Queens of the Age of Chivalry by Alison Weir is subtitled England’s Medieval Queens and it tells the stories of the lives of the five queen consorts in England in the 14th century, the Plantagenet period from 1299 to 1399, but inevitably it’s a lot more than that as while writing of the experiences of the women and their husbands, the history of their era and how it affected them also has to be written about.

The five Queens are: Marguerite of France (Edward I’s second wife), Isabella of France (Edward II’s wife), Philippa of Hainault (Edward III’s wife), Anne of Bohemia (Richard II’s wife), Isabella of Valois (Richard II’s second wife).

These Planatgenet wives were far from being shrinking violets, it was quiet an eye-opener how much power and influence they could have. Reading this book you learn an awful lot about English history but also the history of Scotland and the various European countries that become embroiled in English history. It’s a painless and entertaining way of learning. I’m constantly amazed by how many documents and personal letters are still in existence from so far back in history. What a thrill it must be to be able to see and possibly even touch them.

This was a really enjoyable and interesting read. I received a digital copy for review from the publisher via Netgalley, for which many thanks.