Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – c. 1176), often called
"The Fair Rosamund" or the
"Rose of the World", was famed for her beauty and was a mistress of King
Henry II of EnglandHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
, famous in
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
folkloreFolklore is the body of expressive culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which...
.
Rosamund was the daughter of the marcher lord
Walter de CliffordWalter I de Clifford was an Anglo-Norman marcher lord of Bronllys Castle on the Welsh border, and Clifford Castle , in Herefordshire...
and his wife Margaret Isobel de Tosny. Walter was originally known as Walter Fitz Richard, but his name was gradually changed to that of his major holding, first as steward, then as lord.
Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – c. 1176), often called
"The Fair Rosamund" or the
"Rose of the World", was famed for her beauty and was a mistress of King
Henry II of EnglandHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
, famous in
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
folkloreFolklore is the body of expressive culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which...
.
Rosamund was the daughter of the marcher lord
Walter de CliffordWalter I de Clifford was an Anglo-Norman marcher lord of Bronllys Castle on the Welsh border, and Clifford Castle , in Herefordshire...
and his wife Margaret Isobel de Tosny. Walter was originally known as Walter Fitz Richard, but his name was gradually changed to that of his major holding, first as steward, then as lord. This was
Clifford CastleClifford Castle is a castle in the village of Clifford which lies four miles to the north of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England .- Early Norman castle and planned settlement :...
on the
River WyeThe River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
. Rosamund had two sisters, Amice and Lucy. Amice married Osbern fitz Hugh of
Richard's CastleRichard's Castle is a village and castle on the border between Herefordshire and Shropshire in England and lies between Leominster and Ludlow.- History :...
and Lucy Hugh de Say of
StokesayStokesay is a small village in Shropshire, England just north of Ludlow on the A49 road, also fleetingly visible from the Shrewsbury to Hereford Welsh Marches railway line.- Attractions :...
. She also had three brothers,
Walter II de CliffordWalter II de Clifford was a Welsh Marcher Lord and High Sheriff in England.Walter became Sheriff of Herefordshire and was a close associate of William de Braose. In March 1208 he held back from William's rebellion, but did not do enough to check it...
, Richard and Gilbert.
Rosamund probably first met the King when he passed by
Clifford CastleClifford Castle is a castle in the village of Clifford which lies four miles to the north of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England .- Early Norman castle and planned settlement :...
in 1163 during one of his campaigns in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
against
Rhys ap GruffyddRhys ap Gruffydd was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales. He is commonly known as The Lord Rhys, in Welsh Yr Arglwydd Rhys, but this title may not have been used in his lifetime...
.
Did she have any children?
Historians are divided over whether or not Rosamund's relationship with the King produced children. The question is complicated by the difficulty of separating the facts of Rosamund's life from the profusion of legends surrounding it. Many historians have concluded that Rosamund most likely bore Henry a single child but cannot identify it or even provide a specific date of birth. Some modern writers, including
Alison WeirAlison Weir is a British writer of history books, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty.-Family and early life:...
, are of the opinion that Rosamund had no children; but whether this means she never gave birth or merely that none of her children survived remains unclear.
Legend has attributed to Rosamund two of King Henry's favourite illegitimate sons: Geoffrey Plantagenet (1151–1212),
Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, and William Longespee (17 August before 1180–1226),
Earl of SalisburyEarl of Salisbury is a title in the that has been created several times in British history. It has a complex history, being first created for Patrick de Salisbury in the middle twelfth century. It was eventually inherited by Alice, wife of Thomas Plantagenet, Earl of Lancaster...
. Her maternity in these two cases was only claimed centuries later. Neither was Rosamund's son. Henry and Rosamund met about 1163, and their relationship lasted until 1176. Geoffrey and Rosamund would therefore have been about the same age. Further, Geoffrey is directly attested as son of an otherwise unknown Ykenai, presumably another mistress of Henry. William Longespée's maternity was a mystery for many years but the truth was discovered when charters issued by him were found to contain references to "
Comitissa Ida, mater mea" (my mother, Countess Ida) (Bradenstoke Cartulary, 1979). She was Ida de Toeny, Countess of Norfolk.
Other stories
Little is known about Rosamund, but she is discussed in books about
Eleanor of AquitaineEleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages...
, Henry's queen. The legends concerning her life are many, but few hard facts are available. The story that she was poisoned by a jealous Eleanor is certainly untrue, and so is the tale that Henry constructed the hunting lodge at
WoodstockWoodstock Palace was a royal residence in the English town of Woodstock, Oxfordshire. The title of "palace" was first used to refer to it during the twelfth century, when it was favoured by King Henry I of England. In about 1120, he created a zoo in the grounds. His grandson, Henry II was also...
for her and surrounded it with a garden that was a
labyrinthIn Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus...
("Rosamund's Bower," which was pulled down when
Blenheim PalaceBlenheim Palace is a large and monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the only non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title "palace". The Palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1724...
was built nearby). In the 'French Chronicle of London', she is, oddly enough, described as having been roasted by the wife of Henry III, Eleanor of Provence. During the
Elizabethan eraThe Elizabethan era was associated with Queen Elizabeth I's reign and is often considered to be the golden age in English history. It was the height of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of English poetry, music and literature...
