Medieval Queens and notable medieval women?

Question

I have to do an assignment/presentation on either a medieval queen or a notable medieval woman. She has to have an interesting past or must have been a great and influentual person. ANY IDEAS?

oh yeah and where not allowed to do Elenor of Aquitane. =[

Answer 1

Lady Jane Grey is a good one.

She was Queen of England for 9 days.

Answer 2

Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII of England.  "We tend to think of Queen Elizabeth I as one of the first really powerful women, but it's Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, who can be said to be the mother of the Tudor dynasty."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2...  She was not a queen, but a powerful woman, and her son was said to be devoted to her.  He married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Elizabeth Woodville (see below) and Edward IV, and she was said to let her strong-willed mother-in-law have her way, retiring into the background.

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsit...

http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/tudor_1...

http://tudorhistory.org/people/beaufort/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Margar...

There's a lot of information on her.  You could also try Elizabeth Woodville/Wydville, queen of Edward IV, two of whose sons were the Little Princes in the Tower.

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsit...

Isabella, the She-Wolf of France, might be another idea:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of...  She had an interesting marriage to the probably g*y Edward II of England, he who suffered a ghastly and ignoble death.

Catherine of Valois, daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother of kings.

http://www.nndb.com/people/229/000095941...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_o... (not that good, but ok for basic information)

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/catherine-...

Answer 3

I would go with Saint Joan.  Very medieval, Very valid by modern feminist standards!

Answer 4

Matilda, the first queen of England

Answer 5

The mother-in-law of Eleanor of Aquitaine : the Empress Matilda (or Maud), who never called herself Queen of England, but rather 'Lady of the English'.

King Stephen's wife Matilda, Countess of Bolougne was equally impressive, managing to free her husband after he was captured by Empress Matilda's forces.

There's also Maude de Braose nee St Valery, the wife of King John's once favourite William de Braose.

Or try the natural daughter of King John, Joanna, who was married to Prince Llewellyn Fawr of Gwynedd.

Answer 6

Medieval queens include Richard I and Edward II of England - but also such dangerous ladies as Matilda and  Margaret of Anjou.  Philippa, the wife of Edward I, was not a battleaxe, but must have been a more intelligent woman than her husband deserved.

As to other medieval women, we usually think of Jeanne d'Arc first, but don't forget that there were intellectual women such as Julia of Norwich and Catherine of Siena.

I have to admit, though, that the Renaissance period would have been a better time to be an aristocratic woman - the possibilities were so much greater.

Answer 7

Lady Godiva ?

Answer 8

From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance, medieval Europe saw the structure of royalty ebb and flow across the land and with it, the role of women as queens shifted as well. Here is a mini biography of some famous medieval Queens:

Queen Berengaria of Navarre

Berengaria, the Basque princess who married Richard the Lionheart, is faced with an indifferent husband, an imperious mother-in-law, and the ruthless power players of medieval Europe.

Queen Eleanor of Provence

The queen of Henry III of England, was his loyal marriage-partner for thirty-six years. Strong-willed, ambitious and practical, she played a major role in ruling the kingdom during the volatile thirteenth century.

Queen Isabella of Angoulême

Isabella's life parallels the life-and-death struggle of England and France in the turbulent thirteenth century. A woman of strong ambitions and surpassing loveliness, she became a key player in the intrigues and shifting alliances of the era.

Queen Isabella of Castile

As heiress to the throne of Castile Isabella had her pick of royal suitors. In 1469 she chose Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Aragon. Thus began the thirty-five year joint rule of a unified Spain by the Catholic Monarchs.

Queen Eleanor of Castile

Eleanor of Castile, who married King Edward I of England, was never content to play the part of a passive queen. For thirty-six years she was an active queen-consort to her equally strong-minded husband.

Queen Ingeborg of Denmark

A marriage not of her wishing, a husband who repudiated her, a divorce she did not ask for and a lifelong determination to take her position as true wife and queen: such was the tortured tale of Ingeborg of Denmark.

Queen Constance of Germany and Sicily

Constance de Hauteville was a royal personage many times over: a queen and the daughter, wife, cousin, aunt and mother of kings. Yet not until her fortieth year did she assert herself in a truly regal manner.

Queen Margaret of Scotland

Margaret of Scotland—beautiful, strong-willed and devout—was descended from England's early Saxon kings, progenitor of a long line of Scottish kings and an influential queen in her own right.

Answer 9

Jeanne d'Arc