Royal progress

Alice Loxton's new book begins with a compelling premise.

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The death of Elizabeth II and the national phenomenon of joining 'the queue' prompts her to examine another queen's death - one little known beyond academic circles: Eleanor of Castile. The first wife of Edward I died in Harby on 28 November 1290 and was buried in Westminster Abbey on 17 December. Loxton undertakes a modern-day pilgrimage on foot, following the route taken by the cortège transporting Eleanor's body to her final resting site, and stopping in the same places on the same days of the year. In doing so, she provides a highly original account that is part historical essay, part biography of the queen and p