Drawing on innovative research in the rapidly growing field of Mediterranean studies, this groundbreaking collection explores the key roles that Mediterranean queens played as wives, as mothers, and above all as political actors. Taken together, they form

Monarchy is an enduring institution that still makes headlines today. It has always been preoccupied with image and perception, never more so than in the period covered by this volume. The collection of papers gathered here from international scholars demonstrates that monarchical image and perception went far beyond cultural, symbolic and courtly display -- although these remain important -- and were, in fact, always deeply concerned with the practical expression of authority, politics and power.This collection is unique in that it covers the subject from two innovative angles: it not only...

Royal Mothers and their Ruling Children: Wielding Political Authority from Antiquity to the Early Modern Era brings together a range of case studies from the Pre-Modern era to illustrate key themes with regard to motherhood, ambition and authority, with a focus on queens and elite women who are at the political heart of their respective realms.

Papers from a conference Kings & Queens: Power, Politics, Patronage and Personalites held at Corsham Court in conjunction with Bath Spa University in April 2012.

Pop culture portrayals of medieval and early modern monarchs are rife with tension between authenticity and modern mores, producing anachronisms such as a feminist Queen Isabel (in RTVE's Isabel) and a lesbian Queen Christina (in The Girl King).

This collection brings together case studies of premodern queenship in a truly global comparative context, highlighting the vitally important place that women occupied at the heart of the realm.