This book examines the power held by the French medieval queensduring the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and their larger roles within thekingdom at a time when women were excluded from succession to the throne. Wellbefore Catherine and Marie de’ Medici, the last medieval French queens playedan essential role in the monarchy, not only because they bore the weight oftheir dynasty’s destiny but also because they embodied royal majesty alongsidetheir husbands. Since women were excluded from the French crown in 1316, they wereonly deemed as “queen consorts.” Far from being confined solely to the privatesphere, however, these queens participated in the communication of power andcontributed to the proper functioning of “court society.” From Isabeau ofBavaria and her political influence during her husband’s intermittent absencesto Anne of Brittany’s reign, this book sheds light on the meaning andcomplexity of the office of queen and ultimately the female history of power.
