Which just proves my point. Matilda and Jane were both acclaimed as Queen - or Lady of the English in Matilda's case -, so they should be classed as Queens.
The Tudor Rose over Brittania
- Thread starter Yi Sun Sin
- Start date
Jonathan1997
Banned
The problem with Matilda succession was that her husband Geoffrey of Anjou was fight his father-in-law and Matilda was supporting him. There is also suspicion that Matilda are Stephen killed King Henry due to Ivor Henry changed his mind on the succession. As for Jane that's a special case I would argue. Also Matilda was seen as Manish Due to people only seen power as a manly institution the Queen of Jerusalem who was a ruling monarch was told to act like a man.
Tudor Rose over Britannia Chapter 32
Eleanor found it harder to work as regent since she was feeling her baby kick, but she had to push on, for it would allow her to protect England from the claws of the Ipswich butcher’s boy. But just because she thought very little of Wolsey’s origins did not mean that she was going to completely cut him out. She had accompany the Earl of Surrey with the reinforcements towards the English lords fighting against the Scots, as she had need of his diplomatic skills should Scotland seek terms.
So far, her relatives in Spain and in the German states were doing well against the Valois. They were able to break through the Pyrenees and advance on southern France, they were moving their way through Italy, and the northern France was seeing the return of the chevauchee, with Cherbourg and Rouen besieged. Any sensible king could see that the war was very much against France’s favor and that King Francis would be wise to seek terms. However, Francis was just as prideful as Henry and he would keep fighting no matter what.
But she also read the reports regarding the exchequer. Despite their successes and the plunder gained from the pillaging of northern France, England’s coffers were close to becoming empty from the combined invasion of Richard de La Pole, the Scottish army, and the war on the continent. The only thing that prevented the country from stopping the conflict altogether was the income gained from the Irish campaign, with the revenues buying England more time. She sent a letter to Henry to inform him of their monetary straits, and he responded that he would seek terms only if King Francis showed interest in yielding.
While Eleanor was proud of her husband being steadfast, her feelings were tempered with the possibility of raising more taxes, which would make her unpopular very quickly. If she could not stop the war with France, then she had to end the war with Scotland on their terms. That was why she emphasized to Surrey that he needed to win, for Edmund was still not well and a decisive victory over the Scots led by Albany was needed.
Regarding personal matters, she decided to have her mid-day meals with Madeleine. As she was also near the time to give birth, she was confined to her apartments.
“I trust the child is healthy still.” Eleanor took her first bite of the meal.
“It is, Your Majesty.”
Eleanor exhaled. “Madeleine, this subservience of yours does not suit you. We are sisters-in-law after all.”
Madeleine hesitated. “Then what should I call you, Your Majesty, if that would please you more?”
“Eleanor would be fine, for now.”
“As you wish… Eleanor.”
Eleanor grinned. “It is a pity that our mother-in-law will not attend the birth of her next child by me, but I understand her reasons. After all, dear Ned spilled blood for Harry. I would do the same if Edward made Lionel question his loyalty to the point where he was harmed.”
“I am glad that you understand, Eleanor.”
Eleanor put down her knife and fork. “The reason why I wanted to eat with you is because besides our mutual concern for Ned, I also decided to ask you for advice.”
“Advice, Eleanor?”
“The war with the Scots will end one way or another, but blood will undoubtedly spill. Now, considering that Albany is your brother-in-law, he will face consequences for his actions, either by our English brethren, King James, or the King of France should he suffer a defeat.”
“I am aware of all of that, Eleanor. I myself blame Albany for bringing this on our shoulders.”
Eleanor nodded, pleased. “Then, would you have any issue should Albany suffer a violent death at our hands?”
“Why are you asking me this?”
“Albany’s wife is your sister and I do not wish to bring her unnecessary suffering should her husband die. Therefore, I leave Albany’s fate in your hands. Would you rather he be killed, or captured?”
Madeleine thought about that for a moment. It was clear to Eleanor that no matter Madeleine’s personal feelings for Albany, she was not going to subject her sister to torment. Widowhood was not always to be envied, since especially wealthy widows drew the attention of those who only sought to increase their wealth and landholdings.
“If it is possible, like the Lord of Aubigny, having Albany as a prisoner will benefit everyone. We get a ransom, Albany gets humbled, and my sister keeps her husband. At the same time, I wonder if him still alive will be good for her, considering how Albany has been unfaithful to Anne these past many years.”
“Hmmm,” Eleanor said aloud as she drank water. “Should Albany suffers an unfortunate fate, what would your sister do? Marry again?”
