#danna r. messer

[heartofstanding]

Major gender transformation in wars of the roses?

Hi! I'm not sure what you're asking here - I think it's "was there a major transformation in the way gender was perceived in the Wars of the Roses"? If so, that's probably best saved for as the subject of a research thesis!

Certainly, I can't comment on the Wars of the Roses as a whole since I'm most familiar with the early stages and Lancastrian side of things. And are we asking about the general experience of gender by all of the English population, the nobility or just the kings and queens? Are considering the experiences of both men and women or the experiences men or women?

I'd recommend looking at the following for gender expectations of monarchs during the WOTR:

J. L. Laynesmith, The Last Medieval Queens. Study of queenship during the WOTR which talks about the gender expectations.

The Later Plantagenet and the Wars of the Roses Consorts ed. Aidan Norrie, Carolyn Harris, J. L. Laynesmith, Danna R. Messer and Elena Woodacre. Anne Crawford's chapter is probably most relevant to the subject though her views of the WOTR queens are rather dated and very Ricardian leaning.

Katherine J. Lewis, Kingship and Masculinity in Late Medieval England. The book mostly deals with Henry V and Henry VI but there's an epilogue that discusses Edward IV and Richard III.

Helen Maurer, Margaret of Anjou: Queenship and Power In Late Medieval England. Margaret of Anjou-centric of course.

Both Katherine Lewis and Helen Maurer have articles that talk about gender in relation to Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou.

Christopher Fletcher's Richard II: Manhood, Youth and Politics, 1377-1399. This does not cover the WOTR (unless we consider Richard II's deposition to be the start of the WOTR) but was the first (?) major study of gender and late medieval kingship to be published and thus provides some necessarily frameworks for discussions. It's flawed in parts but very worth reading.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help! I wonder if any of my followers might have other recs?

[baublecoded]

“worcester, in fact, may have been the more likely location, especially given king john’s own ties to the cathedral, the surrounding area and the fact he was there in march 1205. […] though speculative, there is enough evidence to suggest that john may have indeed attended joan’s wedding to llywelyn and that it took place in worcester – conceivably even escorting her himself from kenilworth.”

— danna r. messer

“the evidence shows that he looked upon his father’s resting place with great affection. he sank vast sums of money into worcester. […] the monks of worcester were promising henry that his father’s soul was in good hands.”

— stephen church

spent my flight losing my mind over john being buried in the same cathedral he walked joan/siwan down the aisle

[baublecoded]

— Joan, Lady of Wales: Power & Politics of King John’s Daughter, Danna R. Messer (2020)

“[the English king] collected a numerous army of horse and foot soldiers, determining to ravage Welsh territories, and to exterminate the inhabitants.” (Wendover, Flowers of History)

“When the king was preparing to go on a military expedition, and to invade the Welsh, a report was suddenly spread abroad that the earls and barons of Chester had conspired against him; on which account he returned, as if thunderstruck [...] he was greatly agitated at the circumstances.” (Paris, Flowers of History)

“On his arriving with his army at Nottingham, before be either ate or drank, he ordered 28 youths, whom he had received the year before as hostages from the Welsh, to be hung on the gibbet, in revenge [...] While he was, after this, sitting at the table eating and drinking, there came a messenger from the king of Scotland, who delivered letters warning him of premeditated treachery against him; soon after which there came another messenger from the daughter of the king, the wife of Leolin king of Wales. [Though these letters] came from different countries, [they] were to one and the same effect [...] if the king persisted in the war which he had begun, he would either be slain by his own nobles, or delivered to his enemies for destruction [...] the king was alarmed on learning this [and] put more faith in truth of the letters; therefore wisely changing his intention, he ordered his army to return home.” (Wendover, Flowers of History)

“In the meane whiel that the king remained at Notingham, he receiued letters from the princesse of Northwales his daughter, declaring that his nobles had conspired with the French king against him, and for proofe thereof she alledged, [that] the French king prepared an armie to come to England, vnder the colour that the king was a rebell from the church, for that he would not condescend to the bishop of Rome’s requests.” (Powell, Historie of Cambria, Holingshed’s Chronicles)

[baublecoded]

— Joan, Lady of Wales: Power & Politics of King John’s Daughter, Danna R. Messer (2020)

[baublecoded]

— Joan, Lady of Wales: Power & Politics of King John’s Daughter, Danna R. Messer (2020)