Eleanor: A 200 mile walk in search of England's lost queen

In December 2024 Alice Loxton walked from Lincoln to London to follow the path taken to carry the body of Queen Eleanora from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey in December 1290. 

Queen Eleanor had died in the village of Harby near Lincoln on 28 November. Eleanor's body remained at Harby for three days before being taken to Lincoln. From there the funeral procession continued to London where Eleanor's body was buried at Westminster Abbey on 17 December. The procession stopped at twelve locations on the almost two hundred mile journey. 

King Edward I later ordered that a series of memorial crosses should be erected indicating the places the procession stopped when carrying Eleanor's body back to London. Twelve monuments known as Eleanor Crosses were erected. Three of the Eleanor Crosses remain almost intact today at Geddington, Hardingstone and Waltham Cross. 

 In writing Eleanor, Alice Loxton not only describes the challenges of making such a journey today, she also reflects on what the journey would have been like 700 years ago. Throughout the book the author reflects on the life of Eleanor and how she has been almost forgotten through the intervening years. However, if people look carefully, there are glimpses of her past to be found in the three Eleanor Crosses that survived the destruction of the Reformation and the English Civil War, plaques showing where other crosses once stood plus more recent memorials to remember the queen.

Alice Loxton, during the walk, also observes other indications relating to history and in doing so has provided a readable, entertaining account of past events and their significance. This is a book written for members of the general public to read and enjoy. If they wish, readers can then explore some of the topics further in other sources. At the end of the book the author provides a list of books and other sources to explore for further information plus a list of places and organisations that people might want to visit.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eleanor and now plan to read other books by Alice Loxton. 

Queens of the Age of Chivalry

Queens of the Age of Chivalry is the third book in the series, England's Medieval Queens, written by Alison Weir . The stories of the five queens in this book include:

Marguerite of France, the second wife of King Edward I

Isabella of France, the wife of King Edward II

Philippa of Hainault, the wife of King Edward III

Anne of Bohemia, first wife of King Richard II

Isabella of Valois, second wife of King Richard II.

Alison Weir has written detailed accounts of the lives of these women based on the information available. Unfortunately many of the the records from this period have disappeared or have been reconstructed to support or discredit the main characters being portrayed but the reader is provided with a vivid picture of life lived in medieval times.

At the end of the book is an extensive  select bibliography, sources of quotes in the text and an index. There are also some coloured plates.

Queens of the Crusades

 Queens of the Crusades is the second book in the England Medieval Queens series by Alison Weir. The stories of the five queens in this book include:

Eleanor of Aquitaine, the wife of King Henry II

Berebgaria of Navarre, the first wife of King Richard I

Isabella of Angouleme, the wife of King John

Alienor of Provence, the wife of King Henry III

Eleanor of Castile, wife of King Edward I.

Alison Weir has written detailed accounts on the lives of these women based on thre information available. Unfortunately many of the original records from this period have disappeared or have been reconstructed to support or discredit the main characters being portrayed but the reader is provided with a vivid picture of life lived in medieval times.

At the end of the book is an extensive select bibliography, sources of quotes in the text plus an index. There are also some coloured plates.

Queens of the Conquest

Queens of the Conquest is the first book in the England Medieval Queens series by Alison Weir. The stories of the five queens in this book include:

Matilda of Flanders, the wife of William the Conqueror

Matilda of Scotland, the first wife of King Henry I

Adeliza of Louvain, the second wife of King Henry I

Empress Matilda, daughter of King Henry I and wife of Geoffrey Plantangenet of Anjou

Matilda of Boulonge, wife of King Stephen.

Alison Weir has written detailed accounts on the lives of these women based on the information available. Unfortunately many of the original records from this period have disappeared or have been reconstructed to support or discredit the main characters being portrayed but the reader is provided with a vivid picture of life lived in medieval times.

At the end of the book are appendices including a guide to the principal Chronicle sources, an extensive select bibliography, notes and references plus an index. There are also some coloured plates.