Rosamund Clifford (possibly before 1140 1176), often called "The Fair Rosamund" or "Rose of the World" (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''rosa mundi''), was a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

English

noblewoman A noblewoman is a female member of the nobility. Noblewomen form a disparate group, which has evolved over time. Ennoblement of women has traditionally been a rare occurrence; the majority of noblewomen were linked to the nobility by either their ...

and

mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a female lover of a married man ** Royal mistress * Maîtresse-en-titre, official mistress of a ...

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

, King of England. She became famous in

English folklore English folklore consists of the myths and legends of England, including the region's Legendary creature, mythical creatures, traditional recipes, urban legends, proverbs, superstitions, Folk dance, dance, balladry, and Folklore, folktales tha ...

Life

Early life

Rosamund Clifford was the daughter of Walter de Clifford, a

marcher lord A marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales. A marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in Fra ...

, and his wife Margaret de Toeni. Her date of birth is uncertain. Some sources place it in 1140 or possibly even earlier, possibly due to the traditional identification of Rosamund as the mother of at least one of Henry II's illegitimate children (William the Longespee and Geoffrey, the archbishop of York) - indicating that she had already become Henry II's mistress by the early 1150s. On the other hand,

Gerald of Wales Gerald of Wales (; ; ; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and wrote extensively. He studied and taught in France and visited Rome several times, meeting the Pope. He ...

describes her as a ''puella'' (a girl or a young woman) at the time of her death in 1176. She was certainly of age by 1166. Rosamund had three brothers,

Walter Walter may refer to: People and fictional characters * Walter (name), including a list of people and fictional and mythical characters with the given name or surname * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–19 ...

(), Richard and Gilbert, and two sisters: Amice, and Lucy. Her name likely came from the

phrase ''rosa mundi'', meaning "rose of the world." Clifford was first raised at her father's Clifford Castle, then sent to a

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

s in

Godstow Abbey Godstow is a hamlet about northwest of the centre of Oxford. It lies on the banks of the River Thames between the villages of Wolvercote to the east and Wytham to the west. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, also known as Godstow Nunnery, are here. A ...

for education.Bingham, Jane. ''The Cotswolds: A Cultural History'', Oxford University Press, 2010

Henry II's mistress

Clifford was reputed as one of the greatest beauties of the 12th century."'Fair Rosamund' well to be restored at Blenheim Palace", BBC News (Oxford), July 20, 2014
/ref> Her relationship with

, King of England (1133–1189) supposedly started when his wife,

Queen Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages">Provençal dialect ...

() was pregnant with their last child,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1166–1216) in 1166, but the king publicly acknowledged the

affair An affair is a relationship typically between two people, one or both of whom are either married or in a long-term Monogamy, monogamous or emotionally-exclusive relationship with someone else. The affair can be solely sexual, solely physical or ...

for the first time in 1174. The queen is thought to have given birth to John in Beaumount Palace instead of

Woodstock Palace Woodstock Palace was a royal residence in the English town of Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Henry I of England built a hunting lodge here and in 1129 he built of walls to create the first enclosed park, where lions and leopards were kept. The lodg ...

because Clifford lived at Woodstock. Alison Weir in her biography of Eleanor, thinks this unlikely and dismisses it as "another example of the unsupported fictions that have attached themselves to Rosamund's name". Accounts differ on whether Clifford stayed in Woodstock while the king was travelling between England and his continental lands or accompanied him. If she did not go with him, they could not have spent more than about a quarter of the time between 1166 and 1176 together.

Later life and death

When her relationship with the king ended, Rosamund retired to

. She died there around 1176, before the age of 40, and she was buried there. Her death was commemorated at

Hereford Cathedral Hereford Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Hereford, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Hereford and the principal church of the diocese of Hereford. The cathedral is a grade I listed building. A place of wors ...

on 6 July, the same day on which Henry II died, 13 years after her. The king and the Clifford family paid for her tomb to be cared for by the

s of the

. Her resting place became a popular

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

among locals, which was noticed by

Hugh of Lincoln Hugh of Lincoln ( – 16 November 1200), also known as Hugh of Avalon, was a Burgundian-born Carthusian monk, bishop of Lincoln in the Kingdom of England, and Catholic saint. His feast is observed by Catholics on 16 November and by Anglica ...

, the

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of Nort ...

in 1191. Seeing the flowers and candles that covered the tomb, he ordered her remains to be moved and buried outside, "with the rest, that the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

religion may not grow into contempt, and that other women, warned by her example, may abstain from illicit and adulterous intercourse". Complying with the bishop's request, Clifford's body was moved to the cemetery by the nuns'

chapter house A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...

and was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries (1536–1541) under

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. The ruins of the abbey still stand and are open to the public.

