A Great And Terrible King: Edward I And The Forging Of Britain - Plot & Excerpts
It was there, in the early days of November, that his final illness took hold. Confined to his chamber for almost a fortnight, he died in the evening of Wednesday 16 November 1272. He was sixty-five years old, and had reigned for fifty-six years. Since his death was not sudden, we may suppose with some confidence that his beloved wife, Queen Eleanor, was with him at the end.1The funeral took place the following Sunday in Westminster Abbey, the building upon which Henry had lavished so much money and attention for over a quarter of a century. He had long intended to be buried in the church, and had latterly decided that his final resting place should be the tomb once occupied by Edward the Confessor and recently left vacant by the saint’s translation. In contrast to the rather inglorious scenes that had marred that occasion, Henry’s funeral passed without a hitch. All the leading magnates of the realm were present. The ceremony was magnificent. The king’s body, carried on an open bier, was dressed in robes of red samite, decorated with gold embroidery and precious stones.
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