Professor Alice Roberts and guests discuss the extraordinary life of Queen Emma, a powerful figure in 11th-century England. They unravel her strategic marriages, political influence, and resilience through turbulent events, shedding light on her complex legacy and enduring impact on history.
Queen Emma navigated complex power struggles through strategic marriages and alliances.
Emma's legacy is multifaceted, showcasing resilience, political acumen, and challenges in historical interpretation.
Deep dives
Emma of Normandy: A Powerful Mover in Medieval England
Emma of Normandy, a historical figure known for her significant role in English history, was born in Normandy and later came to England to marry King Ethelred, forming a diplomatic alliance between England and Normandy. Despite Ethelred having heirs already, the marriage aimed to pacify Viking raids. Emma's background and upbringing influenced her as a powerful queen, navigating complex power struggles and alliances. Through her marriages to Ethelred and later King Canute, she strategically managed relationships with key church figures, securing her influence during turbulent times in England.
Emma's Resilience and Agency in Troubling Times
Emma's life was marked by challenges and political turbulence, facing shifts in power and succession crises after the death of Canute. Despite being criticized for her wealth and perceived standoffishness, Emma's strategic maneuvering and influential connections allowed her to maintain power even as her circumstances changed. She faced personal tragedies, such as her son Alfred's brutal fate, while showcasing resilience in preserving her status and using her children as political tools.
Emma's Legacy and Contested Histories
Emma of Normandy's legacy is a subject of fascination and scholarly debate, depicted in historical records like the Encomium that she commissioned. While primary sources provide insights into her life, the narrative surrounding Emma often undergoes later distortions and omissions, highlighting challenges in historical interpretation. Her strategic alliances and political acumen, as showcased through diverse historical perspectives, reveal a complex and influential figure in medieval England's power landscape.
Professor Alice Roberts, best known as the presenter of Digging for Britain, picks the wife of two English kings and the mother of two English kings. Queen Emma was born in Normandy and came to England as a diplomatic peaceweaver when she married Aethelred in 1002. Somehow she survived the invasion of the Danes under Swein Forkbeard and married his son, King Canute after Aethelred's death. Together with help from Professor Janina Ramirez - author of Femina - and Patricia Bracewell who has written a trilogy of historical novels based on Emma's life, Alice pieces together an extraordinary life, the richest woman in England, aunt of William the Conqueror, mother of Edward the Confessor.
Alice Roberts is Professor of Public Engagement in Science at Birmingham University and the author of Crypt: Life, Death and Disease in the Middle Ages and Beyond
Programme also includes recorded audio of Professor Pauline Stafford, author of Gendering the Middle Ages
The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde
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