Emma of Normandy, Twice A Queen | A Guest Post by Helen Hollick, plus giveaway

Much of what I have written in The Forever Queen is conjecture and imagination. Unfortunately for historians and historical fiction authors, people did not write accurate diaries during the early Medieval years. Or if they did, they have not survived!

With Queen Emma, we do at least have her biography which in itself is a rarity for a queen of the pre-1066, Norman Conquest years. The Encomium Emma, however, is not a very accurate record of her life. The terms ‘spin doctoring’ and ‘media manipulation’ spring to mind.

For one thing, everything is shown in a glowing, rosy light. All the “bad” things that happened were either portrayed as misunderstandings or malicious gossip. What is truly remarkable—and I think, very telling—Emma’s two sons, Edward and Alfred are mentioned but there is no hint of their father, her first husband Æthelred.

I interpreted the few facts by using logic. Emma’s son, Edward, later called Edward the Confessor, obviously disliked his mother. There are several instances when he became king of disagreements that went to the point of him seizing Emma’s land and wealth, threatening her with exile and virtually keeping her confined to her residence in Winchester. There is no obvious reason for this: no raising of rebellion by her, for instance; although there are a few hints of it. Rebellion was highly unlikely though. As Emma had struggled for most of her long life to retain her crown, she was hardly likely to give it up to a foreign usurper instead of her own son!

Queen Emma with sons Edward and Alfred

It is more likely that Edward resented her interfering. To be fair, she had been regent of England for quite some while during the reign of her second husband, Cnut (Canute) so she was probably most reluctant to give up the reins of authority. Especially to a pious man who would have been better off as a monk, and who was either a virgin, impotent, or gay. I partly get ahead of myself though, for much of that part of the story comes in I Am The Chosen King (UK edition, Harold the King) which is to be published in March 2011. I assume, from these indications that mother and eldest son did not get on. (Edward’s exile in Normandy for almost 30 years did not help the bonding process!)

I spent a good while pondering just why Emma had no qualms about sending Edward away, with barely any attempt to try to reinstate him. And why did she make no reference to Æthelred in her biography? The simple conclusion was that she disliked the both of them. Why would a mother hate a son? What if his conception was through fear and violence, and his birth long and hard? It is known that her labour during Edward’s birth was difficult. The midwives called for the aid of priests; Archbishop Wulfstan of York presented the midwifes with a belt which was said to have belonged to the Virgin Mary. That did the trick; Edward was born in good health, soon after.

My assumption, therefore, was that her first marriage was a lonely, fearful disaster. She had no responsibilities beyond her duty as wife and mother. Æthelred was a ineffective king and Emma most certainly was a strong and determined woman. His inability must have galled her almost to the point of insanity.

Image of Emma and Cnut from the "Liber Vitae" of the New Minster, Winchester (1031).

By contrast, her second marriage—and second crowning—to Cnut of Denmark (better known as Canute, the king who tried to turn back the tide) was very different. Whether she found love and happiness, again we do not know, except she and Cnut were often together. They presented gifts, together, to the church, visited places together, wrote charters together. When Cnut frequently returned to his other kingdom of Denmark, Emma was left as regent of England. She fought tooth and nail to have her son by Cnut, Harthacnut, made king when Cnut died. Not Edward or Alfred. She only made an attempt to bring those sons back to England as a last resort when Harthacnut refused to come to England, preferring to stay in Denmark, and Cnut’s elder, illegitimate son, Harold Harefoot, was about to seize the throne.

Both of Æthelred’s sons did come to England but made a mess of it. Edward scuttled back to Normandy and Alfred was captured and killed, rather unpleasantly.

So I cannot claim my views of her two marriages are factual, but my interpretation does make logical sense. And for a dramatic fiction novel the contrasts between her two very opposite lives with two very different types of husband, fit the bill for an exciting and captivating read.

I hope.

THE FOREVER QUEEN BY HELEN HOLLICK – IN STORES NOVEMBER 2010
What kind of woman becomes the wife of two kings, and the mother of two more?

Saxon England, 1002. Not only is Æthelred a failure as King, but his young bride, Emma of Normandy, soon discovers he is even worse as a husband. When the Danish Vikings, led by Swein Forkbeard and his son, Cnut, cause a maelstrom of chaos, Emma, as Queen, must take control if the Kingdom—and her crown—are to be salvaged. Smarter than history remembers, and stronger than the foreign invaders who threaten England’s shores, Emma risks everything on a gamble that could either fulfill her ambitions and dreams or destroy her completely.

Emma, the Queen of Saxon England, comes to life through the exquisite writing of Helen Hollick, who shows in this epic tale how one of the most compelling and vivid heroines in English history stood tall through a turbulent fifty-year reign of proud determination, tragic despair, and triumph over treachery.

About the Author
Helen Hollick lives in northeast London with her husband, daughter and a variety of pets, which include several horses, cats and two dogs. She has two major interests: Roman / Saxon Britain and the Golden Age of Piracy–the early eighteenth century. Sourcebooks Landmark will release the next chapter on Helen’s 1066 saga, I Am the Chose King, in Spring 2011. For more information, please visit http://www.helenhollick.net/.

Giveaway
Courtesy of Sourcebooks, I have two copies of The Forever Queen to give away to two US/Canadian residents! Leave a comment on this guest post to be entered for the giveaway. Contest ends December 17th at 11:59PM EST.