Petronilla de Grandmesnil, Countess of Leicester

Who was Petronilla de Grandmesnil, Countess of Leicester?

Petronilla de Grandmesnil, Countess of Leicester was the daughter of William, one of three Grandmesnil brothers, and the wife of Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester, known as “Blanchmains”. She was buried in Leicester Abbey following her death on April 1, 1212.

The chronicler Jordan Fantosme wrote that Earl Robert and his wife Petronilla were participants in the 1173–1174 rebellion of Henry "the Young King" against King Henry II, his father. Jordan claimed that Earl Robert participated because of grievances against King Henry and credits dismissive remarks about the English who were fighting on the king's side to the countess: "The English are great boasters, but poor fighters; they are better at quaffing great tankards and guzzling." Countess Petronilla accompanied her husband on his military campaign against English troops under the command of the earl of Arundel and Humphrey de Bohun. During the final showdown, she is said to have fled from the battle, only to be found in a ditch. "The earl’s wife wanted to drown herself, when Simon of Odell saw to pulling her out: ‛My lady, come away from this place, and abandon your design! War is all a question of losing and winning." She was noted as wearing male armour when captured. Earl Robert was also captured and his holdings were confiscated. Countess Petronilla was released and during the earl's continued imprisonment he wrote to her asking that she discharge the bequests stated in his father's will.