The Queen from Provence (39 page)

Margaret gazed at her parents with loving wonder. Hadn’t she always known they could put everything right?

Chapter XV

MY SON! MY SON!

R
ichard had been watching events with a certain bitterness. He was angry with his brother for having bestowed the crown of Sicily on young Edmund without consulting him. He could have told Henry that that crown would have to be won and that it would be a costly matter winning it. Henry seemed to have no financial sense at all. He thought his coffers were magical and refilled as a matter of course as he emptied them. Heaven knew he had been in enough difficulties and should have learned that one of the reasons for his increasing unpopularity was his continual demand for money. Richard was different; he was rich … very rich. He respected money; he rarely gave it away though sometimes he lent it if it was profitable to do so. The foreigner-hangers-on had quickly learned that they could get nothing from Richard.

Since he had been on his crusade he had had some reputation in Europe. He was looked up to as a man of courage and importance, and the Pope had already offered him the crown of Germany. He declined this offer which he knew would have offended his brother-in-law Frederick II; but now Frederick was dead and so was the son Henry he had had by Richard’s sister Isabella.

The situation had changed and Richard did not greatly care for the way events were drifting in England. He could see trouble ahead, if Henry could not. Richard would not take sides in the conflict between Henry and the barons. His loyalty prevented him from siding with the barons and his common sense would not let him agree with Henry. Henry was a fool and his doting fondness for his wife made him eager to give her relations anything they asked; he seemed to have a fondness for foreigners for he showered gifts on them and showed this absurd generosity to his half-brothers and sisters.

He now let it be known that if the office of King of the Romans was offered to him he would stand for election.

There was another candidate for this honour. This was Alfonso of Castile, half-brother of the Infanta who was now Edward’s wife, and Alfonso had the support of the French who did not care to contemplate more English influence in Europe.

Richard’s reputation however carried him through. His valour in the crusade; the wealth he had amassed; his skill in keeping clear of the troubles which beset his brother, won the day for him.

He was elected King of the Romans.

He was exultant. This was his great opportunity. He had always wanted a crown and had resented the fact that he had been born too late to have attained that of England. Now he was a King in his own right.

Sanchia was delighted to be a Queen, of equal rank with her two elder sisters. Romeo had not been far wrong when he had said he would make them all queens.

Richard talked long and earnestly to her of their future. There would be certain trouble with the German Princes. It was fortunate that Alfonso’s half-sister was married to Edward; that would make it difficult for him to show hostility. They must prepare now to leave England.

‘And,’ he confided in her, ‘it could not be at a better time. Trouble is coming very near. The murmurings through the country are growing to a rumble. You should remonstrate with your sister. She could do a great deal to show the King the folly of his ways.’

‘It is impossible to advise Eleanor. She has always believed she knows best.’

‘This I fear is one of those occasions when she does not,’ said Richard.

He sent for his son Henry and when he came he told him to make his preparations for he wanted him to be present at his coronation at Aachen.

Henry could see how elated his father was and rejoiced with him. It would be a great pleasure to witness his triumph. He was a little sad at the prospect of leaving Edward, for their friendship had deepened since the mutilation of the youth and Edward’s genuine repentance had touched him.

‘This has come at the best of moments,’ Richard said. ‘Any man of sense must see the way things are going. There will be trouble in England sooner or later, Henry. That much is clear.’

‘The King has a way of avoiding it simply by pretending it does not exist,’ said Henry.

‘It is a method which can work for a while, but sooner or later the truth has to be faced.’ Richard shrugged his shoulders. ‘Well now, we must make ready for our departure.’ He laid his hands on his son’s shoulders. ‘This will further our fortunes, my son, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than to contemplate what I can do for you.’

On a warm May day Richard with wife and son set sail for Dordrecht in a splendid company of fifty ships.

At Aachen he and Sanchia were crowned King and Queen of the Romans.

There was sorrow at Windsor. Little Katharine was dangerously ill.

Nothing could upset the Queen as much as threats to her children. Their health and well-being had been a constant cause of anxiety to her, and even when there had been no cause to worry she had been uneasy.

But there was no doubt that little Katharine was very ill. She had always been a strange child – aloof from the rest because she was dumb. The Queen had loved her the more for her affliction and had taken great pains to ensure that she felt no lack because of it.

Katharine had been exceptionally pretty and Henry used to say that more than any of the girls she had inherited her mother’s beauty.

And now they were going to lose her.

The Queen would not leave the child’s bedside and the King hovered over the Queen.

‘You will make yourself ill, my darling,’ he admonished her, but she only shook her head. It was as though she had some belief that while she was there death would not dare to take her child.

The little girl’s eyes pleaded with her to stay; the hot little hand clung to hers.

But it was no use. Not even the Queen’s fierce determination could save her daughter’s life.

On a bleak May day Katharine slipped away from life as quietly as she had lived it.

Soon after Katharine’s death it became clear that the patience of the barons was becoming exhausted.

Simon de Montfort – the King’s brother-in-law, who never failed to arouse uneasy thoughts in his mind – was back in England and it seemed that the discontented barons were looking to him as a leader.

There had been an outcry when Aymer of Valence, the King’s half-brother, had been given the See of Winchester. This meant that Boniface of Savoy, the Queen’s uncle, had Canterbury, the King’s half-brother Winchester and the most powerful member of the foreign party was William of Valence, another half-brother of the King.

Conferring together the barons decreed that soon not a single position of authority would be left to the English and the King’s penchant for foreigners must be blunted.

There was no doubt that the foreigners were a greedy company of men. The more the King bestowed on them the more they tried to get. Trouble began when William de Valence tried to extend his lands and in so doing encroached on those of Simon de Montfort.

Simon was determined not to let this pass; knowing that he had the backing of most powerful English barons he took the matter up with the council.

William de Valence, arrogant in the belief that he had his half-brother the King behind him, declared before the assembly that he had no desire to parley with a traitor.

Simon cried out: ‘I am no traitor … nor traitor’s son.’ This was a reference to the father of William de Valence, Hugh de Lusignan who had taken up arms against his King. ‘My father,’ added Simon, ‘was not like yours.’

William rushed at Simon; his hand on his sword.

They had to be parted.

The quarrel in itself might have been insignificant. Such quarrels did arise now and then between barons. But this was the leader of the foreign party against the man to whom the barons were looking more and more to lead them.

As Simon left the council chamber he was joined by Roger Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk.

‘My lord,’ said Roger, ‘a halt must soon be called to the arrogance of these foreigners.’

‘I am in complete agreement,’ replied Simon.

‘Praise God. There are thousands like us. What shall be done in the matter?’

‘We must call a meeting of those who share our anxieties. We must make up our minds then what action to take.’

There was no lack of men to join them.

The next meeting of the King and the parliament was a stormy one.

The King began by telling the assembly of his financial difficulties. They knew that there had been a famine due to the poor harvest; the Welsh were giving trouble and he was none too sure of the Scots. He had incurred great expense in the service of the country and he now needed further grants.

He was answered that had he not bestowed great gifts on the Queen’s family, his half-brothers and sisters and their foreign friends, he would have had ample funds for dealing with the country’s needs.

The King’s friends immediately rose in his defence while those barons led by de Montfort insisted on putting their point of view, which was that it was impossible to impose further taxation on the people and that economy might start by sending some of the parasites back to their own countries.

The squabble between the opposing parties might have grown into a fight if the King had not called a halt to the proceedings.