Medieval Royal Mistresses

Medieval Royal Mistresses - Mischievous Women who Slept with Kings and Princes

written by Julia A. Hickey and published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback -

Pages 224

Marriage for Medieval kings was about politics, power and the provision of legitimate

heirs. Mistresses were about love, lust and possession. It was a world that included

kidnap, poison, murder, violation, public shaming and accusations of witchcraft.

Ambition and quick wits as well as beauty were essential attributes for any royal

mistress. Infamy, assassination and imprisonment awaited some royal mistresses

who tumbled from favour whilst others disappeared into obscurity or respectable

lives as married women and were quickly forgotten.

Meet Nest of Wales, born in turbulent times, whose abduction started a war; Alice Perrers and Jane Shore labelled ‘whores’ and ‘wantons’; Katherine Swynford who turned the medieval world upside down with a royal happy-ever-after and Rosamund Clifford who left history and stepped into legend.

Discover how serial royal womanisers married off their discarded mistresses to bind their allies close. Explore the semi-official roles of some mistresses; the illegitimate children who became kings; secret marriage ceremonies; Edith Forne Sigulfson and Lady Eleanor Talbot who sought atonement through religion as well as the aristocratic women who became the victims of royal lust.

Most of the shameful women who shared the beds of medieval kings were silenced, besmirched or consigned to the footnotes of a patriarchal worldview but they negotiated paths between the private and public spheres of medieval court life - changing history as they went.

An interesting and intriguing read about some of the women involved in Medieval relationships amongst kings and princes throughout Europe. There seems to be a variety of different reasons for these relationships such as love, seeking power and some that were born into a position where a relationship was a likely outcome. It was nice to read about women in this position rather than just the male viewpoint and I really liked that they took a European wide look rather than just sticking British. A lot of research done and well written certainly one for people into Women’s history through the medieval period.