Medieval times in Europe were mainly dominated by kings and their kingdoms. This was quite expected considering the traditional grip of patriarchy over society and religion. Thus it is no surprise that there were many more medieval kings than medieval queens during the medieval period.
There were some famous medieval Queens in medieval times and many women did go on to rule their kingdoms and prove their mettle. Examples of medieval queens are rare during the early medieval times but the frequency increased during the middle and late medieval times.
During very early medieval times, there is hardly any medieval queen of note. This mainly has to do with the chaotic circumstances that prevailed in Europe during those times. There were hardly any established kingdoms and Europe was mainly dominated by warring groups that had sprouted up after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
However, during the middle medieval times, various medieval queens left their mark on history. For instance, two famous medieval queens from this era are Margaret of Scotland and Berengaria of Navarre. The latter was the wife of Richard Lionheart who proved his courage and bravery during the Crusades.
During the late medieval times, various medieval queens ruled and became famous for various reasons. Some of them even became the rulers of their kingdoms and turned out to be quite successful. One of the most famous medieval queens from this era was Eleanor of Aquitaine who became Duchess of Aquitaine when she was still a child.
She then went on to become the Queen consort of France and also the Queen of England. Thus it was mainly during the late medieval times that the concept of a medieval queen became popular in Europe.
The status of a medieval queen continued to increase during the middle and late medieval times and many of them ruled their kingdoms with or without their husbands. Other than Eleanor of Aquitaine, her daughter also went on to become a medieval queen.
She was the medieval queen of the Kingdom of Castile and ruled alongside her husband, Alfonso VIII. One of the most renowned medieval queens was Isabella of France who married Edward II of England. She went on the plot the murder of her husband and then ruled the kingdom with her lover as a regent. However, she was soon deposed and banished to a nunnery.
Among other medieval queens of note, we can include Empress Matilda who was the widow of the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, Berengaria of Navarre who was the daughter of the King Sancho VI of Navarre, and Joan of England, etc.
During the early medieval times, it was rare to have a medieval queen who played an important role in the affairs of the kingdom. However, during the middle and late medieval times, the importance of a medieval queen increased, and in certain cases, medieval queens would even rule the kingdom single-handedly.
Various medieval queens, particularly in medieval England and France, left their mark on the history of Europe.