Letters of royal and illustrious ladies of Great Britain, from the commencement of the twelfth century to the close of the reign of Queen Mary, volume 1, edited by Mary Anne Everett Wood, H. Colburn, London, 1846
Above: Berengaria of Navarre, queen consort of England, artist unknown.
Berengaria of Navarre (born between circa 1165 and 1170, died December 23, 1230) was queen of England as the wife of Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Castile. As is the case with many of the medieval English queens, relatively little is known of her life.
Traditionally known as "the only English queen never to set foot in the country", she may in fact have visited England after her husband's death, but did not do so before, nor did she see much of Richard during her marriage, which was childless. She did (unusually for the wife of a crusader) accompany him on the start of the Third Crusade, but mostly lived in his French possessions, where she gave generously to the church, despite difficulties in collecting the pension she was due from Richard's brother and successor John after she became a widow.
The letter:
Venerabili in Christo patri suo et amico praecordialissimo P. dei gratia Wintoniensis episcopo. B. eadem gratia humilis quondam Angliae Regina salutem. Dilectum nostrum latorem presentium fratrem Gauterum Cisterciensis ordinis ad vos mittimus, cum omni humilitate qua possumus, rogando humiliter ac devote ut, tam de hoc instanti festo omnium sanctorum quam de aliis terminis iam transactis, nobis satisfieri faciatis de pecunia nobis debita pro compositione nostri dotalitii, quam, vobis mediante, fecimus cum J. bonae memoriae quondam rege Angliae fratre nostro. Valete.
English translation (from source 2):
To her venerable father in Christ and most cordial friend Peter, by God's grace bishop of Winchester, Berengaria, by the same grace formerly the humble queen of England, wishes health and every good thing.
We send to you our well-beloved Friar Walter, of the Cistercian order, the bearer of these presents, beseeching you humbly and devotedly, with all the humility that we can, in reference as well to this present feast of All Saints as to other terms now past, you will cause us to be satisfied about the money due to us according to the composition of our dower, which, by your mediation, we made with our brother John of happy memory, formerly king of England. Fare you well!
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