Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eleanor of Brittany
Alyenore la Brette in a 13th-century genealogy (British Library)
Born	c. 1182–4
Died	(1241-08-10)10 August 1241 (aged c. 57–59) Bristol Castle (or Corfe Castle, Dorset)
Burial	Amesbury Abbey, Wiltshire
House	Plantagenet
Father	Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
Mother	Constance, Duchess of Brittany

Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany (around 1184 – 10 August 1241) was a very important princess. She was also known as Damsel of Brittany or Pearl of Brittany. Eleanor was the oldest daughter of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and Constance, Duchess of Brittany. Her father, Geoffrey, was the fourth son of King Henry II of England.

After her younger brother, Arthur, likely died in prison in 1203, Eleanor became the heir to huge lands. These included England, Anjou, Aquitaine, and Brittany. In these places, women could inherit the throne. Her uncle, King John, was the fifth son of Henry II. Eleanor had a stronger claim to the throne than John because she was the child of John's older brother, Geoffrey. This made her a threat to King John. After John died in 1216, she was also a threat to her cousin, King Henry III. Because of this, she was put in prison in 1202 and was never set free. As a prisoner, she could not claim her right to be the Duchess of Brittany.

Some historians say her imprisonment was "the most unfair act of King John".

Eleanor of Brittany

Her Early Life

Eleanor's father died when she was only two years old. She was then raised by her uncle, King Richard I, and her grandmother, Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine. When her father died, she was first in line to inherit Brittany. The King of France, Philip II of France, wanted to be her guardian. But King Henry II took her into his care first. When her younger brother, Arthur, was born, she was no longer the first heir.

Being King Richard's ward meant she was under his family's control. Her mother, Constance, never saw Eleanor as a future ruler of Brittany. This made her claim to the duchy weaker later on. Keeping Eleanor in Richard's care was probably the price her mother paid to rule Brittany.

Since her younger brother Arthur was expected to inherit England and Brittany, Eleanor was a very desirable princess for marriage. In 1190, King Richard tried to arrange for Eleanor to marry Al-Adil I, the brother of Saladin. But this plan failed. In 1193, she was engaged to Frederick, the son of Leopold V, Duke of Austria. This was part of a deal to free Richard, who was a prisoner. However, Frederick died before the marriage could happen. Eleanor then returned to England with her grandmother.

In 1195, there was talk of her marrying Louis, the son of Philip II of France. This was meant to create an alliance between Richard and Philip. But these talks also failed.

Life as a Prisoner

Under King John

When King Richard died in 1199, there was a fight for the throne. It was between supporters of 12-year-old Arthur and Richard's youngest brother, John. Eleanor was likely already under John's control when Arthur was captured in 1202. Arthur mysteriously disappeared the next year while imprisoned. Eleanor was still a possible heir, and John had no children at the time. So, it's unlikely John had planned to keep her locked up for her whole life at first.

On December 6, 1202, John fled Normandy and took Eleanor with him as his prisoner. She was taken to Bristol and guarded by knights. In 1204, Philip II of France asked for Eleanor to be released so she could marry his younger son.

John wanted to show that Eleanor was well. He arranged for local nobles to visit her. In 1206, John moved her to different castles. These included Brough Castle, Bowes Castle, and finally Corfe Castle in Dorset. She was kept with 25 French knights who supported her. After they tried to escape, 22 of them were caught and died of hunger.

Eleanor lived in a tower at Corfe Castle. She ate in the main hall and could walk along the castle walls. She had three maids and received money and supplies for clothes and bedding. John even sent her a fancy saddle, figs, and almonds. This suggests she was not kept in a very small cell. A list of food for Eleanor from that time shows she ate well. It included bread, ale, fish, almonds, butter, eggs, mutton, pork, chicken, beef, honey, and even heron.

In 1208, some bishops tried to get Eleanor freed, but they failed. Many people who supported her were sent away. Eleanor was forced to give her claims to Brittany and Richmond to John. John called her his "dearest niece" when talking to people from Brittany. Eleanor should have been the Duchess of Brittany after her brother Arthur died. But the Breton nobles were afraid John would try to rule Brittany through Eleanor. So, they made her younger half-sister, Alix, the duchess instead. Eleanor was still called Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Richmond, but these were just titles.

The Breton nobles did not know where Eleanor was. They were always ready to make her duchess if she were freed. John allowed her to use the titles and even talked about letting her go. He made Eleanor write a letter to the Breton nobles and church leaders. In the letter, she described her life in prison and asked them to come to England to discuss her release. This letter is the only document written by Eleanor that still exists.

In 1209, King William I of Scotland sent his daughters to John as hostages. They were also imprisoned at Corfe Castle with Eleanor. In 1213, John sent the captive princesses green robes, cloaks, and slippers. They were sometimes allowed to ride horses with strict guards. Eleanor received nice clothes, including dark green robes and hats.

In 1213, John tried to use Eleanor to make Peter I, Duke of Brittany his ally. He offered Peter Eleanor's Earldom of Richmond. But Peter stayed loyal to France. In the same year, John declared England a Papal fief. This meant the Pope claimed to be Eleanor's guardian. In 1214, John went to France with Eleanor. He hoped to get support from Brittany and make Eleanor a puppet duchess. But his plan failed. After this, John realized he could not gain anything from Eleanor's claim to Brittany. He recognized Alix as the Duchess of Brittany.

