In the first volume of an exciting new series,
bestselling author Alison Weir brings the dramatic reigns of
England's medieval queens to life.
The lives of
England's medieval queens were packed with incident—love,
intrigue, betrayal, adultery, and warfare—but their stories
have been largely obscured by centuries of myth and
omission. Now esteemed biographer Alison Weir provides a
fresh perspective and restores these women to their rightful
place in history.
Spanning the years from the Norman
conquest in 1066 to the dawn of a new era in 1154, when
Henry II succeeded to the throne and Eleanor of Aquitaine,
the first Plantagenet queen, was crowned, this epic book
brings to vivid life five women, including: Matilda of
Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, the first Norman
king; Matilda of Scotland, revered as "the common mother of
all England"; and Empress Maud, England's first female
ruler, whose son King Henry II would go on to found the
Plantagenet dynasty. More than those who came before or
after them, these Norman consorts were recognized as equal
sharers in sovereignty. Without the support of their wives,
the Norman kings could not have ruled their disparate
dominions as effectively.
Drawing from the most
reliable contemporary sources, Weir skillfully strips away
centuries of romantic lore to share a balanced and authentic
take on the importance of these female monarchs. What
emerges is a seamless royal saga, an all-encompassing
portrait of English medieval queenship, and a sweeping
panorama of British history.
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