The royal pair spent a year in Rome before returning to England. During their passage through France, Edward took part in several tournaments, and did not land at Dover with his wife until August 2, 1273.
A.D. 1273. Preparations for their coronation were speedily concluded, and that important ceremony took place on the 19th of August. Great enthusiasm was exhibited by the citizens of London, who had enjoyed a season of such prosperity since the establishment of peace that they were anxious to prove their loyalty to the new king and queen by lavish expenditure. Both houses of parliament assembled to welcome their majesties, and for two weeks after the coronation banquets were served every day in the wooden buildings that had been erected in the palace grounds for that purpose. The rich and the poor, the country yeoman and the Londoner, were welcomed alike and entertained free of charge. It was a fortnight of universal rejoicing, and the opening reign promised to be an exceedingly popular one. But the most remarkable feature of the coronation was this: while the king was at a feast prepared in the palace for the lords who had attended him during the ceremony, King Alexander of Scotland came to pay his respects, accompanied by a hundred knights. They arrived on horseback, and, as each man alighted, his horse was turned loose to become the property of any person, no matter what his station, who might be lucky enough to capture him. Afterwards came Edmund, the king's brother, the Earls of Pembroke and Warren, with their train of knights, and the horses of this whole party were likewise turned loose. Llewellyn, the Prince of Wales, did not appear at the coronation, and this displeased the king so much that he sent to inquire into the cause, whereupon the prince replied that as he had reconquered all the Welsh territory that Edward's Norman predecessors had taken possession of, he owed no homage to the King of England.
Later, when Llewellyn's bride was on her way to Wales, her vessel was captured by the Bristol merchantmen, and the damsel was taken prisoner. King Edward treated her with courtesy, and placed her in charge of the queen at Windsor Castle. Then the prince submitted to the required homage with alacrity and went to Worcester, where the King and Queen of England met him, bringing his lady love with them. The marriage ceremony was performed at Worcester Cathedral; King Edward gave the bride away, the queen supported her at the altar, and both honored the marriage feast with their presence. A year later the young princess died, then her husband repented of his homage and suddenly invaded England, but he was killed on the battle-field without accomplishing anything.
A.D. 1283. Wales was in such an unsettled state in 1283 that King Edward found his presence there very necessary. The queen went with him and established her court at Rhuddlan Castle. By that time the royal couple had several children, and their sixth daughter, Princess Isabella, was born soon after their arrival in Wales.
The following year the queen removed to the Castle of Caernarvon, because it was the strongest fortress in Wales, and the king wanted to feel that she was safe from insurgents. There, in a gloomy little chamber, ten feet by eight, a prince was born on the 25th of April, 1284. The room had no fireplace, but tapestry was hung on the walls to keep out draughts. It was Queen Eleanora who first put tapestry to this use in England in imitation of a Moorish custom that she had seen adopted in Spain. A Welsh nurse was procured for the infant, because the queen knew that it would please the people to have a native woman in that position. Edward I. was at Rhud-dlan Castle, trying to negotiate a treaty of peace with the authorities of Wales, when a gentleman arrived to inform him of the birth of his son. He was so delighted that he knighted the man on the spot and made him a present of some lands.
The king then hastened to Caernarvon to see his wife and baby. Three days later all the chiefs from the different parts of North Wales met at the castle to tender their submission to Edward, and to implore him to appoint them a prince of their own land, whose native tongue was neither French nor Saxon.
Edward assured them that he would comply, whereupon they promised that if his character was free from stain, they would certainly accept him without a murmur. Then the king ordered his infant son to be brought in, and presenting him to the assembly, said, "that he was a native of their country, his character was without reproach, that he could not speak a word of English or French, and that if they pleased, the first words he uttered should be Welsh."
As there was no alternative, the rough mountaineers kissed the little hand and swore fealty to Edward of Caernarvon.
The queen soon removed to Conway Castle, where she was surrounded with all the comforts and luxuries the age afforded. Under her influence the Welsh made rapid strides towards civilization, and she felt happy to be among them; but they had been so barbarous when she first went to their country that the king had to threaten se-