Virginal, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealized 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 the great English king, Edward I.
Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth knew that a princess must be chaste yet a mother to many children, preferably sons, meek yet able to influence a recalcitrant husband, or even command a host of men-at-arms. The sisters skilfully managed enormous households, navigated choppy diplomatic waters 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 spirited Plantagenet women throughout their lives and sees them - at long last - shine from out of the shadows, revealing what it was to be a princess in the age of chivalry.
'Wilson-Lee is a diligent historian, a dogged researcher and an engaging writer.' The Times
'A much-needed book . . . Kelcey Wilson-Lee does a wonderful job of bringing these young women, whose lives have to be reconstructed largely from the small print of the account books, to vibrant life.' Sara Cockerill