BBC Radio 4
4th October 2010
Woman’s Hour
‘The government of medieval England was dominated by a male monarch and his male nobles. But between the 12th and 15th centuries, four queens did show that it was possible for women to exercise power and influence. Due to their personality, skills and the circumstances they faced, Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou were all able to varying degrees to control the levers of power. In her new book ‘She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth’, historian Helen Castor tells the stories of these women, the challenges they faced and the effect they had on England’s domestic and foreign affairs. She joins Jane to discuss.’
©. BBC
You can listen to yesterday’s interview with Helen Castor. The interview focuses on Eleanor of Acquitaine and Isabella of France.
