Eleanor Cross

By marandina

Tue, 05 Jan 2021
  • 1395 reads
8 comments
 

 

Eleanor, highborn of Castile,

favoured daughter of Ferdinand,

beloved, revered Queen to

Albion’s powerhouse: The Longshanks.

 

Noble monarch, woman of means,

passionate patron of literature,

well educated, fiercely independent,

cultural icon of her time.

 

Magnificent matriarch to sixteen

children from regal union.

Passed away into lore,

three wedded decades and more.

 

Of Sussex marble, Purbeck pure,

chiselled carvings etched in lime.

Pray for her eternal soul,

dear weary travellers in time.

 

Eleanor Cross, monuments twelve,

aligning her funeral path.

Cortege passage: Lincoln to Charing,

stone markers her journey sharing.

 

For two centuries and beyond,

Edwards’s candles remained aflame,

at Royal Westminster Abbey,

blessed vigil to her name.

 

Footnotes:

The Eleanor Cross (image is my own) is half a mile from where I live in Northampton and is a source of local pride. It was at the centre of a recent ownership dispute between the County and Borough councils, neither wanting to foot the bill for much needed restoration costs. The Borough council eventually conceded and the work has been done at a cost of £95,000 to preserve this historical artefact that dates back to 1291. It is one of only three of the original twelve crosses that remain today.

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous Poems
Other Non-fiction

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I was interested to read your poem. It's good to know they're keeping the cross restored and your poem keeps the memory alive.

Fascinating read.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for the read and comment, Jenny. It was the subject of a petition to sort the funds out. As far as I know, it's never been subjected to vandalism *touch wood*

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Really interesting.  I know there are many demands on local authorities' funding, but the preservation of something like this should never be in question.  Lovely picture, too.

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for the read af and the compliment for my skills as a photographer. It's an easy pic to take as the statue is so beautiful and means a lot to the local population. I attended a talk there a couple of years ago for Heritage Week. Eleanor was an amazing woman and adored by her husband - Edward I.

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

A very interesting piece - thank you. I think the connection has been disproved now, but I always think of the Elephant and Castle when I read about Eleanor of Castile

 

Submitted by marandina on

I didn't know about that but Eleanor is synonymous with a lot of place names around here. We have the Queen Eleanor Island on the A45 and my local pub is called the Queen Eleanor. Thanks for reading Insert :)

 

Submitted by james cale on

Enjoyed reading your poem, reminded me of when I lived in Waltham Cross the site of another memorial to Queen Eleanor. I believe the crosses were erected to mark the over night stays on nher final journey into London, though I maybe wrong. Will probably spend sometime researching a little of her life now. Thanks very much.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Hi James. Thanks for the read and you are correct. They were erected by masons at the nightly stops en route to London. The final cross gives Charing Cross its name. They are stunningly beautiful artefacts and Eleanor of Castile was a girl power movement all of her own, centuries ahead of her time. Thanks again. Paul