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Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Princesses of King Edward Longshanks
Virginal, chaste, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealised - and largely mythical - notion of the medieval noblewoman still lingers. Yet the reality was very different, as Kelcey Wilson-Lee shows in this vibrant account of the five daughters of the great English king, Edward I. The lives of these sisters - Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth - ran the full gamut of experiences open to royal women in the Middle Ages. Living as they did in a courtly culture founded on romantic longing and brilliant pageantry, they knew that a princess was to be chaste yet a mother to many children, preferably sons, meek yet able to influence a recalcitrant husband or even command a host of men-at-arms
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First published March 21, 2019
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May 14, 2019
I wrote my masters dissertation on their brother. My undergrad dissertation had sections on their father and nephew. And yet, if you had asked me before this month about the daughters of Edward I, I couldn’t have told you a single thing about them. The focus has always - is always - on their male relatives, and as this book has shown, they are more than deserving of some limelight themselves.
I was so seriously torn between not wanting to put this book down, and putting it down for days because I just really didn’t ever want to not be reading it. I would’ve demolished it within days had I not wanted to savour every single moment, because this book is potentially the best non-fiction I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It tells the story of the women who knew how to use their influence and power, and how they managed to survive in a patriarchal society that quivered at the thought of a woman in charge. It tells the tale of these very different characters, bound by blood, and how they navigated the world of itinerant courts, marriages and foreign lands, childbirth, death, war, and rebellion. It tells us how these women, the forgotten daughters of England’s most famous warrior king, were fierce, powerful, political, flawed and human. Let them never be ‘forgotten’ again.
I was so seriously torn between not wanting to put this book down, and putting it down for days because I just really didn’t ever want to not be reading it. I would’ve demolished it within days had I not wanted to savour every single moment, because this book is potentially the best non-fiction I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It tells the story of the women who knew how to use their influence and power, and how they managed to survive in a patriarchal society that quivered at the thought of a woman in charge. It tells the tale of these very different characters, bound by blood, and how they navigated the world of itinerant courts, marriages and foreign lands, childbirth, death, war, and rebellion. It tells us how these women, the forgotten daughters of England’s most famous warrior king, were fierce, powerful, political, flawed and human. Let them never be ‘forgotten’ again.
May 17, 2019
Daughters of Chivalry is a fabulous book. It is well written, enjoyable, and manages to strike the balance between specific fact and wider context. It is, I think, the first medieval book that I would have no qualms about wholeheartedly recommending to my modernist friends and family. I am in awe of Wilson-Lee's ability to bring the women to life, even when the records are sparse, in an accessible and lively way. I very much look forward to her next endeavour.
February 18, 2023
An interesting group biography of 5 medieval princesses, daughters of King Edward I of England. I haven’t read much on the period and learned some things from this one, which was unexceptional but basically enjoyable reading.
Edward I was an expansionist 13th century king; with his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, he had 16 children, of whom 6—one son, Edward II, and five daughters—lived to adulthood. Those daughters—Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth—are the focus here, though as with any historical biography, we also see a fair bit of the times and the other players.
This being the medieval period, sources are scant, and I do wish Wilson-Lee had addressed that issue head-on, straightforwardly describing what we do and don’t have (if you think this necessarily makes a book dry or academic, go read Agrippina and get back to me). I had the impression throughout that the author was trying to cover a bit for how little we actually know, and she engages in some speculation, though she is clear about when she’s doing so rather than fictionalizing. Nothing survives written by the princesses themselves (indeed, it’s unclear whether they or even their father could write, though Eleanora at least regularly bought wax tablets), but in at least one case there’s a letter dictated to a scribe. Mostly the book appears to be based on seemingly quite detailed household purchasing and expense accounts, as well as public records, which mentioned the princesses from time to time—when they intervened to convince the king to grant a boon, for instance, this was memorialized in the granting documents. In the end we can only make educated guesses about their personalities, thoughts and feelings.
Still, Wilson-Lee manages to craft a reasonably complete narrative, though she does perhaps put more weight on purchases than they always deserve. And it basically ends with the reign of Edward I, leaving me curious to know more about their brother’s reign and the princesses’ later lives.
I actually disagree with those calling the princesses “remarkable” women, though we might be using different definitions of the word. Except perhaps for one instance in Holland, when the teenaged Elizabeth managed to galvanize the people to “rescue” her even younger husband from a mentor who had “abducted” him (what really happened is unclear), the sisters seem to have had little direct impact on history. Keeping in mind that medieval princesses, disenfranchised by patriarchy though they may have been, were still full human beings with their own lives, relationships, and agendas, these five come across as pretty normal women. But that’s actually what makes them interesting.
By modern standards, the sisters married young, though perhaps not quite so young as stereotypes would have it. Eleanora had a proxy marriage as a preteen, but never met her “husband”; joining him in her later teens fell through for political reasons, and her true marriage (to a different man) happened when she was 23. Joanna married a much older, defiant Marcher lord at 18 (her father probably hoped this would keep him in line. It didn’t), was widowed young, and married again to a lower-ranked man of her choosing. (Joanna was clearly the most fiery personality of the bunch, though her ends—such as demanding as a teen that she not have fewer pages than her sisters—can seem petty and entitled. Like many books about this royalty, this one never fully reckons with their privilege.) Margaret and Elizabeth were married at 15, to boys aged 15 and 13 respectively, who would become counts in the Low Countries—though they delayed actually joining them there, in Margaret’s case for several years. Mary was sent to a convent at age 6 to keep her grandmother company, and although she took her expected vows as a nun, they don’t seem to have suited her; she lived in luxury, was always in debt, and often traveled to see her family. Three sisters died in their late 20s to mid 30s, in two cases of unrecorded causes, while the other two lived into their 50s.
What was probably most interesting for me was just seeing the reality of these people’s lives. Rather than being based in a particular palace, the court was constantly on the move, and from a young age the daughters all had their own households made up of servants who traveled with them, and often traveled independently of their parents. Wives regularly accompanied their husbands to war. Successful kings were image-conscious: Edward I consciously imitated the court of King Arthur in his pageantry. And while in many ways children were expected to grow up fast, in others they weren’t; the age of majority was 21, so a king in his late teens would still have a regent.
Overall, interesting reading that I learned from, though Wilson-Lee never really took it to the next level. Worth checking out if you want an idea of how real medieval royalty lived.
Edward I was an expansionist 13th century king; with his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, he had 16 children, of whom 6—one son, Edward II, and five daughters—lived to adulthood. Those daughters—Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth—are the focus here, though as with any historical biography, we also see a fair bit of the times and the other players.
This being the medieval period, sources are scant, and I do wish Wilson-Lee had addressed that issue head-on, straightforwardly describing what we do and don’t have (if you think this necessarily makes a book dry or academic, go read Agrippina and get back to me). I had the impression throughout that the author was trying to cover a bit for how little we actually know, and she engages in some speculation, though she is clear about when she’s doing so rather than fictionalizing. Nothing survives written by the princesses themselves (indeed, it’s unclear whether they or even their father could write, though Eleanora at least regularly bought wax tablets), but in at least one case there’s a letter dictated to a scribe. Mostly the book appears to be based on seemingly quite detailed household purchasing and expense accounts, as well as public records, which mentioned the princesses from time to time—when they intervened to convince the king to grant a boon, for instance, this was memorialized in the granting documents. In the end we can only make educated guesses about their personalities, thoughts and feelings.
