The Female Consort as Intercessor in Sixteenth-Century Saxony
In the first part, I will examine how the consort’s position was defined in the 1537 coronation of Christian III and Dorothea of Denmark-Norway.
Charlotte of Savoy, Queen of France
Charlotte of Savoy, Queen of France By Susan Abernethy Charlotte of Savoy came from a large family and was married at the tender…
Materiality in the Queenship of Isabeau of Bavaria
This thesis revisits the origins of Isabeau of Bavaria’s notorious reputation – her ‘Black Legend’.
Premodern Queenship and Diplomacy in Europe – conference and lectures to be hosted by Canterbury Christ Church University
Canterbury Christ Church University is hosting two free public lectures this week on the role that medieval and early modern queens played in diplomatic relations throughout Europe.
Berengaria of Navarre, Queen of England
Of the many princesses available as a bride for Richard the Lionheart, King of England, Berengaria of Navarre was chosen to be his queen.
Caught in Love’s Grip: Passion and Moral Agency in French Courtly Romance
French royal courts in the late twelfth century were absolutely smitten with love. Troubadaours traveled from place to place reciting stories of knights and the ladies they wooed.
Annabella Drummond, Queen of Scotland
Annabella Drummond was married to Robert III, King of Scots. They had the longest duration of a Scottish royal marriage in history
Viking-Age Queens and the Formation of Identity
One may ask, then, not why there exists such a paucity of these women in the written record, but why any are mentioned at all, and for what purposes?
The Tale of Bealhildis or how an Anglian slave became a saintly French Queen
It is not every day England gives a home girl to be worshipped as a Saint by enthusiastic Gallic crowds.
Empress Matilda and the anarchy: the problem of royal succession in medieval England
Why is it that Matilda was unable to secure the throne in her own right? And why do historians continue to debate the legitimacy of her brief lordship?
Margaret Stewart of Scotland, Dauphine of France
The chroniclers say Margaret had a talent for writing rhymes and poetry like her father. She was fond of court life and was popular with the courtiers but for the most part bored and unhappy.
Making a difference in tenth-century politics: King Athelstan’s sisters and Frankish queenship
In the early years of the tenth century several Anglo-Saxon royal women, all daughters of King Edward the Elder of Wessex (899-924) and sisters (or half-sisters) of his son King Athelstan (924-39), were despatched across the Channel as brides for Frankish and Saxon rulers and aristocrats. This article addresses the fate of some of these women through an analysis of their political identities.
BOOK REVIEW: “Defending the City of God” : A Medieval Queen, the First Crusades, and the Quest for Peace in Jerusalem, by Sharan Newman
This is my review of Sharan Newman’s latest book, Defending the City of God: A Medieval Queen, the First Crusades, and the Quest for Peace in Jerusalem.
Call for Papers: Pre-modern Queenship and Diplomacy in Europe
Call for Papers: Pre-modern Queenship and Diplomacy in Europe Canterbury Christ Church University on 12-13 September 2014 (Deadline for CFP, 30 April 2014). This…
Queenship, Nunneries and Royal Widowhood in Carolingian Europe
Fulk‟s letter therefore introduces us to some central aspects of Carolingian thinking about the appropriate behaviour of laywomen especially, and serves as a way into the principal themes of this article. In particular, it is noticeable that the archbishop highlighted his expectations of Richildis in two roles: her supposed misdemeanour was concerned specifically with a failure to meet her obligations as a widow and as a queen.
Ermengarde de Beaumont, Queen of Scotland
Very little is known of Ermengarde de Beaumont who became Queen of Scotland in 1186 when she married the forty three year old King William I of Scotland, later known as ‘The Lyon’.
The Wardrobe of Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland
Margaret of Denmark dressed at the height of fashion in mid-15th century Scotland.
Elizabeth de Burgh, Queen of Scotland
When Robert the Bruce carried on his fight for the Scottish throne, Elizabeth and the rest of Bruce’s family were to suffer the consequences.
New Books on Medieval Women
Five new books that look at women in the Middle Ages, including queens and ogling.
Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland
Back to Scotland with the story of the wife of King James I. Her husband was murdered before her eyes
Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy and Regent of the Netherlands
Margaret’s Motto: Fortune, Infortune, Fortune pretty much sums up her extraordinary life.
The Meek And Mighty Bride: Representations of Esther, Old Testament Queen of Persia, on Fifteenth-Century Italian Marriage Furniture
Cassone and spalliere panels depicting the Old Testament Book of Esther were produced by a number of Florentine artists during the fifteenth century.
The ‘second Jezebel’: representations of the sixth-century Queen Brunhild
The sixth century Merovingian queen Brunhild is a figure of extremes, lauded by Pope Gregory the Great as ‘most excellent daughter’ and later defiled as ‘the enemy of
Christianity’.
BOOKS: Great Reads about Medieval Queens!
Queens Consort: England’s Medieval Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York Author: Lisa Hilton Publisher: Pegasus (August 3, 2010) Summary England’s medieval…
Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal
As far as possible, Philippa and Joao went everywhere together. They put forth the image of a loving and happy family. They agreed to name their first born child a Portuguese name if it were a boy and an English name if it was a girl and then alternate names, irrespective of sex.