Queens of the Age of Chivalry

July 1, 2022

In this third in a four-volume series on England's medieval queens, New York Times best-selling historian and historical novelist Weir escorts readers on a visit to the Plantagenet queens who ruled England between 1299 and 1399: Marguerite of France; Isabella of France (aka "the She Wolf"); the popular Philippa of Hainault; Anne of Bohemia, the doomed first wife of Richard II; and Isabella of Valois, Richard's second wife.

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October 15, 2022
Five consorts of 14th-century British kings, hitherto obscure, come vividly to life. The prolific Weir, a serious historian and diligent researcher, specializes in English royal women, having recounted the lives of Anne Boleyn, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Mary, Queen of Scots, and many others in both novels and books of nonfiction. This book completes the author's Medieval Queens trilogy, following Queens of Conquest and Queens of the Crusades. Weir points out that her subjects "grew up in an age in which society regarded women as inferior beings." The education of princesses emphasized piety and aimed "to increase their desirability in the royal marriage market and equip them to be the ornaments of courts." Some may not have been literate, and their public influence varied from negligible to considerable. As objects of diplomatic strategy, most were French, England's major rival, betrothed in childhood and married a few years later. In fact, 12 was considered the ideal age for marriage. Most of these royal women accepted their privileged but subordinate role, which featured a great deal of ceremony, religious observance, pregnancy, and family matters as well as occasional brushes with the nasty politics of the time. In addition to political matters, the author examines the women's wardrobes, hairstyles, jewelry, designs of their living quarters, architecture of their castles, travel itineraries, and their royal domestic routines. History buffs may skim some of these sections. Fortunately, Weir regularly steps back to assess 14th-century Europe, "an age that witnessed high drama: the toppling of two kings, the Hundred Years War, the Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt." At the same time, she writes, "England saw a burgeoning nationalism and the rise and prosperity of the merchant classes." The author includes helpful family trees for the Plantagenets and the French royal connections at the time. Well-researched, competent popular medieval history.

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October 24, 2022
Historian and novelist Weir follows up Queens of the Crusades with this solid third volume in her series on medieval England’s queens. Focusing on the period between 1299 and 1409, Weir spotlights Marguerite of France (wife of Edward I), Isabella of France (wife of Edward II), Philippa of Hainault (wife of Edward III), Anne of Bohemia (first wife of Richard II), and Isabella of Valois (second wife of Richard II). Detailed and immersive profiles humanize these women, showcasing their range of personalities and experiences, from “peacemaker” Marguerite; to Isabella of France, who raised an army to depose her husband; to Isabella of Valois, who married Richard II at age six and was widowed by age 10. In the most evocative segment, Weir seeks to banish the perception of Isabella of France as a “she-wolf,” depicting her as a flawed woman who nonetheless exhibited extraordinary courage and resourcefulness in toppling Edward, whose relationships with Hugh le Despenser and other male advisers caused turmoil in their relationship and between England and France. Throughout, Weir focuses on broader themes of chivalry that shaped the era’s alliances and debunks the most scandalous court gossip. The result is a thorough and illuminating survey of the Plantagenet dynasty.