Still, Wilson-Lee manages to craft a reasonably complete narrative, though she does perhaps put more weight on purchases than they always deserve. And it basically ends with the reign of Edward I, leaving me curious to know more about their brother’s reign and the princesses’ later lives.
I actually disagree with those calling the princesses “remarkable” women, though we might be using different definitions of the word. Except perhaps for one instance in Holland, when the teenaged Elizabeth managed to galvanize the people to “rescue” her even younger husband from a mentor who had “abducted” him (what really happened is unclear), the sisters seem to have had little direct impact on history. Keeping in mind that medieval princesses, disenfranchised by patriarchy though they may have been, were still full human beings with their own lives, relationships, and agendas, these five come across as pretty normal women. But that’s actually what makes them interesting.
By modern standards, the sisters married young, though perhaps not quite so young as stereotypes would have it. Eleanora had a proxy marriage as a preteen, but never met her “husband”; joining him in her later teens fell through for political reasons, and her true marriage (to a different man) happened when she was 23. Joanna married a much older, defiant Marcher lord at 18 (her father probably hoped this would keep him in line. It didn’t), was widowed young, and married again to a lower-ranked man of her choosing. (Joanna was clearly the most fiery personality of the bunch, though her ends—such as demanding as a teen that she not have fewer pages than her sisters—can seem petty and entitled. Like many books about this royalty, this one never fully reckons with their privilege.) Margaret and Elizabeth were married at 15, to boys aged 15 and 13 respectively, who would become counts in the Low Countries—though they delayed actually joining them there, in Margaret’s case for several years. Mary was sent to a convent at age 6 to keep her grandmother company, and although she took her expected vows as a nun, they don’t seem to have suited her; she lived in luxury, was always in debt, and often traveled to see her family. Three sisters died in their late 20s to mid 30s, in two cases of unrecorded causes, while the other two lived into their 50s.
What was probably most interesting for me was just seeing the reality of these people’s lives. Rather than being based in a particular palace, the court was constantly on the move, and from a young age the daughters all had their own households made up of servants who traveled with them, and often traveled independently of their parents. Wives regularly accompanied their husbands to war. Successful kings were image-conscious: Edward I consciously imitated the court of King Arthur in his pageantry. And while in many ways children were expected to grow up fast, in others they weren’t; the age of majority was 21, so a king in his late teens would still have a regent.
Overall, interesting reading that I learned from, though Wilson-Lee never really took it to the next level. Worth checking out if you want an idea of how real medieval royalty lived.
September 14, 2019
I really enjoyed this. I'm kind of bummed this is Wilson-Lee's only book. I hope that she keeps writing. This book was very engaging and well-researched. I definitely recommend this book even if 13th century England doesn't interest you, this book is so well done you might change your mind. I was really surprised to learn how much information about Edward I's daughters had survived, including their own words. I am grateful to Kelcey Wilson-Lee for unearthing all of this and sharing it with us. It makes me wonder what else is out there about other now-forgotten women, just waiting to be dug up.
February 20, 2020
History hasn’t always been fair to females – they are either deemed as evil and feared, are barely discussed at all, or are glorified in an exaggerated manner (usually posthumously). There isn’t much middle-ground. The above deduction is certainly true of even the highest nobility and royalty. It can be argued that these high-ranking women are even more so victim to this displeasure as they are generally viewed as mere pawns rather than important in their own person. The medieval King Edward I’s daughters/princesses were quite active in the political sphere but somewhat forgotten in the history texts. Kelcey Wilson-Lee attempts to remedy this in, “Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Princesses of King Edward Longshanks”.
“Daughters of Chivalry” is an ambitious piece highlighting the lives of King Edward I’s five daughters: Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth; aiming to bring all these women into the spotlight in both a macro and micro view. Wilson-Lee doesn’t stylize “Daughters of Chivalry” in a mini-biography manner and rather tells their lives intertwined with each other, their royal parents, and the country of England. In fact, “Daughters of Chivalry” occasionally offers too much background information and overwhelms with the big-picture view causing instances of difficulty remembering content.
Wilson-Lee strives to make the academic and scholarly “Daughters of Chivalry” more readable with a highly visual and illustrative prose (Wilson-Lee would be tremendous at penning a historical-fiction piece) which is sometimes too flowery (depending on reader preferences). That being said, Wilson-Lee doesn’t dummy down the material and sticks to heavy research and history.
“Daughters of Chivalry” does fall victim to inconsistency issues: jumping back-and-forth in chronology, repetition, and a pattern of passages with an abundance of details flowing into none and then an overload once more. Wilson-Lee also tends to make speculative statements in the realm of “must have…” and “probably” and assumptions on thoughts and emotions. Equally cringe-worthy is Wilson-Lee’s habit of referencing/quoting literature and folklore from the period as credible fact sources in order to back her arguments. This has no place in a history text.
Negatives aside; “Daughters of Chivalry” sticks out from the history crowd by eschewing a straight recap/retelling angle and instead offers a psychological social/character study and a philosophical breakdown of all the events and actions being taken by and surrounding the princesses. This is penned in an educated, unbiased manner and certainly gives the reader “food for thought” rather than just regurgitating facts.
Also noteworthy, is the scope of information Wilson-Lee procured about the lives of the princesses. Generally, when authors set out to portrait the lives of lesser-known figures; they are met with the challenge of insufficient records which molds a fluffy piece full of filler content that is hardly about the main subject, at all. That is far from the reality of “Daughters of Chivalry” which is mind-blowingly packed with information and detail. Plus, Wilson-Lee does well focusing on each daughter in equal measures and doesn’t favor one over another.
In the concluding chapters of “Daughters of Chivalry”, Wilson-Lee presents an even more concrete look at the five daughters of King Edward I and pinpoints such in-depth movements; that the reader’s emotions are heightened and the pace of the text is almost that of a theatrical narrative. Wilson-Lee also introduces the drama that begins to turn with the reign of King Edward II and how this effects/will affect his princess sisters. The downfall is that Wilson-Lee brushes over (in comparison to the former portions of text) the deaths of King Edward I, any of the princesses, etc. The justifiable excuse is the absence of records surrounding any of these deaths but there is still a clear void in “Daughters of Chivalry”.
Wilson-Lee rounds out “Daughters of Chivalry” with a strong Epilogue detailing the legacies left behind by each of the five daughters providing a firm and memorable finality. Also included are annotated notes, s elect biography, and 16-pages of full-color photo plates.
“Daughters of Chivalry” is an astounding work in that it introduces lesser-discussed figures and explodes the barriers that have shadowed them to this point. Readers truly get a sense for the daughters, the family of King Edward I, and of the time period; while growing emotionally attached and bargaining a connection to the five princesses. Unlike other contemporary works on figures without solid records; “Daughters of Chivalry” is not fluffy or thin. Yes, the piece is not perfect and has some weaknesses in losing the thesis and resorting to speculation but “Daughters of Chivalry” merits a read and is recommended for all readers interested in King Edward I, his daughters, English monarchial history, and the medieval time period.
“Daughters of Chivalry” is an ambitious piece highlighting the lives of King Edward I’s five daughters: Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth; aiming to bring all these women into the spotlight in both a macro and micro view. Wilson-Lee doesn’t stylize “Daughters of Chivalry” in a mini-biography manner and rather tells their lives intertwined with each other, their royal parents, and the country of England. In fact, “Daughters of Chivalry” occasionally offers too much background information and overwhelms with the big-picture view causing instances of difficulty remembering content.
