Joan of Navarre is one of England's least known - but most interesting - queens consort. This talk will reveal her very unusual route to becoming Queen of England, including her challenging voyage to Winchester to marry Henry IV in 1403.

This talk will give the context behind a significant event in Winchester's royal history - the lavish wedding of Henry IV and Joan of Navarre which took place in the Cathedral in February 1403. There is an interesting 'back story' to the very ununusal and unorthodox route that brought Joan to this key moment, when she became Queen of England. Neither Henry or Joan was expected to become England's king and queen, nor to marry - this talk will walk through the run up to her wedding in Winchester, from the context of her early years, her period as Duchess of Brittany and the secret negotiations that led to her marriage to Henry IV, culminating the political and meteorological challenges which made her trip to Winchester far more difficult than expected!

Event Times

• Saturday 14 September: 4:00-4:45pm

Booking Information

Pre-booking: Preferred.

Places are limited, so please book your place using the link below. Registration will close when we reach capacity (max. 170 per tour).

Address & Directions

The ARC, Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8SB.

Next to Winchester Library, 5 mins walk from Winchester Railway Station.

Additional Information

Max 170 people per tour/session. 45 minutes.

Organised by:

Ellie Woodacre

Header image: Monumental effigies of King Henry IV and his Queen, Joan of Navarre_credit The Trustees of the British Museum, used under Creative Commons CY BY-NC-SA 4.0 license