THE PLANTAGENET QUEEN CONSORTS OF SICILY - part 1
“Tanti ergo mysterii ratione, simul & veneratione inducti nos Will. divina favente clementia, Rex Siciliae, Ducatus Apuliae, & Principatus Capuae, Johannam Puellam Regii excellentia sanguinis illustrissimam, Filiam Henrici magnifici Regis Anglorum, divino nutu & felici auspicio, sacri lege matrimonii & maritali nobis foedere copuIamus, ut bonum conjugium castae dilectionis fides exhibeat; unde nobis in posterum proles Regia, Deo dante, succedat quae, divini gratia muneris, virtutum simul & generis titulo ad Regni possit & debeat festigium sublimari.”
in Foedera, conventiones, literæ, et cujuscunque generis acta publica, inter reges Angliæ et alios quosvis imperatores, reges, pontifices, principes, vel communitates, ab ineunte sæculo duodecimo, viz. ab anno 1101…, p.17
Joan was born in Angers, France, on October 1165 to Henry II, first Plantagenet King of England, and Eleanor, titular Duchess of Aquitaine (“Regina Alienor, mense Octobris, Amdegavis peperit filiam, et vocata est in baptismate Johanna.” in Chronique de Robert de Torigny, abbé du Mont-Saint-Michel, I, p. 357). She was the seventh child (and third and last daughter) and, among her siblings, she could count future Kings of Egland, Richard I Lionheart and John I Lackland.
As a child, and together with her younger brother John, she was sent to Fontevrault Abbey (which benefitted from the Plantagenets’ protection and support), where she would be prepared for a bright future, possibly as a queen consort somewhere in Europe.
As a matter of fact, Henry had tried to marry her off to the Kings of Aragon or Navarre, although without success. In 1169, when Joan was still four, her father had begun negotiation to get his daughter engaged to Guglielmo II of Sicily. At first, even this attempt appeared to be fruitless, as the Sicilian King would have preferred to ally (via marriage) himself with the Byzantine Emperor, Manouel I Komnenos. As the Emperor got, instead, closer to Frederick I Hohenstaufen, Guglielmo resumed his negotiations with Henry II.
In 1176 Guglielmo of Sicily officially asked permission to marry Joan, who had at that time already left the Abbey and reached England. On May 20th of the same year, Henry officialized his permission and, by the end of August, Joan set off from Southampton, headed for her new Kingdom. After a difficult journey by sea (the future bride had to stop in Naples, where she celebrated Christmas), she finally reached Palermo in late January 1177.
Guglielmo and Joan got married in the Royal Chapel (it’s not certain if in Palermo or Monreale) and, on February 13th, Joan was crowned (together with her husband, at his second coronation) Queen of Sicily in Palermo’s Cathedral (“Convocatis autem rex Guilielmus Proceribus Sicilie et magna Populi multitudine, prenominatam filiam Regis Anglie in Cappella sua desponsavit, et se et eam gloriose coronari fecit, et sollemnes de illa nuptias celebravit Anno MCLXXVI, mense Februarii, Ind. X ” in Chronicon Romualdi II, archiepiscopi Salernitani, p. 41). Joan’s coronation should be considered a peculiar event for her time since it was already unusual for 12th-century queens to be crowned, but it was even rarer they got anointed with the holy chrism. Even though the joint coronation might lead us to think she would, from now on, regarded as equal to her husband, a co-regent, in reality, that ceremony was more a way to consecrate her role as a consort and (hopefully) mother of the future king. Guglielmo bestowed on his wife a rich dowry, worthy of a Queen, which included the lordship of Monte Sant’Angelo, the cities of Siponto and Vieste, the castles of Alesina, Pesco, Capracotta, Barano, Sirico and many other estates (“Comitatum Monti Sancti Angeli, Civitatem Siponti & Civitatem Vestae cum omnibus justis tenementis & pertinentiis earum. In servitio autem concedimus ei, de Tenementis Comitis Golfridi, Alesine, Peschizam, Bicum, Caprile, Baranum, & Sfilizum, & omnia alia quae idem Comes de honore eiusdem Comitatus Monti Sancti Angeli tenere dinoscitur” in Foedera, conventiones, literæ, et cujuscunque generis acta publica, inter reges Angliæ et alios quosvis imperatores, reges, pontifices, principes, vel communitates, ab ineunte sæculo duodecimo, viz. ab anno 1101…, p.17 ).
