She is But a Woman

Queenship in Scotland 1424–1463

Fiona Anne Downie

• Publisher: John Donald
• Year: 2006
• ISBN:
  9781788853422
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

She is but a Woman, the first in-depth study of medieval Scottish queens, investigates the relationship between gender and power in the medieval Scottish court by exploring the art of queenship as practised by Joan Beaufort and Mary of Guelders, queens of James I and James II. These women were excluded from authority but clearly possessed power as wives and mothers of kings. They established and cultivated relationships with members of the court, learned about Scottish political life and supported their husbands in the business of government. The book examines for the first time the arrivals of Joan and Mary in Scotland, their social and political status, their relationships with their husbands and families, and their roles in international diplomacy.This modern re-evaluation of the role and power of the medieval queen is a thematic exploration rather than a biographical study. It situates the experiences of Joan and Mary within a broader European context and provides a new perspective on Scotland's political, social and cultural links with Europe in the fifteenth century.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of illustrations
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations and conventions
• Genealogical table: the House of Stewart, 1424–63
• Introduction: ‘Sche is but a womman’
• 1 Women and power in the fifteenth century
• 2 Scotland, England and France, c. 1423–36
• 3 The Stewart princesses and the European marriage market, 1437–48
• 4 The marriage of Mary of Guelders and James II, 1446–9
• 5 The public face of the Scottish queen consort
• 6 The Scottish queen consort, 1424–60
• 7 Royal birth, motherhood and regency
• 8 Joan Beaufort, 1437–45
• 9 Mary of Guelders, 1460–3
• 10 Connections, consciousness and conclusions
• Bibliography
• Index