Daughters of Edward I

by Kathryn Warner

In 1254 the teenage heir to the English throne married a Spanish bride, the sister of the king of Castile, in Burgos, and their marriage of thirty-six years proved to be one of the great royal romances of the Middle Ages. Edward I of England and Leonor of Castile had at least fourteen children together, though only six survived into adulthood, five of them daughters.

Daughters of Edward I traces the lives of these five capable, independent women, including Joan of Acre, born in the Holy Land, who defied her father by marrying a second husband of her own choice, and Mary, who did not let her forced veiling as a nun stand in the way of the life she really wanted to live. The women's stories span the decades from the 1260s to the 1330s, through the long reign of their father, the turbulent reign of their brother Edward II, and into the reign of their nephew, the child-king Edward III.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Womens, Biography

248 pages, Hardcover

Published August 12, 2021

About the author

I grew up in the north of England, and hold two degrees in medieval history and literature from the University of Manchester. I have run a blog about King Edward II (reigned 1307 to 1327) since 2005, have had work published about him in the prestigious academic journal the English Historical Review (founded 1886) and in the academic essay collection Fourteenth-Century England, and have appeared talking about him in the BBC documentary Quest for Bannockburn. I also appeared in a documentary about Edward II shown on the German-French TV channel Arte in late 2019, and have given a paper about him at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds.

My first book, titled Edward II: The Unconventional King, was released in October 2014, and my biography of Edward II's queen Isabella of France (c. 1295-1358) was published in March 2016. My third book is an account of Edward's murder in 1327 or survival past that year, which came out in June 2017, and my fourth is a bio of Edward II's great-grandson Richard II, published October 2017. My fifth book, Blood Roses, came out in October 2018, and is an account of the royal houses of Lancaster and York from 1245 to 1399. My sixth was also published in October 2018 and is a biography of Edward II's malevolent favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger. My next two books came out in 2019: a travel guide to places in the UK associated with Edward II, called Following in the Footsteps of Edward II, and a biography of Edward III's queen Philippa of Hainault. A joint bio of Edward II's nieces Eleanor, Margaret and Elizabeth de Clare came out in February 2020, and a work of social history called Living in Medieval England: The Turbulent Year of 1326 was also published that year, A book about the Despenser family from 1261 to 1439 will come next, and a bio of Edward III's son/Henry IV's father John of Gaunt, second duke of Lancaster, is due out in 2021.

Projects I'm working on are: a joint bio of Edward II's five sisters; a joint bio of Edward III's granddaughters; a social history of London between 1300 and 1350; and a book about the medieval Beaumont family. And I'm sure there'll be plenty more after that!

Reviews

[Juliew. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know about this one.There just wasn't a lot of narrative more birth,marriage and death dates than anything else.It was pretty confusing but thankfully there was a glossary at the back detailing who was who.There were lots of discussions about extended relatives as well.Not sure why the author chose to add in everyone these daughters could have possibly been related to.I was more focused on who they were and their stories but sadly there wasn't too much of that in here.Still good for reference though which I would probably do.
Much thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Moniek Bloks · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Edward I of England, who ruled from 1272 until 1307, went on to father many children with two wives. His first wife, Eleanor of Castile, bore the majority of his children, fourteen or perhaps even as much as sixteen. Of these five daughters and one son, the future King Edward II, survived to adulthood. He had a further two sons with his second wife, Margaret of France.

The daughters of Edward I by Kathryn Warner focuses on the daughters of his first marriage. These are Eleanor, later Countess of Bar, Joan, later  Countess of Hertford and Countess of Gloucester, Margaret, later Duchess of Brabant, Mary, who became a nun, and Elizabeth, later Countess of Holland and Countess of Hereford.

The trouble with writing about women during this time is that, quite often, the information simply does not exist. Often birthdays weren't recorded, nor were the dates of death. This makes piecing their lives together very difficult. Kathryn Warner still manages to do this nicely for Edward's daughters, with the limited information available. I enjoyed reading the bit about how serious thought was given to female succession, as many of Edward and Eleonor's sons did not survive to adulthood. It did become a little confusing later in the book when grandchildren through his daughters came into play, and you have to keep focussed on keeping them all apart.

Overall, I'd say this book is a wonderful addition to any royal library as it fills in a gap in history.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well-researched book, and I enjoyed reading about the details of medieval life. Although some of Edward 1's daughters led interesting lives, such as Mary, the reluctant nun, and Joan of Acre, who defied her father with a secret marriage, the others were a bit dull. Little was known about them, although they were close to their parents, and brother.

I thought that the parents of the girls, Edward 1 and Eleanor, who shared a great love story, were much more interesting! I also found the book had a lot of characters, and it all got a bit confusing, and dry at times. However, this book certainly made me more interested in Eleanor of Castile, so I may read about her next!