In his Chronica, Abbot Robert of Torigny records that Guglielmo and Joan had a son, Boemondo, who was invested by his father with the Duchy of Apulia (“Audivimus a quibusdam quod Johanna, uxor Guillermi regis Siciliae, filia Henrici regis Anglorum, peperit ei filium primogenitum, quem vocaverunt Boamundum. Qui cum a baptismate reverteretur, pater investivit eum ducatu Apuliae per aureum sceptrum, quod in manu gerebat.” in Chronique de Robert de Torigny, abbé du Mont-Saint-Michel, II, p. 115). If Robert de Torigny is to be believed (which is unlikely), that would mean Bohemond died as an infant since Guglielmo died on November 18th 1189 without living issues (“[…] alteram duxit Siciliae rex Willelmus, qui prole caruit […]” in Matthæi Parisiensis, monachi Sancti Albani, Chronica majora, p. 326).
The lack of a direct heir gave rise to a succession crisis. The rightful heir was Guglielmo’s aunt, Costanza. What made Costanza’s claim less appealing in her future subjects’ eyes was her marriage to Frederick I Hohenstaufen’s son, Heinrich. To many, the perfect alternative to Costanza, a woman married to a foreign prince, was Tancredi of Lecce, the last (illegitimate) male representative of the Hauteville house in Italy. Taking advantage of the fact that Costanza and her husband were, at that moment, stuck in Germany, Tancredi was crowned King of Sicily in January 1190.
Having lost her role as a Queen consort, and lacking an heir which would have consented her to act as a regent, Joan was confined by Tancredi in the Zisa Palace, inside late Guglielmo’s harem, amid many Arab born beauties, and closely guarded by Muslim eunuchs.
In that same year, Joan’s brother, Richard (who had succeeded his father the year before), on his way to the Holy Land, arrived in Sicily (obligatory passage towards the Middle Eastern) together with French King, Philippe II Auguste. Richard demanded King Tancredi to release Joan, give back to her dowry (which had been seized by the Sicilian King following Guglielmo’s death) and financially support the Third Crusade as it had been previously agreed upon by the late king. At first, Tancredi ignored Richard’s requests, limiting himself to just deliver Joan to her kingly brother on September 28th. The English King retaliated by militarily occupying Messina, where he ordered the construction (or the renovation) of a wooden castle commonly known as Matagrifone (lit. “killing Griffones”, where the Grifoni/Griffones stands for Levantines and Greeks, as they were called by Northern Europeans) and from where his troops pillaged and massacred the population. The long sojourn in Sicily put a strain on the relationship between the two Kings, already so different (“The king of France, whatever transgression his people committed, or whatever offence was committed against them, took no notice and held his peace; the king of England esteeming the country of those implicated in guilt as a matter of no consequence, considered every man his own, and left no transgression unpunished, wherefore the one was called a Lamb by the Griffones, the other obtained the name of a Lion.” in The Chronicle of Richard of Devizes concerning the deeds of Richard the First, King of England, p. 17-18). Philippe Augustus didn’t approve of Richard’s behaviour and arrived to plot against him together with Tancredi. The tense situation led the two allies to meet to talk it out. They reached an agreement, which included the dissolution of the betrothal between Richard and Philippe’s sister, Alys, and the pledge to defend each other’s lands as if they were their own.
After a brief stay in Messina (and after, it is said, having charmed Philippe Augustus), Joan was sent by her brother on the other side of the Messina Strait, to the newly conquered Bagnara Calabra, where she was joined by her mother and Berengaria of Navarre, Richard’s new fiancée. Finally, at the beginning of March 1191, a treaty was signed between Tancredi and Richard. Tancredi had to reimburse Joan for her dowry (which the Sicilian King was going to keep) with almost 570kg of gold. Moreover, one of Tancredi’s daughters would in future marry Arthur of Brittany, Richard’s nephew and heir. If the marriage would never take place, the Sicilian King had to pay Richard a further sum of 570kg of gold.
