u/TheRedLionPassant

(Translated from the Middle English)

Of the Description of King Edward:

This King Edward was forsooth of a passing goodness, and full gracious among all the worthymen of the world; for he shone by virtue and grace given him from God, above all his predecessors that were noble men and worthy. And he was a well hard-hearted man, for he dread never of none mishaps, nor harm nor evil fortune that might befall a noble warrior, and a fortunable, both on land and on the sea. And in all battle and assembles, with a passing glory and worship he had ever the victory.

And he was meek and benign, homely, sober and soft to all manner of men, as well to strangers as to his own subjects, and to all that were under his governance. He was devout and holy, both to God and Holy Church; for he was worshipful and maintained Holy Church and her ministers with all manner of reverences.

He was entreatable and well advised in temperal and worldly needs, wise in counsel, and discreet, soft, meek, and good to speak with. In his deeds and in manners, full gentle and well taught, having pity on them that were in distress; plenteous in giving alms; and full lightly he bare and suffered wrongs and harms. And when he was given to any occupation, he left all other things in the meantime, and attended therto; seemly of body, and of mean stature; having always a good cheer.

And he governed gloriously his kingdom into his age. And he was large in giving, and wise in exspenses. He was fulfilled with all host of good manners, and virtuous; under whom to live, it was as though to reign; wherefore his name spread so far that it came into heatheness and barbary, shewing and telling his worthiness and manhood in all lands; and that in no land under heaven had brought forth so noble a king, so gentle and so blessed, or might raise such another when he were dead.

Nevertheless, lechery and sins of his flesh haunted him in his age; wherefore be rather, as it was to suppose, for unmeasurable fulfilling of his lust, his life shorted be sooner. And hereof taketh good heed, like as his deeds before beareth witness; for, as in his beginning all things were joyful to him and to all the people, and in his mid age he passed all men in high love and worship and blessedness; when he drew into old age, drawing downward through lechery and other sins, all good fortune and prosperity decreased and mishaped, and unfortunate things, and unprofitable harms, with many evils, began for to spring, and the more harm was continued a long time after.

In July 1220, the remains of the martyred saint Thomas Becket were moved to a new shrine at Canterbury Cathedral, under the watch of the Archbishop and a 12 year old King Henry, grandson of the namesake ruler largely responsible for the murder back in 1170. Present also at the cathedral, and lodged throughout the city, were prominent bishops, earls, barons and knights from all across England, as well as Scotland and France, and emissaries from Rome. Present also was a Queen Dowager, Berengaria, widow of Henry's uncle King Richard (there was no acting Queen of England at the time; Henry himself was as yet unmarried, his grandmother Eleanor was dead, and his mother Isabella was living in France with a new husband).

While it's unknown exactly what they may have discussed at the time (Henry's father John died when he was only a child, and his famous uncle was also dead before he was born); they may have talked about Richard and his exploits in the holy war - stories which the young king was raised on, and which Berengaria herself was involved in, having been to Acre with Richard and his sister Joan. But they would probably have taken a back seat to the more pressing issue of the unsettled dowry of the former queen.

Upon Richard's death, Berengaria inherited no English lands or titles, and was still owed money by King John. John had promised to give safe passage into London, but the turmoil of the latter part of his reign - including wars with the barons as well as the threat of French invasion - meant that he was unable to keep paying her. Following John's death, Berengaria had continued corresponding with his son. Now that they finally met in person they were able to settle the question, with Henry pledging to pay the full installment of the payment.

We know this thanks to a document sealed by Henry at London later that very same month in which he outlines his promises with money deposited in the Templar headquarters:

>The King to all to whom the present writing comes, greeting.

>We make known to your universality that since our father John, King of England of good memory, made a certain settlement with the Lady Berengaria, formerly illustrious Queen of England, widow of King Richard, our paternal uncle of bright memory, over her dower in England which she had sought from him; so that, according to the tenure of that settlement which we had and hold confirmed, made by our said father for himself and his heirs, sworn on his soul, said Lady Berengaria must receive annually from him and his heirs in the house of the New Temple at London, 1000 pounds of good and legal sterling as is contained fully with certain other articles in the charter of our father.

