Interior of Leeds Castle

A former royal palace begun in the 12th century. There was a Saxon royal manor here as early as 857 AD, After the Norman invasion the manor was held by the Crevecoeur family (literal translation, "breakheart"), who rebuilt the manor as a stone dwelling. That early castle saw action during the turbulent conflict between King Stephen and Queen Maud, and in 1139 Stephen captured it from Maud's supporters.From 1278 the castle belonged to the crown. In that year Edward I began building the barbican and the unusual fortified mill. Edward gave Leeds Castle as a dower gift to both his wives, Eleanor and Margaret, thus starting a tradition that frequently saw the castle owned by the queen of England. Among queens who have owned Leeds Castle (apart from Eleanor and Margaret) are Isabella of France, Joan of Navarre, Anne of Bohemia, and Catherine of Valois. Despite ostensible royal control, Isabella, queen to Edward II, was refused entry by the constable of the castle in 1321. The king had to besiege the castle to wrest it from the constable's power. He also wrested the constable's head from his shoulders! From that point Leeds seems to have gained a reputation as being a "ladies castle".