A letter from Berengaria of Navarre, queen of England (10/26/1225)

Translated letter:

To her lord and dearest nephew, Henry, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and count of Anjou, Berengaria, by that same grace, once humble queen of England, greetings and [wishes for] prosperous outcome to [your] desires. We have asked you by letters patent sent to you through brother Walter of Persona, our chaplain of the Cistercian order, to send us through that same brother Walter and through master Simon our clerk, the thousand marks sterling which you owe us on this feast of All Saints, from the settlement of our dower solemnly pronounced between us and you. But since said master Simon, detained by illness, can not come to you, we send you in his place Martin, our servant, the bearer of the presents, asking intently that you transmit to us the aforesaid thousand marks through said brother Walter and this Martin or through either of them if by chance something should prevent them both from reaching you. In witness of which thing we direct these presents our letters patent to you. Dated at Le Mans, Sunday before the feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude, in the month of October, in the year of the Lord 1225.

Original letter:

Domino et carissimo nepoti suo Henrico, Dei gratia regi Angliae, domino Hiberniae, duci Normanniae et Aquitaniae, et comiti Andegaviae, Berengaria eadem gratia humilis quondam Angliae regina, salutem, et prosperos ad vota successus. Rogavimus vos per literas nostras patentes, per fratrem Gualterum de Persano capellanum nostrum Cisterciensis ordinis vobis missas, quatenus per eundem fratrem Gualterum, et per magistrum Simonem clericum nostros mittetis nobis mille marcas sterlingorum, quas nobis debetis in hoc festo Omnium Sanctorum, de compositione nostri dotalitii, inter vos et nos solemniter celebrata. Verum quoniam dictus magister Simon aegritudine detentus ad vos accedere non potest, loco ejus vobis mittimus latorem praesentium Martinum servientem nostrum, rogantes attentius quod per dictum fratrem Gualterum et per istum Martinum praedictas mille marcas nobis transmittatis, vel per eorum alterum, si forte, aliquo casu impediente, ad vos ambo accedere non poterunt. In cujus rei testimonium vobis praesentes literas nostras patentes destinamus. Datum Cenomaniae, die Dominica proxima ante festum Apostolorum Simonis et Judae, mense Octobris, anno Domini mccxxv.

Historical context:

Berengaria, widowed in 1199, worked hard and long to recover her marriage dower, and reached an agreement with her brother-in-law, king John in 1215. The queen asks her nephew to send the money that was agreed to in the dower settlement by his father, John, and then by him.

Printed source:

W.W. Shirley, Royal and other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III (London: Longman et al, 1862), ep.242, p.273-74.

Date:

10/26/1225