What was the role of the queen in the medieval world? Past generations of historians focused on kings: male rulers and their achievements in politics and war. The role of queens was frequently overlooked. This module will explore the notion of Queenship. Through a series of case-studies, ranging from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries and drawing examples from England, France, and Spain, we will examine the role that queens played in medieval society. Students will be introduced to a vibrant recent scholarship, which reinstates royal women in their rightful position as leaders in the medieval world: as mothers and consorts responsible for the perpetuation of royal lines, but equally importantly as strong political figures, even as rulers in their own right, and as patrons of religion and culture. We will examine medieval queens in the wider context of women of the period, questioning the extent to which we are able to reconstruct their roles using male-dominated written accounts. Students will be introduced to modern approaches to studying Queenship, and explore a wide range of written source material and surviving material culture, to understand the power of the queen in the medieval ‘game of thrones’.

• Demonstrate knowledge of queenship in the medieval period.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the problems posed by female rulership in the medieval world.
• Identify the appropriate textual and material evidence for queenship and understand how to analyse and interpret different types of evidence.
• Demonstrate the ability to use information from class and independent research to construct an academically-sound argument.
• Recognise and analyse the major scholarly debates and trends concerning the history of queenship. 

The module will be delivered through nine two-hour evening sessions. These sessions will consist of a fifty-minute lecture followed by group discussion and activities. Students will be expected to have read the relevant material provided and use that as the basis for contributions in class.

• The ability to communicate ideas and arguments effectively, whether in class discussion or in written form
• The ability to work effectively with others in groups and to learn collaboratively through discussion and interaction
• The ability to think critically, analyse sources, evaluate arguments, and challenge assumptions.
• The ability to formulate and justify their own arguments and conclusions and present appropriate supporting evidence
• The ability to locate relevant resources in the library and online and use them appropriately in academic work
• The ability to use a range of information technology resources to assist with information retrieval and assignment presentation

• The ability to independently organise study methods, manage time effectively, and prioritise workload to meet deadlines

Type of assessment    %                                          Contribution    Title    Duration 
(if applicable)    Approx. date of Assessment
Assignment 1 (Source Assessment)(Summative)    30%                   Exact nature of task will vary from year to year    600 words    Week 5
Assignment 2 (Essay)(Summative)                          70%                   Exact nature of task will vary from year to year    1200 words    Week 9

Students who fail one or both assessment elements will be given the opportunity to re-submit coursework in response to different titles over the summer once the Exploring the Past exam board has met.

Understanding women in the medieval world

2. Royal and noble power

3. Theories of queenship

4. Raising royal children: queens as mothers

5. Queen consorts: the role of the royal wife

6. Politics and diplomacy: the queen as politician

7. Queens regnant: ruling monarchs

8. Queens and culture

9. Reassessing the study of medieval queenship 

Indicative Reading and Resource List:

Introductory Works

• Carmi-Parsons, J. (ed.), Medieval Queenship (Stroud: Alan Sutton, 1994)
• Duggan, A. J. (ed.), Queens and Queenship in Medieval Europe (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1997)
• Earenfight, T., Queenship in Medieval Europe (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)

Further Reading:

• Beem,C. (ed.), The Lioness Roared: The Problems of Female Rule in English History (New York: Basingstoke, 2006)

• Bennett, Judith M. and Ruth Mazo Karras (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013).
• Bowie, C., The Daughters of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (Turnhout: Brepols, 2014)
• Castor, H., She-Wolves: The Women who Ruled England before Elizabeth (London: Faber, 2010)
• Chibnall, M., The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother, and Lady of the English (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991).
• Earenfight, T., Queenship and Political Power in Medieval and Early Modern Spain (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005)
• Evergates, T., Aristocratic Women in Medieval France (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999)
• Herrin, J., Women in Purple: Rulers of Medieval Byzantium (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001).
• Hill, B., Imperial Women in Byzantium, 1025–1204: Power, Patronage, and Ideology (New York: Longman, 1999).
• Hilton, L., Queens Consort: England’s Medieval Queens (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2008).