The Queen and the Mistress: The Women of Edward III

Gemma Hollman's The Queen and the Mistress is a historical work that explores the power and passion of two different women in a tumultuous royal court. Philippa of Hainault was a pious, unpolitical, and fiercely loyal medieval queen, while Alice Perrers was a charismatic and intelligent woman who used her position as the king's favorite to build up her own portfolio of land, wealth, and prestige. Hollman's book challenges misconceptions and misinformation about these women and their world, and is a triumph of historical research and interpretation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 10 November 2022
Publisher: The History Press Ltd

In a world where man is king, can women really have it all – and keep it? Philippa of Hainault was Queen of England for forty-one years. Her marriage to Edward III, when they were both teenagers, was more of a political transaction than a romantic wedding, but it would turn into a partnership of deep affection. The mother of twelve children, she was the perfect medieval queen: pious, unpolitical, and fiercely loyal to both her king and adopted country.

Alice Perrers entered court as a young widow and would soon catch the eye of an ageing king whose wife was dying. Born to a family of London goldsmiths, this charismatic and highly intelligent woman would use her position as the king's favorite to build up her own portfolio of land, wealth, and prestige.

The Queen and the Mistress is an absorbing and masterful historical work, which you might not even notice because it is also incredibly fun. Hollman writes with obvious joy and sensitivity towards her subjects, bringing these complex women and their world to glorious life. I couldn't put it down.

- Eleanor Janega, Going Medieval Podcast

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780750993692