The Queen from Provence (40 page)

A few days later at Westminster Hall the King was confronted by several barons all in armour. He was startled. He knew now that they were serious in their intentions to curb him.

He noticed that none of them carried a sword. Each man had left his weapon at the door of Westminster Hall to show that this was not an attack, merely a threat.

‘What means this?’ cried the King. ‘Are you trying to make me your prisoner?’

‘Not so, my lord,’ answered Roger Bigod. ‘We but come to tell you that the aliens must be sent away. They are draining the country’s resources. The people will not endure it. If something’s not done the whole country will be in revolt as it was in your father’s day.’

Henry was very serious. The people were becoming restive. He was aware of it. It shocked him when they regarded him sullenly. Worst of all was when they shouted after Eleanor. She pretended to despise them, but he knew she was upset.

‘What we ask of you,’ said Simon, ‘is that you promise to be guided by twenty-four elected magnates. There must be reforms.’

Henry looked at the stern faces of the barons. It was as though he saw the ghost of his father at Runnymede lurking behind them.

He agreed.

Simon moved into action supported by men such as Roger Bigod. Twenty-four men were selected – half by the King, half by the barons. This community was to meet three times a year to bring about reforms in State and Church.

Then the Parliament selected another twenty-four members. Thus it consisted of forty-eight men. From these were chosen a Justiciar, a Chancellor and a Treasurer. It was made clear that the assembly was to be of temporary duration. At the end of one year they would answer to the King and the Council for their actions.

The first act passed by the Parliament was that the aliens should surrender to the King those castles which he had bestowed on them. This brought a protest from William de Valence who refused to give up anything. ‘Your castle or your head,’ was the retort of Simon de Montfort. The answer of William de Valence was to take shelter in the castle of Wolvesey which had been bestowed on his brother Aymer.

Henry was in a quandary. He was now expected by his barons to besiege the castle and fight against his own half-brothers. He wanted to refuse but he dared not. He was forced to obey and in due course the castle surrendered to his army.

He felt completely robbed of his power. He discussed the state of affairs with Eleanor who wanted him to stand out against the barons. He was the King, she pointed out, and should make this fact known.

Gently he explained to her the power of these men and that he must be cautious. There was one man he feared more than any other and that was Simon de Montfort.

‘I should never have allowed him to marry my sister,’ he mourned. Yet he knew in his heart that there was nothing else he could have done. Simon had made up his mind to marry Eleanor, just as he had made up his mind to reform England, to bring rule through a parliament which meant of course curbing the power of the King.

His thoughts were heavy as one July day his barge carried him down the Thames. They matched the sky which had suddenly become overcast. In the distance he heard a rumble of thunder. It seemed prophetic.

‘There’s a storm about to break, my lord,’ said his boatman.

‘Aye,’ said the King. ‘I know it well.’

At that moment the clouds opened and there was such a deluge of rain that the boat seemed likely to sink and that moment the sky was illumined by a flash of lightning overhead and the roar of the thunder was deafening.

There had been some violent thunderstorms lately. A few years ago the Queen’s apartments at Windsor had been struck while she was in them. There had been another great storm when Eleanor had been visiting St Albans with the children and lightning had struck the Abbey. The laundry had been burned to the ground and it was said that the monks there had seen an angel with a flaming sword and a torch. It was believed by some that the angel was there to protect the Abbey but others were sure it was a warning against the Queen’s extravagance. Had she not come near to being killed at Windsor? And it seemed God’s vengeance had followed her to St Albans.

So between the barons and God Henry felt he was indeed being persecuted.

He could laugh at these superstitions when he was with the Queen, but the thought of her being in danger always sobered him; now looking up at that sky and knowing that the lightning was right overhead he was afraid, and when the boatman said they must take shelter he agreed.

By some ill chance they were closest to Durham House which was the home of Simon de Montfort and as the King’s barge drew up at the stairs, the Earl himself came down to greet him.

‘My lord,’ said Simon, ‘have no fear, the storm is already moving from overhead.’

Henry looked at him steadily.

‘I fear thunder and lightning exceedingly,’ he said, ‘but by God’s head I fear you more than all the thunder and lightning in the world.’

