Ladies-in-Waiting in Medieval England

‘Caroline Dunn’s richly fascinating book documents the careers of nearly 1200 elite female servants in royal and aristocratic households in England between 1236 and 1536. She devised a sophisticated methodology to convincingly argue that ladies-in-waiting were liminal but essential, vital to creating and maintaining networks of family alliances that comprise monarchy.’ Theresa Earenfight, editor of Elite and Royal Households in Medieval and early Modern Europe‘This landmark work offers a rich perspective on ladies-in-waiting in the late medieval English court. A real strength of this book is the focus on the women themselves including their experience of life at court, their role in ritual and ceremonial and the rewards they gained from service to the queen.’ Ellie Woodacre, author of Queens and Queenship‘Caroline Dunn takes us as never before into the world of honourable service of ladies-in-waiting. We see the inner workings of these establishments through the lives of some 1200 ladies, the links between families, kin, service, and their daily routine. This is a major contribution to our understanding of the significance of the domestic and access to power in the great household.’ Chris Woolgar, author of The Great Household in Late Medieval England

Caroline Dunn is Associate Professor of Medieval History at Clemson University. She is the author of Stolen Women in Medieval England: Rape, Abduction, and Adultery c. 1110-1500. She was awarded the Bonnie Wheeler Fellowship in 2020.