Royal Mothers and Their Ruling Children - (Queenship and Power) by Elena Woodacre & Carey Fleiner (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This collection brings together a series of fascinating case studies of royal mothers ranging across time from Antiquity through to the seventeenth century, from the (in)famous -- Agrippina the Younger and Catherine de Medici -- to the lesser known -- Judith of Thuringia. This collection focuses on queens and elite women who were at the political heart of their respective realms and examines the often tense political dynamic between these royal mothers and their offspring. This volume describes a wide range of case studies to illustrate the volatile and sometimes controversial combination of motherhood, ambition, and political authority. These essays take a fresh look at the timeless issues of the 'woman behind the throne' and reveal how royal mothers could provide key support for their children both to gain and retain a throne through illuminating studies of both well-known royal mothers, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Catherine de Medici, and less familiar figures including Juana Enraiquez and the regents of the Khitan Liao in China"--

Book Synopsis

Royal Mothers and their Ruling Children: Wielding Political Authority from Antiquity to the Early Modern Era brings together a range of case studies from the Pre-Modern era to illustrate key themes with regard to motherhood, ambition and authority, with a focus on queens and elite women who are at the political heart of their respective realms.

Review Quotes

"Royal mothers and their Ruling Children is an important starting point for addressing this gap, focusing on an aspect that has surprisingly been neglected in most studies on motherhood and mothering ... . opens up a new field of research with rich potential for queenship specialists, since motherhood can be identified as a major power resource for royal women in premodern times." (Julia Heinemann, Royal Studies Journal, Vol. 3 (2), 2016)

"Elena Woodacre and Carey Fleiner have, with this collection, selected chapters that not only make significant individual contributions, but also fit well together. Separately and collectively, the chapters provide a clear sense of the similarities and differences that existed in the ways that royal women exercised power and authority across different monarchies throughout history." (Aidan Norrie, Parergon, Vol. 33 (2), 2016)

About the Author

Diana Pelaz Flores Germán Gamero Igea Sarah Betts Jitske Japerse Hang Lin Penelope Nash Carey Fleiner Kathleen Wellman Janice North Estelle Paranque