Eleanor of Woodstock
An English princess whose resilience turned exile in the Low Countries into a brief but fierce fight for her son's birthright.
1318–1355 (age 37)·Duchess of Guelders from 1332 to 1343·Birthday: June 18
Biography
Eleanor of Woodstock's story is one of royal displacement and maternal grit. As a sister of Edward III, she was shipped off to marry Reginald II of Guelders, a match meant to extend English influence. Life in Guelders was isolating; she was viewed with suspicion as a foreigner and struggled with finances. When her husband died, leaving their son Reginald III as a minor, Eleanor seized the reins as regent and guardian. For a tumultuous year, she battled against her late husband's illegitimate son and other hostile nobles who contested the succession. Though ultimately forced from power, her fierce, brief regency was a stark display of Plantagenet determination played out on a foreign stage, a mother fighting to secure a duchy for her child against formidable odds.
#1 When Eleanor Was Born
The biggest hits of 1318
Eleanor's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1318Born
1323Started school
1331Became a teenager
1334Could drive
1336Could vote
1339Turned 21
1348Turned 30
1355Died at 37
Key Achievements
- Served as regent of Guelders and Zutphen for her minor son, Reginald III, from 1343 to 1344.
- Successfully negotiated a peace treaty with the Count of Jülich during her regency, though it was short-lived.
- As an English princess, her marriage to Reginald II of Guelders strengthened a political alliance for her brother, Edward III.
Did You Know?
She was born at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, which gave her her surname.
She was reportedly given a meager allowance and treated poorly at the Guelders court, seen as a 'foreigner'.
After being ousted as regent, she retired to a convent in Deventer.
“My children are my only true country.”
