When the beloved Queen Eleanor of Castile unexpectedly died in 1290 near the village of Harby in Lincolnshire, her husband, King Edward I, was utterly devastated. The larger-than-life Plantagenet king, who himself ordered the execution of William Wallace and conquered Wales, was brought to his knees by the loss of his wife of 36 years.
Edward’s profound grief poured out into an unprecedented gesture – the commissioning of a trail of lavish stone memorial crosses to forever mark the journey of Eleanor’s funeral procession from Lincolnshire to her final resting place in Westminster Abbey.
The “Eleanor Crosses” stand today as remarkable and deeply romantic symbols of a medieval king’s all-consuming love and mourning for his queen. But who was this remarkable woman who could inspire such grand and costly commemorations?
A Spanish Princess for an English Prince
Born in 1241, Eleanor was a Castilian Spanish princess, the daughter of Ferdinand III of Castile. At just 10 years old, she was betrothed to the future King Edward I of England, to forge an alliance between the two monarchies. In 1254, when Edward’s father, Henry III, finally agreed to the match, the young Edward journeyed from England to Spain. He and Eleanor were married at the Monastery of Las Huelgas in Burgos, Spain. This marked the beginning of their life together. Eleanor was 13 years old, while her husband was two years her senior.
Despite their early arranged union, Edward and Eleanor’s partnership blossomed into one of medieval history’s greatest romances and love matches. She became a trusted partner in governing, raised at least 16 children with Edward, and was utterly devoted to her husband for over three decades. The young Castilian princess embraced her role as an English queen with vitality and competence.
Heroic Efforts and Tragic End
Eleanor gained her first widespread recognition in 1270 when she helped ransom Edward from imprisonment following his spiritual crusade to the Holy Land. Using her precious jewels and resources, Eleanor helped secure a whopping ransom of 30,000 marks to release her captured husband – around £14.5 million in today’s money, or 26,210 horses back then.
In 1286, Eleanor again exhibited heroic bravery when accompanying Edward’s forces campaigning in Wales. When their advance was attacked by Welsh troops, a pregnant Eleanor was trapped inside a tent surrounded by the enemy.
ELEANOR OF CASTILLE
- b. 1241 in Crown of Castille, Spain
- d. November 28 1290 in Harby, Nottinghamshire, England
Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290) was the first wife of Edward I and Queen of England. Born in Burgos, Castile, she was the daughter of Ferdinand III of Castile and Joan, Countess of Ponthieu. Eleanor married Edward at the monastery of Las Huelgas, Burgos, on 1 November 1254. She accompanied Edward on a crusade from 1270 to 1273. As queen, Eleanor was known for her devotion to Edward, which brought out his better qualities. However, she was criticized for her property dealings. After she died in 1290, Edward erected the famous Eleanor Crosses at each place where her coffin rested on its way to London. Her life and reign had a significant impact on England’s history.
According to lore, she calmly exposed herself to the assailants, declaring, “If you are fellow Christians, you will respect my condition.” Her dignity and calm are said to have prompted the Welsh to call off their attack, sparing her life.
This second bold tale of bravery added to Eleanor’s reputation as a “wife of fortitude” alongside Edward. But despite her resilience, the queen’s life would be cruelly cut short just four years later while traveling with the royal court. In November 1290, during a harsh winter in Lincolnshire, the 49-year-old Eleanor contracted a severe fever or illness that quickly worsened. On November 28th, she slipped into a coma and died in the village of Harby with a heartbroken Edward by her side.
Honoring Her Final Journey
Modern historians can only imagine the profound anguish felt by Edward I at losing his beloved wife and co-ruler of a third of a century. To honor the queen he adored, Edward enacted a plan to create a permanent remembrance of Eleanor’s final journey for burial at Westminster Abbey.
Between 1291 and 1293, he commissioned the construction of twelve ornately carved stone crosses at the different stopping points along the funeral route from Lincolnshire to London.
These were no bog standard roadside markers either – the “Eleanor Crosses” were extravagant memorials showcasing the medieval period’s finest religious architecture and stonework.
Featuring detailed carvings, statuettes of Eleanor herself, intricately pierced stonework, and surmounting crosses, they combined elegant beauty with grand pageantry befitting a royal procession. The most elaborate specimen, the Charing Cross in London, was made from Caen stone, with steps of marble.
A Lasting Romantic Legacy
Today, only three of the original twelve crosses survive after centuries of decay, vandalism during periods of social unrest and changing monarchies, and well-intentioned but misguided restorations. Yet these remaining exquisite examples in Geddington, Northampton, and Waltham are more than simply artifacts – they endure as profound symbols of courtly love in the Middle Ages.
Edward I’s immense wealth and resources allowed him to immortalize his love for Eleanor through this string of stone crosses. Their intricate beauty reveals not just the wealth of England’s medieval Plantagenet kings, but the depth of one man’s love for his wife.
While grand royal monuments and tombs were common, few were as personal, widespread, or conceived out of singular devotion as Edward’s crosses for his departed queen.
The tragic story of their romance cut short by Eleanor’s early death makes these crosses more than just memorials – they stand as a testament to enduring affection and love inside one of history’s most powerful medieval marriages.
They remain an embodiment of how the wife of one willful, dominant king could bend him to such overwhelming emotional acts with her passing. For that reason, the tale behind the Eleanor Crosses endures as one of history’s grandest and most moving love stories in stone.
And it turns out that Edward I, notorious “Hammer of the Scots” was an old softie at heart. Who knew?
EDWARD I LONGSHANKS
- Birth and Death: Edward I was born on June 17, 1239, in Westminster, Middlesex, England, and died on July 7, 1307, in Burgh by Sands, near Carlisle, Cumberland.
- Reign: Ruled England from 1272 to 1307.
- Achievements: Known for his administrative efficiency and legal reform. He strengthened the crown and Parliament against the old feudal nobility
- Conquests: Subdued Wales, destroying its autonomy, and sought (unsuccessfully) the conquest of Scotland.
- Legal Reforms: His definition and emendation of English common law has earned him the name of the “English Justinian”.
- Family: He was the son of King Henry III and Eleanor of Provence. He was married to Eleanor of Castile