Edward’s great adversary was Philip IV of France, the most powerful ruler in Christendom. From 1296, Philip had been at war with both England and Flanders.

Wearing a facemask inside the arts centre will be mandatory for those above the age of 11 years, unless medically exempt Queens Of The Age Of Chivalry’ by Alison Weir is a masterpiece. I have read many of her fiction books on the lives of royal women, and those in the royal courts, but this is the first non-fiction account I have come across. Alison Weir, through meticulous research, brings us the lives of five Queens who lived through England’s Age of Chivalry. Covering the years 1299-1409, we meet five remarkable women, whose stories have never been told in such great detail and with such passion. She shows us that they were remarkable women in their own right, and not just mere appendages to the Kings, or pawns in political games. We meet Marguerite of France, Isabella of France, Phillipa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia and Isabella of Valois.

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An insider’s account of the rampant misconduct within the Trump administration, including the tumult surrounding the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Queens of the Crusades [is Weir’s] latest in an impressive canon of more than two dozen historical biographies and novels. . . . [A] brilliant, compelling and meticulously detailed revelation . . . In its abundant detail about real lives lived amid the broad political strokes of medieval kings, Queens of the Crusades captures a rich sensory impression of how five brilliant yet fallible women managed their subject societies in a precarious and dangerously changeable world.” — Bookreporter You can tell how much effort and work she puts into these books. The overwhelming amount of research she includes really portrays in these masterpieces of historical writing. I mean, the detail! Insane. I need a bookshelf of them!

Like few nonfiction authors of our time, Alison Weir again shows that history, when done properly, can captivate the mind and heart as well as (or maybe even better than) the most creative fiction." The author portrays a way of life very different to the standards of today, and uses primary sources to reveal the vast sums spent by the royals on maintaining their way of life. She puts the spotlight firmly on the queens, but also fills in the gaps of what happened to their husbands. It makes for fascinating reading; not least as she offers a (to me) new theory about the fate of Edward II, as well as some justification that Isabella did not deserve the evil reputation history has given her. We also see the origins of many of the ongoing traditions of this country. In this meticulously researched tome we learn not only of these five women, but also quite a bit about their royal spouses. and the importance of these unions. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.Edward I was one of England’s greatest medieval kings. “In build, he was handsome and of impressive stature, towering head and shoulders above the average.” His body, well preserved when his tomb was opened in 1774, was six foot two inches tall. “His brow was broad and the rest of his face regular,” apart from “a drooping of the left eyelid.” Neither this nor a slight stammer or lisp detracted from his awe-inspiring majesty. He was formidable: autocratic, forceful, fierce-tempered, fearless, and full of boundless vigor. A born leader and a talented and dynamic ruler, he was magisterial and statesmanlike, yet unscrupulous, ruthless, cruel, and occasionally violent. Alison weir is an excellent storyteller in her fiction books, and brings that flair to this non fiction account of the Queens. She gives us an insight into the daily lives of the queens. We learn how they spent their money, where that money came from and the strength they needed to live in turbulent times.