Product Description

The last medieval queens of England were Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne Neville, and Elizabeth of York - four very different women whose lives and queenship were dominated by the Wars of the Roses. This book is not a traditional biography but a thematic study of the ideology and practice of queenship. It examines the motivations behind the choice of the first English-born queens, the multi-faceted rituals of coronation, childbirth, and funeral, the divided loyalties between family and king, and the significance of a position at the heart of the English power structure that could only be filled by a woman. It sheds new light on the queens' struggles to defend their children's rights to the throne, and argues that ideologically and politically a queen was integral to the proper exercise of mature kingship in this period.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #540786 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 312 pages

Contemporary Review
"... impressive ... an erudite and well written study."

Review
Weaving together institutions and personality, family and realm, intimacy and ceremony, The Last Medieval Queens, is a wise book by a young and lively scholar. It is well written and beautifully produced, and is worthy of a wide readership both academic and popular. (History Today )

Contemporary Review
"... impressive ... an erudite and well written study."

Customer Reviews

The Importance of Medieval Queenship
In this book, Laynesmith looks at the last four Medieval Queens: Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne Neville and Elizabeth of York. It's difficult to compare this book to any other, as these queens are usually written about in the context of their husband's reign, or biographically, whereas this book is a look at the roles and functions of a late medieval queen in relation to the body politic, and analyses how each queen played a part in historical events.

Laynesmith's analysis includes a look at how the role of queen changed from the foreign princess of Margaret Anjou to the later English born queens. Her examination of the unique position of the queen is very interesting. In short this is a fascinating book for anyone interested in the mechanics of the late medieval court and the role and functions of the queen, but for a biographical analysis and a history of the Wars of the Roses you would be advised to seek elsewhere.