This book examines the emergence of the queen consort in medieval England, beginning with the pre-Conquest era and ending with death of Margaret of France, second wife of Edward I, in 1307. Though many of the figures in this volumes are well known, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Eleanor of Castille, the chapters here are unique in the equal consideration given to the tenures of the lesser known consorts, including: Adeliza of Louvain, second wife of Henry I; Margaret of France, wife of Henry the Young King; and even Isabella of Gloucester, the first wife of King John. These innovative and thematic biographies highlight the evolution of the office of the queen and the visible roles that consorts played, which were integral to the creation of the identity of early English monarchy. This volume and its companions reveal the changing nature of English consortship from the Norman Conquest to today.
This volume aims to strengthen our knowledge of the strategies that queens used to wield power in male-dominated politics and society. This book ends with Messer and Katherine Weikert s chapter, successfully summarises the conclusions from each chapter on the actions, power, and influence of twelve different queens . This edited collection is a worthy addition to the historiography of high medieval English queenship as it clearly demonstrates the vast possibilities when it came to the role. (Ashlee Johnson, Royal Studies Journal, Vol. 11 (2), 2024)