The last royal weddings of the Norman era were remarkable. Matthew Paris described the marriage of Henry III, son of King John, and the extraordinary coronation of his bride that followed.
Henry had become king in 1216 at the age of nine, when no proper crown was available because it had been lost in the Wash by his father. He then underwent a second coronation, by the Pope, at Westminster at the age of thirteen. At Christmas 1235, Henry had waited with some trepidation to discover whether his envoys had succeeded in contracting the marriage to this very young woman (Paris says she was aged "at least twelve").
Beautiful Brides for Royal MarriagesIn 1236 Henry married Eleanor of Provence, and soon after he gave her nuptial celebrations of great grandeur, including a full coronation at Westminster. He bestowed on her the titles of queen of England, lady of Ireland, duchess of Normandy and Aquitaine, and countess of Anjou. Eleanor was the second eldest of four sisters, daughters of a count; all were noted for their great beauty, and each became a queen.
- Elder sister Margaret was married to Louis, the King of France
- Third sister Sanchia (Cynthia) later married Richard of Cornwall, Henry's brother, who was eventually crowned King of Germany
- Youngest sister Beatrice married Sanchia's brother-in-law, Charles, and became queen of Sicily.
- Her father, Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, had been engaged in continual wars by which, Paris suggests, "he had wasted almost all the money he possessed." During prenuptial negotiations, Henry reduced his dowry demands from 20,000 marks to nothing, although advisors eventually settled for 3,000 marks.
This made Raymond amenable to the marriage, and his daughter's Savoyade entourage, numbering three hundred horsemen and several bishops and cousins (relatives of hers largely through her mother, Beatrice of Savoy) was paid for by the King of Navarre, through whose lands they passed, and assisted safely to the coast by the King of France. The bride arrived at Sandwich in Kent and then sailed along the coast to Dover, and was accompanied to Canterbury to meet her bridegroom for the first time.
London Celebrates Wedding in Royal Fashion
The ceremony followed swiftly, the marriage solemnised by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the fourteenth of January 1236 under the watchful eyes of other clergy, especially the bride's uncles and relatives. "When Henry saw his bride in a gown of material which shimmered like the hot sunlight of Provence, tight-fitting to the waist and then flaring out in generous pleats to her feet, sleeves long and lined with ermine, he became her captive and never did recover his freedom thereafter," Costain states. This was the beginning of her reputation as a leader of fashion, when she would favour red damask dress fabric and gold or silver accessories.
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