Wilson-Lee strives to make the academic and scholarly “Daughters of Chivalry” more readable with a highly visual and illustrative prose (Wilson-Lee would be tremendous at penning a historical-fiction piece) which is sometimes too flowery (depending on reader preferences). That being said, Wilson-Lee doesn’t dummy down the material and sticks to heavy research and history.
“Daughters of Chivalry” does fall victim to inconsistency issues: jumping back-and-forth in chronology, repetition, and a pattern of passages with an abundance of details flowing into none and then an overload once more. Wilson-Lee also tends to make speculative statements in the realm of “must have…” and “probably” and assumptions on thoughts and emotions. Equally cringe-worthy is Wilson-Lee’s habit of referencing/quoting literature and folklore from the period as credible fact sources in order to back her arguments. This has no place in a history text.
Negatives aside; “Daughters of Chivalry” sticks out from the history crowd by eschewing a straight recap/retelling angle and instead offers a psychological social/character study and a philosophical breakdown of all the events and actions being taken by and surrounding the princesses. This is penned in an educated, unbiased manner and certainly gives the reader “food for thought” rather than just regurgitating facts.
Also noteworthy, is the scope of information Wilson-Lee procured about the lives of the princesses. Generally, when authors set out to portrait the lives of lesser-known figures; they are met with the challenge of insufficient records which molds a fluffy piece full of filler content that is hardly about the main subject, at all. That is far from the reality of “Daughters of Chivalry” which is mind-blowingly packed with information and detail. Plus, Wilson-Lee does well focusing on each daughter in equal measures and doesn’t favor one over another.
In the concluding chapters of “Daughters of Chivalry”, Wilson-Lee presents an even more concrete look at the five daughters of King Edward I and pinpoints such in-depth movements; that the reader’s emotions are heightened and the pace of the text is almost that of a theatrical narrative. Wilson-Lee also introduces the drama that begins to turn with the reign of King Edward II and how this effects/will affect his princess sisters. The downfall is that Wilson-Lee brushes over (in comparison to the former portions of text) the deaths of King Edward I, any of the princesses, etc. The justifiable excuse is the absence of records surrounding any of these deaths but there is still a clear void in “Daughters of Chivalry”.
Wilson-Lee rounds out “Daughters of Chivalry” with a strong Epilogue detailing the legacies left behind by each of the five daughters providing a firm and memorable finality. Also included are annotated notes, s elect biography, and 16-pages of full-color photo plates.
“Daughters of Chivalry” is an astounding work in that it introduces lesser-discussed figures and explodes the barriers that have shadowed them to this point. Readers truly get a sense for the daughters, the family of King Edward I, and of the time period; while growing emotionally attached and bargaining a connection to the five princesses. Unlike other contemporary works on figures without solid records; “Daughters of Chivalry” is not fluffy or thin. Yes, the piece is not perfect and has some weaknesses in losing the thesis and resorting to speculation but “Daughters of Chivalry” merits a read and is recommended for all readers interested in King Edward I, his daughters, English monarchial history, and the medieval time period.
May 2, 2019
'Daughters of Chivalry' follows the five daughters of Edward I (Eleanora, Joanna, Mary, Margaret, and Elizabeth) and their forgotten lives. These women, whose fates include marriages to the Count of Holland, the Duke of Brabant and consignment to Amesbury Priory, have been largely ignored by historians who tend to focus on their far more eccentric brother, Edward II, and his formidable wife, Isabella of France. 'Daughters of Chivalry' aims to cast attention back on these largely unknown women. The result is a nice survey of the lives of medieval princesses, from the expectations placed on them as noblewomen, to the (limited) ways they could exercise authority, to interesting details about their clothing and education.
However, at times this book lacked a gripping narrative. Ultimately, there is a reason why much more attention has been focussed on other medieval women, such as Isabella of France: for medieval princesses, these five women were not particularly extraordinary. The most interesting of them is Joanna, whose clandestine marriage to a squire of unknown parentage was unheard of among European nobility, and incurred the ire of her father. Also reasonably interesting was Mary, who despite being a nun at Amesbury priory racked up huge debts gambling. But the remaining three led fairly standard lives for medieval noblewomen - for instance, Margaret married the Duke of Brabant, produced an heir, and then was sidelined whilst he had a steady stream of mistresses.
Despite this, the book is well-written and engaging. Wilson-Lee alternates between the stories of the five sisters fluidly, and introduces the complexity of European politics skillfully. As an introduction into the lives of medieval princesses this is good. The five daughters provide a decent survey of the options open to medieval princesses: marriage to prominent domestic noblemen, marriage to foreign noblemen, or life dedicated to religion. However if you pick up this book expecting tales of remarkable women to rival those of Eleanor of Aquitane, Empress Matilda or Isabella of France you will be disappointed. Wilson-Lee does a solid job telling the story of Edward I's forgotten daughters, but I would like to see her skills as a writer possibly used for more interesting candidates.
However, at times this book lacked a gripping narrative. Ultimately, there is a reason why much more attention has been focussed on other medieval women, such as Isabella of France: for medieval princesses, these five women were not particularly extraordinary. The most interesting of them is Joanna, whose clandestine marriage to a squire of unknown parentage was unheard of among European nobility, and incurred the ire of her father. Also reasonably interesting was Mary, who despite being a nun at Amesbury priory racked up huge debts gambling. But the remaining three led fairly standard lives for medieval noblewomen - for instance, Margaret married the Duke of Brabant, produced an heir, and then was sidelined whilst he had a steady stream of mistresses.
Despite this, the book is well-written and engaging. Wilson-Lee alternates between the stories of the five sisters fluidly, and introduces the complexity of European politics skillfully. As an introduction into the lives of medieval princesses this is good. The five daughters provide a decent survey of the options open to medieval princesses: marriage to prominent domestic noblemen, marriage to foreign noblemen, or life dedicated to religion. However if you pick up this book expecting tales of remarkable women to rival those of Eleanor of Aquitane, Empress Matilda or Isabella of France you will be disappointed. Wilson-Lee does a solid job telling the story of Edward I's forgotten daughters, but I would like to see her skills as a writer possibly used for more interesting candidates.
June 12, 2020
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2020/06/...
This is one of those books I didn’t actually intend to read, but I read the excerpt portion of it on Amazon, and I couldn’t stop. I ended up buying the book, and absolutely devouring it. It was impossible to put down. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.
The thing is, this book is about so much more than Edward I’s daughters. It’s about the life of a woman in the 1300’s, and, if you are like me, that’s really not something you knew a whole hell of a lot about.
Kelcey Wilson-Lee uses Edward I’s daughters—Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth—as a vehicle to show what life was like for high-status women in the 1300’s. His daughters were a fantastic vehicle to do this through, because their experiences and life stories really spanned the gamut of possibility for royal women in that day and age. Some of them ended up married, one of them was sent into church service at the age of six. Some stayed in the country, close to their home base. Some of them hated their husbands. Some left their country to go live in their husband’s native lands. One of them went with her husband to help put down a rebellion. And all of this is shown, and discussed, both the likely reasons for, and the likely reasons against any one action, and the political and personal reasons for all of the above, as could be inferred by both what is known to the period, and what is written in journals and various surviving records.