, stories claiming that she had been murdered by Eleanor of Aquitaine gained popularity; but the
Ballad of Fair Rosamund by
Thomas DelaneyThomas Delaney is a Danish football player, who plays as a midfielder in F.C. Copenhagen.-Biography:Delaney started playing youth football at Kjøbenhavns Boldklub , the reserve team of multiple Danish champions F.C. Copenhagen...
and the
Complaint of Rosamund by
Samuel DanielSamuel Daniel was an English poet and historian.-Biography:Daniel was born near Taunton in Somerset, the son of a music-master. He was the brother of John Daniel. Their sister Rosa was Edmund Spenser's model for Rosalind in his The Shepherd's Calendar; she eventually married John Florio...
(1592) are both purely fictional.
She is thought to have entered Henry's life around the time that Eleanor was pregnant with her final child,
JohnJohn , King of England, reigned from 6 April 1199 until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue...
who was born on 24 December 1166 at
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
. Indeed, Eleanor is known to have given birth to John at Beaumont Palace rather than at Woodstock: because, it is speculated, having planned to give birth at Woodstock, she refused to do so upon finding Rosamund there.
Authorities differ over whether Rosamund stayed quietly in seclusion at Woodstock while Henry went back and forth between England and his continental possessions, or whether she traveled with him as a member of his household. If the former, the two of them could not have spent more than about a quarter of the time between 1166 and 1176 together (as historian Marion Meade puts it: "For all her subsequent fame, Rosamund must be one of the most neglected concubines in history"). Historians do seem to agree, however, that Rosamund was Eleanor's opposite in personality and that Henry and Rosamund appear to have shared a deep love.
Rosamund was also associated with the village of Frampton on Severn in
GloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, another of her father Walter's holdings. Walter granted the mill at Frampton to Godstow Abbey for the good of the souls of Rosamund and his wife Margaret. The village green at Frampton became known as Rosamund's Green by the 17th century.
Death and thereafter
Henry's liaison with Rosamund became public knowledge in 1174; it ended when she retired to the nunnery at
GodstowGodstow is to the west of the River Thames opposite Lower Wolvercote north of Port Meadow at Oxford in England, approximately three miles distant from the city centre...
near
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
in 1176, shortly before her death. Her death was remembered at
Hereford CathedralThe current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
on 6 July, the same day as that of the king.
Henry and the Clifford family paid for her tomb at Godstow in the choir of the convent's church and for an endowment that would ensure care of the tomb by the nuns. It became a popular local shrine until 1191, two years after Henry's death.
Hugh of LincolnHugh of Lincoln was at the time of the Reformation the best-known English saint after Thomas Becket.-Life:...
,
Bishop of LincolnThe Bishop of Lincoln heads the Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The bishops were in communion with the See of Rome until the English Reformation of the 1530s....
, while visiting Godstow, noticed Rosamund's tomb right in front of the high altar. The tomb was laden with flowers and candles, demonstrating that the local people were still praying there. Unsurprisingly calling Rosamund a harlot, the bishop ordered her remains removed from the church: instead, she was to be buried outside the church 'with the rest, that the Christian religion may not grow into contempt, and that other women, warned by her example, may abstain from illicit and adulterous intercourse'. Her tomb was moved to the cemetery by the nuns' chapter house, where it could be visited until it was destroyed in the
Dissolution of the MonasteriesThe Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, denotes the administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, nunneries and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their income, disposed...
under
Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.Henry VIII was a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy...
. The remains of Godstow Priory still stand and are open to the public.
Apollinaire was to use Rosamond as the central character in his poem Rosemonde, taken from the 1913 collection 'Alcools'
(citation taken from Garnet Rees 1975 edition of Guillaume Apollinaire's Alcools; The Athlone Press; London)
Sources
- Biography from Who's Who in British History (1998), H. W. Wilson Company. Who's Who in British History, Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1998.
- W. L. Warren, Henry II, 1973.
- Remfry. P.M., Clifford Castle, 1066 to 1299 (ISBN 1-899376-04-6)
Fiction
- Rosamund Clifford is the subject of Samuel Daniel's 1592 poem, "The Complaint of Rosamond."
- Rosamund Clifford is mentioned in Virginia Henley's historical romance, The Falcon and the Flower. (1988)
- The affair with Henry II is also detailed in Sharon Penman's historical novelisation Time and Chance. This represents the life of the King based on scholarly research. It continues in Penman's Devil's Brood.
- The relationship between Rosamund and Henry is a major framing device in Robin Paige's mystery novel, "Death at Blenheim Palace." (2006)
- Rosamund is mentioned and is credited as the mother of a would-be nun of the same name in Lynsay Sands' romance novel, Always. While she was not truly featured as a character in the novel, Henry II
Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
was as he was featured as the nun's father.
- Rosamund is a character in the novel The Book of Eleanor, A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Pamela Kaufman.
- Rosamund appears as a character in death in the novel The Death Maze (published in the U.S. as The Serpent's Tale) by Ariana Franklin. (2008)
- Rosmonda d'Inghilterra
Rosmonda d'Inghilterra is a melodramma or opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Felice Romani originally for Coccia's Rosmunda...
(Rosamund of England) is an 1834 Italian opera by Gaetano DonizettiDomenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. Donizetti's most famous work is Lucia di Lammermoor , and arguably his most immediately recognizable piece of music is the aria "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amore...
.
- Rosamund is discussed in the play and movie versions of The Lion in Winter
The Lion in Winter is a 1966 Broadway play by James Goldman, who also cinematically adapted it in 1968 for the film directed by Anthony Harvey and a 2003 film by Andrei Konchalovsky.-Original Broadway production:...
.
External links