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781526750273
PRICE £25.00 (GBP)

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathryn Warner's overview of the daughters of Edward I of England and Leonor of Castile is a small masterpiece of research.

The unfortunate reality is that very little about these women has survived the test of time, not to mention what few things were officially recorded during their actual lifetime. What I did appreciate, however, was Warner's ability to bring these women to life in very human ways that attested to their interpersonal relationships as well as their role in politics. Even noting what information has and hasn't survived was a learning experience. The past is never fully preserved, and I really appreciated how Warner brought that out by showing us how much we could distill from even small pieces of history.

Recommended to anyone who wants to brush up on a post-Prince John and Richard the Lionheart England, history enthusiasts, and people who would like to know more about the mysterious Middle Ages (which honestly deserve more attention).

Thank you to Netgalley and Pen & Sword for sending me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received Daughters of Edward I as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Eleanor, Joan, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth were the five daughters of one of England's most illustrious kings, Edward I, sisters of one the most infamous (Edward II), and ancestors to countless monarchs throughout Europe. From Mary, the unwilling nun who regularly left her convent and commissioned great works of scholarship, to Margaret of Brabant, whose foreign marriage effectively removed her from her homeland permanently when she was little more than a child--these five women had fascinating lives, dealing with the power dichotomies that came with being from a wealthy and royal l family, but also women.

I really enjoyed this! Despite the dearth of information on most medieval people, even royals, Warner does an effective job of using the evidence that does exist to posit on what their personalities may have been. At times it does feel more like an overview of Edward I's children who survived to adulthood, because Edward II, as well as their parents, get a fair amount of the storyline. Towards the end, while tracing everyone's children and grandchildren, I began to get a little confused--name repetition is real, multiple spouses and large families are all VERY real--but Warner does an admirable job of trying to keep everyone straight. A really great combination of sources and narrative make this a worthwhile read for fans of medieval history.

[Jean-Luc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful & insightful portrait of five exceptional princesses, the daughters of Edward Longshanks, one of England's most appreciated and revered monarchs.
An informative and utterly compelling tapestry of late 13th century English royal life through the births, educational journeys and marital destinies of five sisters and their individual roles in their father's political spectrum.
Anyone interested by Medieval civilization and its little known histories should definitely enjoy this very detailed look at royal children and their rather peripatetic upbringing during a rather tumultuous period of English history. Ms Warner has gifted us with a worthy addition to the historiography of the Plantagenets and their magnificent world. An elegant and very detailed achievement that I found personally very engrossing
& utterly satisfying!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Pen & Sword for this terrific ARC

[Amy McElroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward I and his wife Leonor had many children, sadly a lot did not survive infancy. This book focuses on the daughters who did; Eleanor of Bar, Joan of Acre, Margaret of Brabant, Mary of Woodstock, and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan. The daughters of Edward I is a brilliant narrative of not only the lives of the daughters but also the events occurring in England at the time. The daughters lived different lives, from taking the veil to moving abroad to marry and Warner discusses events that impacted them and their children.
I loved the story of Mary, the daughter who became a nun but continued to live a pretty independent life, leaving the Abbey when she wished and visiting family. Joan of Acre was also independent and was not afraid to do as she wished and face the wrath of her father. The sisters clearly had a solid, close relationship all evidenced through Warner's meticulous research.

As someone trying to branch out on my history this was invaluable. I found it extremely interesting to read about the affection Edward I showed his daughters, it is a shame the same could not be said on all accounts of Edward II to his sisters and their children. I would have loved to know the sisters thoughts on Hugh Despenser but unfortunately we don't know.

There are many Edwards and Eleanor's in this book but it's not as confusing as may be expected as Warner does a great job of clarifying who's who. Warner notes that if Edward I son Alfonso had survived it would have become a popular name so we'd be reading about many Alfonso's today.

If you are looking to learn about these women and their relationships then this book is perfect but I'd also recommend to those wishing to read more about Edward I and his son Edward II.

Warner has a great easy to read writing style so whilst this is nonfiction it's not difficult to get stuck in to.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The future King of England married a Spanish princess to create an alliance between the two countries through their children. This may sound like the marriage of Henry VIII and his brother’s widow Katherine of Aragon. However, this story is much older and the happy couple was Edward I and Leonor of Castile. Unlike the Tudor match, Edward and Leonor have numerous children, including Edward’s heir who would one day become Edward II, whose story has been told in various ways. The stories that Kathryn Warner has chosen to focus upon in her latest book, “Daughters of Edward I”, are the princesses who tend to be hidden behind their brother’s legacy.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I have read a few books by Kathryn Warner in the past and I have enjoyed them in the past for their complex nature. I enjoy a challenge and when I heard about this book, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. I, unfortunately, was not familiar with these princesses before partaking in this new adventure, so I was excited to hear their stories for the first time.

