Joan of Acre facts for kids

Joan of Acre (born April 1272 – died 23 April 1307) was an English princess. She was a daughter of Edward I of England, who was the King of England, and Eleanor of Castile. She was born in Acre, a place in the Holy Land, while her parents were on a crusade. This is why she was called "Joan of Acre."

Joan married twice in her life. Her first husband was Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester. He was one of the most powerful nobles in her father's kingdom. Her second husband was Ralph de Monthermer. He was a squire (a knight's assistant) in her household. They married in secret.

People remember Joan for a few reasons. Some believe that miracles happened at her grave. She is also mentioned in many books and stories.

Early Life: Birth and Childhood

Joan of Acre was born in the spring of 1272. This happened in the Kingdom of Acre, a place then called Outremer. Today, it is part of Israel. Her parents, King Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, were on a crusade there.

At the time Joan was born, her grandfather, Henry III, was still king. So, her father was not yet king of England. Soon after Joan's birth, her parents left Acre. They traveled to Sicily and Spain. Then, they left Joan with her grandmother, Joan, Countess of Ponthieu, in France.

Joan lived in France for several years. A bishop taught her there. Her grandmother spoiled her a lot. Joan could play freely among the "vine clad hills and sunny vales" near her grandmother's home. She was always watched carefully, though.

Arranged Marriages for Joan

While Joan grew up in France, her father was busy in England. He was already planning her marriage. He wanted to gain political power and wealth from her marriage. He handled the arrangements like a business deal.

He found a suitable husband for Joan when she was five years old. This was Hartman, the son of King Rudolph I of Germany. Edward brought Joan home from France to meet him. This was her first time meeting her parents. She had spent her whole life away from them. Because of this, she was not afraid of them. She had a distant relationship with them.

Sadly, Hartman died before he could meet or marry Joan. Some said he fell through thin ice while skating. A letter to the King said his boat hit a rock in a terrible fog, and he drowned.

First Marriage: A Powerful Earl

King Edward quickly arranged a second marriage for Joan. His first choice was Gilbert de Clare, the Earl of Gloucester. He was nearly 30 years older than Joan. He had also recently ended his previous marriage.

The Earl gave his lands to King Edward. He would get them back when he married Joan. He also agreed to pay a large sum of money. By the time these plans were finished, Joan was 12 years old.

Gilbert de Clare became very fond of Joan. Even though she had to marry him, he tried to win her over. He bought her expensive gifts and clothes. They married on April 30, 1290, at Westminster Abbey. They had four children together:

• Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford
• Eleanor de Clare
• Margaret de Clare
• Elizabeth de Clare

Joan's first husband, Gilbert de Clare, passed away on December 7, 1295.

Secret Second Marriage: A Surprising Choice

Joan had been a widow for just over a year. Then, she met Ralph de Monthermer. He was a squire in her father's royal household. Joan fell in love with him. She convinced her father to make Monthermer a knight.

It was very unusual for a noble lady to marry someone who was not already important. But Joan secretly married Ralph in January 1297. Her father was planning another marriage for Joan. He wanted her to marry Amadeus V, Count of Savoy on March 16, 1297. Since Joan was already married, she was in a difficult situation.

Joan sent her four young children to their grandfather, King Edward. She hoped their cuteness would make him happy. But her plan did not work. The King soon found out about Joan's secret. He did not yet know she was already married. He took away Joan's lands. He kept planning her marriage to Amadeus of Savoy.

Soon after her lands were taken, Joan told her father she had married Ralph. The King was furious. He immediately put Monthermer in prison at Bristol Castle. People had different opinions about Joan's situation. Some noblemen were most upset because they wanted to marry her themselves.

Joan's Brave Words

Joan famously said, "It is not considered shameful for a great earl to marry a poor woman. So, it is not wrong for a countess to help a brave young man rise in status."

Joan was also pregnant at this time. Her pregnancy may have been obvious. Her statement seemed to soften King Edward's anger. Her first child with Monthermer was born in October 1297. By the summer of 1297, when the marriage was revealed, Joan's condition would have been clear. This helped convince Edward that he had to accept his daughter's second marriage.

King Edward I finally gave in. For his daughter's sake, he released Monthermer from prison in August 1297. Monthermer showed his loyalty to the King. He was given the titles of Earl of Gloucester and Earl of Hertford. He became a favorite of the King during Joan's lifetime.

Joan and Monthermer had four children:

• Mary de Monthermer, born October 1297. In 1306, King Edward I arranged for her to marry Duncan Macduff, 8th Earl of Fife.
• Joan de Monthermer, born 1299. She became a nun at Amesbury.
• Thomas de Monthermer, 2nd Baron Monthermer, born 1301.
• Edward de Monthermer, born 1304 and died 1339.

Family Relationships

Joan was the seventh of King Edward I and Queen Eleanor's fourteen children. Most of her older brothers and sisters died very young. Many of her younger siblings also died before becoming adults.

Those who lived to adulthood were Joan, her younger brother Edward of Caernarfon (who later became King Edward II), and four of her sisters: Eleanor, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth.

Like her siblings, Joan was not raised in her parents' home. She lived with her grandmother in Ponthieu for four years. Then, she was cared for by the same people who looked after her siblings. King Edward I was not very close to most of his children when they were young. However, he seemed to like his daughters more than his sons.

Joan of Acre was very independent. This caused many disagreements with her father. He did not like it when she left court after marrying the Earl of Gloucester. He even "seized seven robes that had been made for her." He also strongly disapproved of her second marriage to Ralph de Monthermer. He even tried to force her to marry someone else.

Eventually, King Edward became friendly with Monthermer. He even gave him two earldoms. But there seemed to be a difference in how Edward treated Joan compared to her other siblings. For example, he famously paid messengers a lot of money when they brought news of new grandchildren. But he did not do this when Joan's daughter was born.

Joan stayed close with her brothers and sisters. She and Monthermer kept a good relationship with her brother, Edward. They wrote letters to each other. When Edward fell out of favor with his father and lost his royal seal, "Joan offered to lend him her seal."

Death and Legacy

Joan died on April 23, 1307. She passed away at the manor of Clare in Suffolk. The exact reason for her death is not clear. A common idea is that she died during childbirth. This was a frequent cause of death at that time. Joan was about 35 years old in 1307. She had also had several pregnancies before. So, this could be true, but historians have not confirmed it.

Less than four months after Joan died, her father, King Edward I, also passed away. Joan's husband, Ralph de Monthermer, lost the title of Earl of Gloucester soon after. The earldom of Gloucester went to Joan's son from her first marriage, Gilbert. He was the rightful owner. Monthermer kept a smaller earldom in Scotland, which King Edward I had given him, until he died.

Joan in Stories

Joan of Acre appears in different books and stories. Sometimes she is shown as a strong and independent woman. Other times, she is shown as a spoiled princess.

In Lives of the Princesses of England by Mary Anne Everett Green, Joan is called a "giddy princess" and a mother who didn't care enough. Many people agreed with this idea. However, some authors think there is not much proof to say Joan of Acre was a neglectful or uncaring mother.

See also

In Spanish: Juana de Acre para niños