And as he followed Simon into Durham House where he might remove his sodden cloak and partake of some refreshment, he knew that in that moment he had spoken the truth and in doing so had betrayed himself to Simon de Montfort.

Edward was now twenty years of age. He had spent a great deal of time at the Court of France where he had distinguished himself in equestrian arts and because of his height, good looks and interesting personality he had become very popular.

He thought often of his wife but he had been unable to live with her as such on account of her youth and he had left her to continue her education while he perfected himself in the art of chivalry and knighthood.

Alarming reports were coming to France of the trouble which was brewing between the King and the barons, and Edward consulted the King of France, whose judgement was greatly respected throughout the world, and he gained very little reassurance by what Louis had to say. That trouble was coming to England seemed obvious, and as heir to the throne Edward must be there.

He hastened back to England and found his father at Winchester. Henry embraced him warmly, his eyes filling with tears to contemplate his handsome son. He must first be assured of his health and well-being. ‘Your mother will be beside herself with joy to see you,’ he said.

Edward thought his father looked far from well and he put this down to all the trouble of which he had heard.

‘I have heard reports of what is happening here,’ he said.

‘We have some tiresome men in this realm, Edward. They give me little peace.’

‘It is true that the barons have formed a parliament which dictates to you?’

‘It is not exactly so. I have some say in choosing the men. Of course it is all a question of money. They think of nothing else.’

‘A kingdom cannot run without it, my lord.’

‘Nay, that’s what I tell them. They think I can conjure it up out of nothing.’

‘Louis does not believe in harsh taxation, Father.’

‘So you have become one of Louis’ worshippers then?’

‘He is very wise and greatly admired. I have always believed he spoke good sense.’

Henry nodded. ‘A very serious man and dedicated King. I think he is less plagued by unruly subjects than I.’

Edward started to say that Louis had won the love and respect of his subjects, but realising that this seemed a criticism of his father, he desisted.

But he did feel this criticism and it shocked him a little. The family had always stood together. But what happened when one felt the head of it was leading it to disaster?

Henry then explained what had been happening during his son’s absence: the quarrels between William de Valence and Simon de Montfort, the sharp words which had been spoken in the council chamber.

Edward was very disturbed.

‘I am glad to say that there is a difference of opinion among the barons,’ went on Henry. ‘Gloucester seems to be falling out with de Montfort. If they quarrel among themselves perhaps they will disperse and we shall get back to normal. That would be a happy state of affairs.’

‘Father, are you prepared should there be trouble?’

Trouble! What do you mean, son?’

‘What if the barons should rise against you as they did against your father?’

‘That is a thought which is constantly in everyone’s mind. I have never been allowed to forget my father’s misdeeds. Am I responsible for them?’

‘I think it is feared that you might repeat them.’

Henry looked at his son with amazement. Was there just the hint of reproach there? Could it really be that one member of this family was not exactly behind another?

His son’s homecoming had given the King some uneasy qualms.

Simon de Montfort came to see Edward. He had heard of his arrival in England and believed that the young man was sensible.

It might be easier to convey the danger to him than to Henry, and surely he would want to do something about it, for the crown his father wore would one day be his.

‘My great desire,’ said Simon earnestly, ‘is to avoid an outright war.’

‘You think there is a real danger of that!’

‘I think there is an imminent danger.’

‘But now that you have this parliament …’

‘In which there is not agreement, I fear. Your father must abandon the Sicilian project. The title for your younger brother would be an empty one and very costly to this nation to acquire. It seems that the King and Queen are dazzled by this crown.’

‘Then if that is so there must be no more thought of Sicily.’

‘My lord, I knew you would see reason. There is much I have to tell you. You must join us and then you will understand what all this trouble is about and, pray God, help us to avoid it.’

‘I will with all my heart,’ Edward assured him.

It began to be noticed that the heir to the throne and Simon de Montfort were often in each other’s company and an understanding seemed to have arisen between them.

It was sad, said Eleanor, that all the children were growing up. Particularly so with daughters who must leave their home and family.

John de Dreux, the Duke of Brittany, had offered for Beatrice and as it was a good match and one which would be advantageous to England and it was time Beatrice was married, there could be no excuse for not accepting it.