Eleanor versus London

The citizens of London may have welcomed their new queen when she and Henry III rode to Westminster for the coronation after the wedding (1236) at Canterbury, but while they got to know her they found plenty of reasons to resent her presence.For one thing (and this may not have been her fault exactly), she was accompanied by several retainers from the continent (called Savoyards from her mother's background, Beatrice of Savoy). Some of these became influential in Henry's administration. But Eleanor made deliberate moves that angered Londoners.One was claiming the queen-gold. The Queen of England was allowed one-tenth of all the fines paid to the Crown. That wasn't enough for Eleanor, however: she started levying fines on Londoners for perceived infractions. This was one more straw on the camel's back for the barons to rebel.Eleanor and Henry seemed devoted, but there were troubles between them. He had gardens planted for her. He had her rooms in the palace painted with flowers. In…