The Virgin Queen

Since we have been watching the film Queen Elizabeth, I figured I would dedicated this week's weblog to our beloved Queen of England. Elizabeth 1 the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn. She was unlikely to succeed the throne because she had a half brother and a Roman Catholic half sister Mary.  According to the online source British Monarchy, “her 45- year reign is generally considered one of the most glorious because the Church of England was established and there a compromise between Roman Catholic and Protestantism”. Queen Elizabeth was also known for her Chasity or most commonly known as “The Virgin Queen” she uses her marriage prospects as a political tool in foreign and domestic policies. She is often portrayed as a selfless woman who sacrificed personal happiness for the good of the nation. And according to the source late in her reign, she addressed Parliament in the so-called 'Golden Speech' of 1601 when she told MPs: 'There is no jewel, be it of never so high a price, which I set before this jewel; I mean your love.' 

Image above is The Lady Elizabeth in about 1546, painted by an unknown artist. 

Source: https://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensofEngland/TheTudors/ElizabethI.aspx

Eleanor of Aquitaine

This week in class we discussed women as queens and the different types of power queens could have. We did discuss Eleanor of Aquitaine in class, but as I am also doing my research project I wanted to discuss her and especially her role as a queen a bit more at length. Eleanor of Aquitaine was originally born around the 12th century and from the duchy of Aquitaine in France, a very prosperous are, and was the eldest daughter of the tenth Duke of Aquitaine. Unlike most women in that age, she was well-educated at a young age and stepped into a role of power at just 15 years old, when her father and brother died leaving her a very wealthy and powerful duchess. In 1137 she married the prince of France, who became King Louis VII not soon after their marriage. Though they divorced in 1152, she accompanied him on the Second Crusade, also something rare for women of that era. She then went on to marry Henry of Anjou, who became the king of England, and had seven children with him. Eleanor was very active, maintaining her lands in Aquitaine as well as participating in politics in England.
She was imprisoned in 1173 for being involved in a plot by her two sons to overthrow their father, King Henry II of England, and was not released until his death when her son took the throne as Richard I. Eleanor was heavily involved in his reign, even acting as his regent when Richard I left for the crusades in 1190. Eleanor of Aquitaine is an example of a women exerting a great deal of influence and actually being a queen who was in a position of power as her son's regent in England. There are many examples of people of power, such as the pope, being in communication with her. As well as her sending out letters and decrees to the general public, showing how respected her word was. There is even a documented letter from Hildegard of Bingen to Eleanor, in it Hildegard wrote "Your mind is like a wall which is covered with clouds, and you look everywhere but have no rest. Flee this and attain stability with God and men, and God will help you in all your tribulations. May God give you his blessing and help in all your works.",  scholars assume Eleanor wrote her first asking for advice and Hildegard merely wrote back, but it shows a very interesting interaction between two very well-known and respected women of that age.

http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/woman/24.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/eleanor_of_aquitaine.shtml

Marie Antoinette

  We spoke the other day in class about the adulterous rumors and accusations that would occur when a woman was in power. Marie Antoinette is most known for having supposedly said "Let them eat cake" while France was in a starvation crisis (Women's History 1). But this accusation of her carelessness towards the citizens of France was not the only matter Marie was accused of.
   Marie was linked to many affairs, scandals, and was accused of having pornographic orgies and feasts (Notes). In 1785 she was linked to what has been termed "The Affair of the Diamond Necklace" in which she was said to have slept with a cardinal in order to obtain an extravagant diamond necklace (Women's History 1). Not only did this cause more rumors of her adulterous affairs but also continued the rumors of her lavish spending habits in which she and her husband spared no costs for.
   Her lustrous spending habits have been linked to what caused the citizens of France to continually hate her. While the majority of France was starving and near death, Marie bought lavish dresses and shoes and continued to spend the money that should be going to the people of France on her self-centered desires.
   Among the public the term "Austrian Whore" began to be used instead of Marie's name (Marie Antoinette Biography 1). Links to "illicit sexual behavior" and accusations of having affairs with both men and women lead to the citizens of France directing all of their anger towards Marie and blaming her for the suffering of France.
    Just like the statement "Let them eat cake" historians have little evidence as to if these accusations held any truth to them. Did she really have hundreds of affairs or was she just a young girl who liked to spend the wealth she had married into? Regardless of the accusations, Marie was the Queen of France beginning in 1774 and remained queen until the French monarchy was forced out. She was a woman of power but we never hear about any of the "good" she may have done during her time as queen only the negative rumors and accusations are presented. The fact that she has been said to have been a wonderful, caring mother to her children is far overshadowed by the rumors that filled her daily life.
   Marie Antoinette is just one example that women in power must always be aware that none of their actions are kept private. Being in power means accepting the fact that one's private life is no longer private.

Works Cited

Lewis, Jone. "Marie Antoinette." Women's History. Accessed March 13, 2014. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/rulerspre20th/p/marieantoinette.htm. 

"Marie Antoinette Biography."Accessed March 13, 2014. http://www.greatkat.com/03/marieantoinette.html. 

Mary: Queen of Scots

Since we have recently begun to discuss the power and influence of noble women, I had decided to research some queens related to Elisabeth 1.  What I have found was the story of Mary, Queen of Scots as presented by biography.com.  According to this source, Mary was born in 1542 and quickly received the heir to the throne once her father passed away shortly after her birth.  From this point on, Mary's life is a seemingly hectic spiral of events that leads to her ultimate death.  Her family lineage was connected to that of Henry VIII and Elisabeth I.  According to the source, Mary was betrothed to her cousin, the son of Henry VII.  They were not wed because of an outcry from the Scottish community.  Mary was later sent to France. She would then marry the French heir and become the Queen consort.  After the death of her husband, the source tells us that Marry would return to Scotland.  However, the influence of John Knox had made an impact on Scottish society.  Mary called for religious tolerance and eventually regained control of the country. According to the source, Things would soon get worse once Mary was involved in a scandal that left her husband dead, and thus her marriage to the primary suspect in her husbands death, James Hepburn.  From here, the Scottish community would overthrow her rule and leave her to escape the country.  Mary would then seek support from Elisabeth I, who would imprison her.  After Mary was imprisoned, she was then sentenced to death.  The life of Mary provides a look into the struggles of powerful women.  A life tainted by rumors of scandals would eventually be the demise of Mary.  Because of the societal influence of people like John Knox, Women like Mary would struggle to keep their reign.  In the case of Mary, it would lead to her death. 

Source: http://www.biography.com/people/mary-queen-of-scots-9401343?page=2