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Furthermore, her life adds depth to our understanding of a time when marriage began to be regarded not just as a dynastic arrangement but a contract freely entered into by a couple. Her life provides a distinctive perspective of a noblewoman at the heart of affairs in fourteenth-century England, a period when the Crown, despite enjoying some striking triumphs, also faced a series of political and social crises which shook conventional expectations. Despite these transgressions, she later became one of the most influential people in the realm and a highly respected source of stability. Joan Plantagenet (1328-1385), acclaimed in her youth as the 'FairMaid of Kent', became notorious for making both a clandestine and a bigamous marriage in her teens and, in her thirties, a scandalous marriage to her kinsman, Edward III's son and heir, Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince.

He has given us, as a parting gift, the definitive biography of an exceptional, intriguing woman. He was one of our greatest historians of the later medieval period, whose warm humanity shines forth in his writing.

A new account of the life and turbulent times of Joan, the wife of the Black Prince and mother of Richard II.Īnthony Goodman's brilliant yet accessible scholarship draws in the reader in the most entertaining and vibrant way.

The wars of the roses alison weir download