This article is by Conor Byrne and is part of the booktour for his new book, Queenship in England: 1308–1485 Gender and Power in the Late Middle Ages. Scroll down to the bottom for a chance to win a copy of the book!
Conor Byrne studied History at the University of Exeter. He is the author of Katherine Howard: A New History and Queenship in England, both published by MadeGlobal. Since 2012 he has run a historical blog and was formerly editor of Tudor Life Magazine. His research to date specialises in late medieval and early modern European history, with a focus on gender, sexuality and the monarchy.
Piety was closely associated with contemporary ideals of queenship – We know very little about Anne Neville’s brief tenure, but she does appear to have conformed to this contemporary ideal. She possessed a copy of the “Visions of St Matilda”, in which she signed her name. Anne also seems to have been interested in St. Winifred, a saint associated with the Beauchamps, her mother’s family, and it is possible that she acted as patron for William Caxton, who wrote a life of St. Winifred.
Virginity was prized in a queen consort – And yet not all of the fourteenth- and fifteenth-century consorts were virgins when they married. Elizabeth Wydeville and Anne Neville are two notable examples – Elizabeth had been previously married to the Lancastrian knight, Sir John Grey, and had given birth to two sons by him, while Anne married the future Richard III in 1472, thirteen years before she became queen. Joan of Navarre had also previously been married before her marriage to Henry IV.
It was not unusual to be the wife of a usurper – Three of the queens in this period – Joan of Navarre, Elizabeth Wydeville and Anne Neville – were married to men who usurped the throne of England. They were faced with a problematic political climate, in which it was essential that they assist their husbands in their bid for legitimacy. An important means in which assistance could be provided was in giving birth to male heirs, which confirmed divine approval of the king’s actions. Elizabeth ultimately succeeded in this respect, but Joan and Anne both failed – the latter’s son died prematurely – and it is significant in this respect that the reigns of both Henry IV and Richard III were plagued by political insurrection.
The age at which the queen married varied – Strictly speaking, canon law stipulated that girls should not marry before the age of twelve. This requirement was waived in 1396 when Richard II married Isabelle of France, who was not yet seven years old. Understandably, the marriage was not consummated, and Isabelle was left a widow at the age of ten when her husband was deposed and probably murdered. Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohem ia, Katherine of Valois, Margaret of Anjou and Anne Neville all married their husbands in their teens, although Anne Neville was in her mid-twenties when she became queen. By contrast, Joan of Navarre was in her mid-thirties when she married Henry IV and Elizabeth Wydeville was about twenty-seven when she married Edward IV.
Being queen could involve damage to one’s reputation – As in other ages, the queen’s reputation largely hinged on her conduct as a woman, and in this regard, some queens enjoyed success while others were faced with failure. Both Katherine of Valois and Margaret of Anjou were criticised for their alleged sexual immorality, while Joan of Navarre was slandered as a witch because of her stepson’s actions.
The circumstances in which the queen died varied considerably – Philippa of Hainault and Anne of Bohemia were greatly mourned by their husbands, and both were praised by their contemporaries for their conduct. After the ambivalence and instability of the regency period, Isabella of France died in dignity as the respected queen mother. Elizabeth Wydeville died in circumstances that have proven controversial; it remains uncertain whether she was effectively forced into a life of penury by her son-in-law as a result of her involvement in conspiracies against him, or whether she actively chose to retire to a religious life. Margaret of Anjou, too, ended her life in poverty. Anne Neville’s death was accompanied by rumours that her husband had poisoned her, while Isabelle of France ended hers in childbirth while married to her second husband.
The queen was not always popular with her subjects – Evidence suggests that Philippa of Hainault, Elizabeth Wydeville and, to an extent, Anne of Bohemia were respected queens that earned the admiration of their subjects. Isabella of France was praised during her marriage to Edward II and was widely supported in her coup against him, but during her son’s minority she was greatly criticised for her political actions. Margaret of Anjou was never a popular queen and was slandered as an adulteress.
The queen’s tenure varied considerably in length – Philippa of Hainault was queen of England for over forty years, and contributed to a degree of stability in the realm as a result of her frequent childbearing, thus ensuring the continuation of the ruling dynasty. Her mother-in-law, Isabella of France, was Edward II’s consort for almost twenty years and was effectively regent for a further three during her son’s minority. Margaret of Anjou’s fifteen-year queenship was conventional to begin with, but later compelled the queen to adopt a politically active role as a result of her husband’s incapacity. Her successor, Elizabeth Wydeville, was consort for nineteen years. By contrast, Katherine of Valois’s queenship lasted merely two years, while Katherine’s sister Isabelle was queen for less than three years by the time her husband was deposed.
Some queens were more politically active than others – Katherine of Valois played a largely ceremonial role during Henry V’s reign, and as a result of the couple’s frequent absences from each other, coupled with the brevity of her tenure, Katherine was unable to exercise any significant authority as consort. Philippa of Hainault and Anne of Bohemia were praised for their successes in intercession, which was traditionally idealised as the queen’s prerogative. Henry VI’s mental breakdown compelled Margaret of Anjou to effectively lead the Lancastrian party during a period of crisis, while Isabella of France played an active role in her husband’s deposition. Joan of Navarre and Elizabeth Wydeville were also politically engaged queens, but neither were required to take on leadership roles, as Margaret and Isabella were compelled to do.
The queen’s husband was not always succeeded by his heir – Isabella of France, Philippa of Hainault and Katherine of Valois were fortunate in that their husbands were succeeded by his heirs, although in Philippa’s case, her husband Edward III was succeeded by his grandson, because his son had predeceased the king. Anne of Bohemia, Isabelle of France and Anne Neville were childless during their tenures as queen – Anne Neville had given birth to a son before she became queen, but he died in childhood. Technically, Elizabeth Wydeville’s husband Edward IV was succeeded by his heir, Edward, but this succession was undone by Richard III’s usurpation and the subsequent disappearance of Elizabeth’s son. Joan of Navarre’s husband was succeeded by her stepson, Henry V. Margaret of Anjou’s son, Edward of Westminster, was slain on the battlefield during the Wars of the Roses.
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