By Laura Johnson
During the times of the medieval queens, from around the twelfth century to the fifteenth century, women had very different roles in society than women of the twenty-first century do. Women have had many titles, descriptions, roles, and perceptions during the past ten centuries. Women of power, or women in a political spotlight, have been judged even more harshly for their roles in society throughout history. Some women were pawns used to secure a man’s political alliances, and some were fierce leaders.
Not many people know about the roles of women, or queens, in the middle ages and how much they differ from twenty-first century women. The ways in which the women of the twenty-first century differ through the roles they play are marriage, love, motherhood, and fashion.
Love and marriage:
During the Middle Ages, women did not marry for love. Women of these times only married to secure a higher ranking in the class system, or, if they were of the nobility or monarchy, they married to secure political alliances for the throne. Love in a marriage was practically unheard of, which is why when King Edward IV chose a low ranking woman named Elizabeth Woodville to be his wife, the nobility and country of England could not understand it.
The concept that love can be found in a marriage was unheard of in the medieval times, so, in turn, love was only found outside of the marriage through courtly love. However, today’s marriages are mainly based on love because political alliances can be made in other effective ways and courtly love (an affair) is greatly frowned upon.
Motherhood:
Women in medieval times were not very good mothers. With wet nurses and other women of the household there to take care of their children, it was very rare for elite women to spend time with their children. However, they did care for their children in an emotional sense and wanted the best political outcome for them. Children were, indeed, crucial to diplomatic gain.
However, in today’s society, most mothers spend excessive amounts of time with their children, feeling overjoyed and proud with every success of their child, no matter how big or small. Wet nurses aren’t a thing, and most mothers just want their kids to be safe and happy instead of marrying up in the ranks of society and being miserable.
Fashion:
Kate Middleton is a living example of how Queens (or future Queens) in medieval times were judged and how women in the spotlight of the media still are today. In medieval times, queens were responsible for the style of the court and how lavishly fancy it should be. Queens had to dress elegantly in fancy, new fashions, but they could not spend too much money or too little money because they would be harshly judged for their spending.
Like Kate Middleton, women in the political spotlight are either praised for their fashion sense or judged harshly for it. While prices of designer coats and fancy shoes are still discussed and the media is just as judgmental as women of the Royal court were in the middle ages, one can see significant changes in the fashion styles. Look at the pictures featured in this article. Would any one of these styles be considered popular fashion today? I think not. Also, the clothes (excluding winter coats) are definitely not as bulky and overly concealing today as they were in the middle ages.
Other interesting facts:
The roles of females in the monarchy have greatly changed from the medieval ages. Medieval queens, before Queens Mary I, were not allowed to rule as regent in their own right and were typically cut out of the succession line for the throne. Women were only considered to be Queen Consorts, which lived on the sidelines of their husband’s rule. However, medieval queens had many roles to play besides deciding the fashion sense of the court. Queens were responsible for creating male heirs, being the sympathetic side of their husband’s rule (also known as the peace weaver), or they could possibly rule the country in the absence of their husband, but only with his authority. While this was the role of female leaders in medieval time, now things are much different. Female leaders can now rule the throne in their own right, but the throne is not the same as it was in medieval times. Now, the monarchy of England mostly serves as a political figurehead, and Parliament has the most power through their constitutional monarchy.
Elizabeth the 1st of England ruled the country successfully in her own right. In order to never be kept in the shadows of a man, she chose to never marry and earned her title as the “virgin queen.” While taking control of her “virginity” compared her to the Virgin Mary, of whom was a big crowd pleaser with the public, she also tried to throw in some manly attributes to make herself (a woman) be more respected by other men. She often referred to herself as “the king” or a “prince” of England. Also, she was very symbolic in her choice of clothing, often trying to resemble the fashions that her father, King Henry VIII, wore. Why would a Queen have to give herself manly attributes just to earn the respect of her people?
Henry VIII was definitely not the ideal husband of the middle ages. For starters, he had SIX WIVES! His divorced his first wife, Mary I’s mother, because she couldn’t give him a male heir, he had his second wife, Elizabeth I’s mother, beheaded for the same reason, his third wife died twelve days after giving birth to Henry VI, his fourth wife was divorced for not creating a male heir, his fifth wife was also beheaded for supposedly having an affair, and his last wife outlived her heir-hungry husband. Needless to say, Henry VIII was not the role model today’s husbands should follow. In his marriage alone, one can see how women were treated during marriages of this time.
Today:
Things have changed, thankfully. Corsets are no longer a popular thing, and showing more skin than just an ankle is. Now, we live in a world where it is encouraged to be respectful of your spouse, to not have affairs, to express yourself, and to fall in love. While women are still fighting, in some ways, to secure more equality, I am thankful that I am a woman in the twenty-first century as opposed to a woman living in the middle ages.