Eleanor de Montfort

Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon (1252 – 19 June 1282) was an English noble and Welsh Princess. She was the daughter of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England. She was also the second woman who can be shown to have used the title Princess of Wales. Early life Eleanor's maternal grandparents were King John of England and his Queen consort, Isabella of Angoulême. Her maternal uncles included the King of England, Henry of Winchester, and the King of the Romans, Richard of Cornwall. Her maternal aunts included the Queen of Scotland, Joan of England; the Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Germany and Queen of Sicily, Isabella of England; and the wife of the Prince of Wales, Joan, Lady of Wales. When Eleanor was thirteen years old, her father Simon de Montfort, and brother Lord Henry were killed at the Battle of Evesham (4 August 1265). According to the chroniclers, Nicholas Trivet, William Rishanger and others, Earl Simon had earlier made an alliance with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, whereby it was agreed that Llywelyn and Eleanor would marry. After Earl Simon's death, his family was forced to flee the Kingdom of England: Countess Eleanor took her daughter to the safety of the Dominican nunnery at Montargis, France, a Montfort foundation. Marriage to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Eleanor’s mother Countess Eleanor died in the Spring of 1275. Shortly after, Eleanor de Montfort married Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, by marriage per nuncios (proxy marriage) or per verba de presenti, which was endorsed by Canon Law.