadia de Epau _______ Fonte - Hilton, Lisa (2008). Queens Consort, England's Medieval Queens. Berengaria of Navarre (https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet) #idademedia #medieval #middleages #historia #historiamedieval #england #inglaterra #barengaria https://www.instagram.com/p/CmjVcnFuS2Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=