The Right to Rule

To understand the factors at work affecting King Edward and his ambitions to claim the Frankish throne it is necessary to review the role genealogy was playing in the fourteenth century. 

In the fourteenth century there was a belief that the “right to rule”, had been ordained by God and that all rightful kings were descended from Jesus. This belief originated in the raising of Clovis of the Franks to the position of King during the fall of the western European empire. Onlookers at the time looked at the appointment with disbelief, surely there had to be some special reason for Clovis’ appointment?

In 486, Clovis, the teenage leader of a minor tribe, was given the approval of Felix, Bishop of Rome, to take control of the Western Roman Empire. The dynasty Clovis  founded lasted for four hundred and fifty years. Much of his success was due to the extraordinary support he received from the Bishops of Rome.

There were other more obvious candidates.

Nevertheless, Clovis’ approval carried over to a third and fourthPope, Anastasius and  Symmmachus. It must be concluded that the Church of Rome, even at this early date, wanted to separate from Eastern Roman Empire and of course, the Orthodox Christian faith.

They did not want this motivation to become public knowledge, so they looked for a different explanation. Ultimately the alternative explanation became common knowledge. No one is really sure whether it originated with Clovis himself, his advisors or the Church but it was generally accepted.

It was explained that Clovis was descended from Jesus and therefore had the right to rule. This was never specifically denied by the Church of Rome and was actively encouraged by Clovis’ Merovingian descendants.

The descent from Jesus, as described in the rapidly constructed “genealogies” was in itself largely mythical, involving visits of the holy family to Britain, intermarriage with local rulers and the bloodline then passed through the “Fisher Kings” who dwelled in the “wastelands” and finally to the Merovingians, Clovis ancesters.

Despite the improbability of these “genealogies”  those who wished to establish their right to rule scrambled over each other to prove they were descended from Clovis.

It would appear these theories of messianic descent were first formally documented in the 10th century.

It is also claimed that they are echoes of the same stories in the British/Welsh histories, from a much earlier time, perhaps concurrent with the rise of the Franks.

A very small number were able to establish a direct descent from Clovis most notably Hugh Capet who became king of the Franks .

Hugh Capet was elected as king of the Franks in 987 because he of greater nobility than the other candidates—that he could prove his descent from Clovis .

The various families argued about the legitimacy of the various lines of descent. The full details have been covered in several books including Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln and The Bloodline of the Holy Grail by  Laurence Gardiner and in even more detail on the website fabpedigree.com

It is also claimed that there are echoes of the same stories in the British/Welsh histories and it is proposed that the the Welsh messianic line is every bit as credible as the descent leading to Clovis.

In  1355, no one family could claim all three lines, but a child of Isabella and Roger Mortimer would indeed have made this possible.

incredibly there is another line of messianic descent,  this time a purely female line from Jesus and Magdalen’s daughter Tamar.

This line also incorporates a purported descent from the prophet Mohammed. This line was claimed and documented by Fredrich  II Hohenstaffen the Holy Roman emperor who spent most of his life in conflict with the Church of Rome. Another beneficiary of this bloodline was Maria Padilla ,mistress then wife of King Pedro II of Castile  the mother of Isabella Perez  and Constance Pedra. 

 

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Extract from The Prisoner of Foix--Chapter 43 -The EntranceNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley-26th April 1355

 

'Looks like we are going to see a bit of excitement, John. The Captain tried to get an agreement from the Prince that if there is surf running across the channel to Arcachon we will turn back to Bordeaux, but the Prince would hear none of it. Instead, he has offered to provide insurance for all three ships. If they are damaged or sunk, the owners will be compensated and every sailor who makes the passage will be given a bounty payment. What none of this seems to take into account is that if we sink in rough, fast-flowing waters we might all drown.'

John raised his eyebrows. 'But that is what we are going to do?'

'Yes, despite the fact that surf running accross the entrance is not uncommon and the deep water channel moves continually. In the end, the Prince attacked their captains on their weakest point, their professional pride! He threw down the gauntlet. He offered to take the Sally first through the channel, and to take control during the passage.' He raised his brow. 'We are going into the Bay of Arcachon, come what may! '

Extract from The Eagle of Carcassone -- Chapter 24-- A Real GoddessNo need to buy a Kindle. Read it on your computer or tablet

John Stanley - 22 July 1355

An hour later John walked with Ximene close to the river along the valley below St Feriole. It was the very essence of a summer’s day. The sun was fierce but in the shadow of the trees, it was cool and fragrant. The trees and shrubs along the riverbank hid their progress, from the Château, from St Feriole.

Eventually they reached a point where John thought it was safe to emerge from cover. To his satisfaction the stream extended into a pool with a sandy beach, shaded by trees. Where the stream entered the pool there was a flat grassy area, almost circular. Behind this, the bulk of two mountain ridges provided a splendid backdrop. He looked around once more ‘Not just a good training ground but a great training ground. If the Greek heroes knew about this they might be tempted to join me, to train with me’

Ximene laughed out loud. He turned to look at her. She had removed her outer clothes and was wearing a white chemise, cut short so that it barely reached her knees. Around her waist, she wore a plaited leather belt, obviously fashioned from the multitude of leather straps to be found in the tackle room.

She ran her hands down over her breasts. ‘When you were unconscious I heard you muttering about gods and goddesses, so  I have decided that from now on, for you, I will be the goddess.’

The Prisoner of FoixVol 1 of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

Aquitaine, an English possession, is in crisis. It is under threat from neighbouring nations and internal dissension.

The Black Prince, King Edward III’s eldest son has been given the task of taking command in Aquitaine.

Suddenly there is an opportunity. Ximene Trencavel is the heiress to the lands of Occitan, to the east of Aquitaine: lands controlled by the Franks. Ximene wants independence, both for herself and for Occitan.

A union between Aquitaine and Occitan would be mutually beneficial. The Black Prince undertakes a secret journey to meet Ximene to negotiate a marriage contract. It is, however, a marriage neither of them really wants.

Meanwhile, the  Franks plot to murder Ximene to prevent ,not just the marriage, but any kind of union between England and Occitan.

The Eagle Of CarcassonneVol II of the series—The Treasure of Trencavel

The loose alliance between Ximene Trencavel and the Black Prince is under threat.

The Prince invades Occitan, to show his support for Ximene but it becomes an invasion which creates more problems than it solves.

The Prince has fallen hopelessly in love with Joan of Kent and Joan is now determined to marry him and become the next Queen of England.

Joan is therefore  determined to convince Ximene that she should not marry the Prince.

Part of her strategy is to encourage Ximene’s relationship with John Stanley—one of the Princes bodyguards—not an easy task as both John and Ximene have doubts about their compatibility.

However, John is grievously injured in a battle and Ximene commits herself to nurse him back to health.