‘Indeed it does, but I want Eleanor married and I can do with Raynald’s help. It is an astonishing thing but these small provinces seem to have more than I have myself of the things I need ... money ... arms ... men ... all that is necessary to succeed in conquest. And it may well be that if I do not have to contest the crown of France I may have to go to Scotland again some day. I shall need help, Philippa, and I am more likely to get it within my own family than anywhere else.’
‘Raynald is a somewhat ambitious man.’
‘All rulers worth their salt are ambitious.’
‘I did not like what he did to his father.’
‘My dear gentle Philippa, you are too good for this world. Have I not always said that Raynald’s father was a weak man. Had he continued to reign there would have been nothing worth-while for Raynald to inherit. So he forestalled destiny that was all.’
‘By imprisoning his own father! I have heard that he kept him in prison for six years and he was an old man.’
‘We must admire Raynald. He took over a tottering province ... Had he not done so there would have been nothing for him to take over.’
‘He kept his father in prison until he died.’
‘Yes, yes, but what did he do? He ruled well, with immense skill and vigour. And the result. Now Gueldres, though small, is one of the most important of the minor European countries. What he has done is admirable, Philippa, even though it meant supplanting his own father. In fact all he did was take six years earlier that which would have in time been his and he took it before it could be rendered useless. He has shown himself a good soldier and wise ruler. He is highly respected in Europe and I tell you this : even the King of France would think twice before entering into a disagreement with him. I shall welcome him as my brother-in-law.’
‘I think Eleanor is quite happy.’
‘I doubt not that you have helped her to recognize her good fortune.’
‘I have. But I do hope he will be kind to her.’
‘Of a certainty he will be kind to my sister.’
‘He is an ambitious man and she is not yet fifteen. He chose his first wife for her wealth I believe, for I heard that that exceeded her rank, and that the marriage took place when the bride’s parents promised to pay all his debts.’
‘Of one thing we can be sure. Eleanor’s brother will not be able to oblige him in the same manner.’
‘This time he marries a Princess of England.’
‘Ah, my Philippa, you are too gentle and loving for this world of ambition. Not that I would have you otherwise. Eleanor like her sister must marry where she can best help her country. I am delighted that she is not displeased with our swarthy hero. But had she been, there would have been no help for it. To Gueldres she must go as poor little Joanna went to Scotland. The fate of Princesses, my love.’
‘I know it well and I thank God that I was able to follow my heart. I shall never cease to thank Fate or God, or whoever ordained it, for the day when you came riding through the forest of Hainault; and I only had to look at you to love you.’
‘As I did you. As soon as I saw you I said: “There is my Queen,” and I made up my mind in that first moment.’
‘I shall pray that Eleanor knows as much happiness as we do.’
‘But you know, my love, that is impossible for no one could.’
Edward was determined that his sister should go to her new country well equipped and there was great excitement in her apartments where her wardrobe was being made ready with Philippa presiding over it. She made Eleanor try on her clothes and laughingly pointed out that she herself could not have done so. She was far too plump and very different from the willowy Eleanor. How beautiful was the cloak of blue Brussels cloth edged with ermine, the robe of Spanish cloth of gold which the young girl would wear on her wedding day; there were pelisses worked with gold thread and sparkling with silver beads and surtunics of velvet and cloth of silver. The King had presented her costly jewelled ornaments; there were coronals set with pearls and diamonds and several zones artistically wrought in rubies and emeralds.
Not only would she take with her clothes and jewels but also many items of furniture, chief of which was the bridal bed.,a magnificent object with Tripoli silk curtains most ex- qu!sitely embroidered and decorated in gold with the entwined arms of England and Gueldres. There was a chariot, another gift from her brother, decorated with her coat of arms, and lined with purple velvet spattered with golden stars; and there were chairs, tables, carpets, curtains and gold and silver plate; even tankards, table knives, dishes and spoons were to be taken with her.
Edward was determined that she should go into her new country equipped as a royal princess.
Nor was it only clothes and furniture which Eleanor took with her. Three tons of provisions were prepared for her including cinnamon, saffron, ginger, rice, dates, one hundred and twenty-seven pounds of white loaf sugar and two hundred pounds of Cyprus sugar to satisfy her rather sweet tooth.
Eleanor made sure too that she had a good supply of sandalwood, which finely powdered was a fleshy shade of red, for she was very pale of complexion and, admiring the natural rosy cheeks of her sister-in-law, liked to touch her own up with sandalwood to give her a healthy glow.
Several vessels were needed to convey everything across the sea and these were already being loaded in Sandwich.
The day arrived for her to set out. She took a fond and rather tearful farewell of her brother and Philippa. As a last- minute present the latter gave her a magnificently furred robe and Edward presented her with six altar cloths which she might give to the churches she passed on her journey to her new country.
It was a splendid cavalcade which travelled down to the coast. Eleanor rode at its head and among the company were one hundred and thirty-six men servants—pages, salterers, poulterers, sumpterers, chamber women, washermen, stewards knights and esquires.
All along the route people came out to see the procession pass. This was very different from the marriage of Eleanor’s sister, Joanna. That marriage had not pleased the people at all. But Eleanor was clearly not unhappy.
The people were pleased with their new King so it was cheers for his sister and the match with Gueldres.
Philippa missed her young sister-in-law, but she was deeply absorbed in her own life because to her joy she had become pregnant again.
She had gone once more to Woodstock where her precious first-born Edward had made his appearance.
‘I have a fancy,’ she said, ‘that Woodstock is lucky for me.’
And Edward was, of course, only too happy to indulge her wishes.
Preparations were made for the birth of the child and the two cradles were ready awaiting their occupant. One, the state cradle was very grand and of course would be used only for state occasions when the nobility would wish to inspect the child. This cradle which bore the arms of England and Hainault was beautifully lined with gilded taffeta and had a fur coverlet made from six hundred and seventy skins which could hardly be used until the baby was a few months older and winter had set in.
And on the sixteenth day of June of that year 1332 Philippa gave birth to her second child. This time it was a daughter, as beautiful and physically perfect as her brother had been.
The King was delighted and if he would have preferred another boy he did not show this. He loved the little girl as much as he loved her brother and no child could have come into the world with a greater welcome.
The King had been thinking a great deal about his mother. He had in fact on one occasion visited her at Castle Rising where he heard from her attendants that she suffered from bouts of madness and how her grief was so great at such times that they feared she might do herself an injury. He spoke to her gently, for he could not forget all she had once meant to him, and he gave orders that never must she be treated with less respect than was due to her rank and none must forget that she was his mother.