“She is still marriageable if that happens, but Anne has been learning to live by herself for the past few years at this point. Still, she would not respond well if she knew that I had a role in her husband’s death.”
Eleanor bobbed her head, understanding. “Then I shall direct Surrey to capture Albany if possible. Regardless of Albany’s fate, without him, the Scottish campaign against us will falter. I have already initiated a dialogue with King James and we have the common interest of bringing down Albany.”
“Is that so, Eleanor?”
“Albany’s demise will benefit the King of Scotland, as he can move on his enemies in the Scottish court without severe consequences.”
Madeleine shook her head, but she was delighted. “Hopefully, this war ends soon. We both need our men back here with us, in their full health.”
Eleanor raised her cup. “Indeed.”
James FitzGerald stepped off the boat onto La Rochelle, the largest port on the French west coast. To say that his journey back to France was difficult after the failed venture into England with Richard de La Pole would have fell short, since he had to go to great lengths to ensure his own survival.
After Richard de La Pole was killed and the army annihilated, James and Cormac had to flee their pursuers on horseback. While Cormac elected to find a boat on the Welsh coast and go back to Ireland to foment an uprising, James knew that the English would expect them to go for the western coast and instead recommended that they go east, towards the port of Kingston. But considering that they were Irishmen and their likeness would be posted along with large bounties, their chances of escape were very low. Those were chances that James was willing to accept, since he had no other options.
James and Cormac only travelled by night and stole what they could from villages that they passed by. If they had to interact with any of the locals, James could imitate an Englishman of high class due to his previous status, but Cormac had to pretend that he was dumb since he spoke little English.
There was one instance in which they were almost set upon by English cavalrymen. One of them asked James, “You come far afield, good sir?”
James had to clear his throat. His tutor during his childhood came from the town of Birmingham, so he remembered how he spoke. “All the way from Birmingham, soldier.”
The lead cavalryman dismounted and inspected James and Cormac closely. “What is your name, good sir?”
“My name is Matthew Davis, Esquire, at your service. This is my servant, Thomas.” James used his tutor’s name while Thomas was something he came up with.
“Is something wrong with him, Mister Davis?” the cavalryman asked while looking at Cormac, who kept playing dumb.
“He cannot speak, but he is strong. I need him where I am going.”
“Where are you headed, Mister Davis?”
“Kingston. I have business there.”
The cavalryman crossed his arms. “Are you in trade, Mister Davis?”
“I am.”
“Then why did you say you were an esquire? I thought gentlemen were not engaged in trade.”
James had to hide himself from cursing. Both he and Cormac were outnumbered and the cavalryman was not yet suspicious, but he will be if he did not give a sensible answer.
“It was a rank accorded to by my father, George Davis.” James felt bad for using his tutor’s background. “He has land in Warwickshire, but we fell on hard times and we have to engage in trade to survive.”
The cavalryman eyed James and Cormac closely before nodding. “All right. If you are an esquire, then I require proof.”
“What sort of proof do you need, soldier?”
“There is a tavern north of here that me and my soldiers will use as we go north. We need to ease our costs.”
“You are going north to fight the Scots?” James knew that from his meeting with Richard de La Pole.
“That is right. And we would appreciate it if you can give us a few shillings to pay for our travel.”
James fortunately had English coins. “Of course, soldier. I am prepared to pay you twenty shillings.”
“Give me forty, Mister Davis.”
James had to maintain his possession of English coins, at least until they found a boat from Kingston. “Done.” He pulled the forty shillings and gave it to the soldier. “Kill the Scots!” he cheered.
The lead cavalryman nodded his thanks before mounting his horse and riding away. James and Cormac let out a breath that they did not know they were holding all that time.
“No more delays. We have to keep moving.”
Finally, they made it to Kingston and departed from England on a boat towards Denmark. From Denmark, they found a boat to La Rochelle, the only French port not under attack from the English. But it was in Denmark that Cormac decided to leave James.
“Where will you go? We have got to keep fighting.”
“Lord James, I am a French count, so I should be able to find some standing here at the Danish court until I decide my next move.”
“That is not a good idea. The sister of King Henry is the Queen here, and she might turn you over to the English.”
“I will not stay long here, then. But I need a respite from fighting.”
“Cormac, remember your heritage, your royal birth. You have to continue, or you will never emerge from your resting,” James pleaded.
“Lord James, we escaped when others have not. I do not know if that is God talking to me through that, but I believe that I need some time before I hold a sword again. I saw my lands taken, I tried and failed after supporting a pretender to the English throne, and now I had to escape like a fugitive. My luck will not last long, that I know, so I must think my next steps before I take action.”
