The year 1189, the Third Crusade has been called for by Pope Gregory VIII. In Europe many leaders, including three kings determine to set out to evict Islamic forces from the Holy City of Jerusalem, but one of them, King Richard I of England, has a problem and is confronted by his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine with the solution.
Richards long-time betrothed, Alys of France has been in Richard’s father’s court, Henry II, since the betrothal when the pair were but eight years old. When the girl became of age (13 years old then) she was taken to his bed by Henry as his mistress.
Eleanor implored Richard to marry the girl before he departed for Palestine in order to produce an heir for the sake of the Plantagenet dynasty. He refused and set off to join his fleet.
Eleanor, not to be undone called upon her neighbouring King, Sancho of Navarre to provide the solution.
King Sancho had a marriageable daughter, Berengaria, ‘would she like to become the Queen of England?’ Eleanor posed the question and Berengaria accepted the task, so the pair
set off on a chase across Europe to catch up and wed the Crusading King.
The story unfolds in this barely believable saga in this trilogy.
A perilous journey across Europe to the Straits of Messina.
Shipwrecked and married in Cyprus.
A battle at sea.
Landing outside Acre in the middle of a siege.
Witness to the slaughter of 7000 civilian citizens by her impatient husband.
Can love flourish and survive under the harsh and bloody conditions of a war without mercy?
Richard’s sister, Queen Joan of Sicily joined Berengaria at Messina. Joan had been rescued by Richard after her husband, William died and she had been threatened by a usurper would-be king. The pair then travelled together along the coast as Richard battled his bloody way towards Jerusalem. But of love or affection Berengaria waited in vain, Richard’s only obsession is total war.
The Islamic warlord, Saladin and Richard battled themselves into exhaustion and the whole venture descended into an uncertain peace with Jerusalem still occupied by Islam. Richard sends Berengaria a message to return back to Europe without him. There was little peace in the mind of this Warrior King. Richard then sailed up the wrong side of Italy and is taken hostage in Austria by an enemy he made in Palestine. The new Queen of England, is left to her own devices and accompanied by her new friend, Queen Joan of Sicily, find their way to Rome where Berengaria’s diplomatic qualities are brought to the fore. She soon charms the English community in Rome and with the help of some English cardinals manages to do the same with Pope Celestine.
In Rome the news reaches her that her husband is now held to ransom by the German Emperor Heinrich for a sum which is more than England’s national worth. What can she do next?
England seems to be very far away but Berengaria eshews the idea of travelling to England, she knows no-one there, but instead sets her sights on the chief city of the Angevin Empire, Angers, to see what she and her new mother-by-law, Eleanor, can achieve together.
She soon finds herself in a new war as her brother-by-law, John elevated to the position of King of England when King Richard is killed soon after his release form prison when his ransom is paid. Now a Queen without a King, of a land she has not yet visited, witness to the loss of her husband’s empire, being lost to the French, foot by foot by the witless John, what chance of this brave woman surviving in this violent world of king versus king, lord versus lord, and where political chancers abound?’