Book
Queens of the Conquest
First published 2017
The first volume of England’s Medieval Queens examines the women who shaped the monarchy from the Norman Conquest to the accession of Henry II. Matilda of Flanders, Matilda of Scotland, Adeliza of Louvain, Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne navigated conquest, succession war, regency and patronage. Their careers show that queenship involved landholding, diplomacy and government as well as marriage and motherhood.
The five queens occupied very different political positions, from partners in conquest to rival claimants during the Anarchy. Their households, estates and family networks could supply money, patronage and military support when kings were absent or contested. By treating queenship as an office with practical responsibilities, the book restores women to political narratives often told almost entirely through their husbands and sons.
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