Tag: Austin Hernon

An Empire Lost is Published Today

Congratulations to Austin Hernon, whose absorbing Medieval saga, An Empire Lost, is published today!

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.

1192

Having defeated 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…?

The Abandoned Queen is Out Now

Congratulations to Austin Hernon, whose captivating medieval adventure, The Abandoned Queen, is out now!

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

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 by Austin Hernon

Austin Hernon is the author of The Wars of the Magna Carta series — military historical sagas — and the Berengaria of Navarre Medieval Trilogy: early Plantagenet novels set during the Third Crusade and the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

For the second instalment of my Berengaria of Navarre trilogy, The Abandoned Queen, I wanted to provide a little historical background. Why did England have a Basque queen between 1191 and 1199? Queen Berengaria didn’t chase or lobby for that crown. She was fully occupied managing her widowed father’s court.

Her father, King Sancho VI of Navarre was an enlightened man and ensured that all his children received the same comprehensive education. Therefore, by the time she was in her twenties, Berengaria was educated, multilingual, intelligent, and a keen observer of European politics and diplomacy of the time. The person who invited her to become Queen of England was none other than Richard the Lionheart’s mother: the dowager Queen of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine. She, the matriarch of the Plantagenet dynasty, was anxious to preserve the royal bloodline. With Richard already bound for Palestine, there was no guarantee he would return, and she was also determined to keep the runt Prince John off the throne.

But why was Richard bound for the Holy Land? The answer to that lies in the Third Crusade. Pope Gregory VIII called for the Crusade, which was intended to conquer the Holy Land and bring it under Christian control. Three kings responded to his call: King Phillip II of France; Frederick I, the Holy Roman Emperor; and Richard I of England.

A glance at a map of the time reveals that the kingdom of Navarre abutted Eleanor’s duchy of Aquitaine. In proposing that Berengaria marry Richard, Eleanor was able to satisfy her desire for a daughter-in-law and secure a useful ally on her southern border. And what princess would refuse the opportunity to be made a queen?

Once Berengaria had agreed to the plan, she and Eleanor set off together in hot pursuit of the war-bound king. And what an unexpected adventure the brave princess had volunteered for.

Happy Publication Day to Austin Hernon!

Congratulations to Austin Hernon, whose page-turning Medieval saga, The Lionheart’s Bride, is out now!

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

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…?

History for Sale: Laxton Village Under the Hammer by Austin Hernon

Laxton Village is believed to be the last remaining example in Europe where the Open Field System and Court Leet have been preserved. It boasts a unique 1,845 acre heritage estate — including 525 acres of unenclosed open fields — produces in excess of £230,000 per annum, and is of significant educational and curatorial interest. The village is now on sale for £7m.

Castle mound: the site of an 11th-century castle in Laxton.

THE ESTATE

The Laxton Estate is situated in and around the picturesque village of Laxton, surrounded by rolling countryside. The village is linear and unusual in appearance, comprising 17 traditional red brick farmsteads in addition to a village pub and visitor centre. The majority of the estate is farmed under Agricultural Holdings Act (AHA) and Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) agreements. Each farm tenant benefits from a home farmstead and land let under AHA and/or FBT and a right to farm land within the open field system as administrated by Laxton Court Leet, an ancient manorial Court with legal status as a court of Law.

You can find out more about the history of Laxton from the Wars of the Magna Carta series. The first instalment, The Battle For England, features Laxton Castle, domain of the brave heroine Matilda.

 

Image credit:

Castle mound at Laxton, Nottinghamshire. Source: Wikipedia, contributed by Robert Goulden. Used under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 licence.