Eleanor of Provence as a political force

Eleanor of Provence matters because Edward's political inheritance included more than Henry III's weakness. She is described as a forceful and educated queen who raised money and troops for her husband during the conflict with Simon de Montfort. London hostility is tied to her insistence that the city pay the taxes she needed for that effort. Her Savoyard relatives supplied a trusted political network when rebellious English barons made conventional appointments dangerous. Eleanor arrived in England at about twelve to fourteen and was crowned in 1236, so this political role began while she was still a teenager. The later discussion of Amesbury Priory shows why a religious house could protect royal women in an age of abduction and coerced marriage. Land, money, family connection, and personal security appear as inseparable parts of medieval politics.