The Shadow Queen
Eleanor of Castile was a spunky 13th century Queen of England who was as hated as she was headstrong. Known contemporarily to some as the Shadow Queen, her life was a dramatic one—full of war and conflict—but also of wealth and true love.
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1. She Was A Foreign Import
Though she would go on to rule England by her royal husband’s side, Eleanor’s life actually began in Spain. She was born in Burgos to her father, King Ferdinand of Castile, and mother, Queen Joan, Countess of Ponthieu. Her path to British royalty would begin with some early tragedy.
William Blake, Wikimedia Commons
2. She Lost A Young Sibling
Eleanor of Castile was the second of five royal children. All four of her siblings were boys. Tragically, however, only three of the boys survived. Louis, who was born a year or two after Eleanor, perished in childhood. Their parents ensured that the remaining royal Castilian children would have every advantage.
3. She Received A Top-Class Education
From an early age, Eleanor of Castile and her siblings received a courtly education. This, of course, included lessons on etiquette, politics, and the expectations placed on young princes and princesses. But notably, there was a strong focus on deeper subjects too. This set Eleanor up for even more success.
Castres, bibliothèque municipale, Wikimedia Commons
4. Her Parents Were Encouraging
King Ferdinand’s court was especially notable for its literary atmosphere. The royal children, at their parents’ behest, acquired an extensive aptitude and appreciation for reading and writing, meaning it was likely that the standard of Eleanor’s education was high even for royalty. Her gratitude to her father showed in special ways.
Alonso de Cartagena, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
5. She Loved Her Father
Not long after the passing of Eleanor’s brother, tragedy would strike the royal family once again. In 1252, when Eleanor was around 11 or 12 years old, the King met his demise in Seville after contracting dropsy. Ever the devoted daughter, Eleanor was present at her father’s deathbed to see him into the next life. She now faced her duty of carrying on the family bloodline.
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Wikimedia Commons
6. She Almost Married Spanish Royalty
The King’s successor was Eleanor’s half-brother, Alfonso X, who quickly got to work arranging a politically beneficial marriage for the young princess. In an attempt to wrest control of the Kingdom of Navarre, Alfonso proposed a marriage between Eleanor and the boy King Theobald II of Navarre.
Sensing the Castilian’s desire for control, however, Theobald’s mother and regent, Margaret of Bourbon, nixed the idea entirely. The Castilians were back to the drawing board.
Francisco Mendoza, Wikimedia Commons
7. She Married An English Prince Instead
Around the same time, Alfonso became engaged in a dispute over lands in Gascony with King Henry III of England. In a negotiated settlement, Alfonso agreed to wed Eleanor to the King’s son, Edward I. The couple wed on November 1, 1254, when Eleanor was just 13 years old. That wasn’t the only weird thing about the pairing.
8. She Kept It In The Family
Edward and Eleanor of Castile already had some family connections. His grandfather had been King John of England, and her great-grandmother was Eleanor of England; both were the children of King Henry II, making the newlyweds second cousins once removed. With marriage came relocation.
Gerald of Wales, Wikimedia Commons
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9. She Moved For Her Husband
As part of the marriage agreement, Edward now controlled the disputed lands in Gascony and adopted the title of Lord of Aquitaine. Eleanor accompanied her new husband to his new seat of power, where they stayed for a year. Things escalated quickly.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
10. She Lost A Baby
Tragedy befell the young couple early on. While in Gascony, and at only 13-and-a-half years old, Eleanor of Castile gave birth to a daughter. Devastatingly, however, the infant girl did not survive long. Perhaps it was this unbearable event that made Eleanor decide to move to England alone in 1255. Her husband would follow a few months later, but things didn’t get much easier.
Albertistvan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. Her Time At Court Was Tense
With her marriage to Edward, Eleanor helped to resolve the Gascon crisis. However, there were still tensions among the two royal families and Eleanor’s presence at court only compounded this atmosphere. King Henry’s closest allies and advisors were likely troubled by the presence of this young Castilian now inside the gates. The prince, however, could not have felt more different.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
12. She Had A Good Marriage
Eleanor of Catstile and her husband, Edward, evidently had a very close and intimate marriage, displaying deep love and devotion to one another. Edward was reportedly faithful to her, never taking any mistresses, a rarity for a royal. The couple were scarcely apart for long. They even had their own cute rituals.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
13. She And Her Husband Had Fun
Royal family records have described Edward and Eleanor’s relationship as comfortable, humorous, and playful. Every Easter Monday, for example, Eleanor would have her ladies “trap” Edward in his bed so that he would have to pay them a ransom to go to her bedroom after Lent had ended. Eleanor showed her love and familiarity in other adorable ways too.
