Eleanor of Castile

Countess of Ponthieu, Queen Consort of King Edward I Longshanks. Eleanor was named after her great grandmother, Eleanor of England, the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitane. Eleanor was to marry Edward before he became King of England in a classice political agreement made by her parents and his father, Henry III. Her marriage was unpopular as the English feared her family would move to England to take advantage of Henry's generousity, which they did despite her wish they did not follow her. Henry absorbed the costs and Eleanor received the blame. She became further unpopular as she acquired land, even with Edward's approval, as he wanted her to be able to support her expenses instead of letting the government pay for them.

A side note: Eleanor's mother, had been rejected for marriage by Edward's father, Henry III. Eleanors great grandmother, Alys, was also rejected for marriage by Richard I, her great grand uncle.

Simon de Montfort heard rumors that Eleanor was raising armies from Castile and had her removed from Windsor Castle as Edward was captured at Lewes. Eleanor was confined at Windsor Castle in comfort.

Edward and Eleanor left to join Edwrd's uncle, Louis IX of France on the 8th crusade, and thier daughter, Joan, was born in Acre in Palestine. They learned of Henry's death, returned to England to be crowned together 19 August 1274.

Compared to standard arranged marriages, it is believed Edward and Eleanor were devoted to each other. They were rarely apart, even during his military campaigns. Their son was born in Wales in a makeshift shelter while Caernarfon Castle was being built. Edward had no mistresses or illegitimate children, and stories reflect their love, concern and even humor. Edward had a distate for ceremony, and refused to attend the wedding of his Marshal Roger Bigod. Eleanor paid minstrels to play for Edward at home, alone, during the wedding. For Lent, Edward would refrain from visiting Eleanor's bedroom, so after Lent, Edward would allow her ladies to try and hold him back in prder to be paid a ransom to visit Eleanor. He went so far as to pay the ladies the year after her death. He ordered the construction of twelve beautiful, elaborate crosses to be placed along the path of her funeral procession. Edward wrote a letter to the Abbot of Cluny requesting prayers for the soul of his wife "whom living we dearly cherished, and whom dead we cannot cease to love." Edward attended memorial services for Eleanor the rest of his life, and waited nine years to marry again, naming a daughter with Margaret of France after Eleanor.

Eleanor was on her way to join Edward in Clipstone, Nottingham when she fell ill. The company stopped at the home of Richard de Weston in Harby, where Eleanor received the last rites and died with Edward at her side. The funeral procession to Westminster was decorated by the crosses at Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford, Geddington, Northampton, Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St Albans, Waltham, Westcheap, and Charing, sadly only three survive, and none of them conpletely in tact.

Eleanor's body and viscera organs are buried at Westminster, but her heart was taken to the Blackfriars Priory in London.


Gwriad Elidir

Son of Elidir ap Sandde
Son of Sandde ap Alcwn
Son of Alcwn ap Tegid
Son of Tegid ap Gwair
Son of Gwair ap Dwywg
Son of Dwywg ap Llywarch
Son of Llywarch ap Elidir
Son of Elidir ap Meirchion
Son of Meirchion Gul ap Gwrst
Son of Gwrst ap Ceneu
Son of Ceneu
Son of Coel Hen
Son of Tehvant
Son of Urban


Elfgifu

Referred to as among "the most illustrious of women", as she distracted Edwy (Eadwig) from his duties as King of Wessex. Same Elfgifu????

Had three sons, Eadwine, Morkere, and Burchard

m2" Uchtred "The Bold" of Northumbria, daughter Ealdgyth (Aglithia) Princess of Northumberland m Maldred, Earl of Dunbar, son of Crinan


Brochfael Elisedd

Little is known of his reign of Powys save that it was at the same time as Offa's rule of Mercia, and Offa's Dyke was constructed.  He apparently lost the lands his father gained before him.  Succeeded by his son, Cadell.

52 - EE13


Elisedd

Elisedd was remembered by his great grandson, Cyngen ap Cadell as having rebuilt Powys and receovered lands from the English.  He built a stone pillar known as "Elisegg's Pillar" at Llangollen, well inside the Welsh border, declaring his line from Vortigen.

52 - EE12

Elisedd ap Gwylog (died c. 755), also known as Elise was king of Powys in eastern Wales.

Little has been preserved in the historical records about Elisedd, who was a descendant of Brochwel Ysgithrog. He appears to have reclaimed the territory of Powys after it had been overrun by the English. His great-grandson, Cyngen ap Cadell erected a column in his memory which stands not far from the later abbey of Valle Crucis. This is known as the Pillar of Eliseg, but the form Eliseg which appears on the column is thought to be a mistake by the carver of the inscription.

The Latin inscription on the pillar is now very hard to read, but was apparently clearer in the time of Edward Lhuyd who transcribed it. The translation of the part of the inscription referring to Elisedd is as follows:

+ Concenn son of Catell, Catell son of Brochmail, Brochmail son of Eliseg, Eliseg son of Guoillauc.

+ And that Concenn, great-grandson of Eliseg, erected this stone for his great-grandfather Eliseg.

+ The same Eliseg, who joined together the inheritance of Powys . . . out of the power of the Angles with his sword and with fire.

+ Whosoever repeats the writing, let him give a blessing on the soul of Eliseg.

Elisedd was succeeded by his son Brochfael.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisedd_ap_Gwylog


Beli Eiludd

A date confusion remains, perhaps several generations of Powys rulers have been lost between Powys' dark years between the Battle of Chester in 613 and the recovery of lands by Elisedd in 725.

Probably driven into exile by Edwin.

52 - EE10


Elfwina

Aelfwynn was the only daughter of Earl Aethelred of Mercia and his wife and successor Ethelfleda. She joined her mother as "lady of the Mercians" in 918. She succeeded to the throne with the death of her co-ruler later that same year.

Mercia was claimed by her maternal uncle Edward the Elder of the Kingdom of England in 919. She was easily deposed. There never was another Lady of the Mercians. Edward used Mercia to expand his empire.