More than that, their lives were never dull. Bound by blood, each of these women, the daughters of England’s most famous warrior-king, had to navigate revolts, insurrections, battles, political power plays, childbirth, and life in a court that was always moving. (Literally. I had no idea that a royal court at that time was basically never in one place longer than a short span of time. Edward I, and his entire family and all their furniture, was always moving between palaces on a well-traveled circuit, and my god, that sounds exhausting.) Edward’s daughters all dealt with the difficulties of life differently, as per their personalities and the social norms and stations at the time, and that is addressed here.
Interesting tidbits of letters, journals, notes from those in the daughters’ service, and requests for things like clothes, shine a light on the daily lives of these women, and their struggles and personalities. It is known, for example, that some of the daughters preferred a certain color, or certain style of clothes above other styles from these letters. It is known, also, what kind of dresses they likely wore, based on documentation and what other women wore at the time. Education levels are also addressed, as some of the daughters took a keener interest in politics than others, and it appeared that some, if not all, knew how to read and write, and argue on their own behalf, and issue commands and decrees, which was rather abnormal for royal women at the time. And even feuds between sisters are examined, as jealousies are also catalogued here. These details were really interesting to me, as they worked toward making these women humans, who actually existed at one point in time, rather than just names on a page.
History isn’t usually fair to women, and that is, perhaps, one reason why this book surprised me so much. First of all, I doubt many people likely even know that Edward I had daughters, or what their names were. Secondly, the fact that this was so many years ago, in a time of poor record keeping, when women were important due to the men they married and the children they produced and little else, I was absolutely amazed by how much information Wilson-Lee found out about each of these daughters, and how she managed to absolutely pack this book full of information, not just about these five daughters, but about the wider world and cultural norms at the time. This wasn’t just a brief overview about each daughter, this was an in-depth portrait of women time forgot, and the author did a fantastic job of giving each woman equal coverage, slowly unrolling their stories as the book progressed, never really seeming to favor one over the others.
As a work of scholarship, I was honestly blown away.
It should be noted that these women aren’t particularly noteworthy against the backdrop of their time period. None of them really went on to move empires or forge nations. In the grand scheme of things, they were likely pretty average in comparison with other royal women of their time, and that fact may or may not disappoint some readers. If you like reading about women who change events and fundamentally impact history, you won’t really find it here. There is drama, yes, but it’s more personal and smaller scale than you may prefer. I, however, really enjoyed the fact that these were as close to your average royal woman of the times that you could get, and I think that was one of the strengths of the book. When you read about people who had a huge impact on their times, the book is often so focused on this particular person, and what makes this particular story so unique and impactful, that you lose scope of the wider world, and all of the other people in it. Their stories get drowned out. In this book, these women, while noteworthy, weren’t really more noteworthy than any other royal woman, and they all got overwhelmed by not just their father, but their brothers as well. In this book, Wilson-Lee peels away all the layers of their more famous family members, and exposes the life of the average (royal) woman in a detailed, nuanced way that you wouldn’t get otherwise.
Wilson-Lee alternates between the daughters rather fluidly, and her writing is skillful and engaging. She has an easy way about her, and seems to have a knack for boiling down and distilling complex European politics of the age, as well as showing how social and cultural norms would impact the day-to-day life of these women who are swept up in all these goings-on. I found the entire book to be fantastically engaging, and quite honestly, when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I’m pretty flummoxed why more lovers of history haven’t read this book yet. You’re really missing out on a gem.
In the end, this book was a perfect balance between personal life stories, complex politics, and a life in the 1300’s that really made an impact on me. I learned a whole lot, not just about Edward I’s daughters, but about the time in which they lived. More than that, I learned the names of these women who have been forgotten to history, and internalized their stories. Under Kelcey Wilson-Lee’s deft hand, these women lost their anonymity and became living, breathing people, both on and off the page.
Highly, highly recommend to history lovers.
This is one of those books I didn’t actually intend to read, but I read the excerpt portion of it on Amazon, and I couldn’t stop. I ended up buying the book, and absolutely devouring it. It was impossible to put down. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.
The thing is, this book is about so much more than Edward I’s daughters. It’s about the life of a woman in the 1300’s, and, if you are like me, that’s really not something you knew a whole hell of a lot about.
Kelcey Wilson-Lee uses Edward I’s daughters—Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth—as a vehicle to show what life was like for high-status women in the 1300’s. His daughters were a fantastic vehicle to do this through, because their experiences and life stories really spanned the gamut of possibility for royal women in that day and age. Some of them ended up married, one of them was sent into church service at the age of six. Some stayed in the country, close to their home base. Some of them hated their husbands. Some left their country to go live in their husband’s native lands. One of them went with her husband to help put down a rebellion. And all of this is shown, and discussed, both the likely reasons for, and the likely reasons against any one action, and the political and personal reasons for all of the above, as could be inferred by both what is known to the period, and what is written in journals and various surviving records.
More than that, their lives were never dull. Bound by blood, each of these women, the daughters of England’s most famous warrior-king, had to navigate revolts, insurrections, battles, political power plays, childbirth, and life in a court that was always moving. (Literally. I had no idea that a royal court at that time was basically never in one place longer than a short span of time. Edward I, and his entire family and all their furniture, was always moving between palaces on a well-traveled circuit, and my god, that sounds exhausting.) Edward’s daughters all dealt with the difficulties of life differently, as per their personalities and the social norms and stations at the time, and that is addressed here.
Interesting tidbits of letters, journals, notes from those in the daughters’ service, and requests for things like clothes, shine a light on the daily lives of these women, and their struggles and personalities. It is known, for example, that some of the daughters preferred a certain color, or certain style of clothes above other styles from these letters. It is known, also, what kind of dresses they likely wore, based on documentation and what other women wore at the time. Education levels are also addressed, as some of the daughters took a keener interest in politics than others, and it appeared that some, if not all, knew how to read and write, and argue on their own behalf, and issue commands and decrees, which was rather abnormal for royal women at the time. And even feuds between sisters are examined, as jealousies are also catalogued here. These details were really interesting to me, as they worked toward making these women humans, who actually existed at one point in time, rather than just names on a page.
History isn’t usually fair to women, and that is, perhaps, one reason why this book surprised me so much. First of all, I doubt many people likely even know that Edward I had daughters, or what their names were. Secondly, the fact that this was so many years ago, in a time of poor record keeping, when women were important due to the men they married and the children they produced and little else, I was absolutely amazed by how much information Wilson-Lee found out about each of these daughters, and how she managed to absolutely pack this book full of information, not just about these five daughters, but about the wider world and cultural norms at the time. This wasn’t just a brief overview about each daughter, this was an in-depth portrait of women time forgot, and the author did a fantastic job of giving each woman equal coverage, slowly unrolling their stories as the book progressed, never really seeming to favor one over the others.
As a work of scholarship, I was honestly blown away.
It should be noted that these women aren’t particularly noteworthy against the backdrop of their time period. None of them really went on to move empires or forge nations. In the grand scheme of things, they were likely pretty average in comparison with other royal women of their time, and that fact may or may not disappoint some readers. If you like reading about women who change events and fundamentally impact history, you won’t really find it here. There is drama, yes, but it’s more personal and smaller scale than you may prefer. I, however, really enjoyed the fact that these were as close to your average royal woman of the times that you could get, and I think that was one of the strengths of the book. When you read about people who had a huge impact on their times, the book is often so focused on this particular person, and what makes this particular story so unique and impactful, that you lose scope of the wider world, and all of the other people in it. Their stories get drowned out. In this book, these women, while noteworthy, weren’t really more noteworthy than any other royal woman, and they all got overwhelmed by not just their father, but their brothers as well. In this book, Wilson-Lee peels away all the layers of their more famous family members, and exposes the life of the average (royal) woman in a detailed, nuanced way that you wouldn’t get otherwise.
