Queenship in England: 1308-1485 Gender and Power in the Late Middle Ages

“An interesting and accessible exploration of medieval queenship in relation to gender expectations.” - Amy Licence, author of Catherine of Aragon: An Intimate Life of Henry VIII's True Wife

“A very readable and thoroughly researched book that looks at the role of late medieval Queens of England in an original way.” - Toni Mount, author of A Year in the Life of Medieval England

Between 1308 and 1485, nine women were married to kings of England. Their status as queen offered them the opportunity to exercise authority in a manner that was denied to other women of the time. This book offers a new study of these nine queens and their queenship in late medieval England.

• Isabella of France, wife of Edward II
• Philippa of Hainault, wife of Edward III
• Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II
• Isabelle of France, second wife of Richard II
• Joan of Navarre, wife of Henry IV
• Katherine of Valois, wife of Henry V
• Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI

  Elizabeth Wydeville, wife of Edward IV

  Anne Neville, wife of Richard III

The fourteenth- and fifteenth-centuries were frequently characterised by dynastic uncertainty and political tensions. Scholars have recognised that the kings who ruled during this time were confronted with challenges to their kingship, as new questions emerged about what it meant to be a successful king in late medieval England. This book examines the challenges faced by the queens who ruled at this time. It investigates the relationship between gender and power at the English court, while exploring how queenship responded to, and was informed by, the tensions at the heart of governance.

Ultimately Queenship in England questions whether a new model of queenship emerged from the great upheavals underpinning the fourteenth- and fifteenth-century polity.