James realized that there was no way to convince him otherwise, so he had to accept it. “Good luck, then. I hope our paths can cross again.”
“It will. And I am glad that I can call you my friend, for we have been through much together. And do not forget. I owe you my life for getting me out.”
James hugged Cormac tightly before he got on the boat to La Rochelle. After arriving at the port, he contacted the governor and informed him of who he was. He was then given comfortable quarters until the governor told him that King Francis was going to send a hundred horsemen to escort him to Paris.
“I should tell the king himself of how honored I am.”
“You should. After all, he is very interested in what you have to say regarding the death of Richard de La Pole.”
So far, her relatives in Spain and in the German states were doing well against the Valois. They were able to break through the Pyrenees and advance on southern France, they were moving their way through Italy, and the northern France was seeing the return of the chevauchee, with Cherbourg and Rouen besieged. Any sensible king could see that the war was very much against France’s favor and that King Francis would be wise to seek terms. However, Francis was just as prideful as Henry and he would keep fighting no matter what.
But she also read the reports regarding the exchequer. Despite their successes and the plunder gained from the pillaging of northern France, England’s coffers were close to becoming empty from the combined invasion of Richard de La Pole, the Scottish army, and the war on the continent. The only thing that prevented the country from stopping the conflict altogether was the income gained from the Irish campaign, with the revenues buying England more time. She sent a letter to Henry to inform him of their monetary straits, and he responded that he would seek terms only if King Francis showed interest in yielding.
While Eleanor was proud of her husband being steadfast, her feelings were tempered with the possibility of raising more taxes, which would make her unpopular very quickly. If she could not stop the war with France, then she had to end the war with Scotland on their terms. That was why she emphasized to Surrey that he needed to win, for Edmund was still not well and a decisive victory over the Scots led by Albany was needed.
Regarding personal matters, she decided to have her mid-day meals with Madeleine. As she was also near the time to give birth, she was confined to her apartments.
“I trust the child is healthy still.” Eleanor took her first bite of the meal.
“It is, Your Majesty.”
Eleanor exhaled. “Madeleine, this subservience of yours does not suit you. We are sisters-in-law after all.”
Madeleine hesitated. “Then what should I call you, Your Majesty, if that would please you more?”
“Eleanor would be fine, for now.”
“As you wish… Eleanor.”
Eleanor grinned. “It is a pity that our mother-in-law will not attend the birth of her next child by me, but I understand her reasons. After all, dear Ned spilled blood for Harry. I would do the same if Edward made Lionel question his loyalty to the point where he was harmed.”
“I am glad that you understand, Eleanor.”
Eleanor put down her knife and fork. “The reason why I wanted to eat with you is because besides our mutual concern for Ned, I also decided to ask you for advice.”
“Advice, Eleanor?”
“The war with the Scots will end one way or another, but blood will undoubtedly spill. Now, considering that Albany is your brother-in-law, he will face consequences for his actions, either by our English brethren, King James, or the King of France should he suffer a defeat.”
“I am aware of all of that, Eleanor. I myself blame Albany for bringing this on our shoulders.”
Eleanor nodded, pleased. “Then, would you have any issue should Albany suffer a violent death at our hands?”
“Why are you asking me this?”
“Albany’s wife is your sister and I do not wish to bring her unnecessary suffering should her husband die. Therefore, I leave Albany’s fate in your hands. Would you rather he be killed, or captured?”
Madeleine thought about that for a moment. It was clear to Eleanor that no matter Madeleine’s personal feelings for Albany, she was not going to subject her sister to torment. Widowhood was not always to be envied, since especially wealthy widows drew the attention of those who only sought to increase their wealth and landholdings.
“If it is possible, like the Lord of Aubigny, having Albany as a prisoner will benefit everyone. We get a ransom, Albany gets humbled, and my sister keeps her husband. At the same time, I wonder if him still alive will be good for her, considering how Albany has been unfaithful to Anne these past many years.”
“Hmmm,” Eleanor said aloud as she drank water. “Should Albany suffers an unfortunate fate, what would your sister do? Marry again?”
“She is still marriageable if that happens, but Anne has been learning to live by herself for the past few years at this point. Still, she would not respond well if she knew that I had a role in her husband’s death.”
Eleanor bobbed her head, understanding. “Then I shall direct Surrey to capture Albany if possible. Regardless of Albany’s fate, without him, the Scottish campaign against us will falter. I have already initiated a dialogue with King James and we have the common interest of bringing down Albany.”
“Is that so, Eleanor?”
“Albany’s demise will benefit the King of Scotland, as he can move on his enemies in the Scottish court without severe consequences.”