In April 1191, the English party set sail towards the Holy Land (the Frenchmen had already departed). A storm dispersed the fleet, separating Richard from his sister and future wife. The women (and the treasure ship) reached Cyprus, where they were taken prisoners by Isaakios Komnēnos, ruler of the island. At the beginning of May, Richard arrived in Cyprus and demanded his sister and fiancée’s release. Since Isaakios refused, the English King attacked and occupied the island. The former ruler was forced to surrender, he was then imprisoned and shackled in silver chains since Richard had promised him he would not be put in irons. Before leaving Cyprus, Richard married Berengaria and sold the island to the Knights Templar. The English army finally arrived in Acre in June, accompanying (as a prisoner) them was the so-called Damsel of Cyprus, Isaakios’s daughter and heiress.
Arabic sources state that around September Richard had tried to come to terms with Salah al-Din, by offering his sister Joan as spouse to the Sultan’s brother, Al-Adil. The records add that this match was made impossible by the Christian clergy’s refusal to allow it without a pre-emptive conversion of the future husband (Joan’s objection to this union wouldn’t have mattered much), but Richard might have just tried to gain time since, when Salah al-Din accepted the offer, the English King backed off, stating they would need a Papal dispensation to let a dowager Queen marry an infidel. In lieu of his sister, Richard then offered his niece’s hand. At this point, Salah al-Din broke the negotiations.
Together with her sister-in-law, Joan left the Holy Land by the end of 1192 and most certainly lived with Berengaria until 1196, when she married (by order of her brother Richard) Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse and Marquis of Provence (“MCXCVI […] Eodem anno comes de Sancto Egidio duxit in uxorem Johannam sororem Ricardi regis, quondam reginam Siciliae……” in Annales Monastici, Annales de Burton, vol. I, p. 192). Raymond, nine years her senior, was at his fourth marriage. The union between the Plantagenet princess and the Count of Toulouse finally put an end to the families’ (Aquitaine and Toulouse) feud as Richard gave up on his claim on Toulouse.In 1197, in Beucaire, Joan gave birth to a son Raymond (“MCXCVII. Johanna comitissa de Sancto Egidio, soror Ricardi regis Angliae, peperit Reimundum suum primogenitum” in Annales Monastici, vol. I, p. 192), followed by, the next year, Jeanne (“V. Kal. Junii, Anno MCCLV, obiit illustrissima Johanna filia Raymundi Comitis & Regina Johanna, uxor quondam Domini Bernardi de Turre” Extrait de l’ancien Obituaire de l’abbaye de la Vaissi en Auvergne in Histoire Genealogique de la Maison D’Auvergne, p. 499). The marriage between Joan and Raymond is described by some as unhappy, but the reason behind it perhaps could be that, because he had shown certain sympathies towards the Catharism, Raymond was seen as a heretic. In his Chronique, 13th-century chronicler Guillaume de Puylaurens, writes how, pregnant of her third child, and intending to avenge the many injuries suffered by her husband by the hand of his enemies, she besieged the castle of Casser. Despite her good intentions, her expedition failed and so Joan ran to her brother Richard to ask for his help, to help and support her husband. It must have been a great shock for her when, along the way, she found out her brother was dead (“Comme sa mère était une femme énergique, prévoyante et ayant à coeur de se venger des offenses que bien des Grands et des Capitaines avaient faites à son mari, à peine eut-elle fait ses relevailles, qu'elle marcha contre le Sire de St.