Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe

Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice of Provence. Four women who, until Nancy Goldstone brought them to life, had been unfairly buried by history. What amazing lives. Marguerite, the eldest, married Louis IX (later St. Louis), accompanied him on crusade to Arabia, and then, when Louis had completely botched it--his men slaughtered and he captured--saved both her husband and the rest of his army. (Wish she was around today!) Eleanor guided her husband, the ineffectual Henry III of England, through the thicket of a baron's revolt and saved the monarchy for her son, the brilliant Edward I. Sanchia married the richest man in Europe and became queen of Germany, and Beatrice, the youngest, led an army through the Alps herself to save her besieged husband. Ms. Goldstone has unearthed a remarkable array of primary sources--most from diarists of the period--and so she is able to supply the sort of period details--what people ate, what they wore, how they passed their free time--that makes the 13th century leap from the page. I have always been a huge fan of Barbara Tuchman for her mixture of detail, insight, and razor wit. That I can compare Four Queens to her work is, for me, high praise indeed.

FOUR QUEENS is set in 13th-century medieval Europe during a time of chivalrous knights, bloody crusades and courtly love. It is a time when love is unrelated to marriage and romance can, and often does, come outside of marriage. It is also a time when marriages are arranged to achieve material advantage to the betrothed and their families. In the gentle climate of Provence, France, with its naturally beautiful landscape, abundant vineyards and lush gardens, the four daughters of Count Raymond Berenger V and Beatrice of Savoy are raised in a culture of beauty and love. These sisters --- Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia and Beatrice --- grow up to become queens whose power and influence change the face of Europe. Marguerite, the oldest and "a girl of pretty face but prettier faith," is determined, spirited and resourceful. With the approval of the Catholic Church, her father and Blanche of Castile, the "White Queen" of France, Marguerite marries Louis IX, King of France. Marguerite's spirit is put to the test in a war of wills and power struggles with the White Queen. Eleanor, the lively and passionate second daughter, marries Henry III of England. As the Queen of England, Eleanor's ambitiousness and political aspirations help fuel civil war. Shy and lovely Sanchia marries Henry's brother, Richard --- the Earl of Cornwall, the richest man in England --- who buys the crown of the King of Germany for himself and neglects his beautiful wife. Youngest daughter Beatrice weds Charles of Anjou, brother of the King of France, who later becomes King of Sicily. Beatrice is lovely, fearless and domineering. Her desire for power causes her to risk her life and the lives of others. FOUR QUEENS is a beautifully written history book that reads like a modern-day adventure novel. Reading about the lives of these four sisters, their husbands and their families is fascinating. While FOUR QUEENS is dense with information, dates, names and places, the inclusion of explanatory texts and diagrams enhance the enjoyment and understanding of the book. The genealogical charts of the Four Queens, the French monarchy and the English throne helped me visualize where and how these sisters fit in with the French and English royal families. FOUR QUEENS is expertly researched, well organized and easy to follow. Nancy Goldstone has written an intelligent book about an intriguing family of sisters who shaped the destiny of Europe. Women's history lovers and anyone fascinated with the Medieval Ages should add this one to their bookshelves. --- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice of Provence were the daughters of Count Raymond Berenger of Provence and his wife Beatrice of Savoy. Their homeland occupied a strategic corner of southern Europe and was known for its wealth and high culture, making them highly desireable wares on the international marriage markets. The daughters made brilliant marriages to the Kings of France, England, the future Holy Roman Emperor, and the powerful Count of Anjou, brother of the King of France. Nancy Goldstone writes to illuminate the roles the four women and others connected to them, like Blanche the "White Queen" of France, in the power politics of Europe in the thirteenth century. In emphasizing the power these women held behind the scenes Goldstone does a good job of refuting the common misconception that women's voices were stilled, by choice or by necessity, during the European Middle Ages. Goldstone is not a professional historian, but she does an excellent job of depicting the world of the thirteenth century, when Europe's medieval civilization was in full flower. She provides colorful and accurate pictures of the lives the four sisters led: their castles and palaces, ceremonies, luxuries, and sometimes privations. Although much of the detail on the womens' lives must be inferred because sources at the time rarely paid much attention to females, Goldstone never makes the mistake of assuming too much or over romanticizing. She interweaves the sisters' lives and the careers of their husbands and of their countries so skillfully that her book becomes an excellent example of history at its best.

Nancy Goldstone has done an exceptional job in providing the level of "comfort detail" that is needed to make you feel at home in a strange place- 13th Century France. This allows the modern reader to truly understand the events taking place and also- WHY! The Four Provencal Sisters and their worlds come alive through Nancy Goldstones writing. The fact that four sisters from one family could all become Queens at the same time is almost unbelievable... and to understand the dynamics that allowed this to happen is fascinating. The world of The Provencal Sisters is a sensational world and provides for an outstanding read!