Remembering Joanna Plantagenet - dowager queen of Sicily, dutiful sister

Joanna, dowager queen of Sicily, countess of Toulouse, died on 4 September 1199. She would have been 34 in October. Because she accompanied her brother Richard I to the Holy Land, I 'met' her and was thrilled to include her in my Battle Scars series. She counted my fictional characters Henry de Grey and Stephan l'Aigle as friends.

Enjoy this excerpt from Battle Scars III, Swords of the King. 

September 1196

Joanna smiled and read [her brother Richard's letter] with rapt attention. Her breathing grew rapid, fingers clutching the parchment. She rested it in her lap and stared out the window for a long moment. With a shake of her head, she said, “I am to be married.” 

Henry watched her, unable to decide whether she was happy or was going to cry. 

“Richard has made a deal with the enemy,” she added. 

Flanders, Boulogne, Ponthieu—might it be one of them? God in heaven, could it be Philip Capet himself? He couldn’t read Joanna’s face. She would know that Philip had asked Pope Celestine to annul his marriage to Ingeborg of Denmark, but that had been denied. Would Philip defy the Pope and marry another? 

Henry wanted to grasp her hand, but would not be so bold. “Who are you marry, my lady?” 

“Raymond, the count of Toulouse.” 

Henry’s eyes widened. What a coup for Richard! Toulouse and his predecessors had been burrs in the Angevin’s side for forty years. 

“Richard has conceded all claims to Toulouse to secure this alliance.” Joanna spoke without emotion, but Henry heard her voice quiver. “Our southern borders will be safe. Richard will be able to divert his troops there to reinforce the Norman frontier against Philip.” 

An end to constant warfare and threats in the south bordering Aquitaine was a tremendous gift, Henry wouldn’t deny that. But knowing Joanna’s hand was being forced with an arranged marriage still made him sick at heart. He remembered their conversation in Acre. Finding love was something she desired, though she knew it was little more than a dream. 

Joanna did know Count Raymond, but had never spoken more than a few words about him. Despite the enmity between the families, Toulouse had seen Joanna and Berengaria safely escorted home from Rome after they returned from the Holy Land. 

“How do you feel about this?” he asked. “About Toulouse?” 

“I am…pleased that Richard has found an ally against Philip Capet.” 

“That is not what I meant.” Joanna held her head steady. “I will go to this marriage with an open mind and an open heart, and pray God bless us with love and children. We all have duties—to God, to our king.”

Like this excerpt? Get Swords of the King.

Read more about Joanna in this earlier post on my blog.