I am a poor Saxon peasant. The Lord of my village gives me some small pieces of land to grow some food and graze some animals. In return, I have to work for him and give him money. I live in a small wooden hut with an open fire in the middle. In the winter, we have to share it with the animals. It is always very smelly.
Before 1066, my Lord was a Saxon like me. At the Battle of Hastings, Duke William of Normandy beat our Saxon King Harold. He took all the land and gave it to his family and friends. Our village was given to Lord Richard from Clare in Normandy. Lord Richard lives in a castle above our village. We must obey him. I am not allowed to leave the village. The Normans rule now. |
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My father ruled over a large part of France called Aquitaine. He died when I was 15. For the next 70 years, I was one of the richest and most important women in Europe. When I was 15, I married King Louis and became Queen of France. I helped rule the country and went with him to fight a war in Palestine. Our marriage did not work and it ended before I was 30.
In 1152, I married King Henry the Second of England, so I was a Queen again. We had eight children, but there were problems. My sons started a war with their own father and I joined them. King Henry forgave his sons, but he did not forgive me. He kept me in prison for 15 years until he died. My third son became King Richard the First. I helped him and, after his death, I helped my youngest son, King John. |
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