Queen Eleanor is a character from The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men. She is the queen of England and King Richard and Prince John's mother.
Role in the film[]
When her eldest son, King Richard prepares to leave for the Crusade while her youngest son, Prince John is left to govern his kingdom in his absence, Queen Eleanor is asked by one of King Richard's loyal knights, the Earl of Huntingdon, to take care of his daughter, Maid Marian in his absence, which she agrees to do. After the Archbishop of Canterbury gives a blessing for the King's Crusade, Queen Eleanor kisses her son good-bye for good luck.
A few days later, an archery contest is organized by Prince John and his new Sheriff of Nottingham at the Nottingham fair to determine which archer is the best to serve Prince John and form an army of good arrow shooters under their command. As it turns out, it is Hugh Fitzooth and his son, Robin himself the winners. However, Robin gives his prize to Marian as he learns that she is leaving for London with the Queen. On the way to London, Queen Eleanor and Maid Marian are greeted by Robin and his father before his father is murdered by Red Gill, one of the competitors and the Sheriff's men, for having defied the Sheriff after the Queen and Marian left the fair. Luckily, Robin avenges his father's death by killing Red Gill, thus, begins Robin's life as Robin Hood, an outlaw living in Sherwood Forest who steals from the rich and gives to the poor.
Two years have passed, King Richard's Crusade has ended in failure, and the King finds himself imprisoned in Austria to be held for a ransom of 100,000 marks; much to Queen Eleanor and the Archbishop's dismay and Prince John's joy. Knowing that her youngest son hasn't raised and refused to contribute to the fourth of the ransom, the Queen and the Archbishop go to Nottingham to consult him. At his castle, Prince John lies to his mother; claiming he never knew or heard of his own brother's capture and ransom from his mother's messengers, whom he also claims they never reached him as well.
Using his wit, he decides to hold a donation tomorrow at Nottingham Square. Still, the Archbishop and his mother suspect he's up to something. Prince John gives them an excuse by telling them that he's been busy forming an army of foresters against Robin Hood and his outlaws known as Merrie Men. Having known Robin Hood all her life, Maid Marian refuses to believe his story (including the story of how his father was killed) and tries to persuade the Queen to allow her to find Robin and prove her his loyalty to their King. But the Queen refuses since she is her responsibility and Prince John continues to mock and rebuff Robin Hood.
The next day, during the donation, the Archbishop and the Queen are present as Prince John and other lords contribute for the King's ransom. Maid Marian, having disobeyed the Queen and disguised herself as a page, presents everyone with Robin Hood and his men's donations; much to Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham's chagrin and the Queen and the Archbishop's joy. When the Sheriff tries to object on behalf of the Prince, Robin and his men (disguised as peasants) make him pay 1,000 marks; an act which provokes the crowd to ask for as well from him. To avoid embarrassment and suspicion, Prince John has the Sheriff donate as well (1,187 marks) while Robin and his men inconspicuously empty out the rest of the treasury (more than 10,000 marks) into one big chest and present it forth to the donation in front of everyone too, thus, the deliverance of their King is assured; much to the Prince and the Sheriff's shock.
Refusing to give up all his tax money and to allow his brother to return home safely, Prince John plans to disguise his men as Robin Hood's outlaws to steal his money back tomorrow while the Queen and the Archbishop are conveying the ransom through Sherwood Forest. Knowing Maid Marian has been fraternizing with the outlaws and could see through their deception, thus, jeopardize their plan, Prince John and the Sheriff have her imprisoned in the dungeon and make his mother believe she is with Robin Hood.
As the Queen and the Archbishop are passing through Sherwood Forest with the ransom money, they are ambushed by Prince John's guards, disguised as Robin Hood's outlaws. The Queen tries to order the impostors to leave the chests alone (which they hesitate to do since they're guards who follow anyone of royalty) until Robin and his real men arrive to stop the attack. The Queen and Archbishop learn of the deception and Prince John's treachery through the impostors' true uniforms and one of the impostors, forced to confess by Little John. The Queen and the Archbishop also learn of Maid Marian's true whereabouts when Queen Eleanor mentions that she went off to see Robin again last night (or so Prince John wanted her to think since he actually imprisoned her in the dungeon). The Queen, having been given the responsibility to look after Marian by her father in his absence two years prior, wishes to go back to see to her safety but the Archbishop reminds her of their main objective concerning the King and his ransom. So, the Queen and the Archbishop continue with their journey to Austria to pay the ransom for King Richard's return to England while Robin and his men handle Prince John and the Sheriff and rescue Maid Marian.
A few days later, after Prince John's defeat and the Sheriff's death, Queen Eleanor is last heard by her eldest son, King Richard, who has safely returned to England after his ransom's been paid, having vowed to marry Maid Marian to Robin Hood, now knighted the Earl of Locksley, at Huntingdon Manor.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- While Elanor does not appear in the 1973 animated take on Robin Hood, she remains the mother of the royal brothers Richard and John, and is the subject of John's infantile moments.
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