Alonso de Cartagena, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
14. She Had Her Husband’s Back
Edward was quite an introverted man and resented having to attend ceremonies as part of his duties. When invited to the wedding of the 5th Earl of Norfolk, Edward at first refused to go. Eventually convincing him to attend, Eleanor hired minstrels specifically to entertain her husband while he sat alone at the wedding as a gesture of love. The two had an unbreakable bond.
James William Edmund Doyle, Wikimedia Commons
15. She Went Everywhere With Her Husband
Edward and Eleanor were practically joined at the hip—and they took their devotion to each other to the next level. She even accompanied her husband when he went to war! During a military campaign in Wales that Edward featured in, Eleanor stayed in Caernarfon Castle near the frontlines. She took on a role beyond simple moral support.
Joseph Farington, Wikimedia Commons
16. She Assisted Her Husband’s Army
Edward’s father Henry became embroiled in a war with his barons in the 1260s, known as the Second Barons’ War. Eleanor actively supported her husband’s interests in this war, going so far as to import archers from Castilian allies in France. She took a hands-on approach in other wartime necessities.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
17. She Took An Active Role
Eleanor of Castile assisted in holding Windsor Castle for her husband during the conflict, keeping a watchful eye on the baronial prisoners held in the castle dungeons. As rumors built that she was seeking to enlist more troops from Castile to the cause, things took a turn for the worse.
Wenceslas Hollar, Wikimedia Commons
18. She Got Kidnapped
After the royalist army suffered defeat at the Battle of Lewes, the barons captured Edward and took control of Windsor Castle. And they didn’t stop there. Baronial leader Simon de Montfort ordered Eleanor’s removal from the castle, and they confined her to Westminster Palace under the supervision of the baronial army.
But just when it looked like all was lost, the royals’ fortunes turned around.
Mintguy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
19. Her Side Won
At the subsequent and pivotal Battle of Evesham in 1265, the royalist army won a decisive victory and resecured their power over the land; the barons had lost. The government needed serious reform after this, and Edward took a major role in these efforts. Eleanor of Castile would rise to prominence alongside her beloved.
James William Edmund Doyle, Wikimedia Commons
20. She Was A Zealous Crusader
Eleanor’s family in Castile were heavily involved in the Crusades, which were ongoing at the time. The princess’s commitment to the church’s campaign was just as steadfast as her kin. She vowed support and participation, convincing her husband to do the same. It would offer them some interesting working holiday opportunities.
Guillaume de Tyr, Wikimedia Commons
21. She Did Some Travelling
England was at peace in 1270, and Eleanor of Castile and Edward took this opportunity to join the Eighth Crusade of King Louis IX of France, Edward’s uncle. But things didn’t go quite as planned. Louis perished at Carthage before the couple could link up with him. Instead, they proceeded to Sicily to winter there, before arriving in Acre in the Holy Land in 1271.
While there, Eleanor gave birth to a daughter who, due to her birthplace, became known as Joan of Acre. But drama seemed to follow the pair everywhere.
Guillaume de Saint-Pathus, Vie et miracles de Saint Louis, Wikimedia Commons
22. Her Husband Almost Perished
The ruling dynasty of Acre was concerned with the presence of British royalty on their land, and in June 1272, an attempt was made on Edward’s life. Stabbed in the arm by a poison dagger, he entered an intense period of sickness and suffering. resulting in the removal by a surgeon of the diseased flesh of his arm.
Eleanor was inconsolable, allegedly “weeping and wailing” by her beloved’s bedside. But other accounts told a different story—more on that later. Either way, Edward would survive, and the couple would soon go on to rule.
Joseph Martin Kronheim, Wikimedia Commons
23. She Ascended
King Henry III perished on November 16, 1272. Following this news, and the prince’s recovery, Edward and Eleanor returned to England (with a quick stopover in Gascony on the way home). On August 19, 1274, Edward was crowned King of England, and Eleanor his queen consort. It was not her only title.
Dulwich Picture Gallery, Wikimedia Commons
24. She Gained Her Mother’s Title
Eleanor’s mother, Joan, also passed away a few short years after her daughter’s ascension to the throne. With this, Eleanor now attained the title of Countess of Ponthieu. It is unknown if she ever spent much time in Ponthieu, but she did send her daughter Joan to foster there, a common practice among nobles of the time. Eleanor was, unfortunately, no stranger to losing children.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
25. She Endured Devastating Loss
Throughout history, it’s been important for a king’s wife to provide an heir—and Eleanor took that responsibility seriously. To a nearly unbelievable degree. Eleanor likely mothered somewhere between 14 and 17 children with Edward over her lifetime. Most were born at Windsor, though three were born while Eleanor was traveling.
