1254 Wedding of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile

Chronica Majora by Matthew Paris. Edward was sent to King Alfonso of Spain.

At that time Edward was sent, with great pomp and display, to the King of Spain, Alfonso. There he was received with honour and reverence, and he took to wife the king’s sister, named Eleanor, at Burgos [1st November 1254]; and by that same king, who was greatly pleased with the bearing and grace of the young man, he was girded with the belt of knighthood. So Edward returned with his wife to his father, and was welcomed like an angel of God, with the greatest joy. And Lord John Mansel brought with him the charter of the King of Spain, by which he (Alfonso) renounced all claim for himself and his heirs to Gascony in favour of the King of England and his heirs, sealed with a seal of gold. And immediately the King of England bestowed upon his son and his son’s wife Gascony, Ireland, Wales, Bristol, Stamford, and Graham, so that the king himself seemed as a prince now shorn of his dominion. And from that time the king, as though having brought a difficult business to the conclusion he desired, began to hasten his return to England; although to prudent men it appeared that no benefit, but rather great harm to the kingdom of England, had been prepared. For what help or assistance could so distant a king (of Spain) give against the King of France, of whom the King of England complains most? For enemies and rivals close at hand surround him on all sides, against whom he scarcely can defend himself. And between them lie so many lands and kingdoms in far-separated regions. Moreover, the lord king knows well the customs and religion of the Spaniards, for among men they are most wretched, disfigured in appearance, contemptible in dress, and detestable in manners. And it has been determined by clear reckonings that the King of England has drawn out from his kingdom for this shadowy expedition to Gascony, where he gained nothing except what was already his, twenty-seven hundred thousand pounds and more, besides the lands and revenues which he most imprudently granted to unworthy men, or rather to those who would harm both himself and his kingdom, and has entirely consumed everything.

Missus est Edwardus ad regem Hispaniæ A[mfulsum].

Tuncque temporis missus est Edwardus in magna pompa et apparatu ad regem Hispaniæ Amfulsum. Ubi receptus cum honore et reverentia sororem ipsius regis nomine Alienoram, juveneni, videlicet apud Bures desponsavit; et ab ipso rege, cui bene complacuit adolescentis gestiis et elegantia, cingulo donatiir militari. Rediens igitur Edwardus cum nurii sua ad patrem quasi angelus Dei cum summa suscipitur jubilatione. Et detulit secum dominus Johannes Mansel cartam domini regis Hispanitie, c^uod quietam clamavit totam Wasconiam pro se et liperedibus suis domino regi Angliæ et hæredibus suis, auro bullatam. Et ilico contulit dominus rex Anglorum filio suo et ejus uxori Wasconiam, Hiberniam, Walliam, Bristoldiam, Stanfordiam, Graham, adeo ut ipse regulus mutilatus videretur. Et ex eo tempore cœpit rex, quasi completo ad votum arduo negotio, reditum in Angliam maturare, cum tamen discretis viris nihil utilitatis regno Angliæ videbatur, immo dampnum multum, præparasse. Quid enim auxilii aut succursus ipse rex tam longinquus contra regem Franciæ, de quo magis rex Angliæ conqueritur, poterit conferre? Ipsi enim undique hostes familiares insidiantur, quibus vix valet resistere. Et interponuntur tot terrarum spatia et regnorum climata distantia. Novit insuper dominus rex Hispanorum mores et religionem, quoniam sunt hominum peripsima, vultu deformes, cultu despicabiles, moribus detestabiles. Compertumque est certis ratiociniis, regem Anglæ extraxisse a regno suo per m ipsam infiniti. Wasconiam umbratilein transmigrationem, ubi nihil adquisivit nisi id quod prius suum erat, [et] in expensis his inutilibus consumpsisse vigesies et septies centum milia librarum et amplius, exceptis terris et redditibus, quos inconsultius prorsus contulit indignis, immo potius sibi et regno suo nocituris, et omnia penitus consumpsisse.

Lanercost Chronicle. In the same year likewise, King Henry of England crossed the sea with a great army into Gascony, to bring into obedience certain rebels against him there; and he laid siege, with great preparation, to the city of Réole. From there he sent distinguished envoys to the King of Spain, requesting his sister Eleanor as wife for his son and heir Edward. It was granted, however, under this condition: that the same Henry, King of England, should transfer to his son Edward, for as long as he himself should live, the whole of Gascony with its appurtenances, and whatever in Ireland belonged to him, into the lordship of that same son. All of these things being agreed and confirmed in writing, Edward set out for Spain; and the King of that land met him at the city of Burgos, and there gave his sister aforesaid to him in marriage [1st November 1254]. But the people of Réole, being satisfied with the said agreements and submitting themselves to the said Edward, the king set out for England; and the King of France met him at Orléans, and received him with great joy, and escorted him as far as Paris, where again King Henry was greatly honoured by the King of France and his nobles. And, bidding farewell, he returned to England.

