The new queen’s kinsfolk quickly acquired an almost unbounded ascendency over her weak husband.  With the exception of the reigning Count Amadeus of Savoy, her eight maternal uncles were somewhat scantily provided for.  The prudence of the French government prevented them from obtaining any advantage for themselves at the court of their niece the Queen of France, and they gladly welcomed the opportunity of establishing themselves at the expense of their English nephew.  Self-seeking and not over-scrupulous, able, energetic, and with the vigour and resource of high-born soldiers of fortune, several of them play honourable parts in the history of their own land, and are by no means deserving of the complete condemnation meted out to them by the English annalists.[1] The bishop-elect of Valence was an able and accomplished warrior.  He stayed on in England after accomplishing his mission, and with him remained his clerk, the younger son of a house of Alpine barons, Peter of Aigueblanche, whose cunning and dexterity were as attractive to Henry as the more martial qualities of his master.  Weary of standing alone, the king eagerly welcomed a trustworthy adviser who was outside the entanglements of English parties, and made Bishop William his chief counsellor.  It was believed that he was associated with eleven others in a secret inner circle of royal advisers, whose advice Henry pledged himself by oath to follow.  Honours and estates soon began to fall thickly on William and his friends.  He made himself the mouthpiece of Henry’s foreign policy.  When he temporarily left England, he led a force sent by the king to help Frederick II. in his war against the cities of northern Italy.  His influence with Henry did much to secure for his brother, Thomas of Savoy, the hand of the elderly countess Joan of Flanders.  With Thomas as the successor of Ferdinand of Portugal, the rich Flemish county, bound to England by so many political and economic ties, seemed in safe hands, and preserved from French influence.  In 1238 Thomas visited England, and received a warm welcome and rich presents from the king.

    [1] For Eleanor’s countrymen see Mugnier, Les Savoyards en
    Angleterre au XIIIe siecle, et Pierre d’Aigueblanche, eveque
    d’Hereford (1890).

Despite the establishment of the Savoyards, the Poitevin influence began to revive.  Peter des Roches, who had occupied himself after his fall by fighting for Gregory IX. against the revolted Romans, returned to England in broken health in 1236, and was reconciled to the king.  Peter of Rivaux was restored to favour, and made keeper of the royal wardrobe.  Segrave and Passelewe again became justices and ministers.  England was now the hunting-ground of any well-born Frenchmen anxious for a wider career than they could obtain at home.[1] Among the foreigners attracted to England to prosecute legal claims or to seek the royal bounty came Simon of Montfort, the second son of the famous conqueror of the Albigenses.  Amice,