Joan, Lady of Wales: Power & Politics of King John's DaughterThe first account of the life of the illegitimate daughter of King John of England and wife of Llwelyn the Great of Gwynedd. The history of women in medieval Wales before the English conquest of 1282 is one largely shrouded in mystery. For the Age of Princes, an era defined by ever-increased threats of foreign hegemony, internal dynastic strife and constant warfare, the comings and goings of women are little noted in sources. This misfortune touches even the most well-known royal woman of the time, Joan of England (d. 1237), the wife of Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd, illegitimate daughter of King John and half-sister to Henry III. With evidence of her hand in thwarting a full scale English invasion of Wales to a notorious scandal that ended with the public execution of her supposed lover by her husband and her own imprisonment, Joan’s is a known, but little-told or understood story defined by family turmoil, divided loyalties and political intrigue. From the time her hand was promised in marriage as the result of the first Welsh-English alliance in 1201 to the end of her life, Joan’s place in the political wranglings between England and the Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd was a fundamental one. As the first woman to be designated Lady of Wales, her role as one a political diplomat in early thirteenth-century Anglo-Welsh relations was instrumental. This first-ever account of Siwan, as she was known to the Welsh, interweaves the details of her life and relationships with a gendered re-assessment of Anglo-Welsh politics by highlighting her involvement in affairs, discussing events in which she may well have been involved but have gone unrecorded and her overall deployment of royal female agency. Praise for Joan, Lady of Wales “A seminal, original, and ground-breaking work of simply outstanding scholarship.” —Midwest Book Review |
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Casts the relationship between King John, Llwelyn and Ranulf de Blondeville in an interesting new light and provides a prelude to the inheritance of the Earldom of Chester after Ranulf's death. Would make great television!
Contents
Chapter Two Gwynedd and the Rise of Llywelyn | |
Chapter Three Marriage Queenship and the Roles | |
Chapter Five Winds of Change | |
Chapter Six A Letter of Warning | |
Chapter Seven To Worcester | |
Chapter Eight Royal Female Authority | |
Chapter Nine The Legitimate Diplomat | |
Chapter Eleven Interlude | |
Chapter Twelve Reckoning | |
Chapter Thirteen On Bended Knee and Shedding of Tears | |
Epilogue | |
Other editions - View all
Joan, Lady of Wales: Power and Politics of King John's Daughter Danna R. Messer No preview available - 2020 |
Joan, Lady of Wales: Power and Politics of King John's Daughter Messer R, Danna No preview available - 2021 |
Common terms and phrases
accepted activities alliance Annales appears associated authority became Braose brother century certainly Chester chronicles claims clear close concerning continued court Crown Dafydd daughter death defined discussions early England English especially established evidence example expectations fact father further gifts given granted Gruffudd Gwynedd hand heir helped Henry husband important indicate involved Iorwerth Joan Joan’s John John’s king King John king’s kingdom known Lady lands largely later laws least letter Llywelyn lord manors March Marcher marital marriage married means medieval mother native nature North occasion offered once particular peace perhaps played political position practice prince probably queen received recognised records referred reign relations relationship remained role royal rule ruler secure seems sister sources status successful suggests throughout took understanding Venedotian Wales Welsh wife William woman women young