Wilson-Lee alternates between the daughters rather fluidly, and her writing is skillful and engaging. She has an easy way about her, and seems to have a knack for boiling down and distilling complex European politics of the age, as well as showing how social and cultural norms would impact the day-to-day life of these women who are swept up in all these goings-on. I found the entire book to be fantastically engaging, and quite honestly, when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I’m pretty flummoxed why more lovers of history haven’t read this book yet. You’re really missing out on a gem.
In the end, this book was a perfect balance between personal life stories, complex politics, and a life in the 1300’s that really made an impact on me. I learned a whole lot, not just about Edward I’s daughters, but about the time in which they lived. More than that, I learned the names of these women who have been forgotten to history, and internalized their stories. Under Kelcey Wilson-Lee’s deft hand, these women lost their anonymity and became living, breathing people, both on and off the page.
Highly, highly recommend to history lovers.
March 31, 2025
A deeply engaging glimpse into the lives of women who history has mostly forgotten in favour of their Father and Brother.
March 1, 2020
It's taken me way longer than usual to finish this one, but believe me when I say it's not because it's a bad book, it's because my new job sucked the life out of me for last 3 months!
Now that I finally stopped feeling like a walking dead tired zombie, I picked it back up and was done in a day!
Fascinating read this one was, surprisingly engaging given the time period and the lack of abundant sources on women in this day and age.
Of King Edward, Longshanks, we have all more or less heard, if for no other reason than him having the nerve to ordered the death of Mel Gibson in "Braveheart" ....tsk tsk tsk for shame your majesty 🙃
Now the treat for me here was finding out about his family...namely his strong, feisty and independent daughters who would have done a much better job ruling England than their brother Edward ever did!
Joanna in particular was especially appealing, her independent streak, her courage in a male dominated universe, her passion, and yes I think it's safe to say, her very strong sense of self, made her someone I would love to meet honestly.
Yes these women were lucky, given their birth (and their mother) they had better access to education and the means to live a very very comfortable life..even Mary offered to God to become a nun/companion of her grandmother when she joined the convent, when she herself was barely more than a toddler, was lucky enough to enjoy enormous freedom and wealth....vows of poverty be dam*#$ .. lol.
One thing...after a while it might get confusing to read this one, everyone shares the same name or just about so you might get a little lost, but it's still worth it....an eye opener and a wonderful carefully built window into the middle ages, kudos to the author on a job very well done!
Happy Readings!
Now that I finally stopped feeling like a walking dead tired zombie, I picked it back up and was done in a day!
Fascinating read this one was, surprisingly engaging given the time period and the lack of abundant sources on women in this day and age.
Of King Edward, Longshanks, we have all more or less heard, if for no other reason than him having the nerve to ordered the death of Mel Gibson in "Braveheart" ....tsk tsk tsk for shame your majesty 🙃
Now the treat for me here was finding out about his family...namely his strong, feisty and independent daughters who would have done a much better job ruling England than their brother Edward ever did!
Joanna in particular was especially appealing, her independent streak, her courage in a male dominated universe, her passion, and yes I think it's safe to say, her very strong sense of self, made her someone I would love to meet honestly.
Yes these women were lucky, given their birth (and their mother) they had better access to education and the means to live a very very comfortable life..even Mary offered to God to become a nun/companion of her grandmother when she joined the convent, when she herself was barely more than a toddler, was lucky enough to enjoy enormous freedom and wealth....vows of poverty be dam*#$ .. lol.
One thing...after a while it might get confusing to read this one, everyone shares the same name or just about so you might get a little lost, but it's still worth it....an eye opener and a wonderful carefully built window into the middle ages, kudos to the author on a job very well done!
Happy Readings!
November 7, 2021
Daughters of Chivalry is a popular history of the lives of the daughters of Edward I. Personally, I prefer more scholarly approaches to history but that wasn’t what Kelcey Wilson-Lee set out to write and as a work of popular history, it’s fine.
There is a fair amount of speculation and smoothing over of history, at times unwarranted psychoanalysing and sensationalism (e.g. a reference to a coronet needing to be repaired because Edward I threw it in the fire becomes Edward I tearing the coronet off his daughter’s head and throwing it in the fire). There’s minimal footnotes, though a healthy bibliography for further reading.
I don’t know that much about Edward I and the book doesn’t delve into Edward II’s reign, but it seems well-researched. I did catch some errors when Wilson-Lee made reference, for example, to figures outside of her era (e.g. she discusses the consummation of marriages when the bride was in her preteens or early preteens by citing the debunked story of Mary de Bohun’s first child) but in fairness, this is well outside Wilson-Lee’s area of focus.
For me, Daughters of Chivalry never quite hit the strides of popular history works I’ve enjoyed before. It’s appealing and pleasant but it’s never quite engaged me or made the figures or history feel truly alive.
There is a fair amount of speculation and smoothing over of history, at times unwarranted psychoanalysing and sensationalism (e.g. a reference to a coronet needing to be repaired because Edward I threw it in the fire becomes Edward I tearing the coronet off his daughter’s head and throwing it in the fire). There’s minimal footnotes, though a healthy bibliography for further reading.
I don’t know that much about Edward I and the book doesn’t delve into Edward II’s reign, but it seems well-researched. I did catch some errors when Wilson-Lee made reference, for example, to figures outside of her era (e.g. she discusses the consummation of marriages when the bride was in her preteens or early preteens by citing the debunked story of Mary de Bohun’s first child) but in fairness, this is well outside Wilson-Lee’s area of focus.
For me, Daughters of Chivalry never quite hit the strides of popular history works I’ve enjoyed before. It’s appealing and pleasant but it’s never quite engaged me or made the figures or history feel truly alive.
November 6, 2019
Everyone has a image of what they think it was like for medieval princess. Wilson-Lee presents the story of what it was really like for the five duaghters of Edward I, the English king also known as Longshanks. These women all played powerful roles in their own right as a nun and princesses or ladies in their own right as most of them married into influential families, strengthening their father's ability to rule. In fact, as many of them became widows, they were also able to rule in their own right. Tragically, little is known about how most of them died other than they seemed to just disappear from the historical record, and even though most of their burial places are known, the places were mostly destroyed.
Their brother ended up following their father as king, and he was actually one of the most notorious of the English kings. A brief overview of his rule and how it effected their own roles is the final sectino of the book.
This was a really interested and well-written and -researched book. It is certainly not for everyone. Despite being one of the most successful English kings, Edward Longshanks is not particularly well-known. If you are interested in medieval history, this is certainly worth the read.
Their brother ended up following their father as king, and he was actually one of the most notorious of the English kings. A brief overview of his rule and how it effected their own roles is the final sectino of the book.
This was a really interested and well-written and -researched book. It is certainly not for everyone. Despite being one of the most successful English kings, Edward Longshanks is not particularly well-known. If you are interested in medieval history, this is certainly worth the read.
