A letter from Sanchia of Provence (1257, May)

Translated letter:

Letter of Sanchia of Provence to the Prior of Wallingford Sanchia, by the grace of God queen of the Romans and countess of Cornwall, sends perpetual greeting in the Lord to her beloved in Christ the lord prior of Wallingford. Since I[we] wish for your goodwill to share in my[our] joy and honor, I[we] wish briefly to tell you about my[our] position and deeds. You should know that my[our] lord king and I and Edmund and all of our family, following a favorable breeze, landed safe and sound without any trouble or fear in the territory of the count of Holland, at a convenient and welcoming/desired port, where we were honorably received by the magnates of that area. After a few days, we crossed the lands of many magnates who received us quite kindly. Arriving in the days of Rogation at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle), the citizens of that city cheerfully received us with highest joy and honor just as the magnates did. And on Ascension Day, the lord king and I[we], with all goodwill, were distinguished by a royal diadem by the superior prelates, and after a few days there the lord king decided to travel towards Cologne. Given at Aachen on the day after the day of Blessed ______ in the first year of the reign of our lord king Richard. (1)

Original letter:

Litteræ missæ domino priori(1) de Walingefordia a regina Romanorum. S[anchia], Dei gratia Romanorum regina et comitissa Cornubiæ, dilecto sibi in Christo domino priori de Walingefordia salutem in Domino sempiternam. Quoniam dilectionem vestram volumus fieri participem nostri gaudii et honoris, vobis(2) summatim statum nostrum et quæ penes nos gesta sunt volumus intimare. Intelligatis igitur quod dominus noster rex et nos et Edmundus et tota familia nostra, prospera succedente aura, sani et salvi sine omni molestia et timore applicuimus in terra comitis Holandiæ ad portum nobis commodum et optatum, ubi honorifice a magnatibus illius partis suscepti fuerimus. Transivimus, evolutis paucis diebus, terras plurium magnatum qui nos satis benigne susceperunt. Pervenientes autem diebus Rogationum ad Aquisgranum ad Capellam, nos cum summa lætitia et honore tam magnates quam illius civitatis cives hilariter(3) admiserunt. Et in die Ascensionis(4) dominus rex et nos cum favore omni regali diademate fueramus a prælatis majoribus insigniti, et ibi aliquibus diebus nobis morantibus duxit nos dominus rex versus Coloniam transmeandum. Datum apud Aquisgranum in crastino beati(5), anno regni regis R[icardi] domini nostri primo.

Historical context:

Sanchia's husband, Richard of Cornwall, was elected King of the Romans in 1257. He traveled to Germany to secure the election with money and grants. Edmund was the son of Richard and Sanchia born in either late December 1249 or early January 1250.

Scholarly notes:

1 Geoffrey or Thomas. 2 Vobis] nobis, MS. 3 Hilariter], illariter, MS. 4 May 17 5 A blank follows this word in the MS.

Manuscript source:

British Library, Cotton Nero, D.I.

Translation notes:

(1) I am grateful to Kristen Geaman, graduate student in History, USC, for sending me this letter and her translation.

Printed source:

Matthew Paris. Chronica Majora, Vol. VI: Additamenta. ed. by Henry Richards Luard. (London: Longman & Co., 1882) 366.

Date:

1257, May