Alice Loxton (43:41)
They don't go directly on the route down to London. They actually take a kind of left turn and go across to Waltham Cross. Was that perhaps to pay their respects at the abbey there. That seems a likely reason. But Edward departs from the cortege, goes ahead to London, maybe is sorting out, organising affairs of state or sorting out the funeral, and then they come through to London and eventually, on the 17th of December, she is buried at Westminster Abbey. But what's quite interesting is this gives us an insight into the embossing, embalming process. And I found that such an interesting thing. How on earth could you even do embalming? Would it even work? But it indicates that they didn't make a direct route to London. Right. So her body must have been in quite a good condition at that point. I talked to a funeral director today and I just asked him, I was like, would this work to put herbs inside her body? You know, would that keep it fresh for that time? Which is quite a long time. You know, she dies on 28 November. We're talking about 17 December, so I think that's on the edge. But he said that you have to remember that it was December, it was very cold, so that actually probably would have preserved her. And the indication that they spent a few days in London and didn't rush to bury her suggests that it must have worked. Maybe even the farmers knew what they're doing, so well done there. So they would have taken her body to Westwood's Abbey and it would have been an incredibly ornate ceremony. I suppose vigils were held. Of course, the effigy that was we now see today was not in place. It would have taken a bit of time to put that together. And so that was a common thing in the medieval period, of course, that they would have a temporary tomb until they were put into their final elaborate effigy that would last the centuries. Another thing to think about is Eleanor probably was aware that she wouldn't have been buried in London. So this journey, this cortege, might have been something she was totally expecting. You know, she was someone who traveled around all the time. She was on Crusades. And the idea that she wouldn't be buried in London was very, very likely. So it's very reasonable that they might have even discussed the journey or discuss what would have happened if Edward had died abroad or afar, and how that would all be managed. So although it's quite an extraordinary journey that we think these people made from Lincoln to London, it was very much part of the plan, I think. Of course, today there isn't much evidence of the Eleanor crosses, because both the London ones in Cheapside, so that's just next to St. Paul's Cathedral and Charing Cross. So today's Trafalgar Square were pulled down, but there are kind of glimpses of it. And outside Trafalgar Square, there is a plaque on the ground which marks the site of the original Charing Cross. Now, this was the location where after it was pulled down, to kind of overcome the destruction of this royal symbol, they actually executed the regicides of Charles I. And to hammerhune the point, they erected a statue of Charles I himself, an equestrian statue, which stands there today. But the plaque of the Eleanor Crosses is still there. And on this very spot where this kind of symbol of royalism that has evolved in all sorts of different ways over the ages. All measurements to London are still measured. So if you put into Google Maps, Take me to London, it will take you to the site of Eleanor Cross. So that really gives you a sense of quite how central it was and still is today, even though it doesn't stand in its original form. And of course, nearby you can see a Victorian interpretation of the original cross which stands in the forecourt of the railway station. And that gives you a pretty good idea. You know, it's not dissimilar from the monument we're looking at now. And the Victorians gave these crosses a new lease of life because Gilbert Scott, who was. Was based near Northampton, he was responsible for the Oxford Martyrs Memorial, which is quite similar, again in style. And again, it's remembering these figures from centuries before. And there was this phase of people building crosses for their loved ones, for lost wives. Well, the Albert Memorial opposite the Royal Albert hall, they actually said that they were inspired by the Eleanor Crosses because, of course, these are great monuments to a queen consort. Albert was another consort. And so it's all in the same vein.
