Description
Book SynopsisAn examination of queens in history, extrapolating their connections to each other, the perceptions of them by their constituents, and the fallacies of their historical reputations.
Trade Review“There’s a little bit for everyone here, especially for those interested in Elizabeth I, whose acts of mercy, travels, international relations, and representations in various guises are all covered, among other topics. . . . Those interested in any of the queens here will find this a rewarding book.”—Susan Higginbotham,
Historical Novels Review "These excellent essays are a joy to read. Together they question assumptions about pre-modern culture and offer new and interesting interpretations of queenship."—Retha Warnicke,
Sixteenth Century JournalTable of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: It's Good to Be Queen
Robert Bucholz and Carole Levin
1. "Greater by Marriage": The Matrimonial Career of the Empress Matilda
Charles Beem
2. Widow Princess or Neglected Queen? Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII, and English Public Opinion, 1533–1536
Timothy G. Elston
3. "Most godly heart fraight with al mercie": Queens' Mercy during the Reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I
Sarah Duncan
4. Princess Elizabeth Travels across Her Kingdom: In Life, in Text, and on Stage
Carole Levin
5. Marriage à la Mode, 1559: Elisabeth de Valois, Elizabeth I, and the Changing Practice of Dynastic Marriage
John Watkins
6. Queen Solomon: An International Elizabeth I in 1569
Linda S. Shenk
7. The Virgin and the Widow: The Political Finesse of Elizabeth I and Catherine de' Medici
Elaine Kruse
8. Crafting Queens: Early Modern Readings of Esther
Michele Osherow
9. "Shine like an Angel with thy starry crown": Queen Elizabeth the Angelic
Anna Riehl
10. Shakespeare's Queen Cleopatra: An Act of Translation
Richardine Woodall
11. "She is the man, and Raignes": Popular Representations of Henrietta Maria during the English Civil Wars
Michelle A. White
12. Sex and the Single Queen: The Erotic Lives of Elizabeth Tudor in Seventeenth-century England
Marjorie Swann
13. The "Stomach of a Queen," or Size Matters: Gender, Body Image, and the Historical Reputation of Queen Anne
Robert Bucholz
14. Two Poems
Amber Harris Leichner
Selected Bibliography
Contributors
Index
