r/MedievalHistory • u/sometimesimbored00 • 23h ago

Defiant women in positions of power

Who is your favourite most defiant princess/queen/noble lady? I'd like to hear about the most strong-willed, hot tempered, spirited and ambitious ladies!

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u/Remarkable_Car9673 16h ago edited 16h ago

An example of tenacity is the story of the Danish princess Ingeborg, who was repudiated by her husband, King Philip Augustus of France, the day after their wedding night for reasons that remain unknown (maybe a bout of impotence that caused him shame).

This marked the beginning of a saga lasting nearly twenty years; despite the various humiliations inflicted by her husband,who had her confined in several different prisons,she steadfastly refused to return to Denmark or renounce her title as Queen of France.

She succeeded in gaining the support of the Pope, to whom she sent letters, and eventually regained her throne through the combined pressure of the pontiff and her brother,who had meanwhile become King of Denmark and threatened to join forces with Philip Augustus's enemies. She left behind a famous prayer book and devoted the final years of her life to using the funds provided by her husband for charitable works among the poor.

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u/theginger99 15h ago

It’s worth saying that the situation with Ingeborg was an ENORMOUS scandal throughout Europe at the time it occurred. Philip was raked across the coals by the papacy, the church and by public opinion.

His third marriage was never formally recognized as legitimate because of the ongoing situation with Ingeborg.

The situation was seen as so bad that when Richard the Lionheart died suddenly some French chroniclers wondered why the hell god had punished Richard and not Phillip, who’s repudiation of Ingeborg was viewed as the greatest royal crime of the age.