A letter from Henry III, king of England (02/05/1263)

Translated letter:

To the queen of France, the king [sends] greetings and affection of sincere love. Since we set the desire of our mind on the pact of peace, love, and unity between your lord and ours, the [illustrious, Foedera] king of France and us, with pure affection and heart no less intent, having complete faith in that lord, relative and friend, we ask and request your serenity assiduously to press your said lord and devote your effort that with the aid of his prayers, through the support and help of the highest pontiff, we might be able more perfectly and better to fullfil the vow of our cross/crusade, and to carry out the service of God, to which we vowed our intention. We ask, moreover, that you hold commended our messengers whom we send to said lord king for the act of peace begun between him and us, and to give help and aid to them benignly in the accustomed way in those things which remain to be done or concluded in the said matter. Witness as above. [Rymer: Witness the King at Westminster, 5 February]

Original letter:

Reginae Franciae rex salutem, et sincerae dilectionis affectum. Cum circa foedus pacis, dilectionis, et unitatis inter dominum vestrum et nostrum regem Franciae et nos ineundum nostrae mentis desiderium affectu puro et corde posuerimus non minus intento, in eo tanquam domino, consanguineo, et amico fiduciam habentes ex toto, serenitatem vestram attente requirimus et rogamus, quatenus erga praedictum dominum vestrum instare et opem impendere velitis, ut suarum precum adminiculo, per summi pontifics subsidium et juvamen, votum crucis nostrae explere, et Dei servitium, ad quod intentionem nostram devovimus, perfectius et melius peragere valeamus. Rogamus insuper ut nuntios nostros, quos ad praefatum dominum regem pro facto pacis inter ipsum et nos initae destinamus commendatos habere, et eis auxilium et juvamen more solito in his quae de dicto negotio facienda restant seu perficienda benignius impendere velitis. Teste ut supra.

Historical context:

On the same day, February 5, Henry wrote to Marguerite's husband, Louis IX, and to the queen. He told the king he was sending Walter, bishop of Exeter, and his "brother" [his uterine half-brother from his mother's second marriage to Hugh de Lusignan] William of Valence to negotiate details of the peace they had recently made. Of the queen, Henry asks help towards the peace so the two kings can fullfil their crusade vows and commends his envoys to her. (Henry took the cross in 1250, but never fulfilled the vow.) A letter from Peter of Limoges to Walter of Merton (Shirley, 2.235, ep.592), apparently written a week before, complains that the queen is taking her time: "the lady queen of France is very prolix in word and deed, it seems to me, on the engagement of this matter, so I am sending you by the bearer of the presents, a townsman of Limoges, letters addressed to you which I had written at Paris before he came and the letter in response from the lord king of France on the said matter, which I thought the lady queen of France would send, as she had promised me, swiftly with other letters of hers and mine addressed to our lord king and queen, by her special messenger." I am grateful to Kathleen Neal of Monash University for the corrected relationship of William de Valence to the king.

Printed source:

Royal and Other Historical Letters illustrative of the Reign of Henry III, ed.W.W. Shirley (London: Longmans et al, 1866), 2.239-40 ep.596; also in Rymer, Foedera 1.705, dated 1260 but same text with one additional word, "illustrem" after "Regem Franciae."

Date:

02/05/1263