June 6, 2020
In Daughters of Chivalry, Kelcey Wilson-Lee does a fabulous job restoring the daughters of Edward I of England, proving that medieval princesses were far more than what the stereotypical damsel-in-distress, helpless pawn of powerful men image they've gained in recent times would suggest. Wilson-Lee writes with an easy style, making the book engaging and a delight to follow.
Before this book, I knew next to nothing about these women, though I admit to knowing a fair bit more about their more famous brother and sister-in-law. Learning how these women forged their own paths within the patriarchal world they lived in - and with one of the most intense fathers imaginable (they do not call Edward I "the Hammer of the Scots" for a cuddly attitude, after all) - was an absolute treat. So often people think that princesses in the medieval world had no agency, that they were merely pawns to be moved for the advantage and advancement of men. But these were real women, with minds and hearts and ambitions of their own, and they played their hands well, leading lives on their own terms within the hands they were dealt.
A great read.
Before this book, I knew next to nothing about these women, though I admit to knowing a fair bit more about their more famous brother and sister-in-law. Learning how these women forged their own paths within the patriarchal world they lived in - and with one of the most intense fathers imaginable (they do not call Edward I "the Hammer of the Scots" for a cuddly attitude, after all) - was an absolute treat. So often people think that princesses in the medieval world had no agency, that they were merely pawns to be moved for the advantage and advancement of men. But these were real women, with minds and hearts and ambitions of their own, and they played their hands well, leading lives on their own terms within the hands they were dealt.
A great read.
November 26, 2020
This book broke my heart, so many deaths, so much pain, these women were stronger and more intelligent than any man they ever encountered. This book deserves all the stars, but I'll have to settle for FIVE. It's incredibly well researched. A stand out book and a compelling overview of Edward I's daughters who survived infancy. 'Daughters of Chivalry' is an impressively comprehensive and well written account of women that are shown to be more respected and independent than we previously thought.
I didn't know half of the things I read here, so well done, VERY WELL DONE.
A new favorite next to Helen Castor's She-Wolves.
I didn't know half of the things I read here, so well done, VERY WELL DONE.
A new favorite next to Helen Castor's She-Wolves.
August 9, 2024
Like many daughters of kings who didn't go on to become queens themselves, the five daughters of Edward I tend to be, if they are mentioned at all, mere footnotes in histories of their father and brother's reigns. Wilson-Lee puts them in the spotlight instead, giving the reader an intriguing look at the different lives highborn medieval women could lead.
October 25, 2023
The book begins in 1274 with the coronation of Edward I and ends in 1332 with the death of one of his daughter, Mary, in 1332 The book spans 58 years.
A very interesting delve into the lives of the 5 daughters of the long reigning King of England, Edward I (called Edward Longshanks). Author, Kelcey Wilson-Lee does extensive research into historical archives. In the introduction, she asks you to imagine what the life of a medieval princess would be like. Most likely, you would begin with thinking fairy tales and Hollywood interpretations-their story ending happily ever, as the wife of a male savior. Wilson-Lee erases your thoughts to bring to life a few of the forgotten, strong, independent women who were pawns in political marriages, but despite that unjustice lead lives of education and leadership, long forgotten.
An accessible book for any person interested in history. At times seeming more like a novel than a biography.
A very interesting delve into the lives of the 5 daughters of the long reigning King of England, Edward I (called Edward Longshanks). Author, Kelcey Wilson-Lee does extensive research into historical archives. In the introduction, she asks you to imagine what the life of a medieval princess would be like. Most likely, you would begin with thinking fairy tales and Hollywood interpretations-their story ending happily ever, as the wife of a male savior. Wilson-Lee erases your thoughts to bring to life a few of the forgotten, strong, independent women who were pawns in political marriages, but despite that unjustice lead lives of education and leadership, long forgotten.
An accessible book for any person interested in history. At times seeming more like a novel than a biography.
October 13, 2019
4 1/2 stars. This biography of the daughters of Edward I of England--he was born in 1239, succeeded in 1272, died in 1307--is a standout. It is very rare to find a biography of historically distant subjects like Edward's daughters which is both accessible by people totally unfamiliar with the period, and also full of information which may have escaped the more knowledgeable. The book has no literary pretensions: it's written in a very workmanlike style (occasionally to a fault); it's crystal clear. The narrative voice has the unusual quality of being personal without (apparently) losing objectivity, and it has the equally unusual quality of being speculative without being annoyingly so. The research which supports the work is very thorough--I can imagine that Ms. Wilson-Lee left very few relevant caches of records in Britain and western Europe unexamined.
Edward's first queen was Eleanor of Castile. Theirs was a political match, but became a close and loving relationship. Their five surviving daughters, Eleanor, Joanna, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth were remarkably well educated and sumptuously provided for--in fact, it's the material culture of the records of their provisioning and the objects which remain from the period which give the author clues as to their relationship to their father (an irascible, sometimes ruthless, but oddly tender man) and to others in their world. Edward has three more children by his second wife, Marguerite of France, who becomes a beloved stepmother, but the focus is on the older girls.
Each daughter is revealed as a separate person with consistent character traits and behaviors--their lives are so full of incident that describing each one in this review would be the work of at least the 13000+ characters I have left. If this book is not made into a film or series with the headstrong and fearless Joanna as the central figure, as suggested by a review in the Wall St. Journal, a sure thing is being missed. (I think it would appeal to a Game-of-Thrones lonely audience, among others.)
The book is beautifully illustrated with very well chosen color plates; there is a simple family tree, and two helpful maps. These are things that are also rarely found together. I can't recommend the book more highly. (My only complaints were the occasional lapse of language or grammar.)
A highly enjoyable read.
Edward's first queen was Eleanor of Castile. Theirs was a political match, but became a close and loving relationship. Their five surviving daughters, Eleanor, Joanna, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth were remarkably well educated and sumptuously provided for--in fact, it's the material culture of the records of their provisioning and the objects which remain from the period which give the author clues as to their relationship to their father (an irascible, sometimes ruthless, but oddly tender man) and to others in their world. Edward has three more children by his second wife, Marguerite of France, who becomes a beloved stepmother, but the focus is on the older girls.
Each daughter is revealed as a separate person with consistent character traits and behaviors--their lives are so full of incident that describing each one in this review would be the work of at least the 13000+ characters I have left. If this book is not made into a film or series with the headstrong and fearless Joanna as the central figure, as suggested by a review in the Wall St. Journal, a sure thing is being missed. (I think it would appeal to a Game-of-Thrones lonely audience, among others.)
The book is beautifully illustrated with very well chosen color plates; there is a simple family tree, and two helpful maps. These are things that are also rarely found together. I can't recommend the book more highly. (My only complaints were the occasional lapse of language or grammar.)
A highly enjoyable read.
June 7, 2020
"Daughters of Chivalry" is a compelling overview of Edward I's children - most notably his daughters - Eleanora, Johanna, Mary, Margaret, and Elizabeth, and what it must have been like growing up as a noble woman in the late 1200s/early 1300s. Marriages of dynastic convenience, forced nun-hood (poor Mary was only 8 when she "took the veil!"), the perils of childbirth, estates seized by Edward in a pique and then returned, and widowhood and the possibility of forced remarriage - I found this book to be fascinating. Kelcey Wilson-Lee brings these women to life, obviously exhausting the little amount of research that survives about their lives. Told in a compelling, non-academic style, this book would be an interesting read to the lay person with little to no knowledge of the time period as well as to those who have a deeper understanding. Being directly descended from the tempestuous, opinionated Johanna of Acre (I loved reading about her illicit marriage to a "commoner!") and the more docile Elizabeth, I found this book particularly fascinating.
