“Queens of the Crusades” by Alison Weir BOOK REVIEW

Alison Weir continues her 4-Book series “England’s Medieval Queens” with BOOK TWO entitled “Queens of the Crusades.” BOOK ONE was entitled “Queens of the Conquest” published in 2017 and was superb. Spanning the first 5 queens of the Plantagenet era is this book “Queens of the Crusades,” released in 2021.

STAR RATINGS:

“QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES” BOOK STATS:

• Published 2021 (2020 UK)
• 533 total pages
• 452 pages of text
• 5 Parts
• 34 chapters
• 1 Epilogue section
• 1 Select Bibliography section
• 1 Sources of Quotes in the Text section
• 1 Index section
• Hardcover available

“QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES” BOOK REVIEW:

Alison Weir’s Queens of the Crusades picks up where Queens of the Conquest left off. As Book 2 in a 4-book series, this enchanting publication covers the period of the early Plantagenet queens, roughly between 1122 and 1290.

The chapters span the reigns of:
1. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (wife of Henry II),
2. Berengaria of Navarre (wife of Richard I, the “Lionheart”),
3. Isabella of Angoulême (wife of King John),
4. Alienor of Provence (wife of Henry III),
5. Eleanor of Castile (wife of Edward I)

Although Weir’s book covers the “first” or “early” Plantagenet queens, one might also count queen Maude (Matilda) as both Norman and Plantagenet as she was the wife of the eponymous Geoffrey Plantagenet and mother to Henry II. For further reference, read my post outlining The Norman “Matildas” and Plantagenet “Eleanors” (of England).

I’ll start with the negative, for there is only one. No genealogies! I don’t quite understand this as BOOK ONE (Queens of the Conquest, see review below) had 4 whole pages of genealogies – those genealogies don’t quite apply here as they predate the range of the kings and queens covered in book two. Go figure?

“Queens of the Conquest” by Alison Weir [BOOK REVIEW]

That aside, this book is a wonderful exposition on the lives behind the scenes of 5 of England’s most prolific and powerful monarchs. These 5 queens also happen to have sat next to the throne of 2 of my favourite kings: King Henry II and King Edward I, which makes this book an exceptionally exciting read.

Acclaimed author Alison Weir doesn’t just write hagiographies, that is to say her books aren’t there merely to praise their intended subjects and bolster their historical standing politically. Weir writes critically, examining and confronting many long-held conceptions about each of her subjects.

For example, with Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, she digs deeper into her role behind the throne as a signatory and co-regent during the many absences of Henry II. Henry II, it is remembered, was a very itinerant king, which means he moved and traveled the length and breadth of his kingdom with regularity. He kept his assets mobile.

This also means that Queen Eleanor was also very mobile, visiting her English realm as well as her many land holdings in western France that she brought into the marriage. Weir challenges the view that Eleanor had as large a role in the decision-making process as has been previously assigned to her.

Although I’ve been fascinated by Eleanor of Aquitaine for some time now (I even published a comprehensive reading list on books about her, see below), I really learned a lot more about the wives of the other Plantagenet kings than I had previously known.

15 Eleanor of Aquitaine Books Historians Have on Their Shelf

For example, while Richard the Lionheart has been the subject of many biographies, his queen, Berengaria of Navarre, has also been bandied about in many a volume on medieval England. Who has been more of a mystery to me has always been Alienor of Provence, wife and queen to Henry III.

As son of King John “Lackland” and father to Edward I, King Henry III has too often been scrubbed out of history as a weak and flaccid king. His is said to be the rule of a weakling and pious person to the detriment of the English crown. Wait a bloody minute is what I’ve always said!

Understanding his queen Alienor (the Provençal version of Eleanor. Weir 2021: 261) was a breath of fresh air for me, as was gaining a deeper understanding of the motivations of Henry III. He was trying to be the warrior king his grandfather was and avoid being the disaster his father was. That’s a tough place to be.

Although he loved and doted on Alienor, they most certainly had their moments of disagreement; heck, Henry even banished her for about 2 weeks. That’s a heck of a lot better than what happened to her Aquitainian namesake Eleanor!

In line with that thought is the overarching theme of this book: it is centrally about the queens of the crusading-era English queens and their relationships with their husband kings. The two are inexorably connected! It really is something that will open any medieval or English historian’s eyes to the full reality of ruler ship, family, and decision-making that happened during the Plantagenet era.

I’d like to end with 2 quotes, both for Eleanor of Castile, wife and queen of Edward I. As one of England’s most divisive and controversial kings, he is also one of my favourites. Let these quotes illustrate the impact his queen had on him:

“Arguably, Eleanor of Castile brought out the best in Edward. His rule became harsher after his death”

_{Weir 2021: 451}

“Within a century of Eleanor’s death, her legend had become firmly entrenched in the public consciousness and she had come to embody the ideal queen.”

_{Weir 2021: 451}

I, for one, am excited for the next 2 books in this series. For more details you can visit Alison Weir’s official website at: http://www.alisonweir.org.uk/books/index.php.

“QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES” BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Weir, Alison. 2021. Queens of the Crusades: England’s Medieval Queens, Book Two. New York: Ballantine Books.
• ISBN-13: 978-1101966693.
• Amazon Link (external link).

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