Description
In the years 850–1000, English queenship was increasingly defined by a set of traditional prerogatives, lands and revenues. Though the evidence is fragmentary and, at times, inconclusive, these are, nonetheless, an important aspect of the transition of queenship from a conceptually nebulous role for which we have little extant diplomatic evidence, to something approaching an ‘office’. This seminar will examine the evidence for these prerogatives, with particular reference to two of pre-Conquest England’s most politically active queens-consort: Eadgifu (d. c.966), the third consort to King Edward the Elder (d. 924), and Ælfthryth (d c.1000), third consort to King Edgar the Peaceful (d. 975). Both women are named in charters and wills which detail instances of their involvement in land exchange and paid intercession. As much of this was linked to ecclesiastical institutions and church reform, the seminar will go on to survey the queen’s role in the patronage and maintenance of religious houses and the close links that existed between English queens- consort and certain abbeys. To close, it will consider what of this evidence can be brought to bear to illuminate how queens of the tenth century financed their households and, ranging forward to their eleventh century successors, the extent to which these prerogatives can be considered to exist on a continuum.| Period | 15 Feb 2022 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Royal Studies Network Digital Seminar Series |
| Event type | Seminar |
| Degree of Recognition | International |