Tragically, however, only a total of six of the couple’s children survived into adulthood, a devastating statistic. Perhaps this was the cause of Eleanor’s cold parental style.
Chronica Roffense (Flores Historiarum continuation), Wikimedia Commons
26. She Was A Distant Mother
Historical accounts from the time suggest Eleanor of Castile was not a very attentive mother. It appears the King and Queen were more dedicated to one another than their children. The royal couple traveled quite frequently, and as a result, their young children stayed behind at home under the care of loyal attendants. Eleanor’s distance showed in some gut-wrenching ways.
27. She Was Not There For Her Children
Eleanor’s inattentive parenting style sometimes resulted in heartbreaking circumstances for her offspring. In 1274, the royal couple’s six-year-old son, Henry, was terminally ill in Guildford, where his grandmother was raising him. Despite the prognosis that young Henry would not survive, neither of his parents made the short journey from London to be with their ailing son. Eleanor apparently had more important things to worry about.
Tomás Padró Pedret, Wikimedia Commons
28. She Dealt In Property
Eleanor gained notoriety for her vast land acquisitions, a practice for which she received much criticism. Between 1274 and 1290, the queen consort acquired an array of estates from middling landed classes that brought in about £2600 annually, an unthinkably large amount of money for the time. There was something of a political reason for this.
Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
29. She Covered Her Own Expenses
The initiation of Eleanor’s land acquisitions was originally her husband’s idea. The queen consort’s lavish lifestyle amounted to an annual expenditure of £8,000, and Edward did not want government funds to go towards his wife’s expensive habits. Furthermore, he wanted to ensure her financial independence in the event of his premature passing. But the ethics of all this were questionable.
Adusha, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
30. She Exploited Bigotry
At the time in England, there was a rising wave of antisemitism, with the Jewish community taxed far beyond its means in an effort to drive them from the country. Eleanor used this to her advantage, buying up properties from Jewish landowners who now found themselves in unmanageable debt. Her endeavors made her unique among English queens.
British Library, Wikimedia Commons
31. She Set A Precedent
Though Eleanor’s means of attaining her wealth were problematic, she was nonetheless a pioneer in the institutional standing of English queens. Her financial independence was a first for her position, and the independence of action enjoyed by future queens consort of England is thanks to Eleanor. Her trailblazing was not exactly embraced at the time.
Von Lincolnian (Brian), CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
32. She Was Unpopular
Eleanor’s unrestrained acquisition of land through usury and dispossession prompted wide condemnation from her contemporaries. She received criticism from all strata of high society, from members of the landed classes to the church, and even had unfavorable poems written about her by notable scribes. There were terrible knock-on effects too.
HISTORY OF ENGLAND by SAMUEL R. GARDINER, Wikimedia Commons
33. Her Deeds Contributed To A Hateful Atmosphere
Eleanor’s exploitation of Jewish debtors only contributed to the rising antisemitism in the country—and things came to a disturbing conclusion. These rising tensions culminated in the 1290 Edict of Expulsion which lawfully expelled the entire Jewish population from England. Eleanor benefitted indirectly from this too; the houses, debts, and other property left behind by the exiled Jews were forfeit to the Crown. But the oppression didn’t stop there.
34. She Benefitted From Discriminatory Practices
Even before the expulsion, Eleanor was already enriching herself off Jewish misery. In the late 1270s, many Jews were targeted for the offense of coin-clipping. The accusations were almost completely false, but nonetheless, over 300 individuals received hanging sentences. Eleanor received a significant portion of their seized assets too. Then she added insult to injury.
Israel b. Meir of Heidelberg, Wikimedia Commons
35. She Disrespected Sacred Buildings
Following the expulsion of the Jews, Eleanor found herself in possession of more property than she knew what to do with, including a number of now-abandoned synagogues. One in particular, located in Canterbury, she decided to impart as a gift. She ended up giving it to her tailor. With that out of the way, family matters took priority.
multichill, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
36. She Kept Her Family Close
Though her parenting style was distant towards her younger children, Eleanor seemed to become more involved in their lives when they got older and were able to travel with them. She seemed to want to keep them close, and even convinced her husband not to marry their daughter (also named Eleanor) to a foreign ruler in 1282, despite the political benefits this would have brought. This was indicative of her role at court.
37. She Had Some Influence
Though Eleanor was never given an overtly political role at court, she nonetheless held some sway over her husband’s decision making. She received training in diplomatic matters pertaining to welcoming visiting foreign dignitaries. But she never took part in settling disputes, other than minor ones between England and her native Gascony. Nonetheless, she courted controversy.
