A letter from Marguerite of Provence (c.1280)

Translated letter:

To the very high and noble prince, to her very dear and beloved nephew, Edward, by the grace of God very noble king of England, Marguerite, by that same grace queen of France, greetings and the true love of an aunt. Very dear nephew, we have told you, and we do so again, that we and many of our friends have recently been at Mâcon; that is, the archbishop of Lyons, the bishop of Langres, the count of Savoy, our uncle [Philip], the count of Champagne, our brother, our nephew the count of Alençon, our son the duke of Burgundy, our son the count of Burgundy, Thomas of Savoy our cousin, the count of Vienne, my lord Henry of Paigni, and several of our other friends. And to all these together we showed the right we have in the land of Provence and the great wrong the king of Sicily has done and still does to us in that land, and how we have pursued our right before several popes; and how the king of Germany received our hommage for said land and what pertains to it; and how he commanded all those of Provence to obey us as lady and rightful heir, saving the rights of our other sisters. And when we revealed this matter to our friends, we asked all of them to help us recover our right and to prevent the prince of Salerno coming to the kingdom of Arle and Vienne, which he pursues with the king of Germany. And to this they answered, all together and each separately, that they will help us with body, possessions, land, and men, with small force or large, to recover our right whenever we request it, and they will prevent said prince from coming to said kingdom. And they all gave us their written pledges, for which we commend ourselves to you and all our friends. And because, very dear nephew, in whom we trust more in this matter and in all others than in anyone alive, after the king our son, we have recourse to you and beg you as much as we can that you, in your very great mercy, will set in motion and arrange this help, as you have generously promised it; and let us know with certainty what help you intend to give, for we intend to make a summons at Lyon the first week of the coming May, to go forward in this matter. Dear nephew, we beg you to believe my lord Pierre de Frens who carries these letters, in what he will tell you from us. Our Lord keep you. Dated Mâcon, the Thursday before the feast of All Saints.

Original letter:

A très haut et à très excellent prince son chier et son très amé neveu Edouard, par la grace de Dié roi d’Angleterre, Margarite, par icele meesme grace reine de France, salut et vraie amor de tante. Très chiers niés, nos vos avons fet assavoir et faisons encores, que nos et mout de nos amis, avons été nouvellement à Mascon; c’est assavoir li arcevesque de Lion, li évesque de Langres, li cuens de Savoie nostre oncles, li cuens de Champaigne nostre frères, nostre niés li cuens d’Alançon, nostre fius li dux de Borgoigne, nostre fils li cuens de Borgoigne, Thomas de Savoie nostre cosins, li cuens di Viene, mesires Hanris de Paigni, et plusors de nos autres amis. Et à tos ces ensemble nos mostrames le droit que nous avons en la terre de Provence et le grant tort que li rois de Sécille nos a fet et fet de ladite terre, et coment nos avons porséu nostre droit par devant plusors apostoiles; et coment li rois d’Alemaigne avoit receu nostre homage de ladite terre et des apertenences; et coment il avoit mandé à tus ceux de Provence que il nos obéissent come à dame et à droit her, sauf le droit à nos autres suers. Et ceste besoigne ensins monstrée à nos amis, nos lour requimes à tous ensemble que il nos voulissent aider à recovrer nostre dret, et à empeschier que li princes de Salerne ne poust venir au roiaume d’Arle et de Viene, que il porchace vers le roi d’Alemaigne. Et à ce ils nos respondirent tuit ensemble et chascuns pour soi, que il nos aideroient de cors, d’avoir, et de terre, et de homes, à petite force et à grant, à recovrer nostre droit toutes les fois que nos les en requeriens, et que il empecheroient que li dis princes ne poust venir audit roiaume. Et de ce ils nos donerent tuit lour letres pendans dont nos nos louons mout à vos et à tous nos amis. Et por ce, très chiers niés, que nos nos fions plus de vos de ceste besoigne et de toutes autres que en nulle persone qui vive, amprès le roi nostre fil, nos recourons à vos et vos prions tant com nos poons que vos, si com vos nos avés promis largement de aider, vostre très grant merci, voeilliés metre ceste aide à oeuvre, et ordener; et mandés-nos certainement quel aide vos nos entendés à faire; car nos entendons à faire nostre semonse à Lion, la première semaine de may qui vient, pour aller avant en nostre besoigne. Chier niés, nous vus prions que vos créiés se il vos plet monseigneur Pierre de Frens qui ces lettres porte, de ce que il vos dira de part nos. Nostre Sire vos gart. Doné à Mascon, le jeudi devant la feste de Toussains.

Historical context:

The dowager queen presses her nephew to support her (and his mother's) claims in Provence against Charles of Anjou, king of Sicily and widower of their sister Beatrice. Beatrice had been her father's heir but the other sisters were left a share of the land, which they were never able to possess. (Cf. Eleanor of Provence, ep.209, Epistolae 656.html.) In this letter, Marguerite lists her supporters (whose named relationships to her are not all clear), rehearses the situation and reminds her nephew of the proposed marriage alliance between the families of Charles and Rudolph of Hapsburg, a potential threat to Edward's position as well. The letter is in French.

Printed source:

Lettres de Rois, Reines et Autres Personnages des Cours de France et D'Angleterre, ed. M. Champollion-Figeac (Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1839), 1.265-6, ep.210

Date:

c.1280