Ladies-in-Waiting in Medieval England

Examines how ladies-in-waiting were selected and rewarded for service, explores their political roles, and illuminates their daily lives.

This book presents the first scholarly treatment of medieval English ladies-in-waiting. It will appeal to specialists in medieval monarchy and women's history, as well as literary scholars who will benefit from the historical background of women's roles in courtly life.Ladies-in-Waiting in Medieval England examines female attendants who served queens and aristocratic women during the late medieval period. Using a unique set of primary source based statistics, Caroline Dunn reveals that the lady-in-waiting was far more than a pretty girl sewing in the queen's chamber while seeking to catch the eye of an eligible bachelor. Ladies-in-waiting witnessed major historical events of the era and were sophisticated players who earned significant rewards. They had both family and personal interests to advance – through employment they linked kin and court, and through marriage they built bridges between families. Whether royal or aristocratic, ladies-in-waiting worked within gendered spaces, building female-dominated social networks, while also operating within a masculine milieu that offered courtiers of both sexes access to power. Working from a range of sources wider than the subjective anecdote, Dunn presents the first scholarly treatment of medieval English ladies-in-waiting.