Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Series by Sarah J. Maas: A Study of Queenship

By Katia Wright Feature Image Caption: Book covers taken from Bloomsbury Publishing – bloomsbury.com. *WARNING* This review contains a lot of spoilers for all the published books in the series as of April 2021. This review discusses: 1. A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) 2. A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF) 3. AContinue reading “Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses Book Series by Sarah J. Maas: A Study of Queenship”

The extravagant death of Queen Mary II

By Holly Marsden At 12.45am on 28th December 1694, Queen Mary II of England died of smallpox at the age of 32. She had suffered for a reasonably short time, only recognising a rash on her arms and chest on December 21st. However, Mary had not been feeling herself for some time. Around May ofContinue reading “The extravagant death of Queen Mary II”

Book Review: Philippa of Hainault: Mother of the English Nation by Kathryn Warner

By Katia Wright Kathryn Warner’s 2019 Philippa of Hainault: Mother of the English Nation is the first study in over a century to analyse the life of this long-serving fourteenth century queen. Following in the footsteps of her previous biographical works (namely Edward II and Isabella of France), Warner weaves a fascinating story of Philippa’sContinue reading “Book Review: Philippa of Hainault: Mother of the English Nation by Kathryn Warner”

Remembering Mary: Examining the Creation of Mary I’s Legacy in the Historical Narrative

By Johanna Strong Cover Image: Hans Eworth, Mary I, 1556-1558, National Portrait Gallery The Queen is dead; long live the Queen! Though this phrase has been uttered only once in English history, its context is not as well-known as it should be. Many will be quick to identify that the second queen in question isContinue reading “Remembering Mary: Examining the Creation of Mary I’s Legacy in the Historical Narrative”

Book Review: Joan, Lady of Wales, Power and Politics of King John’s Daughter by Danna R. Messer

By Andy McMillin Joan, Lady of Wales, Power and Politics of King John’s Daughter, is a welcome study in medieval queenship as scholarship on Welsh queens has arguably been largely overshadowed by research on their English counterparts. Those who study queenship will recognise the impact of the lack of surviving records and resources from thisContinue reading “Book Review: Joan, Lady of Wales, Power and Politics of King John’s Daughter by Danna R. Messer”

Book Review: Catherine of Aragon, An Intimate Life of Henry VIII’s True Wife by Amy Licence

By Andy McMillin Many English queens in the last twenty years have been placed at the foreground of historical studies in an array of original biographies. One such queen is Catherine of Aragon. Originally published in 2016, Amy Licence brings a new narrative to Catherine and the importance of her role first as Princess ofContinue reading “Book Review: Catherine of Aragon, An Intimate Life of Henry VIII’s True Wife by Amy Licence”

Framed in fantasy: Stuart allegorical imagery and Queen Mary II

By Holly Marsden Like many English monarchs, Queen Mary II carefully cultivated a public image through visual and material culture. Through tangible objects and artworks, regnant queens could secure the loyalty of their public whilst strengthening the image of their dynasty. Mary came from the Stuart family, and the visual culture surrounding her reign demonstratesContinue reading “Framed in fantasy: Stuart allegorical imagery and Queen Mary II”

Scholar Introduction: Ellie Woodacre

Dr. Elena (Ellie) Woodacre is a Senior Lecturer in Early Modern European History at the University of Winchester who specialises in queenship and royal studies. Ellie has become an evangelist for royal studies as an academic discipline and has been pushing the field of queenship in new directions with her activities in the field andContinue reading “Scholar Introduction: Ellie Woodacre”