Author: Sarah Stook. Sarah is a writer for Elections Daily, The Mallard and other publications. She enjoys history, reading and fashion.

Up until the 20th century, and in the Medieval era, there was the notion of the ‘ideal queen.’ Whether it was providing heirs or not getting involved in politics, a consort was expected to act a certain way and do certain things. Here are ten ways to be a successful Medieval English queen/consort (generally):

A Consort Must Provide an Heir

England/Britain never had Salic law, the idea of a queen regnant could not be stomached for generations. The Empress Matilda was an unpopular choice due to her arrogance and marriage to an enemy. Meanwhile, Henry VIII discarded two wives over their inability to bear a son. It was not until Elizabeth I that people started to calm down. Additionally, Queen Mary II’s choice to co-reign with her husband was popular.

It was helpful if a medieval queen had at least one son, though more than one ideal- we’ll get to that later. Using Jane Seymour as an example, her ability to bear Henry VIII’s son made her his favourite wife and the figure for a grateful nation. Even the birth of his bastard Henry Fitzroy by mistress Bessie Blount was received with relief, proving Henry could bear sons, and leading to chants of ‘God Bless Bess.’ That would have been of no consolation to poor Catherine of Aragon, daughter of the Catholic Monarchs and aunt of the Holy Roman Emperor, who was cast aside for being unable to bear a healthy son.

Consorts were generally successful in birthing heirs, as the role was often passed from father to son or brother to brother. Even the Empress Matilda managed to solidify her family’s reign by having a son follow her cousin Stephen to the throne. One exception to this was Mary of Modena, second wife and first consort of James II. Her son James should have been king, except the Glorious Revolution started by her stepdaughter Mary put a stop to that.

Lack of sons did not always mean automatic unpopularity, however, Anne of Bohemia came into her consortship unlikeable, as her husband Richard II had paid her brother’s debts without receiving a dowry. Her Bohemian family and friends also received great honours. Anne never had any children, and neither did her husband. When she died over a decade later, however, Anne was extremely popular due to her piety, intercessions and genuine charitable nature. The fact that Richard was young enough to sire more children was certainly helpful.

Catherine of Aragon was also extremely popular despite Henry VIII’s attempts to besmirch her good name. Like Anne, Catherine was beloved by the people for her kindness and charity. She had always acted in an exemplary manner and her failure to bear a son was seen with pity as opposed to derision. The devotion to Catherine was part of the reason that Anne Boleyn was so poorly received by the populace.

Have numerous children

Throughout human history, infant mortality and shorter lives were rife. It was thus quite important that the consort should have a brood. Sons were backups for their brothers, whilst daughters could be married off in important dynastic marriages. A number of our monarchs have been ‘spares,’ such as John, James II, Anne, Edward VI and George VI.

Consorts who bore lots of children generally lived for a long time, including Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of Angoulême and Henrietta Maria, Caroline of Ansbach and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Prince Albert had nine children with Queen Victoria, all of which lived to adulthood, all but one had children, and the pair had forty-two grandchildren.

One tragic aversion was Prince George of Denmark, beloved consort to Queen Anne. Anne got pregnant a whopping seventeen times and had nine children. Unfortunately, only one son lived past infancy, and he died aged eleven. The throne passed to George of Hanover following Anne’s death.

Intercede on behalf of others

A medieval queen was expected to intercede on behalf of others, sometimes even prostrating herself on the floor to beg for her husband’s mercy. This showed that the king could be merciful and that the queen was kindhearted. The most famous example of this was Philippa of Hainault. When Philippa attended Edward III’s tournament in London, her viewing stand collapsed, which led to a furious Edward declaring that he’d kill the builders. Philippa immediately pleaded on their behalf. She also famously interceded for the Burghers of Calais, as well as her mother-in-law Isabella of France.  

Anne of Bohemia was also a prominent example. She was known for her true kindness, whilst her husband Richard II was not (see the Peasants’ Revolt). Anne often interceded on behalf of others and was important in reconciling her husband with the people of London.

Matilda of Flanders did her best to reunite her sons and husband too, whilst Margaret of France did the same for her husband and stepsons. Eleanor of Castile and Eleanor of Provence were also known for their intercessions. Despite her flighty reputation, Catherine Howard was a kind and generous girl.

