Before we start, just a quick warning that this episode contains descriptions of violence

or sexual content that may not be suitable for all listeners.

It's a bitterly cold midwinter in the Alps, and there's thick snow on the ground.

The white powder squeaks and crunches beneath the feet of freezing men and animals, as

they trudge along the passes that lead through the mountains.

When the wind picks up, it howls and bites, whipping a painful mixture of sweet, dirt and

ice into their faces.

The travellers are well attended to by servants and soldiers.

They're prepared for the conditions, wrapped up in thick woolen cloaks and soft warm animal

furs, the best that money can buy.

All the same, they've been on the road for weeks, trekking halfway across Europe in this

miserable weather.

It's been agonisingly slow progress.

The frozen passes, thin air and steep slopes, reducing the pace to a handful of miles a

day.

The wood fires at night, a barely enough to keep warm, and after a while, the cold gets

into their bones.

It's a tough journey for anyone to make, not least a 66-year-old grandmother.

But Eleanor of Aquitaine has never been ordinary.

She's crossing the Alps at Christmas time 1190 because she's on a secret mission, a mission

of the highest diplomatic significance.

A mission with the potential to change history.

...