For centuries, royal women were married into powerful dynasties as part of political alliances. This course explores the human stories behind these arrangements, stories of survival, strategy and influence. From Catherine of Aragon to Marie Antoinette and Catherine the Great, we examine how women navigated foreign courts, intrigue and shifting power structures. Some endured tragedy; others shaped history in remarkable ways. Through vivid examples, this course reveals how gender, power and politics intersected and how these women influenced the course of history.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Factors which determined marriage contracts for girls of 12-16 in royal and aristocratic families in mediaeval and modern history
2. Tudor marriages of Catherine of Aragon, Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII
3. French marriages, including Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Isabella of Angouleme, Eleanor of Provence and Catherine di Medici, the Italian Queen of France.
4. Medieval marriages of Empress Maud/Matilda, the granddaughter of William the Conqueror
5. Stark contrasts between lives of Queen Marie Antoinette of France and Empress Catherine (Sophie Akerholt) the Great of the Russian empire.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Gain an understanding of the ruthless power plays involved in the trafficking of very young girls across the kingdoms of Europe over centuries of mediaeval and modern history
2. Discuss ways in which there are considerable differences across some of the famous and not so famous case studies involving very young women stranded in very complicated political situations.