One who did fail, however, was Jane Seymour. The kind and Catholic Jane attempted to intercede on behalf of those involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace and to keep the monasteries open. This didn’t work, as Henry reminded her of the fates of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn.

Support the Correct Denomination

Religion has been a touchy subject throughout British history, at least since the Protestant Reformation. This is clear, considering that Protestant Anne of Cleves didn’t last long enough to rock the boat and the choice of Anne Boleyn as a reformer was not a popular one either. The concern about ardent reformer Catherine Parr was apparent, however, she managed to keep her head, nonetheless.  Seymour, however, offered a return to Catholic traditions.

The marriage of Charles I to the French Catholic princess Henrietta Maria was unpopular due to her denomination, as were the marriages of their sons Charles II and James II to Catherine of Braganza and Mary of Modena. James’ marriage to Mary was tolerated until she gave birth to a son. As more time passed, and Protestantism became the key religion in Britain, thus all consorts conformed to Protestant ways.

Fight for what is right

It was expected that a consort would be the right kind of warrior. Mary of Boulogne was one such example. When her husband Stephan was captured, Mary took control of his forces, called in reinforcements from the continent and forced his ransom. An even more extraordinary case occurred when the rival Empress Matilda was about to be crowned in London All hope seemed lost for Stephen and Matilda until the latter had the Empress chased out of the city. Her devotion to her husband was similarly praised.

Catherine of Aragon commanded forces as her husband’s regent during the Battle of Flodden Field, ensuring the defeat and death of James IV of Scotland. Eleanor of Castile and Margaret of France both joined their husband Edward I on his many military trips.

Unfortunately, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of France were not the type of fighters they were expected to be. Eleanor of Aquitaine had already been unlikeable as Queen of France, as she distracted her husband during the Crusades and brought too much with her. Her attempted coup against her husband Henry II landed her under house arrest. Meanwhile, whilst Edward II had been deeply unpopular, Isabella of France’s conduct during the coup against him was widely criticised.  

Don’t alienate the people

Whilst the whims of the people are more important to a regnant, a consort would do well to keep the public onside. Disputed consort Geoffrey of Anjou had already been unpopular upon his marriage to the Empress Matilda due to his family being rivals of England, but his unpopularity only increased along with Matilda’s.

Eleanor of Provence and Anne of Bohemia both earned the ire of Londoners. It’s believed that London Bridge is Falling Down could be about Eleanor. Eleanor’s barge was once attacked by Londoners, who were the subject of her high taxes, so they threw rotten food among other things at her. She was rescued and placed in safety until the Londoners could be pushed back. Meanwhile, the fact that England had paid Anne of Bohemia’s debt-ridden brother for their marriage saw Londoners pull down her banners when she arrived in the city. Nevertheless, Anne soon won their love and died as ‘Good Queen Anne.’

Anne Boleyn never achieved Anne of Bohemia’s popularity. Following the beloved Catherine of Aragon did not help, especially as Anne had Protestant leanings. Whilst Anne was charitable, she was blamed for luring Henry away from Catherine and for the Break with Rome. She was also rude to her servants, ladies and courtiers. The fact that no one spoke for her during her downfall speaks volumes.

Queens whose charity, philanthropy and kindness were well known and praised are Philippa of Hainault, Catherine of Aragon, Matilda of Scotland and Margaret of France. 

Don’t commit adultery

Historically, kings could have affairs, mistresses and bastards, but adultery from a queen promised a prison sentence at least. Apart from the double standard, there was a reason. If an adulterer queen became pregnant, she could give birth to a child that was not of royalty.

Whilst rumoured affairs were common, real ones were less so. One example was Isabella of France. It’s widely believed she had been carrying on an affair with rebellion co-leader Roger Mortimer whilst her husband Edward II was still alive. After Edward II died, Isabella acted as regent and kept Mortimer as her co-ruler. It wasn’t until her son Edward III had reached his maturity and had a son of his own that Mortimer was executed and Isabella was imprisoned.

Anne Boleyn was one of the most infamous adulterous queens, but there is no evidence of an affair. She may have been careless with her words, but she was also not stupid enough to do that when her position was that precarious. She also likely didn’t sleep with her brother. Whatever the case, Henry wanted rid of her and the rumour offered him the opportunity.

