Klappentext

For over a hundred years scholars have written about late medieval kingship, and a vast body of published work now exists on the subject. However, in all this rich coverage, no accessible introduction to the subject exists. The Cambridge Companion to Late Medieval Kingship addresses this need by bringing together, within a single volume, a series of themed chapters which consider key aspects of the workings of the English monarchy between 1200 and 1500. Featuring leading experts in the field, each chapter provides a concise and accessible guide, offering insights, synthesis and explanation to help readers understand not only how kings ruled, but also what made their rule more - or less - effective. By adopting a holistic approach to kingship, the contributors also consider how kingship impacted on the king's subjects, thereby illuminating the complex interplay of cooperation and conflict that shaped both the monarchy and the wider polity in late medieval England.

Inhalt

List of Illustrations; List of Contributors; List of Abbreviations; Preface; Genealogy 1: the English royal family in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries; Genealogy 2: the English royal family in the fifteenth century; Part I. Chronology and Context: 1. Events, personalities and reputations - the thirteenth century from 1216 Andrew M. Spencer; 2. Events, personalities and reputations - the fourteenth century David Green; 3. Events, personalities and reputations - the fifteenth century to 1485 A. J. Pollard; Part II. Kingship in Practice: 4. Governance and politics Gwilym Dodd; 5. Finance Chris Given-Wilson; 6. Justice Anthony Musson; 7. Warfare and chivalry Andy King; 8. The royal court and household Matthew Hefferan; 9. Queens and the royal family J. L. Laynesmith; Part III. The King and His Subjects: 10. The clergy Alison K. Mchardy; 11. The nobility James Bothwell; 12. The gentry Peter Coss; 13. Citizens Eliza Hartrich; 14. The 'public' Helen Lacey; 15. The king's subjects beyond the realm Peter Crooks; Part IV. Representations: 16. Art and architecture Laura Slater; 17. Kingship and historical writing Sarah Peverley; 18. Conceptualisations of kingship Christopher Fletcher; Part V. Reflection: 19. English kingship in a European context John Watts.