Back in 2006 I was travelling around Europe in a not-exactly gap year, and investigated getting from Paris to Tours to visit Fontevraud Abbey, the burial place of Eleanor of Aquitaine. I’d read her biography and thought that, unlike a lot of other English queens who seem to be quite docile and pretty, she was fierce and formidable. It would be something to go to her tomb and pay my respects. In the end I chickened out because my French wasn’t good enough to even think about taking local buses anywhere beyond Paris. But, this idea, coupled with a big helping of romanticism picked up from movies like The Lion in Winter gave me the first inkling of what has now snowballed into this monster research project.
It is both simple and deceptively tricky. Visit the final resting place of each of the queens of England since the Norman Conquest. That’s 46 women from Matilda of Flanders through to Elizabeth II. A thousand years of history. That’s the simple bit. But who is a queen? Sophia Dorothea of Celle was married to George I, but divorced and imprisoned before he was crowned. Out. Isabella of Gloucester was never crowned and was annulled just months into John’s reign. In. The rule is any woman who ruled the country in her own right, or was married to a king while they were king. Empress Matilda is a wild card I’ve thrown in because she was awesome.
Then there’s the question of what to do when I get there. Do I just turn up, take a photo and leave? The physical manifestation of this blog is an imperial purple ring-binder full of things about each woman, not all of which will make it into this space, but basically, each queen comes with a family tree, a portrait, a timeline of her life, as we know it, and a piece of writing describing my travels to visit the tomb. Sometimes it’s a day-trip, sometimes it’s a week, Caroline of Brunswick will come during my three-week rail tour of northern Europe, so bare down for that one!
So here they are. You’ll find the entry for the women I have gathered link to their blog posts: any that aren’t bold are waiting to be gathered. (That’s the official term for what I’m doing. You can look it up.)
- Matilda of Flanders, 1031-1083 (William the Conqueror) buried at Abbaye-aux-Dames, Caen
- Matilda of Scotland, 1080-1118 (Henry I), buried at Westminster Abbey
- Adeliza of Louvain, 1103-1151 (Henry I) buried at Affligem Abbey, Brabant
- Matilda of Boulogne, 1105-1152 (Stephen), buried at St. Mary of Charity church, Faversham
- Empress Matilda, 1102-1167, buried at Rouen Cathedral
- Eleanor of Aquitaine, 1122-1204 (Henry II) buried at Fontevraud Abbey, Saumur
- Berengaria of Navarre, 1165-1230 (Richard I), buried at L’Epau Abbey, Le Mans
- Isabella of Gloucester, 1173-1217, (John), buried at Canterbury Cathedral, Kent
- Isabella of Angouleme, 1186-1246 (John), buried at Fontevraud Abbey, Saumur
- Eleanor of Provence, 1223-1291 (Henry III), buried at Amesbury Priory, Wiltshire
- Eleanor of Castille, 1241-1290 (Edward I), buried at Westminster Abbey
- Margaret of France, 1279-1318 (Edward I), buried at Christchurch Greyfriars, Newgate
- Isabella of France, 1295-1358 (Edward II), buried at Christchurch Greyfriars, Newgate
- Philippa of Hainault, 1327-1377 (Edward III), buried at Westminster Abbey
- Anne of Bohemia, 1366-1394 (Richard II), buried at Westminster Abbey
- Isabella of Valois, 1389-1409 (Richard II) buried at Church of the Celestines, Paris
- Joan of Navarre, 1370-1437 (Henry IV) buried at Canterbury Cathedral
- Katherine of Valois, 1401-1437 (Henry V) buried at Westminster Abbey
- Margaret of Anjou, 1430-1482 (Henry VI) buried at Angers Cathedral, Angers
- Elizabeth Woodville, 1437-1492 (Edward IV) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
- Anne Neville, 1456-1485 (Richard III) buried at Westminster Abbey
- Elizabeth of York, 1466-1503 (Henry VII) buried at Westminster Abbey
- Katherine of Aragon, 1485-1536 (Henry VIII) buried at Peterborough Cathedral
- Anne Boleyn, 1501-1536 (Henry VIII) buried at St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London
- Jane Seymour, 1508-1537 (Henry VIII) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
- Anne of Cleeves, 1515-1557 (Henry VIII) buried at Westminster Abbey
- Katherine Howard, 1523-1542 (Henry VIII) buried at St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London
- Katherine Parr, 1512-1548 (Henry VIII) buried at Sudeley Castle,
- Jane Grey, 1537-1554, buried at St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London
- Mary I, 1516-1558, buried at Westminster Abbey
- Elizabeth I, 1533-1603, buried at Westminster Abbey
- Anna of Denmark, 1574-1619 (James I & VI) buried at Westminster Abbey
- Henrietta Maria of France, 1609-1669 (Charles I) buried at Saint Denis, Paris
- Catherine of Braganza, 1638-1705 (Charles II) buried at the Pantheon of the Braganzas, Lisbon
- Mary of Modena, 1658-1718 (James II) buried at Convent of the Visitations, Chaillot, France
- Mary II, 1662-1694 (William I) buried at Westminster Abbey
- Anne, 1665-1714, buried at Westminster Abbey
- Caroline of Ansbach, 1683-1737 (George II) buried at Westminster Abbey
- Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz, 1744-1818 (George III) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
- Caroline of Brunswick, 1768-1821 (George IV) buried at Brunswick Cathedral, Braunschweig, Germany
- Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, 1792-1849 (William IV) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
- Victoria, 1819-1901, buried at Frogmore Chapel, Windsor
- Alexandra of Denmark, 1844-1925 (Edward VII) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
- Mary of Teck, 1867-1953 (George V) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
- Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 1900-2002 (George VI) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
- Elizabeth II (1926-2022) buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
Anglica Regina 
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