Twelve monuments built to rehabilitate the image of an unpopular queen

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When Eleanor of Castile died in 1290, King Edward I did more than just mourn. He commissioned twelve lavish stone monuments to mark her funeral route, transforming her controversial reputation into that of an idealized queen through sophisticated architectural propaganda.

The Eleanor crosses were erected between 1291 and approximately 1295 to mark the nightly resting-places of Queen Eleanor's funeral procession. Her body was transported from Harby, Nottinghamshire, to Westminster Abbey—a 180-mile journey that lasted 12 days. While the monuments are called crosses, historians suggest this may refer to their placement at crossroads rather than the presence of actual crosses atop the structures. The procession's route included stops in locations such as Lincoln, Grantham, and Stamford. After being embalmed at a priory, her remains were carried towards London.

The monuments served a dual purpose: they were spiritual cenotaphs designed to encourage prayers for Eleanor's soul, and they were tools of royal propaganda. During her life, Eleanor was often unpopular due to her acquisitiveness regarding land and her involvement in the abuse of Jewish loans. By erecting these ornate, three-tiered structures, Edward I projected royal and spiritual power, helping to reshape her public image into that of an idealised queen. The inscriptions on the pedestals requested prayers for her soul. These elaborate structures were designed with at least three distinct tiers.

The series was heavily influenced by the 'montjoies' erected for King Louis IX of France in 1271. While the French monuments were intended to promote canonisation, the Eleanor crosses focused on the queen's relationship with the King. Today, only three of the original twelve remain more or less intact: those at Geddington, Hardingstone, and Waltham Cross. The others were largely destroyed during the Reformation and the English Civil War due to their Catholic associations. The French montjoies were simpler, consisting of only two tiers.

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