Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy

A marriage of inconvenience, political intrigue, and survival.

Berengaria The Crusader Queen

Berengaria of Navarre came from distinguished stock, her mother Sancha’s parents were: Alfonso VII of León and Castille, Berengaria of Barcelona.

Her father, Sancho VI of Navarra, was known as, ‘The wise,’ and presided over cultured and enlightened courts in Pamplona and Olite. The royal pair had several children and all were treated equally when it came to education, boys and girls receiving the best.

Berengaria of navarre was born in c 1165, the first girl, but her life changed only fourteen years later, in 1179, when her mother died prematurely.In an age when princesses were a crown asset, it would not have been seen amiss if Berengaria were to follow that path and make a marriage suitable in pursuit of the defence of the realm, a position many a bride found herself settled into. Instead, the wisdom of Sancho the Wise showed its worth when the personable, educated, and beautiful maiden was able to step into the shoes of her mother as Princess Regent to King Sancha. A move which maintained stability within the kingdom and saved her father the bother of looking around for a new queen.

But what of Berengaria’s emotions, can it be true that a chance meeting at a joust years earlier when she was but a teenager mean that she still carried a torch for Richard? Was there not a queue of prince bachelors treading a path to her door? Or were the demands of State and the security of her father’s realm the overriding passion for the twenty year old? Who knows?England’s Basque Queen is on her way,

A World of Princes, Kings & Crusaders

The year 1189, the Third Crusade has been called for by Pope Gregory VIII. In Europe many leaders, including three kings determine to set out to evict Islamic forces from the Holy City of Jerusalem, but one of them, King Richard I of England, has a problem and is confronted by his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine with the solution.

Richards long-time betrothed, Alys of France has been in Richard’s father’s court, Henry II, since the betrothal when the pair were but eight years old. When the girl became of age (13 years old then) she was taken to his bed by Henry as his mistress.

Eleanor implored Richard to marry the girl before he departed for Palestine in order to produce an heir for the sake of the Plantagenet dynasty. He refused and set off to join his fleet.
Eleanor, not to be undone called upon her neighbouring King, Sancho of Navarre to provide the solution.King Sancho had a marriageable daughter, Berengaria, ‘would she like to become the Queen of England?’ Eleanor posed the question and Berengaria accepted the task, so the pairset off on a chase across Europe to catch up and wed the Crusading King.

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The berengaria of navarre medieval trilogy series:

List of chapters included in the ebook

Book 1

The Lionheart's Bride

An enthralling Medieval adventure

A new page-turning Medieval saga awaits! Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, Robyn Young, Alison Weir and Anthony Riches.

Will Berengaria capture her king's heart...?

1191

Eleanor of Aquitaine sets her sights on Berengaria, Princess of Navarre as a potential bride for her son, Richard the Lionheart.

Richard is determined to make his mark crusading, and might not return, so Eleanor is keen to see an heir on the way to stop his feckless younger brother John from inheriting the kingdom.

Richard is not averse to his mother's plans for the succession, but his priority lies in fulfilling his reputation as an indomitable warrior.

Berengaria is charmed by the prospect of travelling to a distant land to marry a handsome king of a distant land but she finds she has to accompany Eleanor in a race across Europe to catch her elusive bridegroom.

War on land, storms at sea, and the risk of alienating a conniving Pope go only some way to preparing Berengaria for life with the crusading Lionheart.

Will Richard's blood-fuelled ambition be compatible with the husband Berengaria dreams of? Can she make her mark under Eleanor's wing?
Or will she find her new life to be a lot more than she bargained for...?

The Lionheart's Bride is the first historical novel in The Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy. Early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

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Book 2

The Abandoned Queen

The Crusades steal King Richard's heart...

A captivating Medieval adventure across the Holy Land! Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, Robyn Young, Alison Weir and Anthony Riches.

Berengaria follows her king into the deadly heart of the Crusade...

1191

Having married Richard the Lionheart, Berengaria of Navarre is now preparing herself for the turbulent life of a queen.

Though he has not yet secured an heir, Richard is determined not to settle down until he has recaptured Jerusalem from the Saracen forces. Vowing to stay by his side for as long as possible, Berengaria accompanies him on the perilous voyage to the Holy Land.

Caught up in battle plans, Richard has barely a moment to spare for his new bride. And after witnessing a sea battle and a deadly siege in Akko, Berengaria is left disturbed by the king's ruthlessness.

Surrounded by misery and bloodshed, the young queen begins to understand the true cost of war. And as Richard becomes ever more consumed by his ambitions, she starts to wonder whether their marriage will ever have a chance to flourish...

Will Richard survive his brutal Crusade? Will he and Berengaria return to England in triumph?

Or will the horrors of war tear their marriage apart?

The Abandoned Queen is the second historical novel in The Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: Early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

Available on Amazon

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Book 3

An Empire Lost

The Third Crusade is coming to a bloody end...

The final instalment of an absorbing Medieval saga! Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, Robyn Young, Alison Weir and Anthony Riches.

Will Berengaria's king ever return to her side?

1192

Havingdefeated Saladin's forces in Jaffa, Richard the Lionheart has sent his queen, Berengaria of Navarre to Rome while he handles business elsewhere.

Not knowing when the king will return, Berengaria sets about making diplomatic connections with Pope Celestine III and Rome's high-ranking cardinals.

Disaster strikes when the news arrives that Richard is being held hostage by Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI - a major political rival. Horrified, Berengaria and the king's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, begin to raise funds to pay his ransom.

But not everyone is so eager to see Richard's release. Having designs on England's throne and the king's French possessions, Richard's brother, Prince John, has revolted in his absence, supported by King Philip of France. Together, they conspire to prolong Richard's captivity.

With tensions rising throughout Europe, Berengaria worries that she will once more be caught in the middle of a war. And without her husband by her side, she begins to despair of ever producing an heir to secure England's unwieldy throne...

Will Berengaria and Richard ever be reunited? Will they be able to secure England's line of succession and their lands in France?

Or is Richard's empire destined to fall...?

An Empire Lost is the third historical novel in The Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: Early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

Available on Amazon

Buy Paperback Get on Kindle

Chronicles & Curious Facts

Brief journeys into the bizarre, dramatic, and surprising truths of the medieval world.