Aelfthryth, Queen of England
In researching medieval queens, I came across the story of a queen having all the elements of a fairy tale. Her name is Aelfthryth, the wife of King Edgar the Peaceable
Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland
The marriage of Margaret of Denmark and King James III of Scotland may not have been very happy. But the union had a significant impact on the territorial gains of Scotland.
Mary of Guelders, Queen of Scotland
Mary was born c. 1434, the daughter of Arnold, Duke of Guelders and Catherine of Cleves, a great aunt of Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England.
Edith of Wessex, Queen of England
We would like examine the life of a woman who was a contemporary of Queen Emma, Queen Matilda and mentor of Saint Margaret of Scotland.
Sex and Political Legitimacy: an Examination of Byzantine Empresses (399 -1056 c.e.)
The intent of this paper was to examine another aspect of the life of Byzantine Empresses: their ability to assert political power.
Interview with Sarah Gristwood, author of Blood Sisters: The Hidden Lives of the Women Behind the Wars of the Roses
It was really Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI’s wife, with her ambition and determination – her refusal to let the Duke of York assume control, after her husband had fallen into a catatonic stupor – that kickstarted the civil war.
A Historiography of Chastity in the Marriage of Edith of Wessex and Edward the Confessor
While records of Edith’s life and her marriage to Edward are poor, the historiography of those who narrated her life after her death is rich. In some ways, the historiography of her life was directly related to that of her husband’s.
La Vie en Breton: Anne of Brittany’s Enduring Legacy and Appeal
Anne of Brittany (1477-1514) has inspired painters, poets, Breton nationalists, and even a wildly popular French rock opera.
The King’s Mercy. An Attribute of Later Medieval English Monarchy
Modern assumptions about medieval justice still tend to see this process of amelioration as merely occasional and exceptional: mercy needed to be applied only where special circumstances made it inappropriate to apply the full rigours of the law. This, however, is seriously to misunderstand both the purpose and the pervasiveness of mercy in the operation of medieval justice.
The Queen’s Blood: A Study of Family Ties during the Wars of the Roses
Although Elizabeth of York was much less politically active than her mother, she was always a theoretically more politically powerful woman. While Elizabeth Woodville came from the lowest ranks of the English nobility, Elizabeth of York was the daughter of Edward IV and a princess in her own right.
The Queen of troubadours goes to England: Eleanor of Aquitaine and 12th Century Anglo-Norman Literary Milieu
Although her importance in the growth of courtly love literature in France has been sufficiently stated, little attention has been paid to her patronising activities in England.
Reassessing the Roles of Women as ‘Makers’ of Medieval Art and Architecture
This two-volume set proposes a renewed way of framing the debate around the history of medieval art and architecture to highlight the multiple roles played by women.
Women and the Transmission of Power in Medieval Byzantium
Information about Byzantine women of power and influence who lived in the eastern capital during its long history from AD 330-1453 is often concealed in references that either minimize or demonize women (a familiar problem).
The Uncommon Commonality of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor lived at the junction of these two phenomena. She was raised on the foundation of a reforming western world that her people, aesthetically speaking, pioneered in many ways. The history of her, fact and fiction, result from that background.
The daughters of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: a comparative study of twelfth-century royal women
This thesis is the first study of the daughters of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine which considers them in a dynastic context.
Partners in Rule: A Study of Twelfth-Century Queens of England
The queens of twelfth-century England provide a prime example of how the queen was not, in fact, powerless in the rule of her realm, but rather a significant governmental official who had the opportunity to take a complementary part in royal rule that suited her strengths.
An Inconvenient Princess
On November 11th, 1480, a child was baptized in the Palace of Eltham with all solemnity and grandeur, as was fitting for a royal princess of the House of York. The child was named Bridget, after the 14th century Swedish saint who wrote of personal visions of Christ and founded a religious order.
The Art of a Reigning Queen as Dynastic Propaganda in Twelfth-Century Spain
This study, however, will focus on Urraca of Leon-Castile (reigned 1109-26) to examine the unusual role of a reigning queen, that is, the king’s daughter and heir to his throne, whose position carried a greater dynastic weight than did a queen consort’s.
The uses of luxury: some examples from the Portuguese courts from 1480 to 1580
Whereas women accumulated objects in direct relation with their spirituality (with the exception of Queen Catarina), men favoured the possession of religious objects as a strategy in order to reinforce political power and authority.
The Education of Princess Mary Tudor
The Education of Princess Mary Tudor Pierret Perkins, Katherine Lee M.A. Thesis, History, Louisiana State University, December(2007) Abstract Mary Tudor, the first officially…
Talking about history in eleventh century England: the Encomium Emmae Reginae and the court of Harthacnut
Talking about history in eleventh century England: the Encomium Emmae Reginae and the court of Harthacnut Tyler, Elizabeth M. Early Medieval Europe, 13…
Beyond the Castle Gate: The Role of Royal Landscapes in Constructions of English Medieval Kingship and Queenship
Beyond the Castle Gate: The Role of Royal Landscapes in Constructions of English Medieval Kingship and Queenship By Amanda Richardson Concilium medii aevi,…
The Unknown Empress: Theodora As a Victim of Distorted Images
We have had a long tradition of attempts to replace her historical image with an idealized, uncritical glossy picture or to denigrate her utterly.
Politics, power and prestige : the historiography of medieval English queens, 1821-1998
Politics, power and prestige : the historiography of medieval English queens, 1821-1998 Forget, Natalie Erica (The University of Guelph) Thesis: M.A. Arts, University…
Women in the Gesta Stephani
Women in the Gesta Stephani By Sarah Williams Published Online (2011) Introduction: The Gesta Stephani chronicles the turbulent reign of King Stephen (1135-1154),…