Hand in Violent Hand

Violent Myths and Mysteries

Some more Middle Ages facts and fun stories, most of them featured in the novels.

(Violent) Myths, Mysteries, and Misconceptions

1 - Every King Wants a Son

Somewhere along the way, it got to be a common trope that Middle Ages kings were simply mad for a son to take over the crown and that they had to sire a son because MANHOOD right? And that girls are spare/trash, emphasized in popular media where the princess is second best only to be married off. Eh...kind of wrong. Yeah a son could be your heir and it does look good and prevent in fighting to have succession lined up. But. If you were savvy you also wanted that girl for political alliances, and honestly most Middle Ages Kings weren't that forward thinking that they were that worried about what would happen after they died. It was mostly after Henry VIII was covering up the murder of his wives that he used 'needing a son' as an excuse (never mind he had a son for a decent portion of this nonsense). But women were considered second rate and lesser rulers right? Eh..not really no. But don't take my word for it, here's a run down of Middle Ages kings and how they treated their daughters.

Edward III - he had 5 sons survive to adulthood and he and his wife would have 13 children, they were fond of each other's company, that was no pursuit of more heirs. Only one daughter would survive to adulthood, Isabela. Isabela was the second born child and no less valued than her big brother the Black Prince. Edward would hire minstrels specifically for the baby girl (arguably both royal children were in the nursery), but he would also buy a jewel crusted blanket for her crib. Edward and his wife Philippa would have Isabela educated identically to her older brother, with knowledge of languages and warfare. Despite making some attempts to broker a marriage for her as a child, Edward never actually followed through with any of it. When she was eighteen Edward finally settled on a marriage, but at the last minute, according to legend on the docks, Isabela begged her father not to go, saying she wanted to marry for love. Edward agreed, cancelling the match at the cost of the political alliance, and let her come home. She wouldn't marry for over a decade, then selecting a man who was decently younger than her, one of her brother's prisoners no less. It was a love match, and they were happily married with Edward granting her her entire income, and a castle. Sadly Edwards other daughters would die young, but their marriages too were all to their apparent liking and they seem to be equally educated and favored. Isabela's daughter would be friends with Richard II, the Black Prince's only surviving legitimate son, and Isabela herself would remain with her father as he died, staying with him through lingering illness.

Richard II- Richard was the only surviving son of the Black Prince who died before he could take the throne. Richard would have no children, his first wife dying when the couple was fairly young and had had no children. Depressed, he 'married' the six year old Isabela Valois, treating the little girl as a daughter, he would get her advanced lessons including in Latin, she had fine clothes and her own wing of the castle. He was known to come and visit her and her ladies in the afternoon and play games with them, telling Isabela jokes. Richard even bought her a pretty crown to wear when he took her hunting. After Richard's death she returned to France with an interesting knowledge of weapons and hunting, able to handle even skittish horses, and hawks. Not technically his daughter but Richard definitely treated her as a daughter and given how he was educating her, planned to make her his heir.

Henry IV- took the throne from Richard so all six of his kids were already alive when he took it. Not known for being a stellar dad, Henry did send his girls spelling books as a Christmas present once, so he did value their education, and he let his second wife bring her young daughters to be educated with his. He married off both girls fairly young but both got on well with their new husbands, and Henry's illness is rumored to have worsened when he got news of the older girl, Blanche's, death in childbirth. Both moved to countries where English wasn't the main language, Germany and Denmark, and got on well, Philippa having enough knowledge to act as regent and run battles.