There are many ordinary aspects to the life of Eleanor of Castile. She was a loving wife, the mother of a large family and she loved good food, gardening and books. Yet there is a rather more extraordinary side to Eleanor – she was an unconventional consort, an astute businesswoman, at the centre of international politics and civil war and she accompanied her husband King Edward I on crusade. A child marriage grew into one of the most loving marriages … Continue reading Eleanor of Castile: The Shadow Queen with Sara Cockerill