Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Matriarch: Sara Cockerill (1199)
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the remarkable figures of the High Middle Ages. She lived a long life; was a queen of France and England and a mother to two kings. She was variously an heiress, a crusader, a prisoner, an eminence gris and a fierce protector of her children.
It is in this latter role of family matriarch that we view Eleanor in this episode of Travels Through Time. It is set over the year 1199, when Eleanor was in her seventies. But far from seeing out her days in a benign dotage, the unexpected death of her son Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart), propelled Eleanor back once again to centre stage.
Our guest in this episode, Sara Cockerill, guides us through the dramatic events of the year. With Richard’s death, the question of who was to succeed him as king of England was called into question. We watch as Eleanor comforts one dying son while politicking on behalf of John, her erratic other.
Eleanor’s relationships with her sons is much studied. Less well-analysed is her closeness to her daughters. In the final of her three scenes, Sara takes us to a second deathbed, to watch as Eleanor supports her daughter Joanna. The picture of Eleanor that emerges from Sara’s Travels Through Time is different to the one of dubious legend. She is a political operator of real skill and, as much as anything else, a mother.
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Show notes:
Scene one: 6 April 1199, near Limousin, France. Deathbed of Richard the Lionheart
Scene two: 20 July 1199 Tours. Eleanor at the age of 65 performing homage to Philip Augustus.
Scene three: Autumn 1199. Fontevraud, Aquitaine. Eleanor buries her daughter Joanna.
Memento: A gold ring with a sapphire inset, inscribed with the letters R A.
Sara Cockerill’s book, Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England, Mother of Empires is available in hardback now.
People / Social
Presenter: Peter Moore
Guest: Sara Cockerill
Producer: Maria Nolan
Digital Production: John Hillman
Titles: Jon O.
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