Rosamund Clifford

Common card · No. 297267

Rosamund Clifford (possibly before 1140 – c. 1176), often called "The Fair Rosamund" or "Rose of the World" (Latin: rosa mundi), was a medieval English noblewoman and mistress of King Henry II. Their relationship seems to have begun in 1166, and lasted several years, though reliable information is lacking. After it ended she retired to a convent, where she died about 1176. She became famous in English folklore and the arts, the subject of numerous poems, five operas, plays and paintings, until about 1920. According to the legend, she was placed in "Rosamund's bower" in a separate garden enclosure in the park around Woodstock Palace. The themes of the legend concentrate on her waiting there for her lover, and her confrontation with his formidable wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.

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