When Women Ruled the World

Women monarchs in the medieval world were an anomaly. Most female rulers were consorts, resigned to the sidelines. But there were a few medieval women that stood out, ruling their kingdoms without a male companion.

Maureen Quilligan takes on these female rulers and defines their reigns. Queen Mary of England, Catherine de Medici - the queen regent in France for her sons, Queen Mary of Scotland and Dowager Queen of France, and Queen Elizabeth I of England.

The lives of these women were intertwined, although Queen Mary of England does not hold a very prevalent role in the book, as with her death, she fades into the pages of history. Her sister, Elizabeth, then steps up and it is the lives of the final three that are highly discussed and analyzed.

I truly enjoyed reading through this book. It is one that I plan to buy and include in my home library. It was very interesting to see how the relationships between these women morphed, and truly enjoyed the scholarship from the author.