38. She Feuded With A Bishop
There were some occasions when Edward felt he had to reign his wife in, showing the limits of Eleanor’s influence. One such occasion was when the queen was demanding the Bishop of Winchester repay a debt he owed her. Due to the importance of maintaining close ties with the church, Edward’s Lord Chancellor settled the matter in the bishop’s favor. Not everyone bristled at Eleanor’s character, however.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
39. She Had Two Personalities
Records seem to indicate that Eleanor treated people very differently depending on how she saw them. She appears to have been very considerate, kind, and loyal to her inner circle of friends and family. However, other reports were far more damning. To those outside her immediate circle, she was harsh and manipulative. There are also reports that she had a very short temper.
Emotional regulation may not have been her thing, but she had other skills.
40. She Was Handy
Eleanor seemed to have a very practical nature. While most royals had a reputation for their lavish and constantly changing wardrobes, Eleanor appeared to prefer casual, everyday dress. Furthermore, she reportedly liked to repair clothes rather than replace them when they became damaged, another unorthodox trait for a woman of her social standing. Her influence reverberated in the culture.
Richard Croft, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
41. She Was A Well-Rounded Woman
Eleanor of Castile had great cultural influence over England at the time. She herself had a broad range of interests, including hunting, horse riding and breeding, and chess. But there was one interest nurtured in childhood that lasted her whole life.
42. She Supported The Arts
Eleanor was a prolific patron of literature, and she had a wide-ranging and sophisticated interest in many different varieties of writing and story. She had her own dedicated scribes and illuminators to copy books for her, and even had some books commissioned. Their language might surprise you.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
43. She Spoke Her Mother’s Tongue
Eleanor of Castile spoke French, the language of her mother, and all her books were in this language. One could be forgiven for thinking she would have struggled with this in England, but at the time, French was actually the dominant language of the English court. Eleanor’s skills did not stop at the written word.
Haworth Productions, The Lion in Winter (1968)
44. She Had A Knack For Interior Design
Eleanor’s domestic duties included decorating the royal residencies, and she showed quite a lot of aptitude for this task. She emphasized comfort in her designs and commissioned tiled bathrooms in the style of her native Castilian culture. Her influence began to spread.
Richard Croft, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
45. She Was A Trendsetter
Eleanor of Castile would also hang tapestries and carpets on the walls of her residences, a practice initially seen as a Spanish extravagance. However, rich and royal elites increasingly adopted the style; by the time of Eleanor’s passing, it was ubiquitous and in vogue. Her influence was evident outdoors too.
46. She Was Incredibly Dedicated To Him
Tales of Eleanor and Edward’s passion for each other have stood the test of time, making them one of history’s greatest love stories. And some stories—though perhaps apocryphal—show just how devoted they were. In one account of Edward’s attempted assassination in Acre, it’s claimed that Eleanor was the one to suck the poison out of his wound after he was stabbed with a dagger that had been dipped in poison.
47. She Perished From Illness
On the evening of November 28, 1290, Eleanor of Castille passed on at the age of 49. Not much remains about the exact cause of her demise, but medical records suggest she may have contracted malaria and succumbed to it due to related complications. Her passing received a mixed response.
48. She Had A Complicated Legacy
Posthumous accounts of Eleanor have varied. Many of them, including fictions inspired by the real-life woman, have portrayed a wide-ranging opinion of the queen. Some painted her as a kind, dedicated companion to the King. Others aren’t so flattering.
To some, she was a scheming Spaniard, intent on sewing discontent in England. Regardless of the truth, the opinion of the person who mattered most to her remains unquestioned.
49. Her Husband Paid Tribute
Eleanor had perished in the town of Harby with her dedicated husband by her bedside. In tribute, King Edward erected a stone cross at each stopping point on the journey back to London. These became known as Eleanor crosses, though only a few have survived to the present day. Her beloved husband’s grief was palpable.
Brookie, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
50. Her Husband Maintained Their Tradition
There are heartbreaking accounts of the grief King Edward suffered following the passing of his wife Eleanor of Castile. The couple’s previously mentioned Easter Monday custom was so important to the King that on the first Easter after her demise, he gave Eleanor’s ladies the usual sum of money he would have given them per tradition. Among royal history, it is rare to find a couple so devoted to one another, and it may be Eleanor of Castile’s greatest legacy.
Epics, Getty Images51. She Did Not Rest In Peace
Eleanor of Castile’s marriage to Edward I was a historical anomaly. They were happy, faithful, and fruitful. But if Eleanor knew about what Edward did to their son after she died, it would’ve horrified her beyond belief.
No one was spared from Edward's brutal temper—not even his own children. In one chilling story, his son and heir had the gall to make a demand of him, and the King's reaction was utterly disturbing. Edward flew into a wild rage, physically attacking his son and even tearing large chunks of hair from his head. This was how he treated his own blood, so it should be no surprise that Edward was even more monstrous when it came to his enemies.
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