I have read several fictional portrayals of John, some which cast him as a villain and others which give a more balanced view – this one falls into the second category. The most interesting character in the novel, apart from Alienor herself, is probably John.
She is shown here to have at least some influence over his decision-making and to be trusted with playing a role in the running of the country while Richard is away taking part in the Third Crusade. Alienor, though, makes no secret of the fact that he is the son she loves most. I have to say, as far as kings of England go, Richard I has never been one of my favourites, partly due to the fact that he spent very little time actually in England.
After this, Alienor’s relationships with her two surviving sons, Richard and John, come to the forefront of the novel. Still, it’s hard not to be relieved for Alienor’s sake when Henry finally dies and she is set free at last. There are times when she hates him for what he has done to her and the way he is treating their sons, but also times when she feels sorrow for the husband she once loved and regret that things have turned out this way. This means that Alienor is not as cut off from the world as you might imagine and that, as the years go by, she (and through her, the reader) is kept informed of her children’s marriages, Henry’s plans for his kingdom, and important events taking place in Europe and beyond.Īlienor’s feelings towards Henry are portrayed in a way that feels plausible and realistic. She also manages to have some contact with her sons and daughters and with her good friend, Isabel de Warenne, who is married to Henry’s half-brother Hamelin. I was surprised to find that during the long years of her imprisonment, Alienor actually spends quite a lot of time visiting various castles and palaces, being brought out of confinement whenever it suits Henry to have her present at court celebrations and rituals. It’s 1176 and Alienor will remain in captivity for another thirteen years. The Autumn Throne, though, begins while Henry is still very much alive and has had Alienor imprisoned at Sarum in Wiltshire as punishment for supporting their sons in a rebellion against him.
Following Henry’s death, she would also be mother to two more kings of England: Richard I (the Lionheart) and John. As the title suggests, she is entering the ‘autumn’ of her life in this final novel but remains close to the throne in one way or another.Īs well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, Alienor was also Queen of France through her first marriage to Louis VII and then Queen of England as the wife of Henry II. I love Chadwick’s portrayal of Eleanor (or Alienor, as her name is spelled throughout the trilogy) and having enjoyed both The Summer Queen and The Winter Crown, I was hoping that The Autumn Throne would be just as good.
This is the third part of Elizabeth Chadwick’s trilogy telling the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine in fictional form.
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