The Autumn Throne (68 page)

Since there were so many ladies called Isabel in the novel, I used the name Hawise for John’s first wife, Isabel of Gloucester. Over the years she has been called both Hawise and Isabel by sundry historians, but Isabel would appear to be her correct name. However, I’ve gone with older custom, as I did when retaining Richenza, in order to lessen the confusion.

Still on the subject of names, ‘L’Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal’, a poem about the life of the great William Marshal, tells us that Alienor’s name had the meaning of ‘Pure Gold’ (it’s also a pun on her mother’s name, Aenor, because it has the meaning of ‘another Aenor’). The ‘Histoire’ reveals the depth of the friendship between Alienor and the Marshal which lasted in strength and honour throughout their lives. Even when others were blackening her name following her death, the ‘Histoire’ holds true in its praise.

It was interesting researching Richard FitzRoy (later in life also recorded as Richard of Dover, Richard of Chillham and Richard de Warenne) and weaving him into the story. We do not know which of Hamelin’s three daughters bore him. I have gone with Isabel (Belle), the eldest daughter. Richard named his own daughter Isabel, and although it was his mother-in-law’s name too, and he may have been pleasing her, it may also indicate family ties from his own side of the blanket. There is no evidence that he was with his grandmother at Mirebeau, but this is where a writer of historical fiction plays on the space between the lines.

Alienor’s two maids in the novel, Amiria and Belbel, are taken from life. Amiria, we know, was from a Welsh Marcher background and was the sister of a baron called Hugh Pantulf of Wem. Circa 1194 she entered the convent of Amesbury. Belbel is more elusive. There is an entry in the pipe roll for
her which lists clothes for both her and Alienor in the same entry and says ‘for the King’s use’. Some historians have jumped on this detail as evidence of Belbel being another of Henry II’s mistresses, but to me it’s skating on ice so thin that it holds no weight. It’s a massive leap to go from listing clothing to presenting the woman in the role of mistress. To me it’s far more likely that the reference is to one of Alienor’s ladies and that ‘for the King’s use’ is concerned with the garments in some way rather than listing a concubine!

I now commend Alienor to her reading at Fontevraud and hope that the light I have shed on her life has illuminated a few unknown facets among the familiar.

For
those wanting to read further I have included a short list of the books I found the most useful and grounded while writing Alienor’s story. In particular Michael Evans’ superb
Inventing Eleanor
was indispensable when it came to untwisting the mythology both ancient and very modern that entangles Alienor. (My thanks also to Akashic Records consultant Alison King.) For any readers interested in viewing my full research library, it can be found here:

http://elizabethchadwickreference.blogspot.co.uk/

Aurell, Martin,
The Plantagenet Empire 1154–1224
, translated from the French by David Crouch (Pearson Longman, 2007), ISBN 978 0 5827 8439 0

Evans, Michael R.,
Inventing Eleanor: The Medieval and Post-Medieval Image of Eleanor of Aquitaine
(Bloomsbury, 2014) ISBN 978 1 4411 6900 6

Farrer, William and Charles Travis Clay (eds),
Early Yorkshire Charters, Volume 8: The Honour of Warenne
(Cambridge University Press, 2013 edition), ISBN 978 1 1080 5831 5

Gillingham, John,
Richard I
(Yale University Press, 2002) ISBN 978 0 3000 9404 6

Holden, A. J. (ed.),
History of William Marshal
, with English translation by S. Gregory and historical notes by D. Crouch, vols 1 and 2 (Anglo-Norman Text Society)

Kaye, Henrietta,
Serving the Man that Ruled: Aspects of the Domestic Arrangements of the Household of King John 1199–1216
,
a thesis submitted in September 2013 to the University of East Anglia

Trindale, Ann,
Berengaria: In Search of Richard the Lionheart’s Queen
(Four Court’s Press, 1999), ISBN 978 1 8518 2434 2

Turner, Ralph V.,
Eleanor of Aquitaine
(Yale University Press, 2009), ISBN 978 0 3001 1911 4

Warren, W. L.,
Henry II
(Eyre & Methuen, 1973), ISBN 973 0 4133 8390 3

Wheeler, Bonnie, and John C. Parsons (eds),
Eleanor of Aquitaine Lord and Lady
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), ISBN 978 0 2306 0236

I
have a few people to thank wholeheartedly for their help either direct or in the background while I have been writing my Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy.

My agent of many years, Carole Blake, for her clear-sighted advice, her drive and determination. We are enjoying a long and fruitful partnership and although we will never see eye to eye on wine versus tea, we have found common ground in gin! My thanks to all the other enthusiastic members of the Blake Friedmann agency too.

While I was in the middle of writing the trilogy, my then editor Rebecca Saunders moved away and I want to extend my appreciation to her for all her work. My thanks now go to my new editor Maddie West and I raise a toast to our continuing collaboration. Also to Marina de Pass for dealing with the day to day editorial business and Dan Balado-Lopez for the external copy edit. Any errors that remain are my own! My thanks also to the lovely Stephanie Melrose who deals with the publicity side of matters and Cath Burke for being there if I need her. Also my appreciation to the rest of the team at Sphere.

In these days of swift communication and the internet, I want to thank my lovely readers for all the support, fun, madness and fascinating historical discussion that goes on daily on my Facebook pages and groups. You’re a great community and I treasure you.

I must thank my husband, Roger, for all his love and quiet background support which keeps the house functioning around
my day job. Also the dogs, Jack, Pip and Bill, for their not so quiet background support, and my dear friend Alison King for true friendship – and adventures in time travel.