Daughters of Chivalry

by Kelcey Wilson-Lee

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643132808
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	803,576
File size:	31 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Family Tree xii

Maps xiv

Introduction 1

I Coronation 11

II Betrothal 23

III Family 37

IV Vows 53

V Growing Up 67

VI Union 83

VII Three Deaths 99

VIII Alliance 115

IX Ladies of War 135

X Unconstrained 149

XI Acquiescence and Insubordination 163

XII Crisis 181

XIII Homecoming 199

XIV Companionship 217

XV Opulence 235

XVI The Storm Approaches 253

XVII Death Returns 269

XVIII Another Coronation 283

Epilogue 299

Acknowledgements 307

Notes 309

Select Bibliography 337

Index 347

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/01/2019

Wilson-Lee's debut brings to the forefront the five daughters of Edward I: Eleanora, Joanna, Mary, Margaret, and Elizabeth, who lived from the late 13th to early 14th century. She traces their lives from their earliest years up to the crowning of their brother, Edward II, to offer a behind-the-scenes look at what the worlds of real medieval princesses were like. Using a vast number of resources, from personal letters and medieval chroniclers to contemporary literature and the king's wardrobe rolls, the author draws back the stereotypes to highlight the daughters as individuals. This female-centric focus allows the author to show how aristocratic women exercised their power and influence to direct their lives, impact their families, help others, and influence historical events all while growing up during the heavily male-dominated Middle Ages. VERDICT While putting a spotlight on an underrepresented era of medieval history, this book seeks to appeal to all kinds of readers with its easy narrative style, in-depth research, and engrossing details.—Laura Hiatt, Fort Collins, CO

Library Journal

07/15/2019

In her appealing debut, British historian Wilson-Lee shines a light on the five daughters of Edward I of England: Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth. She argues that, though they were overshadowed by their mother Eleanor of Castile and sister-in-law Isabella (widely known as the She-Wolf of France), these educated royal women avoided the modern stereotype of the passive medieval princess by acting as regents, alliance brokers, and patrons: Joanna questioned and defied her strong-willed father’s orders, choosing her own second husband and supporting her reckless brother while he was estranged from their father; Mary, who involuntarily entered a convent at age 6, eventually became a nun who took full advantage of her rank, moving between manors and overspending with goldsmiths. A few modern suppositions, such as that multiple children signified happy or at least content marriages and that darkened birthing rooms were felt to be soothing (rather than being primarily for the purpose of shielding the woman from public view), may strike historically aware readers as questionable. But Wilson-Lee’s in-depth narrative on these overlooked women, perfect for Anglophiles, adds new context to the much-studied courts of Edwards I and II. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Daughters of Chivalry is a kind of case study in medieval statecraft and family relations and, along the way, a portrait of life at court. It traces the fate of the five daughters of Edward I, one of the greatest of England’s medieval kings—know as “Longshanks” for his height. We can probably take it as given that whatever there is to be known about Edward’s daughters—“the forgotten princesses of King Edward Longshanks,” as the subtitle has it—is to be found here. The book will also serve as a rich quarry for romantic novelists. An engaging and enjoyable book."

The Wall Street Journal

"Like the women she describes, Wilson-Lee never loses sight of the fact that what power these women enjoyed was derived from their relationship to the king, but she fully explores the nature of that power and how they used it. A lively account of how luxury, power, and politics shaped the lives of five princesses in 13th-century England."

Shelf Awareness

Daughters of Chivalry is a kind of case study in medieval statecraft and family relations and, along the way, a portrait of life at court. It traces the fate of the five daughters of Edward I, one of the greatest of England’s medieval kings—know as “Longshanks” for his height. We can probably take it as given that whatever there is to be known about Edward’s daughters—“the forgotten princesses of King Edward Longshanks,” as the subtitle has it—is to be found here. The book will also serve as a rich quarry for romantic novelists. An engaging and enjoyable book.

Allan Massie - The Wall Street Journal

Daughters of Chivalry is a kind of case study in medieval statecraft and family relations and, along the way, a portrait of life at court. It traces the fate of the five daughters of Edward I, one of the greatest of England’s medieval kings—know as “Longshanks” for his height. We can probably take it as given that whatever there is to be known about Edward’s daughters—“the forgotten princesses of King Edward Longshanks, ” as the subtitle has it—is to be found here. The book will also serve as a rich quarry for romantic novelists. An engaging and enjoyable book.

Allan Massie - Wall Street Journal