Author Description

The discussion of royalty in medieval and Tudor England has traditionally centred on the role and character of the king. By contrast, surprisingly little regard has been paid to their frequently influential and powerful consorts. This volume addresses this imbalance in a unique and illuminating manner by allowing the queens to speak for themselves through their own correspondence. Letters, many of them never previously published, are included from virtually every English queen from Matilda of Scotland, first wife of Henry I, to Katherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII. Each letter is set in context by the editor, who describes the nature of the business discussed and outlines the personality of the queen concerned. Letters like that from Eleanor of Aquitaine seeking Pope Celestine's help in securing the release of her son, Richard the Lionheart, or those from Katherine of Aragon to her father, telling him of her troubles as the widow of Arthur, Prince of Wales, speak to us across the centuries. A general introduction to the volume describes the role of queens in medieval and Tudor English life, the ways in which they were selected as brides, and their relationships with their husbands and sons. Illustrated throughout and complemented by detailed genealogical tables and a useful table of marriages, The Letters of the Queens of England 1100-1547 is an invaluable reference source for historians and a fascinating introduction for the general reader to the foremost women of medieval and Tudor England.