Madeleine shook her head, but she was delighted. “Hopefully, this war ends soon. We both need our men back here with us, in their full health.”
Eleanor raised her cup. “Indeed.”
James FitzGerald stepped off the boat onto La Rochelle, the largest port on the French west coast. To say that his journey back to France was difficult after the failed venture into England with Richard de La Pole would have fell short, since he had to go to great lengths to ensure his own survival.
After Richard de La Pole was killed and the army annihilated, James and Cormac had to flee their pursuers on horseback. While Cormac elected to find a boat on the Welsh coast and go back to Ireland to foment an uprising, James knew that the English would expect them to go for the western coast and instead recommended that they go east, towards the port of Kingston. But considering that they were Irishmen and their likeness would be posted along with large bounties, their chances of escape were very low. Those were chances that James was willing to accept, since he had no other options.
James and Cormac only travelled by night and stole what they could from villages that they passed by. If they had to interact with any of the locals, James could imitate an Englishman of high class due to his previous status, but Cormac had to pretend that he was dumb since he spoke little English.
There was one instance in which they were almost set upon by English cavalrymen. One of them asked James, “You come far afield, good sir?”
James had to clear his throat. His tutor during his childhood came from the town of Birmingham, so he remembered how he spoke. “All the way from Birmingham, soldier.”
The lead cavalryman dismounted and inspected James and Cormac closely. “What is your name, good sir?”
“My name is Matthew Davis, Esquire, at your service. This is my servant, Thomas.” James used his tutor’s name while Thomas was something he came up with.
“Is something wrong with him, Mister Davis?” the cavalryman asked while looking at Cormac, who kept playing dumb.
“He cannot speak, but he is strong. I need him where I am going.”
“Where are you headed, Mister Davis?”
“Kingston. I have business there.”
The cavalryman crossed his arms. “Are you in trade, Mister Davis?”
“I am.”
“Then why did you say you were an esquire? I thought gentlemen were not engaged in trade.”
James had to hide himself from cursing. Both he and Cormac were outnumbered and the cavalryman was not yet suspicious, but he will be if he did not give a sensible answer.
“It was a rank accorded to by my father, George Davis.” James felt bad for using his tutor’s background. “He has land in Warwickshire, but we fell on hard times and we have to engage in trade to survive.”
The cavalryman eyed James and Cormac closely before nodding. “All right. If you are an esquire, then I require proof.”
“What sort of proof do you need, soldier?”
“There is a tavern north of here that me and my soldiers will use as we go north. We need to ease our costs.”
“You are going north to fight the Scots?” James knew that from his meeting with Richard de La Pole.
“That is right. And we would appreciate it if you can give us a few shillings to pay for our travel.”
James fortunately had English coins. “Of course, soldier. I am prepared to pay you twenty shillings.”
“Give me forty, Mister Davis.”
James had to maintain his possession of English coins, at least until they found a boat from Kingston. “Done.” He pulled the forty shillings and gave it to the soldier. “Kill the Scots!” he cheered.
The lead cavalryman nodded his thanks before mounting his horse and riding away. James and Cormac let out a breath that they did not know they were holding all that time.
“No more delays. We have to keep moving.”
Finally, they made it to Kingston and departed from England on a boat towards Denmark. From Denmark, they found a boat to La Rochelle, the only French port not under attack from the English. But it was in Denmark that Cormac decided to leave James.
“Where will you go? We have got to keep fighting.”
“Lord James, I am a French count, so I should be able to find some standing here at the Danish court until I decide my next move.”
“That is not a good idea. The sister of King Henry is the Queen here, and she might turn you over to the English.”
“I will not stay long here, then. But I need a respite from fighting.”
“Cormac, remember your heritage, your royal birth. You have to continue, or you will never emerge from your resting,” James pleaded.
“Lord James, we escaped when others have not. I do not know if that is God talking to me through that, but I believe that I need some time before I hold a sword again. I saw my lands taken, I tried and failed after supporting a pretender to the English throne, and now I had to escape like a fugitive. My luck will not last long, that I know, so I must think my next steps before I take action.”
James realized that there was no way to convince him otherwise, so he had to accept it. “Good luck, then. I hope our paths can cross again.”
“It will. And I am glad that I can call you my friend, for we have been through much together. And do not forget. I owe you my life for getting me out.”
James hugged Cormac tightly before he got on the boat to La Rochelle. After arriving at the port, he contacted the governor and informed him of who he was. He was then given comfortable quarters until the governor told him that King Francis was going to send a hundred horsemen to escort him to Paris.
“I should tell the king himself of how honored I am.”
“You should. After all, he is very interested in what you have to say regarding the death of Richard de La Pole.”
