Christy English

Eleanor of Aquitaine and Divorce

Monday, March 14th, 2011 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, To Be Queen | 2 Comments

Eleanor of Aquitaine is known for the fact that she divorced her first husband, King Louis VII of France to marry her second husband, King Henry II of England. Of course, this well known ‘fact’ is only part of the story.

To begin with, there was no such thing as divorce in medieval France. Divorce was a concept for the Roman Republic and for Henry VIII’s England, but it had no place in medieval Europe. So how did one get rid of an unwanted wife? You paid the Church handsomely for an annulment, put the lady in question in a nunnery, and married someone new, all with the blessing of the Church, who by annulling the first marriage, said in effect that the marriage in question never really happened at all.

King Louis VII of France

Eleanor of Aquitaine’s first husband

So how did Eleanor manage to get out of her marriage to Louis VII?

She began her journey by sending bribes to Rome on an unrelated matter, the marriage of Count Raoul de Vermandois.  Raoul wanted to marry Eleanor’s fifteen-year-old sister, Petra, who was pregnant with his child. But Raoul had the hindrance of being married already. But if an erstwhile husband can get the backing of the Queen and King of France, he can obtain an annulment and his pesky first wife can be swept under the rug.

Of course, it is never that easy.

After years of bribes and warfare with the wronged wife’s kin, Eleanor procured the annulment for Raoul de Vermandois. He  married her sister Petra in the eyes of the Church, and became Seneschal of France while Louis and Eleanor rode off on the Second Crusade.

It is good to be married to the sister of the queen.

In spite of the odds against it and the years of bribes it took to make it happen, Eleanor’s success in obtaining one annulment from Rome whet her appetite for more. No doubt the thought crossed her mind: if she could buy an annulment to procure her sister’s happiness, why not buy an annulment for herself?

The Cover of TO BE QUEEN Where

Eleanor of Aquitaine Contemplates Casting Off the Crown of France

Years and many bribes later, Eleanor did manage to procure an annulment and she was able to free herself from the prison of her fifteen year marriage.  In the spring of 1152, Eleanor rode away from Beaugency a free woman, or perhaps, more aptly put, a woman who was free to marry again.

Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas?

Friday, March 11th, 2011 | The Writing Life, To Be Queen | No Comments

I know that as a writer, I have heard this question asked since I was small. “How on Earth did you come up with that?” It’s a popular question at writers’ conferences and luncheons. Since I have entered the ranks of published authors, I often get this question myself. And it is a tough one to answer.

Where do these ideas come from?

Some, like my concept for TO BE QUEEN, grow out of other projects that I am currently working on. Sometimes a character who is supposed to be an antagonist or a second string player comes to the forefront and takes over. And they are so interesting, at least in Eleanor’s case, that not only do I let them, but I welcome them with open arms and sit back and enjoy the fireworks that they bring onto the page.

Other characters come to me quietly, like a still, small voice when I am doing something else: when I am up to my elbows washing dishes, or when I am in the car with no notebook in hand, or when I am walking to the subway.  Princess Alais from THE QUEEN’S PAWN was this kind of character…a woman who was not insistent, but whose quiet presence I could not turn away from for three years, who even now that the book is done I have not completely turned away from.

All writers know what I mean. Our ideas simply show up, and when they do, whether in the midst of other work or after a long drought of writer’s block (God forbid), we welcome them. And if we follow them, those characters and ideas can open up whole worlds not just for us, but for readers to explore with us.

Fiction Addiction

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011 | Speaking Engagements, To Be Queen | No Comments

Fiction Addiction…is that a great name for a bookstore or what? I am fortunate enough to have been invited to speak at a luncheon for this lovely store in Greenville, SC in April. I have never been to Greenville before so I am really looking forward to this trip.

I am a huge fan of inland rivers and urban greenspace…

The luncheon will be held at the Lazy Goat restaurant on April 28. See the link below for details.  And many thanks to Jill of Fiction Addiction for setting this up…

I’ll be talking about… that’s right…Eleanor!

http://bookyourlunch.com/book-your-lunch-with-christy-english/

Quote from William X, Duke of Aquitaine

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 | Duke of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Aquitaine, To Be Queen, William X | No Comments

In one of the early chapters of TO BE QUEEN, William says to Eleanor, “Caution is a necessity, even for the very brave.”

As both her husbands, King Louis of France and King Henry of England could attest, Eleanor was always brave, if not always cautious.

Final Proofs for To Be Queen

Monday, December 13th, 2010 | Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Writing Life, To Be Queen | 2 Comments

Well, I am still slowing checking through my last Eleanor proofs. I have realized why I am moving so slowly. Aside from life being generally distracting and from the fact that I am working under a separate, second deadline, I also don’t want to let Eleanor go. Of course, I have to. In order for her to step out into the world and be read by others, I have to finish my portion of this task and send her on. And I will. I still have two days. So I suppose I will simply let myself savor Eleanor’s presence a little while longer, and enjoy that time when only I and a handful of other people have seen these pages. A private time, a time of intimacy, before I send her out so that others can read about her adventures. I hope that they are half as charmed by Eleanor as I have been.