Similiter, eodem anno, rex Angliæ Henricus cum exercitu magno in Vafconiam tranffretavit, ad fedandos ibi quofdam fibi rebelles; et civitatem Reolenfem cum magno apparatu obfedit. Inde folemnes mifit nuncios ad regem Hifpaniæ, poftulans fororem fuam Alienoram filio et heredi fuo Edwardo in uxorem. Conceffum eft autem fub forma tali quod idem Henricus, rex Angliæ, eidem filio fuo Edwardo, quamdiu ipfe fupereffet, totam Vafconiam cum fuis appenditiis, et quicquid in Hibernia ad eum pertinebat, in dominicatum ejufdem filii tranfferret. Quibus omnibus conceffis et fcriptis roboratis, idem Edwardus in Hifpaniam profectus eft; cui rex terræ apud Burths civitatem occurrit, et ei ibidem fororem fuam prædictam in matrimonium copulavit. Rexvero, Riolenfibus contentis de dictis conventionibus et fe dicto Edwardo dedentibus, verfus Angliam properavit; cui rex Francorum Aurilianam occurrit, et cum magno gaudio recepit, et fic Parifius ufque deduxit, ubi rurfus idem Henricus rex a rege Francorum et fuis magnatibus vehementer honoratus eft; et, vale dicto, in Angliam rediit.

Rymer's Fœdera Volume 1. Since royal majesty is bound to love and honour men of noble lineage, above all those who are joined to it by blood or marriage, and who are found eager to serve in what is pleasing to it, therefore we, Alfonso, by the grace of God King of Castile, Toledo, León, Galicia, Seville, Córdoba, Murcia, and Jaén, loving and holding in special affection our illustrious and most dear kinsman and brother-in-law Edward, first-born son and heir of the renowned King of England, whom we have girded with the belt of knighthood, and whom we cherish with manifold affection above other princes of the world, desire to honour him for his worthy merits, and to pursue him with our special grace and favour. Therefore, we, the aforesaid King of Castile and León, wishing to embrace the said Edward with a certain prerogative of grace, do give, remit, cede, and quit-claim, for ourselves and our heirs, freely and absolutely, without any exception, to the same Edward, and to his heirs and successors, whatever right we have, or seem to have, or ought to have, in all Gascony or any part of it, in lands, possessions, men, rights, lordships, actions, and all other things, by reason of the grant made (or said to have been made) by Lord Henry [II], formerly King of England, and Eleanor [of Aquitaine] his wife, to Eleanor their daughter, of blessed memory, wife of Lord Alfonso, King of Castile. And whatever right we have or ought to have therein by succession from the aforesaid persons, or by any grant made to us or to another whose right might pass to us, by Queen Berengaria, daughter of King Alfonso and Queen Eleanor. And we faithfully promise to restore to the said Edward, or to cancel, all charters which we have concerning this matter from the said persons or any of them; and we will that, if they be found hereafter, they shall be void and of no effect. This charter was made at Burgos, the king himself being present, on the first day of November in the year of our Lord 1254. And we, the aforesaid King Alfonso, together with our wife Queen Violante, and our daughter the Infanta Berengaria, reigning in Castile, Toledo, León, Galicia, Seville, Córdoba, Murcia, Jaén, Valladolid, Baeza, and the Algarve, confirm that all things expressed in this privilege shall remain in force for us and our heirs forever. And, to confirm it with greater strength, we have fortified this privilege with our golden seal.

Cum regalis celsitudo viros clare propaginis diligere ac honorare teneatur, illos tamen præcipuè qui sibi ex consanguineitate vel affinitate sunt conjuncti, & inveniuntur in beneplacitis promptiores. Idcircò nos Alfonsus, DE1 gratiâ, Rex Castelle, Tolet', Legion', Galletie, Sibille, Cordube, Murcie, & Joh'm inclitum & carissimum affinem & sororium nostrum Edvardum, illustris Regis Anglie primogenitum & heredem, quem cingulo accinximus militari, inter ceteros orbis principes affectione multiplici diligentes ac affectantes, eundem dignis meritis honorare, ipsum speciali gratiâ prosequimur & favore. Ea propter, nos memoratus Rex Castelle, Legion', per presens scripftum notum fieri volumus universis, quod nos, prefatum Edvardum amfplecti quâdam prerogativâ gratie cupientes, damus, dimittimus, cedimus, seu quitamus, pro nobis & heredibus nostris, eidem Edvardo & heredibus & successoribus suis, liberè & absolutè, omni exceptione remotâ, quicquid juris habemus, vel quasi habemus, vel habere debemus in totâ Vasconia, vel in parte, in terris, possessionibus, hominibus, juribus, vel quasi domifniis, vel quasi actionibus & rebus aliis, ratione donationis quam fecit, vel fecisse dicitur, dominus Henricus, quondam Rex Angl', & Aleonora uxor sua Aleonore filie sue, & bone memorie, domino Alfonso Regi Castelle. Et quicquid juris, vel quasi ibidem habemus, vel habere debemus per successionem supradictorum; vel per collationem Regis Ricardi, seu Regis Johannis; vel per collationem nobis vel alii, cujus jus ad nos pertineat, factam à Regina Berengaria, filiâ Alfonsi Regis & Regine Aleonore. Et omnes cartas, quas habemus super hoc à predictis, vel aliquibus eorum, promittimus bonâ fide dicto Edvardo restituere, vel delere; & volumus quod, si invente fuerint, ex hâc horâ in antea, sint vacue & casse. Facta carta apud Burdos, Rege exprimante, primâ die Novembris, anno Domini MCCC quinquagesimo quarto. Et nos, prenominatus Rex Alfonsus, unà cum uxore nostrâ Reginâ Yolana, & cum filiâ nostrâ infante Berengaria, regnans in Castella, Toleto, Legion', Galet', Sibilla, Corduba, Murcia, Joh'no, Vadallacio, Baccia & in Algarb', universa, quæ in hoc privilegio sunt expressa, concedimus pro nobis & heredibus nostris imperpetuum valitura. Et, ad majoris roboris firmitatem, hoc privilegium, communitum nostro sigillo aureo, roboramus.