Medieval Queens and the Diaspora of Escort, Conquest, the Crusades, and Military Orders

Abstract

As foreigners and women, medieval queens were suspicious figures and easy scapegoats; the most unpopular and decried queens also brought a large retinue of their countrymen, who would then hold offices at the expense of the local populace. In this chapter, the role of the queen in relation to military men will be approached from three angles. First, the queen's active involvement in warfare will be examined through several case studies involving her agency in moving and dispersing troops during dynastic conflicts. Second, royal marriages will be analyzed through knights accompanying the queen to the court of her bridegroom. Third and finally, several case studies from Iberia, Central Europe, and Northern Europe will analyze the role of the queen in both the establishment of military orders (i.e. the Hospitallers and Knights Templar) as well as their participation in the settlement policies and organization of armies for the purpose of Crusades. This chapter will thus also crucially reexamine the role of medieval women and military diasporic elements of court culture.