Meanwhile, Catherine Howard did have an affair. may have already been pre-contracted to a man named Francis Dereham due to their sexual history, and they even called each other ‘husband’ and ‘wife.’ Of course, Catherine was a young girl and Dereham was older, so we’d call it child sexual exploitation today. As queen, Catherine played with fire by having an affair with Thomas Culpeper. Catherine was young, beautiful and vibrant, whilst Henry was old, miserable and fat. Whilst one might understand Catherine’s position, her actions were incredibly foolish. Catherine and Culpeper were eventually discovered, and they along with Dereham and Jane Boleyn were executed. Affairs of male consorts/co-monarchs such as Geoffrey of Anjou and William I were not controversial.

Don’t be greedy

Several consorts were more than a little greedy. As discussed above, Eleanor of Provence alienated Londoners by pushing for taxes and other forms of recompense. Eleanor of Castile was notoriously money-hungry. She took land and properties without much regard for who owned them, steamrolling her way through England with her husband’s support. Her actions against Jewish moneylenders and property holders were so arrogant and ambitious that even the Church.

Isabella of France was particularly greedy as well, especially after her husband died. She was a spendthrift and avid acquirer of land and property. It wasn’t until her son got his power that her wings were clipped.

Don’t get too involved in politics

Whilst we expect our monarchs not to get involved in politics these days, this wasn’t always the case. It was generally the case for consorts, however. Many were trusted as regents and did an exemplary job, such as Matilda of Flanders and Catherine of Aragon. That being said, too much political power was ill-advised.

Eleanor of Castile enjoyed an extremely loving relationship with her husband, but he did not believe in giving her much political power. Other queens took power, whether their husbands liked it or not. Eleanor of Aquitaine had taken over for her first husband, the pious and quiet Louis of France, and had been unpopular for it. She ruled over Poitiers well, but was not trusted with England, especially after the attempted revolt against her husband.

Isabella of France was similarly unpopular for extending her regency, and pushing her son and daughter-in-law away from their rightful roles.

Margaret of Anjou managed to avert this and play into it. Her husband Henry VI was mentally unwell, and was totally unfit to rule following the birth of their son. Margaret was thus tasked with ruling England at a time when rival factions were ready to go to war. She was praised for her intelligence and strength, but was also accused of being ruthless and overly ambitious. Like Eleanor of Aquitaine, her attempts failed and she was imprisoned.

The ascension of Mary I caused concern about this happening. Though she was Queen regnant, a woman was expected to be led by her husband, thus causing worries about a foreign consort. Whilst Philip II of Spain was given the role of prince consort and was not allowed to rule on his own, many believed that the marriage allowed Spanish interests to take control of English politics. Luckily, Philip was barely in England, though critics were proven right when he attempted to invade years later.

Anne Boleyn was criticised for getting involved in politics, especially when she argued with the king and his advisors, like Thomas Cromwell.

Consorts who stayed out of politics included George of Denmark and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Don’t start an uprising

We’ve had plenty of uprisings in English and British history, but only two by consorts.

Eleanor of Aquitaine had annulled her first marriage and had angered her first husband by marrying his rival, Henry II. She had failed to bear sons with Louis, but managed to have five boys with Henry. When the surviving ones decided to rebel against their father, Eleanor joined them. The rebellion was unsuccessful, and Eleanor would be imprisoned for the rest of her husband’s life. Fortunately, she enjoyed being regent for her son, Richard.

Isabella of France was more successful. Relations with her husband Edward II were poor, especially as she hated the Despenser family, his favourite. Edward planned to negotiate in France with Isabella’s brother Charles IV. The Despensers were worried that Edward’s leaving would leave them vulnerable, so Isabella was sent. There, she swore that she would act as a widow if Edward didn’t send the Despensers away. With the help of Roger Mortimer, Charles IV and many noblemen, Isabella invaded England. Isabella was initially successful, but the sudden and controversial death (likely murder) of Edward soured things. She made a play of remorse and grief, but her actions as regent made her unpopular. After all, a wife shouldn’t betray her husband, potentially kill him and then take power from her son.

Apply these ten steps, and you’ll be a very successful consort.