>And the Queen asked for that settlement to be observed and 4000 and 500 pounds sterling be paid to her for arrears, because there had been a cessation for so long of the payment of said thousand pounds; on such arrangements we concur for ourselves and our heirs, namely the following:

>That of the aforesaid sum of arrears, we give her 1000 marks now and that Queen, from the mentioned sum, remitted to us 500 pounds; and of the rest of the arrears, we shall give her each year 500 marks until the whole sum of those arrears is fully paid.

>Notwithstanding, we shall give her each year 1000 pounds of good and legal sterling, owed to her from the mentioned settlement; and so each year, she will receive 2000 marks for the settlement and the arrears.

>For all of which we have assigned our tin-mines of Cornwall and Devon, with all the revenues that come from them and the revenues of our money exchange. And we have placed it in the physical possession of those from whose income she will receive her payments, as mentioned above.

>If it should happen, however, that anything is produced beyond the 2000 marks from the aforesaid revenues, it will remain with us. If they do not suffice for the mentioned payment, we shall supplement it from our London revenues.

>And if that also did not suffice, we would give her the remainder from our London exchequer. She will receive the aforesaid revenues and will hold them without opposition or impediment from us or our people, as said above.

>But we shall assign, in the name of the Queen, to collect said revenues and pay them to the Queen, faithful and discreet men, who will swear that they will answer faithfully for all the revenues to the Lady Queen or her attorneys or proxies, in the house of the New Temple, up to the appointed sum of 2000 marks, namely 1000 marks on the Feast of All Saints, and 1000 on the Ascension of the Lord.

>When the payment of arrears is complete, however, the Lady Queen will receive each year from the aforesaid revenues and said place, as was said above, 1000 pounds of good and legal sterling, owed to her according to the aforesaid settlement. The Queen shall be able to dispose of said arrears at her will whenever it pleases her, in life or in death; and we will be bound to her or them to whom she has granted them, in the same manner as to her.

>If it should happen, however, in some way, that the Lady Queen does not receive the aforesaid payment, as said above, which according to our oath cannot happen, let the whole business be in that state in which it was when the present charter was drawn up: and let the 500 pounds which she remitted to us be not remitted and the mentioned settlement made by our father with that same Queen and all the other apostolic documents remain in force. And we will be bound to give that Queen all reasonable and moderate and honest expenses which she will have had in pursuit of this business because of our default.

>We however, by counsel of Lord Pandulf, Chamberlain of the Lord Pope, of the Bishop-Elect of Norwich, the Legate of the Apostolic See and our archbishops, bishops, and barons, asserting that this is expedient for our land, we have promised said Lady Queen and had our seneschal John Russel swear on our soul that we shall observe all the aforesaid and the following completely and in good faith; and we shall guarantee and defend her against any man or woman at any time in our life and preserve her in peaceful possession of the aforesaid, within our power in good faith.

>And to the greater assurance of this thing, at our mandate the archbishops, bishops, barons and other clergy and laymen have sworn that within their power in every way they will do, procure and give effective effort so that all things are fully observed as written and in no way opposed. And for so doing and preserving, each of them gave his letters patent to the Queen.

>And, if some of the aforesaid sworn should die, we will make their successors in their place swear the same and confirm by their letters patent and others whom the Lady Queen finds necessary to her cause.

>Wishing therefore to take care for the Lady Queen over the aforesaid, we entreat the Lord Pope faithfully that he confirm all these and affix all assurances which he will find expedient, and we will confirm them.

>Enacted at London in the year of the Lord's Incarnation, 1220, in the month of July, in the fourth year of our reign.

The Danes were led by King Christian I, who had previously also ruled Sweden from 1457-1464. His attempt to reclaim his former kingdom failed. During this time his rival king Charles VIII had three seperate reigns. Sten meanwhile had two regencies.