The King of France had taken most of John's lands. Neither the Bretons nor the French king asked for Eleanor's release. It seemed safer for them to have her imprisoned in England.

Tensions between John and the English nobles led to the First Barons' War in 1215. Louis of France invaded England, claiming the throne. The Pope argued that Eleanor had a better claim than John. When the Magna Carta was signed that year, it demanded that all hostages be released. But Eleanor was not included.

Eleanor was held in different places over the years. Some say she was at Corfe Castle, others at Bristol Castle. Records show she was also at Gloucester Castle.

Under King Henry III

King John died in 1216. Even though Eleanor had a stronger claim to the throne, the English nobles allowed John's young son, Henry III of England, to become king. Eleanor, who was 32 and still beautiful, remained a prisoner.

John had said before he died that Eleanor should never be released. Her claim to England was still a threat to his son. So, Eleanor remained a prisoner, though sometimes in a "gentle house arrest." Her safety was part of a treaty between England and France.

In 1218, she stopped being called Countess of Richmond. This was because Henry's regent recognized Peter as the Earl. Henry III then called Eleanor, who had no titles left, his "king's kinswoman" or "our cousin."

In 1221, there was a rumor of a plan to rescue Eleanor and take her to the King of France. In 1225, a guardian was accused of planning to help her escape. Eleanor was then moved away from the coast. From 1222, she was moved between Gloucester, Marlborough, and Bristol. She stayed at Bristol for a time and was visited by Henry III.

Henry III made sure Eleanor stayed a prisoner. He appointed and watched her guardians closely. He changed them often.

However, Eleanor was treated like a royal princess. She had her own rooms in the castles where she was held. She received generous gifts from the royal family, like game, fruit, nuts, and wine. She also had proper clothes. From 1225, she received an allowance.

Henry III himself sent her linen cloth, wimples, almonds, raisins, and figs. He also gave her another saddle, meaning she could still ride horses. He even asked the mayor to increase her household. In 1230, she was given two ladies-in-waiting. Her guardians showed her to the public every year. This was to stop rumors that she had been hurt. This suggests that local people felt sorry for her. Sometimes, local officials and noblewomen visited her to confirm her safety.

In 1235, Eleanor was supposed to receive money from a manor in Norfolk. But in 1241, Henry III controlled it. Eleanor only received cash from it as a gift from the king.

Eleanor was imprisoned for 39 years. She was innocent of any crime and never had a trial. She was seen as a "state prisoner." She was not allowed to marry and was closely guarded, even after she was too old to have children.

Death and Legacy

Eleanor died as a nun in 1241. She was about 57 or 59 years old. She was first buried at St James' Priory, Bristol. Then, she was reburied at Amesbury Abbey, as she had wished. Henry III announced her wishes. Eleanor also donated her body there. Amesbury Abbey was connected to her family, the Plantagenets. So, her choice of burial place might show loyalty to her family. But it might also have been a quiet protest about her and her brother Arthur's fate. The abbey was dedicated to Virgin Mary and St Melor. St Melor was a young Breton prince who was murdered by his wicked uncle. Neither burial place has a memorial for her.

The Chronicle of Lanercost says that Henry III, feeling bad, gave Eleanor a gold crown just before she died. This was to show that he and his family were the rightful rulers. Only three days later, the crown was given to young Prince Edward, who would become Edward I of England. Another story says she only wore the crown for one day.

The Annales Londonienses recorded her death. It called her "Eleanor, the daughter of the late Count of Brittany, long kept in the strictest prison." It also noted that she was the rightful heir to England. Even years after her death, Henry III did not want to admit he was not the first rightful king. The Annals of Tewkesbury recorded her death as "Eleanor of Brittany, a blood relative of the lord King Henry of England." The Chronicle of Lanercost described Eleanor as a very beautiful, determined, and clever woman. The few sources about her character suggest she never gave up. Even after decades in prison, she did not give up her rights, even though there was little hope.

In 1246, Henry III paid for a chaplain to say masses daily for Eleanor's soul. In 1268, Henry III gave the manor of Melksham, Wiltshire, a place Eleanor liked, to Amesbury Abbey. This was for the souls of Eleanor and Arthur. So, Eleanor became a helper to the abbey.

Portrayals

For a long time, no one wrote stories or poems about Eleanor. The first academic article about her was not written until 1907.

Eleanor sometimes appears in historical fiction. For example, in Mary Robinson's Angelina (1796). In Thomas Costain's novel Below the Salt, Eleanor escapes, marries a knight, and starts a family in Ireland. The series Through a Dark Mist, In the Shadow of Midnight, and The Last Arrow by Marsha Canham are also about rescuing the princess. They suggest that William Marshal also wanted Eleanor to be free. Eleanor also appears in the novels Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman, Sirocco Wind from the East by Virginia Ann Work, and The Shimmering Sky by Rik Denton. Her life story is also told in The Captive Princess by J.P. Reedman.

In her poem The Lament of Eleanor of Bretagne, the Victorian English writer Menella Bute Smedley imagined Eleanor's sad feelings as she grew old in prison.

Images for kids

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  Alyenore la Brette in a 13th-century genealogy (British Library)