-Félix , et assiégea le château de Casser. Mais cette passer en secret aux assiégés des armes et ce qui leur était nécessaire. Vivement émue de ces menées, elle quitta le camp, dont elle fut à peine libre de sortir; car les traîtres mirent le feu à son logis, et elle s’ échappa au milieu des flammes. Poussée par le ressentiment de cette in jure, elle accourut vers son frère, le roi Richard, pour en obtenir satisfaction; elle ne trouva que son cadavre. Richard avait été tué à la guerre, et ce nouveau chagrin causa la mort de Jeanne.” in Chronique de Maître Guillaume de Puylaurens sur la guerre des Albigeois ��� 1202-1272, p. 20-21). According to the Annales of the Winchester Priory, Joan gave orders that the soldier who had mortally injured her brother was to be tortured, blinded, skinned and quartered (“[…]sed Marchadeus misit eum clam rege ad Johannam comitissam Sancti Egidii sororem regis, qui fecit ei evelli ungues pedum et manuum et oculos, et postea excoriari et equis detrahi.” in Annales Monastici: Annales monasterii de Wintonia, A.D. 519-1277, p. 71). John had succeeded his brother Richard on the throne, and Joan thought about asking for her other brother’s help. She reached him in Normandy, but all she could get was an annuity of 100 golden marks. Wearied and heartbroken, she felt her end was near and, despite being married and pregnant, she asked permission to take religious vows and become a nun in Fontevrault Abbey. Despite some initial reserve, after seeing how determined she was, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Hubert Walter, caved in and consecrated her to God and to the order of Fontevrault. Joan died on September 24th 1199 in Rouen. She was 33 years old. After she died, her belly was opened and her child, a boy, was extracted. Baptised as Richard, her son lived only for a couple of hours and was later buried in Rouen’s Cathedral. (“[…]cette princesse ayant obtenu la grâce qu'elle avoit demandée avec tant d'instance, mourut- bientôt après, le 24 de septembre de l'an 1199, &, comme elle étoit avancée dans sa grossesse, on l'ouvrit dès qu'elle fut morte. On lui tira un enfant qui eut le temps de recevoir le baptême & qui, étant décédé presque aussitôt, fut inhumé dans l'église de Notre-Dame de Rouen.” in Histoire générale de Languedoc, p. 190). According to her wishes, she was buried in Fontevrault Abbey, at her father’s feet and next to her brother Richard. She would be later joined by her mother (1205), buried next to Henry II, and her son Raymond (1249), buried next to her (“Quant au corps de la comtesse, la prieure de Fontevrault l'apporta avec elle dans cette abbaye, où il fut inhumé aux pieds du roi Henri H, père de cette princesse, & à côté du roi Richard, son frère.” in Histoire générale de Languedoc, p. 190). In her will, she presents herself as “queen Joan of Sicily”, leaving aside the humbler title of Countess of Toulouse. Admist the generous distribution of bequests among her servants, many churches and the main beneficiary, the Abbey of Fontevrault, Joan assigned an annual payment of 20 marcs to the Abbey to commemorate “the anniversary of the king of Sicily and herself”.
Her husband Raymond would marry two more times, with the Damsel of Cyprus, and after divorcing her, with Leonor of Aragon. He would be succeeded in 1222 by his and Joan’s son, Raymond VII.
Sources
- Annales Monastici, Annales de Burton
- Annales Monastici: Annales monasterii de Wintonia, A.D. 519-1277
- Bowie, Colette, To Have and to Have Not: The Dower of Joanna Plantagenet, Queen of Sicily (1177–1189), in Queenship in the Mediterranean. Negotiating the Role of the Queen in the Medieval and the Early Modern Eras
- Calendar of documents preserved in France, illustrative of the history of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol.1. A.D. 918-1206
- Chronicle of Richard of Devizes concerning the deeds of Richard the First, King of England
- Chronique de Maître Guillaume de Puylaurens sur la guerre des Albigeois (1202-1272)
- Chronique de Robert de Torigni, abbé du Mont-Saint-Michel
- Delle Donne, Fulvio , GIOVANNA d'Inghilterra, regina di Sicilia, in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani
- Foedera, conventiones, literæ, et cujuscunque generis acta publica, inter reges Angliæ et alios quosvis imperatores, reges, pontifices, principes, vel communitates, ab ineunte sæculo duodecimo, viz. ab anno 1101
- Histoire genealogique de la Maison D’Auvergne
- Histoire générale de Languedoc
- Matthæi Parisiensis, monachi Sancti Albani, Chronica majora
- Wieruszowski, Helene , The Norman Kingdom of Sicily and the Crusades, in A History of the Crusades, vol. II, The Later Crusades, 1189-1311
66 notes
·
View notes