William Shakespeare did not invent his character Cordelia out of thin air in the early 17th century. Rather he was influenced by the 12th century works of Geoffrey of Monmouth who wrote the then-definitive history on Britain, Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), which featured the story of King Leir and his daughters. There is no evidence or factual proof that the Leir family actually existed, but it was taken as truth (most likely a lively embellishment of long-lived oral traditions). In any case, like Shakespeare’s “King Learâ€, the king decided to split his kingdom among his three daughters but first asked each of them to demonstrate their love. The two older daughters (Goneril and Regan) gave their father the answers he desired; but the youngest, Cordelia, only spoke plainly and honestly (which was her nature). Angered by her lacking response, Leir disinherited her and refused to offer a dowry to Aganippus (the King of the Franks across the channel in Gaul) who asked for Cordelia’s hand in marriage. Aganippus married Cordelia anyway and the two returned to Gaul. In the meantime, the duplicitous Goneril and Regan (and their respective husbands) rose up against King Leir and took over the entire kingdom for themselves. Clearly seeing the errors of his way, King Leir sought refuge in the arms of his only honest and good daughter Cordelia in Gaul. Cordelia’s husband, Aganippus, amassed his own Gaulish army for Leir and the usurpers were quickly defeated. King Leir was reinstated as King of Briton and Cordelia would inhereit the throne upon her father’s death three years later. This is how Cordelia became Queen of Briton – a reign that would last for five years – until her nephews (the sons of Goneril and Regan) went to war against her. Once defeated and imprisoned by her own kin, the brokenhearted Cordelia committed suicide. After Queen Gwendolen, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth at least, Cordelia was the second female leader of the Celtic Britons dating back to the start of England’s history. Shakespeare was writing during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I so strong female rulers were not exactly foreign to the English (as they are to Americans). And certainly those ancient Celtic women had even stronger countenances!
