The Tenth Century as a locus for Institutional Queenship in England

Description

In the late ninth century, Asser famously wrote that the West Saxons did not permit a king’s consort to take the title of queen or assume status equal to the king. Yet, a century later, in 973, a West Saxon queen-consort, Ælfthryth (d. c.1000), would be publicly anointed as queen as a part of the elaborate pageantry associated with the second coronation of her husband, Edgar the Peaceful (d.975). Both Asser’s statement and Ælfthryth’s coronation respond to specific events and political environments, but do these contexts isolate one from the other? Or should English queenship in the tenth century be viewed as a continuum whereby incremental changes to authority, prerogatives and status eventuate in an ‘office’ of queen? This is the question this paper seeks to answer. Through the examination of charters, wills and chronicles, it will explore the evolution of queenship through the tenth century and evaluate the evidence for queens’ increasing political engagement and agency. It will, however, also question whether these are trends specific to those who acquired queenly status, or whether they can be more broadly observed among royal and noble women.

Period	31 Jul 2023
Event title	Status, Rank, or Office? Social Boundaries in England c. 900-1200
Event type	Conference
Location	Durham, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International