Edward I and Leonor of Castile had around fourteen children, but only six lived into adulthood; their heir Edward II and his five sisters. The names of the sisters were Eleanor of Windsor, Joan of Acre, Margaret of Brabant, Mary of Woodstock, and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan. Their marriages and children, except for Mary of Woodstock who would become a reluctant nun, would connect the Plantagenet bloodline to some of the most important families in England and beyond. When it comes to the marriages of the sisters, they tend to follow the counsel of the crown, except for Joan of Acre who chose to follow her heart and marry a man who she loved for her second marriage.

Warner’s specialty is unraveling the convoluted nature of certain family trees to uncover members who tend to slip into the shadows of the past. She explores the sisters’ relationships with their father Edward I, their brother Edward II, their nephew who would become Edward III, as well as the families that were essential to understanding England during the 13th and 14th centuries. I will admit that I did find myself using the lists in the back that gave brief descriptions of the daughters and their children as I was getting a tad confused on who was who and their relationship to others. However, I am really glad that Warner included that resource as it added something to this book.

Warner has taken on the difficult task of trying to uncover the stories of the daughters of Edward I and Leonor of Castile and has given readers a resource that can prove valuable in understanding this complex family dynamic. There were parts where the writing was a touch dry for my taste, but overall I found it a stimulating reading and that is because of the laborious research that Warner partook to tell their tales and the tales of their descendants. If you want a meticulously researched resource that tells the stories of women who knew Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III well, “Daughters of Edward I” by Kathryn Warner is the perfect book for you to add to your collection.

[Elizabeth Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathryn Warner presents a fascinating view of the medieval King Edward I's relationship with his royal daughters. The author did an excellent job at describing how Edward I related to each of his daughters from childhood to adulthood. Although the book is titled Daughters of Edward I, the book explores the many relationships between Edward I his wife Eleanor of Castile, his in-laws, and even his grandchildren.

Daughters of Edward I vividly brings to life characters who would otherwise be obscure historical figures. I found the book very readable. The book can be enjoyed by a scholar or someone with a casual interest in history. I have read many books about Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III, but Kathryn Warner still surprised me with interest facts I had never come across in my reading.

If you are fascinated by Edward I and want to learn more about his many daughters and sons, I highly recommend this book. Besides presenting King Edward I's daughters and following their life from birth to death, the author includes many compelling details about Edward II, his son Edward III, and the many problems which plagued their reign and their lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

Detailed and interesting…

Every time I read more about the English monarchy it stills amazes me the complicated relationships and ties that bind them together. While this book focuses on the daughters of King Edward it doesn’t stop there. Where did they fit into the larger family? To answer that was to find out how their father, Edward, became king and how his wife Leonor fit into the politics of the age. Their brother Edward II was an integral part of the journey as well.

This book was full of names, dates, and points of history that painted a detailed picture of the time and the royalty that lived it. Each daughter had their spotlight, with much gleaned from the sometimes limited information available. Their marriages, their children, their personalities were relayed in a writing style that painted of a picture of who they were. And who they were showed them as real people in changing times and extraordinary family…

I admit to being on overload at times with the sheer amount of information being presented but, read over a number of sittings, I came away with a much clearer picture of the people they were.

*I happily reviewed this book
**Thank you to NetGalley

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.com.

First line: Lord Edward, 15-year-old son and heir of the king of England, met Dona Leonor, half-sister of the king of Castile and Leon and aged almost 13, a few days before their wedding on 1 November 1254.

Summary: Kathryn Warner brings the lives of the daughters of Edward I of England to the general public in her new book. She begins with the marriage of Prince Edward to his Spanish bride until the death of his last daughter in the mid-1300s.

My Thoughts: I requested this book because I know very little about this time in English history and I wanted to learn more. I did learn about the time, the people and the lives of these women. But I found the style of writing hard to follow at times. It was like reading facts rather than a book. And there were so many names repeatedly listed. Maybe others would find this easier to follow if they knew the history better but I did find some pieces very fascinating.

FYI: Probably not best for a novice on English history.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warner does an excellent job of using numerous primary and secondary sources to piece together the lives of the daughters of King Edward I. Very little remains from the 1300s and much is speculation as scholars recognize that the lives of women were not well-documented. Edward's Court maintained as good of records as could be imagined yet one must wonder if Warner had a page requirement for her writing: there were innumerable, repetitive statements (some less than a page apart), disjointed connections mid-paragraph, multiple titles used for historic persons without generating any clarity, and wordy descriptions of relationships not pertinent to the subjects at hand.

Although the Appendix was helpful and the notes extensive, confusion reigned even for a reader versant in the English Royal family and European Royals of the time-period. Would this reviewer recommend the title? Yes, given the use of sources and the interesting topic -- just be ready for many re-reads of sentences and paragraphs as you try to untangle some of the sentence structure and subjects' roles.

