The first workshop looks at the queens' and royal women's lands.
We have asked contributors to think about these four topics:
a. Definition—What did the terre regine comprise, was it fixed or fluctuating? How did this change over time? What political strategies/financial considerations went into selecting these lands? What other revenue streams formed part of her dower besides lands (fee farms, taxes/fees, customs duties, wardships etc) and how did this vary over time and place?
b. Value—What were the queen’s lands worth? How did the amount that queens were granted in dower change over time?
c. Competition & cooperation—What happens when there are multiple queens to dower (i.e consort and existing dowager queens)? What impact did having multiple royal women drawing on the same pool of lands and resources have on relations between these women or the financial and/or political position of dowager queens?
d. Evolution & Purpose—To what extent was dower to be used only in case of widowhood or was it intended to make the queen and her household self-sufficient? How did different cultural/legal practices of dowering wives in various regions of Europe impact the queen’s position?
There will be 8 presentations on case studies analysing the queens' lands in England, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Scotland, starting our discussion on the queens' resources with a focus on the medieval period.