As the cold winter days of November turned into the icy nights of December 1441. one of the most famous royal women in Europe faced up to a life sentence in jail. The prisoner - Eleanor of Gloucester - had already had to deal with public humiliation and she knew she would die behind bars. Yet just six months earlier she had been a royal duchess and wife of the heir to the throne, only one step away from being Queen of England. That very proximity to the crown may well have led to the accusations of witchcraft. which had put her in prison - claims that were the downfall of a duchess. Her conviction for witchcraft caused shock waves across Europe and it would change the way England was governed. The Duchess of Gloucester was among the most important people in the country when she was arrested and tried for using magic to try and bring about the death of King Henry VI. her nephew by marriage. Her fall from grace through the summer and autumn of 1441 was almost surreal in its drama. In just a few months, Eleanor went from being a leader of society to an outcast.
In Octoberin front of huge crowds as she carried a lighted taper to the church of St Paul Cross in the City of London to offer prayers of repentance. It was long and arduous. Her prayers offered, she returned to her prison for a few days rest before repeating the process all over again.
