Reproductive Pressure and Royal Couples

Reviews / Votes

This book, based on a University of Edinburgh PhD from 2022, explores the reproductive history of eight royal couples of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, three cases from England (Henry III and Eleanor of Provence, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, and Edward II and Isabella of France) and five cases from Scotland (Alexander II and Joan of England, Alexander III and Margaret of England, Alexander III and Yolande of Dreux, David II and Joan of the Tower, and David II and Margaret Logie). A useful chart on pp. viii-ix summarizes the important details about these couples: their age at marriage, the number of children, with their dates of birth, possible miscarriages, and the king's illegitimate children, if any. From this, one can see at a glance that, of the eight marriages discussed, five involved brides in the age range 11-13, one aged seven, and two in their twenties or early thirties.


After an exceptionally precise and informative introduction which surveys the eight cases (1-16), and then the obligatory trawl through the historiography (16-41), there follow five chapters that are thematic and discuss the cases comparatively. The writing style is clear, the topics are marked out by sub-headings and there is very little jargon.[...]


The book ranges widely and turns up memorable moments. In 1261 a messenger bringing news to king Alexander III of the birth of his first child, a daughter Margaret, was rewarded with a life grant of ten marks (a mark was two-thirds of a pound), while three years later, in 1264, a similar messenger reporting the birth of his son Alexander received ten pounds, a sum worth 50 per cent more. It is unlikely that the difference between the amount granted for news of a son and that for news of a daughter is to be explained by monetary inflation (57-8). Another intriguing section is headed "Fake Pregnancy Narratives" (83-94).[...] -- Robert Bartlett * The Medieval Review (May 2026): 26.05.20 *