Editing Henry III of England (section)

== Death ==
[[File:westminster.abbey.tombofhenry.london.arp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Henry's tomb in [[Westminster Abbey]], London]]

Edward left for the [[Eighth Crusade]], led by Louis of France, in 1270, but Henry became increasingly ill; concerns about a fresh rebellion grew and the next year the King wrote to his son asking him to return to England, but Edward did not turn back.<ref>{{Harvnb|Jobson|2012|p=166}}; {{Harvnb|Howell|2001|pp=252–253}}; {{Harvnb|Ridgeway|2004}}</ref> Henry recovered slightly and announced his renewed intention to join the crusades himself, but he never regained his full health and on the evening of 16 November 1272, he died in Westminster, probably with Eleanor in attendance.<ref>{{Harvnb|Jobson|2012|p=166}}; {{Harvnb|Howell|2001|p=253}}; {{Harvnb|Ridgeway|2004}}</ref> He was succeeded by Edward, who slowly made his way back to England via Gascony, finally arriving in August 1274.<ref>{{Harvnb|Carpenter|2004|pp=46, 468}}</ref>

At his request, Henry was buried in Westminster Abbey in front of the church's high altar, in the former resting place of Edward the Confessor.<ref>{{Harvnb|Duffy|2003|pp=74–75}}; {{Harvnb|Howell|2001|p=247}}</ref>{{Efn|Until 1246, Henry had wanted to be buried in the Temple Church, London, near William Marshal's resting place; he then changed his mind, choosing to be buried close to Edward the Confessor.<ref>{{Harvnb|Duffy|2003|p=74}}</ref>}} A few years later, work began on a grander tomb for Henry, and in 1290 Edward moved his father's body to its current location in Westminster Abbey.<ref name=Duffy2003P75>{{Harvnb|Duffy|2003|p=75}}</ref> His [[gilding|gilt]]-[[brass]] [[tomb effigy]] was designed and forged within the abbey grounds by [[William Torell]]; unlike other effigies of the period, it is particularly [[Realism (arts)|naturalistic]] in style, but it is probably not a close likeness of Henry himself.<ref>{{Harvnb|Duffy|2003|pp=75–76}}</ref>{{Efn|A cast was made from Henry's funeral effigy in 1911 by Titus Giuseppe Formilli, and bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1912 where, as of 2013, it is still on display. The effigy was praised by the museum in 1919 as being the "high water mark of English sepulchral sculpture" and was influential in the design of funeral effigies following the First World War.<ref>{{Harvnb|Goebel|2007|p=271}}; {{Cite web |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127977/effigy-of-king-henry-iii-plaster-cast-torel-william |title=Effigy of King Henry III of England |website=V & A |date=31 July 2013 |access-date=17 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054249/http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127977/effigy-of-king-henry-iii-plaster-cast-torel-william |archive-date=21 September 2013 |mode=cs2 |publisher=Victoria and Albert Museum |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

Eleanor probably hoped that Henry would be recognised as a saint, as his contemporary Louis IX of France had been; indeed, Henry's final tomb resembled the shrine of a saint, complete with niches possibly intended to hold relics.<ref>{{Harvnb|Howell|2001|p=306}}; {{Harvnb|Vincent|2006|p=194}}</ref> When the King's body was exhumed in 1290, contemporaries noted that the body was in perfect condition and that Henry's long beard remained well preserved, which at the time was considered to be an indication of saintly purity.<ref>{{Harvnb|Stacey|1997|p=86}}; {{Harvnb|Duffy|2003|p=79}}; {{Harvnb|Howell|2001|p=306}}</ref> Miracles began to be reported at the tomb, but Edward was sceptical about these stories. The reports ceased, and Henry was never [[canonised]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Howell|2001|p=306}}; {{Harvnb|Carpenter|2005|p=29}}</ref> In 1292, his heart was removed from his tomb and reburied at [[Fontevraud Abbey]] in [[Duchy of Anjou|Anjou]], France with the bodies of his Angevin family.<ref name=Duffy2003P75/>