[Kate Parr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed Kathryn Warner's other books on queens and associated high-born women and this one was just as good. It has been so easy for royal ladies to be over-looked or dismissed with bland words like virtuous or charitable rather than take the time to find out what they might/probably/maybe had been like.

My main interest in this book was to find more info about Eleanor of Castile, and I hoped that by focusing on her daughters, Warner may have included some more domestic details that were missed or considered too light or inconsequential for a straight biography, which she did (that's not to suggest any of the book is light or inconsequential!). The family trees of some of the husbands was way over my head but the rest, the narrative of their lives, the attempts to understand their personalities was very enjoyable and a worthwhile read.

Looking forward to whatever comes next!

[nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75

Arc received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The daughters of Edward I are a set of royal children not as known as others, and I was quite curious to read more about them. I completely understand that there might be some information lacking about them, and overall the picture the author paints of them is one that is quite interesting, and I really enjoyed how she was able to describe and even give personalities to the sisters. I also really liked how the author wrote, it didn't feel like clunky text at all, and it was very entertaining for me. My only thing with this is that sometimes it felt more like a biography of the people around the sisters, specifically their parents and later on their brother. Would still recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about history and historical women though, for this was an entertaining and informative read.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathryn Warner's "Daughters of Edward I" sheds light on a lesser-explored aspect of medieval English history: the lives and legacies of Edward I's daughters. It is clear that the author conducted meticulous research. Warner intertwines the narratives of Eleanor of Bar, Joan of Acre, Margaret of Brabant, Mary of Woodstock, and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, revealing the roles these women played within the social and political landscape of their time. From Mary's independent spirit to Joan's fearless defiance, each daughter emerges as a distinct and compelling character, shaped by the events of her time.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Anita Salát · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history book that is centered around the children of Edward I, while describing an intricate web of royal families and the nobility of the 13th and 14th centuries. An informative and well-researched read, split into easy-to-digest chapters. Whenever the author is discussing a person, she gives context and interpretation, which allows you to see the big picture of who is related to whom throughout Europe.
Despite being hopeless at history myself, I truly enjoyed this.

This book is to be published at the end of July 2021. I am grateful for NetGalley and Pen & Sword for an Advance Reading Copy.

[Lora]

While The Daughters of Edward I focuses the lives of Edward I daughters, the book gives a look at the royal family from the marriage of the future Edward I and Eleanor of Castile to the early reign of Edward III. Even though they were daughters of one king and sister to another not as much is known about the sisters as there is about their father and brother. Warner did a wonderful job of researching the material. It is a little dry in places, but still an interesting read.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book I really wanted to like, but ended up DNFing.

The premise of this book intrigued me. Women's history is a personal favourite of mine. However, I found this book extremely hard to follow. My knowledge of medieval English royalty is fuzzy, so when the author starts throwing out names, I felt like I needed to grab a notepad and pen.

This book may be better suited to an academic who is specifically searching for good detailed work on medieval women, but as a causal reader of history, it just wasn't for me.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a review.

[Lauren Hudspeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really interesting in that it’s taught me about a time and family that I only have very basic knowledge on. It’s so refreshing to be able to learn about a seemingly happy marriage and the respect that Edward I appears to have had for his daughters. I would have liked some more description and information as oppose to the dates of births, marriages etc. but I still thoroughly enjoyed.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about more than just the daughters of Edward I. With the information presented, you can dive into the web of the royal family - the who's who of the time.

Kathryn Warner did a great job of bringing as much information as she could about the five daughters of Edward I, and their ups and downs throughout life.

I enjoyed reading through this book!

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No question that this is thoroughly researched and if you were writing a novel of the period, this is a great source of information.
That said, even when knowing about Edward 1 et al, this is tough going - a tangle of dates, people, relationships and random characters that require rereading of many paragraphs to understand what is happening.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my review over on my blog: https://allthebookblognamesaretaken.b...

[Sheila Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathryn Warner did her usual meticulous research to write Daughters of Edward I. This book is jam packed with information, and brings to life the lives of women who are typically overlooked once they were married. An excellent resource.

[James M Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Medieval English history. Well detailed and sourced. A glimpse of what it might have been like to be a member of royalty back then.

[Linda Johnston]

Didn’t finish. Not interested in ancient English history.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much detail for me. I rarely quit on a book, but I couldn't carry on. I just don't care about who bathed the royal children and how often they bathed. Definitely for scholars. There were way too many royals named Eleanor/Eleanore/Leanore (and so on) back then, too.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts off and has continued information of Edward and wife but does have a good chunk of the book about his daughters. Good it is a collective book about them and not about an individual daughter.