The Murder of Prince Boudwin

The Murder of Prince Boudwin shows how King Mark converts a brother’s public service into a pretext for private violence. After Prince Boudwin saves Cornwall from a Saracen attack, Mark summons him and his family, accuses him of taking the honor that belonged to the king, and kills him. The prince’s death leaves Anglides and their young son in danger, but a warning from La Beale Isoud gives them time to flee.

Background: Boudwin’s defense of Cornwall

Soon after the Sessoynes had left Cornwall, Saracens landed there. Prince Boudwin responded quickly and secretly: he raised the country, then set fire to three of his own ships and sent them into the Saracen fleet. The flames destroyed the enemy ships, leaving none saved. At daybreak, Boudwin and his company attacked the invaders; the account says they killed forty thousand and left none alive.

The defense brought Boudwin the esteem of the people. He was already described as widely loved, and the victory increased his honor. The text also connects his standing to his affection for Sir Tristram, whom Boudwin loved well. His success therefore strengthened both his public reputation and a relationship that King Mark resented.

Mark’s motive and summons

When King Mark learned of the victory, he was deeply angry that his brother had won such honor. Boudwin was better loved than Mark throughout the country, and Mark also resented his brother’s affection for Sir Tristram. Mark decided to kill him.

To carry out the plan, Mark sent for Boudwin, his wife Anglides, and their young son, saying that he wished to see the child. The invitation concealed a further intention: Mark meant to kill the child as well as his father. He welcomed the family with apparent courtesy until they had dined, turning an ordinary family visit into the setting for a planned attack.

The murder

After dinner, Mark called his brother to account for the battle. He complained that Boudwin should have sent word when the Saracens arrived, so that Mark could have joined the expedition and received its honor himself. Boudwin answered that waiting to send for the king might have allowed the invaders to destroy the country.

Mark rejected that explanation and accused Boudwin of seeking honor for himself and of cherishing what Mark hated. He then killed his brother. Anglides saw her husband slain and collapsed in grief. The murder was followed by mourning: Boudwin was prepared for burial, and Sir Tristram, Sir Dinas, Sir Fergus, and the other knights present grieved for a prince whom the account says was greatly loved.

Flight and significance

Anglides secretly kept her husband’s doublet and shirt. The account does not explain what she intended to do with them, but their concealment marks an act of preservation amid the immediate danger. La Beale Isoud then sent word that Anglides must leave quickly or her young son, Alisander le Orphelin, would be killed. Anglides took her horse and child and escaped with the poor men who dared to ride with her.

The episode reverses the usual account of kingship as protection: Mark’s royal authority serves his envy, and his summons places a whole family at risk. Boudwin’s military success saves Cornwall from invasion but cannot protect him from his own brother. His death also makes the danger to Anglides and Alisander immediate, while their flight carries the consequences of Mark’s treachery beyond the murder itself.