In 16 of the sample’s 34 female reigns, a queen and her husband ruled jointly-as Isabella and Ferdinand did over Leon and Castile, and Suzanne and Charles I did in the Duchy of Bourbonnais between 15. This sharing of duties sometimes made a queendom run more effectively.įor some queens, this cooperation was official. Since male royalty tended to hold positions in their home militaries and had experience with state affairs, a queen often gained a husband and a trusted supporter to lead her most important institution.
Gender norms of the day edged even queens as powerful as Isabella out of the military sphere though she planned military campaigns and sometimes rallied her troops decked out in armor, it was Ferdinand who led them into battle.
