The Queen and the Mistress
The Women of Edward III
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- $279.00
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- $279.00
Descripción editorial
'Hollman combines scrupulous research with spellbinding storytelling; The Queen and the Mistress will keep you turning the pages.' - Sylvia Barbara Soberton, author of Ladies-In-Waiting: The Women Who Served Anne Boleyn
'A must-read for anyone interested in medieval women's or royal history.' - Catherine Hanley, author of Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior
'In The Queen and the Mistress, Gemma Hollman challenges much of the misinformation and misconceptions which have surrounded both women for centuries ... A triumph of historical research and interpretation.' - Sharon Bennett Connolly, author of Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England
'The Queen and the Mistress is an absorbing and masterful historical work, which you might not even notice because it is also incredibly fun. Hollman writes with obvious joy and sensitivity towards her subjects, bringing these complex women and their world to glorious life. I couldn't put it down.' - Eleanor Janega, Going Medieval Podcast
IN A WORLD WHERE MAN IS KING, CAN WOMEN REALLY HAVE IT ALL – AND KEEP IT?
Philippa of Hainault was Queen of England for forty-one years. Her marriage to Edward III, when they were both teenagers, was more political transaction than romantic wedding, but it would turn into a partnership of deep affection. The mother of twelve children, she was the perfect medieval queen: pious, unpolitical and fiercely loyal to both her king and adopted country.
Alice Perrers entered court as a young widow and would soon catch the eye of an ageing king whose wife was dying. Born to a family of London goldsmiths, this charismatic and highly intelligent woman would use her position as the king's favourite to build up her own portfolio of land, wealth and prestige, only to see it all come crashing down as Edward himself neared death.
The Queen and the Mistress is a story of female power and passion, and how two very different women used their skills and charms to navigate a tumultuous royal court – and win the heart of the same man.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Fourteenth-century English king Edward III's devoted wife of over 40 years, Philippa of Hainault, and his long-term mistress, Alice Perrers, take center stage in this intriguing yet somewhat dry dual portrait from historian Hollman (Royal Witches). Sketching Philippa's biography primarily through her travels with her husband on military campaigns and her 12 pregnancies, Hollman presents the queen as a steadfast and mostly traditional matriarch, who periodically asked her husband for mercy on behalf of lawbreakers and courageously called meetings with powerful men over state matters when Edward could not. Hollman creates a somewhat fuller portrait of Alice, Edward's late-life companion, who shrewdly amassed a large property portfolio and an array of well-placed allies. Somehow, Alice also secretly bore three illegitimate children to Edward, though Hollman's account leaves several unanswered questions about how Alice quietly juggled childbirth with serving as Philippa's "damsel." While Philippa retained an almost saintlike reputation, both women received public derision for their enormous debts, which emptied an already low treasury decimated by Edward's military ambitions. Hollman is an assiduous researcher with a deep appreciation for the era, but the inner lives of both women remain elusive. Still, medieval history buffs will savor this fresh take on a consequential reign.
