Queens of the Age of Chivalry (England's Medieval Queens Book 3)

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Marguerite and Isabella had been born into the most illustrious royal house in Christendom. In the early fourteenth century, France was the wealthiest and most heavily populated kingdom in Europe: it had an estimated twenty-one million inhabitants, compared to four and a half million in England, and eighty thousand of them lived in Paris, twice the population of London. French society was essentially feudal, and the royal domain now covered more than half of modern France; the rest was made up of vassal feudatories.

Most of all, I found it fascinating reading about queens I had previously heard little about. There is so much detail about each one, and I take my hat off to Alison Weir at the work that goes into every book she writes. My interest was especially piqued at a theory she posits regarding Edward II. But you’ll have to read the book to find out what that was! Although there is a lot of information, no stuffy nonfiction chronicle is this. Rather it reads more like a novel. I really liked that when Weir cited money, she gave the equivalent in today’s price; this provided a meaningful perspective on the costs. Boniface now suggested a double marriage alliance between France and England: Edward I was to marry Marguerite, while his son and heir, Edward of Caernarfon, Prince of Wales (later Edward II), would wed Philip’s daughter Isabella, then two years old. Once this peace had been sealed, Gascony was to be returned to King Edward. The plan was approved by both sides and the English Parliament. For Philip, it conjured up the tantalizing prospect of French influence being extended into England and his grandson eventually occupying the English throne. For Edward, it promised two brilliant marriages and the return of Gascony. Marguerite would be the first French princess ever to become queen of England, and the first English consort in 150 years not to hail from southern France or the Iberian peninsula. Live events, workshops and classes for adults will all resume inside the venue, all while following the government’s current Covid-19 safety guidelines. Edward’s great adversary was Philip IV of France, the most powerful ruler in Christendom. From 1296, Philip had been at war with both England and Flanders.But as for the other four (well, maybe with the exception of Philippa of Hainault, Isabella’s daughter-in-law), I was a bit more lukewarm as their stories were just less interesting and impactful and they remained mostly relegated to the shadows of men throughout their lives. At least they seemed to have happy marriages, unlike Isabella, so at least there’s that. Of the five queens Weir portrays, Isabella of France receives the lengthiest attention, and for good historical reasons. She became the most powerful out of necessity, when it became clear early in her marriage that Edward II’s political judgment was being dangerously manipulated by a sinister male court favorite, Hugh Le Despenser (he wasn’t the only king during this period whose sexual interests included men and women). Isabella finally raised an army with the help of her lover, Roger Mortimer, and they successfully overthrew Edward, becoming unofficial but effective co-regents until Edward III reached adulthood.

Rootin’-tootin’ history of the dry-gulchers, horn-swogglers, and outright killers who populated the Wild West’s wildest city in the late 19th century. How does Alison Weir do it?! I’m fairly new to her books and have read about three of them so far, but with each and every single one, she’s had the ability to absolutely hook me. It is crystal clear that Weir’s favorite queen is Queen Isabella (she is one of my favorites, as well) due to her owning the majority of the text and detail. This isn’t a horrible flaw, per se, but this isn’t an Isabella sole biography and “Queens of the Age of Chivalry” is supposed to focus on the other women, as well. I feel much better versed in the English royalty of the 14th century now. Maybe I still have a chance at being erudite enough? Her crossing was apparently smooth. Her half-brother, King Philip IV of France—known as “Philip the Fair” because of his good looks—had provided her with a retinue befitting a queen. The dukes of Burgundy and Brittany headed an impressive, elegantly dressed train of nobles and “people of knowledge.” Among Marguerite’s female attendants were seven French ladies, and two English ones sent by King Edward to wait on his bride and teach her English customs.Medieval queens were seen as mere dynastic trophies, yet many of the Plantagenet queens of the High Middle Ages dramatically broke away from the restrictions imposed on their sex, as Alison Weir shows in this gripping group biography of England's fourteenth-century consorts. Using personal letters and wonderfully vivid sources, Alison Weir evokes the lives of five remarkable queens: Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois. From one of Britain's best selling historians, a sweeping and magisterial history of the extraordinary lives of five queens in England's turbulent Age of Chivalry Her descriptions of the the palaces made me feel as if I was there. I was astounded at that vast sums the women spent on clothes, food, trips and impressing foreign dignitaries. Weir fortifies “Queens of the Age of Chivalry” with a section of photo plates, bibliography (which is actually impressive with its extensive lengthy list) and notes (not annotated).