Daughters of Chivalry
Published on 6. January 2023
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-64313-194-8 (ISBN)
Description
Revealing the truth behind the life of a royal princess in medieval England, the colorful story of the five remarkable daughters of King Edward I.
Virginal, chaste, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealized-and largely mythical-notion of the medieval noblewoman still lingers. Yet the reality was very different, as Kelcey Wilson-Lee shows in this vibrant account of the five daughters of Edward I, often known as Longshanks.
The lives of these sisters-Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth-ran the gamut of experiences open to royal women in the Middle Ages. Edward's daughters were of course expected to cement alliances and secure lands and territory by making great dynastic marriages, or endow religious houses with royal favor. But they also skillfully managed enormous households, navigated choppy diplomatic waters, and promoted their family's cause throughout Europe-and had the courage to defy their royal father. They might never wear the crown in their own right, but they were utterly confident of their crucial role in the spectacle of medieval kingship.
Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, Daughters of Chivalry offers a rich portrait of these formidable women, seeing them-at long last-shine from out of the shadows, revealing what it was to be a princess in the Age of Chivalry.
Virginal, chaste, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealized-and largely mythical-notion of the medieval noblewoman still lingers. Yet the reality was very different, as Kelcey Wilson-Lee shows in this vibrant account of the five daughters of Edward I, often known as Longshanks.
The lives of these sisters-Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth-ran the gamut of experiences open to royal women in the Middle Ages. Edward's daughters were of course expected to cement alliances and secure lands and territory by making great dynastic marriages, or endow religious houses with royal favor. But they also skillfully managed enormous households, navigated choppy diplomatic waters, and promoted their family's cause throughout Europe-and had the courage to defy their royal father. They might never wear the crown in their own right, but they were utterly confident of their crucial role in the spectacle of medieval kingship.
Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, Daughters of Chivalry offers a rich portrait of these formidable women, seeing them-at long last-shine from out of the shadows, revealing what it was to be a princess in the Age of Chivalry.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64313-194-8 (9781643131948)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Kelcey Wilson-Lee is a historian of Britain, its art, and its architecture. She writes for English Heritage and Country Life magazine. Kelcey manages the Regional Philanthropy program at the University of Cambridge, where she lives. Daughters of Chivalry is her first book.