The Mynstrel's Tale Chapter 2

Of king Henry’s and Queen Eleanor’s little warres/ Of the king’s jealousy of his sons and his anger at the Queen/ how King Henry locked up the Queen in Old Sarum Castle.

Queen Eleanor & King Henry had many sons and daughters, (though the King and the Queen lived to see many of them laid in their graves). The King had with other women (beside the Queen) many children (and this was the cause of many small wars betwixt the royal pair). As the years passed, his children (and especially his sons), gave him very little joy, for it is said that Henry was jealous of them and like a lion grown old, must fight his own cubs.

While the royal daughters married dukes and kings, their sons (that brood of lion cubs) were more and more troublesome. The eldest, Henry Courtmantel, whom they called the Young King, received from his father the crown of England; then came Richard, who received fair Aquitaine from his mother; and even the bastard prince, Geoff, received as his own, Brittany. When John was born all had been promised or already given away, and that is why he is known as John Lackland.

But when the Young King died, (for God willed it that he should fall in Tournement and break his neck), his father would not promise to Duke Richard his rightful inheritance and would even take it all and give it to John Lackland.

Father and sons and brothers and even mother, (for Eleanor loved Richard most), warred back and forth, and Henry waxed wroth at his Queen.

Only the King of France could take delight and advantage in this quarrel and he, by many false and wicked lies would fan the flames.

It happened one day while riding near Poitiers without escort of knights (but she disguised as an archer) that Queen Eleanor was taken prisoner by King Henry’s men and they knew her to be the queen and turned her over to the king. He had her taken (under escort of many man-at-arms) over to England and locked away in Old Sarum Castle.