Paul Hentzner Paul Hentzner (29 January 1558 – 1 January 1623) was a German lawyer who published an account of his travels in England during the late Elizabethan era. Hentzner was born in Crossen, in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. In 1596, he becam ...

, a German traveller who visited England around 1599, recorded that her faded tombstone inscription read in part: Followed by a

rhyming A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually the exact same phonemes) in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of rhyming (''perfect rhyming'') is consciously used for a musica ...

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

: Accounts from the time of its destruction report that, along with other engravings, the tomb contained the depiction of a

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

In folklore

, Rosamund's legend states that the king did everything to hide his affair from his wife, Queen Eleanor. He saw Rosamund only in the middle of a complicated underground

labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

in the park of

in Oxfordshire. Following

rumour A rumor (American English), or rumour (British English; see spelling differences; derived from Latin 'noise'), is an unverified piece of information circulating among people, especially without solid evidence. In the social sciences, a rumor ...

s, the queen made her way through the labyrinth and confronted her rival, forcing her to choose between a

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or stabbing, thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or ...

and a

bowl A bowl is a typically round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, storing, or consuming food. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom, forming a seamless curve ...

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

; Rosamund chose the poison and died.Matthews, W.H., ''Mazes and Labyrinths'', Chap. XIX, Longmans Green and Co., London, 1922
/ref> Contemporary

chronicle A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events ...

John Brompton John Brompton or Bromton (fl. 1436) was a supposed English chronicler. Brompton was elected abbot of Jervaulx in 1436. The authorship of the compilation printed in Roger Twysden's ''Decem Scriptores'' Col. 725-1284, Lond. 1652; with the title '' ...

did not recount this incident in his account of the events, and it first appeared in the 14th-century ''French Chronicle of London.'' Another version tells that Rosamund was

roasted Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizat ...

between two fires, stabbed, and left to bleed to death in a bath of scalding water by the queen.Gambles, Robert. ''Great Tales from British'', Amberley Publishing Limited, 2013,
p. 61
/ref> During the

Elizabethan era The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female ...

, such stories gained popularity, leading to the writing of the ''Ballad of Fair Rosamund'' by

Thomas Deloney Thomas Deloney (born ; died in or shortly before 1600) was an English silk-weaver, novelist, and ballad writer. Biography Thomas Deloney was born sometime in the middle decades of the 16th century; the precise date is not recorded. Although ofte ...

(1612) and the ''Complaint of Rosamund'' by

Samuel Daniel Samuel Daniel (1562–1619) was an English poet, playwright and historian in the late-Elizabethan and early- Jacobean eras. He was an innovator in a wide range of literary genres. His best-known works are the sonnet cycle ''Delia'', the epic ...

(1592), both being purely fictional. The underground labyrinth was added to the tale in 1516 (although Robert Gambles cites a 1231 reference to "Rosamund's chamber", with

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s, a

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

and a

well A well is an excavation or structure created on the earth by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...

), drawing on the story of

Estrildis Estrildis was the beloved Mistress (lover), mistress of King Locrinus of the Britons (Celtic people), Britons and the mother of his daughter Hafren, Habren, according to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth. Medieval literature In Ge ...

, mistress of king

Locrinus Locrinus was a legendary king of the Britons (historic), Britons, as recounted by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. He came to power in 1125BC. According to Geoffrey, Locrinus was the oldest so ...

, who had underground apartments built to hide her from his wife. The cup of poison first appears in a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

in 1611. According to most medieval chroniclers, Queen Eleanor had been imprisoned by 1173 for raising her sons to be rebellious against their father, making a direct confrontation between the two women highly improbable.

Possible issue

Historians are divided whether Clifford's relationship with

produced children. Legends have attributed to her two of the king's

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

sons,

Geoffrey, Archbishop of York Geoffrey ( – 12 December 1212) was an illegitimate son of King Henry II of England Henry II () was King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of governmen ...

() and William Longespée, 3rd

Earl of Salisbury Earl of Salisbury is a title that has been created several times in English and British history. It has a complex history and is now a subsidiary title to the marquessate of Salisbury. Background The title was first created for Patrick de Sa ...

(c. 1176 – 1226). However, Geoffrey was born before the king and Clifford even met from an otherwise unknown woman (possibly called Ykenai or Hikenai), and William was the son of

Ida de Tosny Ida de Tosny (or Toeny, or Tony) , Countess of Norfolk (died after 1181), was a Norman royal mistress. Named after her grandmother Ida de Hainaut, she was the daughter of Ralph IV de Tosny (died 1162) and his wife Margaret (born 1125 and living ...

