Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany

Who was Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany?

Eleanor the "Fair Maid of Brittany", 5th Countess of Richmond, also known as Damsel of Brittany, Pearl of Brittany or Beauty of Brittany, was the eldest daughter of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Constance, Duchess of Brittany. As the heiress to vast lands including England, Anjou, and Aquitaine since 1203 and thus a potential threat to the throne of her uncle John of England and cousin Henry III of England, she was imprisoned from 1202 and thus became the longest imprisoned member of an English royal family. As a prisoner she was also unable to succeed to the Duchy of Brittany.

Like Empress Matilda and later Elizabeth of York, her claim to the English throne gained little support from the barons, due to the expectation that the monarch should be male, despite legal provision for a female monarch. Some commented that her imprisonment was "the most unjustifiable act of King John". Though apparently innocent of any crime, nor locked in a cell, and having lived a relatively comfortable life according to some reports, she was viewed as a "state prisoner", forbidden to marry and guarded closely even after her child-bearing years.