Berengaria of Navarre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Berengaria of Navarre |
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Effigy of Berengaria in the chapter house of L'Épau Abbey, Le Mans
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| Queen consort of England | |
| Tenure | 12 May 1191 – 6 April 1199 |
| Coronation | 12 May 1191 |
| Born | c. 1165–1170 |
| Died | 23 December 1230 (aged 59–65) |
| Spouse | |
| House | Jiménez |
| Father | Sancho VI of Navarre |
| Mother | Sancha of Castile |
Berengaria of Navarre (born around 1165–1170, died December 23, 1230) was the Queen of England. She was the wife of Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart. Berengaria was the oldest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Castile. Not much is known about her life, like many queens from the Middle Ages.
She is often called "the only English queen never to set foot in the country." However, she might have visited England after her husband died. She did not visit before then. She also did not spend much time with Richard during their marriage. They did not have any children.
Berengaria did something unusual for a crusader's wife. She went with Richard at the start of the Third Crusade. But she mostly lived in his lands in France. There, she gave a lot of money to the church. She had trouble getting the money she was owed after Richard died. This money was her pension from Richard's brother, King John.
Berengaria's Early Life
In 1185, Berengaria received the land of Monreal from her father. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard's mother, helped arrange the marriage between Berengaria and Richard the Lionheart. An alliance with Navarre would protect the southern borders of Eleanor's Duchy of Aquitaine. It also helped improve relations with nearby Castile. The queen of Castile was Richard's sister, Eleanor.
Navarre also shared the troubadour culture of Aquitaine. Berengaria had a good reputation. It seems Berengaria and Richard met once, years before they married. Some writers say they were attracted to each other then.
In 1190, Eleanor met King Sancho VI in Pamplona. He held a big dinner for her at the Royal Palace of Olite. Their engagement could not be announced openly. This was because Richard had been engaged for many years to Alys. Alys was the half-sister of King Philip II of France.
Richard ended his engagement to Alys in 1190 while in Messina. It is believed that Alys had been involved with Richard's own father, Henry II of England. A marriage between Richard and Alys would have been impossible for religious reasons.
Her Marriage to Richard the Lionheart
Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, brought Berengaria to him. Richard had already left for the Third Crusade right after his coronation. So, the two women had a long and difficult journey to find him.
They arrived in Messina, Sicily, in 1191 during Lent. Marriages could not happen during Lent. Richard's sister, Joan, the widowed queen of Sicily, joined them. Berengaria stayed with Joan.
On their way to the Holy Land, the ship carrying Berengaria and Joan got stuck off the coast of Cyprus. The island's ruler, Isaac Comnenus, threatened them. Richard came to rescue them. He captured the island and removed Comnenus from power.
Berengaria married Richard the Lionheart on May 12, 1191. The wedding was in the Chapel of St. George at Limassol on Cyprus. She was crowned queen the same day.
Life as Queen of England
It is not known if Richard and Berengaria's marriage was ever fully shared. However, Richard did take his new wife with him for the first part of the Third Crusade. This was unusual for the time. Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had also gone with her husband on the Second Crusade.
Berengaria returned home well before Richard left the Holy Land. On his way back to Europe, Richard was captured and put in prison. Berengaria stayed in Europe, at Beaufort-en-Vallée. She tried to raise money to pay for his release.
After Richard was freed, he went back to England. His wife did not join him. Richard then focused on getting back the lands in France. These lands had been lost by his brother John or taken by King Philip II. He was more focused on his kingdom than his queen.
Pope Celestine III told Richard to reunite with Queen Berengaria. He also told him to be loyal to her. Richard, who was mostly in France by then, obeyed. He took Berengaria to church every week after that. When Richard died in 1199, Berengaria was very sad. She may have been even sadder that she was ignored as queen of England and Cyprus. Some historians think Berengaria truly loved her husband. Richard's feelings for her might have been more about politics than love.
Life After Richard's Death
Berengaria never visited England while King Richard was alive. Richard himself spent less than six months in England during their marriage. However, there is some proof that she might have visited England after he died. She is thought to have been present when St Thomas Becket's remains were moved in Canterbury in 1220.
The saying "the only English queen never to set foot in the country" is still true. This is because she did not visit England during the time she was Richard's queen. She did send messengers to England many times. She mainly wanted to ask about the money she was owed as a widowed queen. King John did not pay her this money.
Queen Eleanor helped her, and Pope Innocent III even threatened King John. The Pope said he would stop church services in England if John did not pay Berengaria. But King John still owed her more than £4000 when he died. However, during the rule of his son, Henry III of England, Berengaria finally received her payments.
Berengaria eventually settled in Le Mans, France. This was one of the properties she received as part of her marriage agreement. She gave a lot of money to L'Épau Abbey in Le Mans. She later joined the convent there and was buried in the abbey.
In 1240, a writer named Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada wrote about Berengaria. He said she lived "as a very good widow." She stayed mostly in Le Mans, giving to charity and praying. She was seen as an example of a pure and religious woman. She died peacefully in the same city. A skeleton believed to be hers was found in 1960. This happened during the restoration of the abbey. These remains are now kept under her stone statue. The statue is in the chapter house of the abbey.
Why Berengaria is Important
Historian Ann Trindade says Berengaria is remembered for helping many religious groups and places. She was seen as a very religious person. Trindade also says that Berengaria's life shows how difficult things were for women in the Middle Ages, even noble ones.
Berengaria's struggles are a good example of what many women faced in the 1200s. Her long years as a widow show she was a strong, brave, and independent woman. She faced tough political and money problems. She was not interested in fancy court life. Her Christian faith and loyalty to the Pope supported her. She was not afraid to stand up for her rights against powerful enemies.
Berengaria in Books
Berengaria appears in many novels, including:
- Propinquity by John Macgregor
- The Heart Of The Lion by Jean Plaidy
- Willow Maid by Maureen Peters
- My Lord Brother the Lionheart by Molly Costain Haycraft
- The Lute Player by Norah Lofts
- Standard of Honor by Jack Whyte
- The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott
- Winning His Spurs by G. A. Henty
- Valentina by Fern Michaels
- The Queen's Witch by Cecelia Holland
- Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman
- The Passionate Brood by Margaret Campbell Barnes
- The Boy Knight by G.A. Henty
- Queen Without a Country by Rachel Bard
- Shield of Three Lions by Pamela Kaufman
- Banners of Gold by Pamela Kaufman
- The Autumn Throne by Elizabeth Chadwick
Berengaria in Plays
- Holy Warriors by David Eldridge was first performed in July and August 2014 at Shakespeare's Globe.
Berengaria in Movies and TV
In the 1923 film Richard the Lion-Hearted, Berengaria is played by Kathleen Clifford. The 1935 film The Crusades tells a made-up story of Richard and Berengaria's marriage. It stars Loretta Young and Henry Wilcoxon.
The 1954 historical drama film King Richard and the Crusaders shows Richard and Berengaria married and on the Third Crusade. It stars George Sanders and Paula Raymond. The 1960s British TV series Richard the Lionheart also features their marriage. Berengaria is played by Sheila Whittingham. All these versions are very romanticized and not accurate sources of information about the queen.
Berengaria was played by Laila Taher in the 1963 film Saladin. She was played by Zoë Wanamaker in the BBC drama The Devil's Crown (1978).
Images for kids
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Berengaria's Alarm for the Safety of Her Husband, Richard Coeur de Lion, Awakened by the Sight of His Girdle Offered for Sale at Rome (Charles Allston Collins, 1850)
See also
In Spanish: Berenguela de Navarra para niños