Countess of Norfolk Earl of Norfolk is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. Created in 1070, the first major dynasty to hold the title was the 12th and 13th century Bigod family, and it then was later held by the Mowbrays, who we ...

(died after 1181).

Fair Rosamund's Well and Rosamund's Green

According to local tales, "Rosamund's bower" (probably an early version of the labyrinth) was demolished when

Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace ( ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. Originally called Blenheim Castle, it has been known as Blenheim Palace since the 19th century. One of England's larg ...

was built. Today, Fair Rosamund's Well () is a paved

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

in the park of Blenheim Palace in

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

, Oxfordshire. It is located to the south of the Grand Bridge on the western shore of The Lake, sometimes called Brown's Lake after 18th-century

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manage ...

Capability Brown Lancelot "Capability" Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783) was an English gardener and landscape architect, a notable figure in the history of the English landscape garden style. Unlike other architects ...

. According to a 2014

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

article, " e well had become 'somewhat overgrown and at risk of becoming damaged'". Rose- Rosa Mundi

Rosamund is also associated with the village of

Frampton on Severn Frampton on Severn is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. The population is 1,432. Geography The village is approximately south of Gloucester, at . It lies on the east bank of the River Severn, and on the west bank of the ...

, Gloucestershire, another of her father's holdings. Walter de Clifford granted the mill there to

for the good of the souls of his wife and daughter. The

village green A village green is a commons, common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common pasture, grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for ...

of Frampton became known as Rosamund's Green by the 17th century.

''Rosa mundi'' rose

A cultivated variation of ''

Rosa gallica ''Rosa gallica'', the Gallic rose, French rose, or rose of Provins, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, native to southern and central Europe eastwards to Turkey and the Caucasus. ''Rosa gallica'' was one of the first species of ...

'' with striped pink blooms is commonly known as ''rosa mundi''. Its connection to Rosamund Clifford dates to the 16th century.

In fiction

In literature

* ''The Complaint of Rosamund'', a 1592 poem by

; * ''Rosamond'', an 1860 verse play by

Algernon Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist and critic. He wrote many plays – all tragedies – and collections of poetry such as '' Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the Eleve ...

* ''The Saint'' (German: '' Der Heilige''), an 1879 novel by

Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (11 October 1825 – 28 November 1898) was a Swiss poet and historical novelist, a master of literary realism who is mainly remembered for stirring narrative ballads like "Die Füße im Feuer" (The Feet in the Fire). Biog ...

; * ''Rosemonde'', a 1913 poem by

Guillaume Apollinaire Guillaume Apollinaire (; ; born Kostrowicki; 26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist and art critic of Poland, Polish descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the ...

Apollinaire, Guillaume (1913); Rees, Garnet (ed.) (1975) ''Alcools'' London, Athlone Press. * ''Eleanor the Queen'' is a 1955 novel by

Norah Lofts Norah Ethel Lofts (née Robinson; 27 August 190410 September 1983) was a 20th-century British writer. She also wrote under the pen names Peter Curtis and Juliet Astley. She wrote more than fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she ...

* ''Penmarric'', a 1971

family saga The family saga is a genre of literature which chronicles the lives and doings of a family or a number of related or interconnected families over a period of time. In novels (or sometimes sequences of novels) with a serious intent, this is often ...

Susan Howatch Susan Howatch (born 14 July 1940) is a British author. Her writing career has been distinguished by family saga-type novels that describe the lives of related characters for long periods of time. Her later books have also become known for their ...

(as Rose Parrish); * ''The Courts of Love: The Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine'', a 1987 novel by

Jean Plaidy Eleanor Alice Hibbert (née Burford; 1 September 1906 – 18 January 1993) was an English writer of historical romances. She was a prolific writer who published several books a year in different literary genres, each genre under a different pen ...

; * ''The Falcon and the Flower'', a 1988 romance novel by

Virginia Henley Virginia Henley (née Virginia Syddall; born 5 December 1935 in Bolton, England), is a British-Canadian writer of historical-romance novels. She is well known for her Medieval, Renaissance and other period piece romance novels. Biography Vir ...

; * ''Wings of the Storm'', a 1992 novel by Suzan Sizemore; * ''Always'', a 2000 novel by Lynsay Sands (mentioned); * ''The Book of Eleanor, A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine'', a 2002 novel by Pamela Kaufman; * ''Time and Chance'' (2002) and ''Devil's Brood'' (2008), two novels by

Sharon Kay Penman Sharon Kay Penman (August 13, 1945 – January 22, 2021) was an American historical novelist, published in the UK as Sharon Penman. She was best known for the Welsh Princes Trilogy and the Plantagenet series. In addition, she wrote four medieval ...