August 16, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Daughters of Chivalry. It was my first non-fiction book, and I think that it shocked me into reading it slower than I would have liked – because once I was into it, I really liked it.
This era is by no means my favorite era, but royal women are always my favorites – and I know have a new absolute favorite: Joanna of Acre. What a boss ass bitch. I aspire to be her.
Jokes aside – Wilson-Lee could be unnecessarily repetitive at times and I often felt that I had literally just read that, but she paints a vivid picture of the daughters of Edward I and Eleanor of Castille.
This era is by no means my favorite era, but royal women are always my favorites – and I know have a new absolute favorite: Joanna of Acre. What a boss ass bitch. I aspire to be her.
Jokes aside – Wilson-Lee could be unnecessarily repetitive at times and I often felt that I had literally just read that, but she paints a vivid picture of the daughters of Edward I and Eleanor of Castille.
November 14, 2024
reading really good narrative nonfiction truly makes me lament the state of modern fantasy lmao. wilson-lee is both a great historian and a fabulous storyteller, capable of moving between the five sisters and the various women in their orbit with great ease, while also managing to draw a vivid picture of the social and political world through which they moved. my only complaint (if it can even really called that) is that her imagination failed her sometimes in really perplexing ways and these blindspots then gave rise to questions that she didn't acknowledge or perhaps didn't see or think of? for example--margaret of brabant delays joining her husband in their duchy for something like six years and she literally says 'who can say why she decided to delay her departure from england for so long.'
you! YOU CAN SAY! GUESS WITH THE DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE TO YOU! and it isn't that i want her to make things up! but then perhaps spend some more time on the relationship between yann, margaret's husband, and margaret herself while they were at court since he was fostered by edward in england! it wasn't until margaret delayed that i was like 'oh we just k now he was there and liked hunting and that margaret was a tradtional woman' that i was like she hasn't spent anytime on their actual relationship or in providing possibilities based on other relationships modeled at court or anything! its really clear that elizabeth, joanna, and mary were the sisters she (the author) gravitated to the most and who she was most comfortable speculating on and that also even within the diverse and interesting lives wilson-lee's imagination of what they felt or imagined was lacking.
i am, obviously, not a trained historian and it is entirely possible that she's just working with what she has and that the record is thin on some sisters versus others. but then i think it is incumbent on you, the scholar, writing for a wide laymen audience to say so!
its also really obvious she has a book on edward ii and piers gaveston in her--the last few chapters after edward i's death were so derailed by the two of them and like slay, but i cannot believe elizabeth's presence when she was married to one of his main detractors was sidelined by this lmao.
all that said, banger. also: i do not buy that mary of woodstock died a virgin. lmao. god bless (derogatory).
you! YOU CAN SAY! GUESS WITH THE DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE TO YOU! and it isn't that i want her to make things up! but then perhaps spend some more time on the relationship between yann, margaret's husband, and margaret herself while they were at court since he was fostered by edward in england! it wasn't until margaret delayed that i was like 'oh we just k now he was there and liked hunting and that margaret was a tradtional woman' that i was like she hasn't spent anytime on their actual relationship or in providing possibilities based on other relationships modeled at court or anything! its really clear that elizabeth, joanna, and mary were the sisters she (the author) gravitated to the most and who she was most comfortable speculating on and that also even within the diverse and interesting lives wilson-lee's imagination of what they felt or imagined was lacking.
i am, obviously, not a trained historian and it is entirely possible that she's just working with what she has and that the record is thin on some sisters versus others. but then i think it is incumbent on you, the scholar, writing for a wide laymen audience to say so!
its also really obvious she has a book on edward ii and piers gaveston in her--the last few chapters after edward i's death were so derailed by the two of them and like slay, but i cannot believe elizabeth's presence when she was married to one of his main detractors was sidelined by this lmao.
all that said, banger. also: i do not buy that mary of woodstock died a virgin. lmao. god bless (derogatory).
April 26, 2021
I marked this book TBR at the end of March, and was so sure it would be great I bought it, and read it by April. I am usually very picky with my non-fiction, but due to the high rating on Goodreads (which I know doesn’t always correlate to a book’s merit) and rave reviews from readers I had to give it a chance, and I was not disappointed.
I am not super familiar with medieval England and it’s history, but Wilson-Lee really managed to engage me without overwhelming me. This could have easily been done due to the time period it covers (roughly 50+ years) and the fact that almost every historical figure in this book is either called Edward, Eleanor, Joanna, or Margaret (I only exaggerate a little). W-Lee really kept her writing tight and clear, still managing to fully describe and establish who these women were, but without overflowing prose to bog down the writing. The break up of the book, and it’s chapters aided this, by making the book super easy to pick up from where I left off.
The book revolves around the five daughters of Edward I, who they were, and the roles they were expected to fill and the roles they made for themselves. As W-Lee states they were not merely maidens in a tower waiting to be rescued, a stereotype often connected to medieval princesses but took active roles in shaping their own paths, whether through marriage or intercession with their father.
Honestly, this book could be adapted into a TV series. These women’s lives were so extraordinary, what they lived through and their roles in politics and court, could easily be adapted into a show. (Whether for bad or good, I don’t know, but it sure would be interesting!) If this author publishes anything else in the future, I would be happy to pick up a copy of her book.
I am not super familiar with medieval England and it’s history, but Wilson-Lee really managed to engage me without overwhelming me. This could have easily been done due to the time period it covers (roughly 50+ years) and the fact that almost every historical figure in this book is either called Edward, Eleanor, Joanna, or Margaret (I only exaggerate a little). W-Lee really kept her writing tight and clear, still managing to fully describe and establish who these women were, but without overflowing prose to bog down the writing. The break up of the book, and it’s chapters aided this, by making the book super easy to pick up from where I left off.
The book revolves around the five daughters of Edward I, who they were, and the roles they were expected to fill and the roles they made for themselves. As W-Lee states they were not merely maidens in a tower waiting to be rescued, a stereotype often connected to medieval princesses but took active roles in shaping their own paths, whether through marriage or intercession with their father.
Honestly, this book could be adapted into a TV series. These women’s lives were so extraordinary, what they lived through and their roles in politics and court, could easily be adapted into a show. (Whether for bad or good, I don’t know, but it sure would be interesting!) If this author publishes anything else in the future, I would be happy to pick up a copy of her book.
March 9, 2025
This is a really special historical biography of the daughters of King Edward I. I enjoyed it immensely and found myself wishing it would not end. The author really deserves to be commended for not only her impeccable research, but for bringing to life these women who the annals of history had largely ignored. Unfortunately, due to the lack of primary records, a lot of inferences and assumptions had to be made about the motivations and actions of the royal daughters, but I trusted that Wilson-Lee made the right call in her telling of their story. Finally, this is a highly readable book, which is somewhat unusual for a book about the early 14th century. I was fully engrossed in their story and even found them to be very relatable.
I can't recommend Daughters of Chivalry enough.
I can't recommend Daughters of Chivalry enough.
March 1, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this, I didn't know much about these women and it was honestly a little astonishing how much historical record there was. I kept mentally comparing it to the AW bio of Elizabeth of York, and while there was still a lot of women of this period/they probably felt in this one, it felt much more grounded in what was actually known about the women. Would recommend to anyone interested in royals or women in history.
June 5, 2021
Super easy read based on painstaking research. I don't tend to care about British (royal) history but this was a great reappraisal of princess life
October 28, 2023
3.5 stars, a nice version of what the lives of Edward I's daughters might have been like. It's good to read about the daily lives of those in the shadow of famous rulers such as him.
July 14, 2022
Yeah, this book does a good job of humanizing people who lived 700 years ago. Yeah, this book gives us insights into the lives of some boss bitches, but listen—Joanna (Joan of Acre) the gives-zero-fucks rebel and Mary the gambling addict, luxury-loving princess nun are everything to me
March 22, 2020
Oh, this is such a well-written, thoroughly researched book. I'd been familiar with the story of the brother of the subjects of this book, Edward II, but knew absolutely nothing about his 5 sisters, each of whom had an important role in late 13th and early 14th century European history and their families place at the top of a powerful and unwieldy kingdom.
The eldest, Eleanor, had a long betrothal go awry for political reasons, and ended up marrying the Count of Bar well after some of her younger sisters had already married. Strong-willed Joanna married a Marcher lord on the Welsh border and held a very powerful position as the countries wealthiest landowning woman, as well as being the king's most defiant daughter. Mary was taken by her grandmother to become a nun at the tender age of six, yet still managed to spend time with family, reap the benefits of vast estates, and indulge her gambling habits. Margaret spent the least time in England, married earlier to the Count of Brabant and living in her husband's court in Brussels, in a strategic alliance against her father's French opponents. And lastly, Elizabeth, married to the Count of Holland and widowed at a young age, remarried one of her father's most trusted knights.
One of the things that Wilson-Lee does so well is dispel the trope of the medieval princess locked away in a tower. These women are involved in international affairs, are highly educated, and spend much of their lives training for the dual diplomatic roles they will assume as liaisons between their husbands' courts and that of their father. They have to tread carefully around a very complicated political landscape and for the most part are successful.
It was interesting to me how much of what was gleaned about their lives comes from the records of the royal wardrobe, records of the clothes and gifts they had made and received around weddings, holidays and family get-togethers. And letters from the king granting (and in some cases reclaiming) lands, titles loans and gifts among his daughters also reveal much. It is clear from the record that Edward I wanted the best for and did all he could to support his daughters. But he also expected much in return.
Still, for all the importance of their roles, it is sad that none of the monuments erected to honor these women after their deaths have survived.
Wilson-Lee does such a good job of revealing their influential lives and bringing forward their personalities. A family tree in the front was helpful in keeping everyone straight, although the names of their own children would have been helpful - family name recycling was very popular and it was a bit of a chore to keep up with all the Eleanors and Margarets. I hope she writes more history books. I'll read them.
The eldest, Eleanor, had a long betrothal go awry for political reasons, and ended up marrying the Count of Bar well after some of her younger sisters had already married. Strong-willed Joanna married a Marcher lord on the Welsh border and held a very powerful position as the countries wealthiest landowning woman, as well as being the king's most defiant daughter. Mary was taken by her grandmother to become a nun at the tender age of six, yet still managed to spend time with family, reap the benefits of vast estates, and indulge her gambling habits. Margaret spent the least time in England, married earlier to the Count of Brabant and living in her husband's court in Brussels, in a strategic alliance against her father's French opponents. And lastly, Elizabeth, married to the Count of Holland and widowed at a young age, remarried one of her father's most trusted knights.
One of the things that Wilson-Lee does so well is dispel the trope of the medieval princess locked away in a tower. These women are involved in international affairs, are highly educated, and spend much of their lives training for the dual diplomatic roles they will assume as liaisons between their husbands' courts and that of their father. They have to tread carefully around a very complicated political landscape and for the most part are successful.
It was interesting to me how much of what was gleaned about their lives comes from the records of the royal wardrobe, records of the clothes and gifts they had made and received around weddings, holidays and family get-togethers. And letters from the king granting (and in some cases reclaiming) lands, titles loans and gifts among his daughters also reveal much. It is clear from the record that Edward I wanted the best for and did all he could to support his daughters. But he also expected much in return.
Still, for all the importance of their roles, it is sad that none of the monuments erected to honor these women after their deaths have survived.
Wilson-Lee does such a good job of revealing their influential lives and bringing forward their personalities. A family tree in the front was helpful in keeping everyone straight, although the names of their own children would have been helpful - family name recycling was very popular and it was a bit of a chore to keep up with all the Eleanors and Margarets. I hope she writes more history books. I'll read them.
December 7, 2019
Daughters of Chivalry is a compulsively readable biography of Edward I's five daughters- he had more than that, but this book is only concerned with the ones who made it to adulthood. Edward I was one of the major establishers of Arthurian culture and the cult of chivalry in the English court. His daughters found their own place in that chivalric court, guided by their mother and grandmother. Three married outside the kingdom (one was widowed and remarried inside), one married inside, and one became a nun. The course of their lives and the way they navigated their roles as royal women makes for a fascinating story.
Wilson-Lee does an excellent job linking the personal stories of these five women to the broader context of the lives of medieval royal women. It's not pop history, either; the book is well-researched and fully cited. It's just extremely well-written actual history, and well worth a read if you're interested in any of these people, their relatives, or even simply the period. If I had a qualm, it's this: the book more or less ends with the coronation of Edward II, even though at least three of the sisters lived for a long time after. I wish it had gone on instead of summarizing their lives. Still, a great book, highly recommended.
Wilson-Lee does an excellent job linking the personal stories of these five women to the broader context of the lives of medieval royal women. It's not pop history, either; the book is well-researched and fully cited. It's just extremely well-written actual history, and well worth a read if you're interested in any of these people, their relatives, or even simply the period. If I had a qualm, it's this: the book more or less ends with the coronation of Edward II, even though at least three of the sisters lived for a long time after. I wish it had gone on instead of summarizing their lives. Still, a great book, highly recommended.
March 22, 2022
I'm always impressed by how historians can pull so much out of very limited sources - you see this a lot with early histories of women, especially, with the use of diaries, jewelry, and for example, in this case, wardrobe records, because it really shows 1) how women were not viewed as valuable in the historical record and 2) how they still shaped history while people weren't looking. (Of course, this is not limited just to women's history, but I'm pointing this out because of the subject matter of this book.) I learned a lot about this generation of medieval princesses and the writing style was accessible and engaging, able to weave multiple stories that connected to each other. I am wary, though, of how much Wilson-Lee relied on speculation -- there is always a limit you have to place on that when you're using limited sources -- and how the speculation would sometimes be treated as conclusions. Overall, interesting read and resourceful use of historical sources.
October 25, 2019
Fascinating biographies of Edward 1’s five daughters. They are ‘forgotten’ mainly because, as women, their actions are not considered significant by history and very little concrete evidence of their lives remains. So, although this book contains evidence of exhaustive research into things like charters and receipts for purchases, there is an awful lot of ‘probably’ in it. I enjoyed it very much, nonetheless.
July 28, 2023
do edward ii and piers gaveston count as gay rep?
Engaging, really is an examination of a noble woman's role in medieval England and how she can derive power from it.
Engaging, really is an examination of a noble woman's role in medieval England and how she can derive power from it.
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