; * ''Death at Blenheim Palace'', a 2006 novel by Robin Paige; * ''The Death Maze'' (in the U.S.: ''The Serpent's Tale''), a 2008 novel by

Ariana Franklin Mary Diana Norman ( Narracott; pen name, Ariana Franklin; 25 August 1933 – 27 January 2011) was a British author and journalist. She is best known for her historical crime fiction. Life and work Norman was born in London. She was moved to De ...

; * ''The Time of Singing'', a 2008 novel by

Elizabeth Chadwick Elizabeth Chadwick (born 1957) is an author of historical fiction. She is a member of Regia Anglorum, a medieval reenactment organisation. Biography Elizabeth Chadwick was born in Bury, Lancashire in 1957. She moved with her family to Scotl ...

(mentioned); * ''The Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine'', a novel by 2010 by

Alison Weir Alison Weir ( Matthews) is a British author and public historian. She primarily writes about the history of English royal women and families, in the form of biographies that explore their historical setting. She has also written numerous wor ...

; * ''The Winter Crown'', a 2014 novel by Elizabeth Chadwick; * ''La Révolte'' (The Revolt), a 2018 French novel by

Clara Dupont-Monod Clara Dupont-Monod (born 7 October 1973, in Paris) is a French journalist and woman of letters. She was awarded the Prix Femina in 2021. Journalism She began her career as a journalist for the magazine ''Cosmopolitan'', joining the staff of ' ...

* ''Nest of the Gyrfalcon,'' a 2024 novel by G. Lawrence * ''Eaglets,'' a 2024 novel by G. Lawrence

In cinema

* ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1968 adaptation of the play of the same name (alluded to).

In theatre

* ''

'' is a 1692 play by

William Mountfort William Mountfort (c. 1664 – 10 December 1692), English actor and dramatic writer, was the son of a Staffordshire gentleman. He met his death at the hand of notorious brawler Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun of Okehampton, who had just take ...

; * ''

The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...

'' is a 1966 play by

James Goldman James Goldman (June 30, 1927 – October 28, 1998) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He won an Academy Award for his screenplay '' The Lion in Winter'' (1968). His younger brother was novelist and screenwriter William Goldman. Biog ...

(alluded to).

In opera

* ''

Rosamond Rosamond is a feminine given name, which may refer to: People *Rosamond Carr (1912–2006), American humanitarian and author *Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – c. 1176), English mistress of King Henry II * Rosamond Young Chapin (1895–1984), Ame ...

'', a 1707 opera by

Thomas Clayton Thomas Clayton (July 1777 – August 21, 1854) was an American lawyer and politician from Dover in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party and later the National Republican Party and the Whig Party. He served in the Delawa ...

to a libretto by

Joseph Addison Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 May 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was the eldest son of Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend Richard Steele, with w ...

; * ''

'', a 1733 opera by

Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song " A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', w ...

’s libretto; * ''Rosamund'', a 1780 German

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk- ...

Anton Schweitzer Anton Schweitzer (6 June 1735 in Coburg – 23 November 1787 in Gotha (town), Gotha) was a German composer of operas, who was affiliated with Abel Seyler's Seyler theatrical company, theatrical company. He was a child prodigy who obtained the pat ...

to a libretto by

Christoph Martin Wieland Christoph Martin Wieland (; ; 5 September 1733 – 20 January 1813) was a German poet and writer, representative of literary Rococo. He is best-remembered for having written the first ''Bildungsroman'' (''Geschichte des Agathon''), as well as the ...

; * ''

Rosmonda d'Inghilterra ''Rosmonda d'Inghilterra'' (''Rosamund of England'') is a '' melodramma'' or opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Felice Romani originally for Coccia's ''Rosmunda'' (1829). It is based on the legend of ...

'' ("Rosamund of England") is an 1834 Italian opera by

Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''be ...

; * '' Fair Rosamond'' is an 1837 opera by

John Barnett John Barnett (15 July 1802 – 16 April 1890) was an English composer and writer on music. Life Barnett was the eldest son of a Prussian Jew named Bernhard Beer, who changed his surname on settling in England as a jeweller. According to some h ...

Notes

Sources

* Biography from ''Who's Who in British History'' (1998), H. W. Wilson Company. ''Who's Who in British History'', Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1998. *W. L. Warren, ''Henry II'', 1973. {{DEFAULTSORT:Clifford, Rosamund 1140s births 1170s deaths Burials in Oxfordshire Mistresses of Henry II of England 12th-century English women 12th-century English nobility Oxfordshire folklore