KingQueen, the mystery of British history when women took power.
For lovers of European history and culture, Britain is a treasure trove of queens, from Elizabeth II to Victoria, to a series of illustrious female rulers such as Jane Gray, Mary and Queen Anne.
In contrast, there was no trace of a queen in France's thousand-year history, and it was not until the 18th century that the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa barely filled the gap. This begs the question, why are there so many queens?
I think the key factors include: 1. The historical impact of the Salik Code. This ancient law, which originated in the Merovingian dynasty and forbade women from inheriting land, led to the tradition of male succession in France and not in England, giving birth to many legends of queens.
Behind this is the imprint of the century-long struggle for the British and French thrones and legal changes. Since then, the Salic Code has become a major obstacle for women to ascend to the throne on the continent.
The Salic Code sparked a subsequent dispute between Spain and Austria over the throne, which was caused by a challenge to the direct succession of women by the male line. In order to circumvent the code and proclaim herself king, Queen Jadwiga of Poland demonstrated her profound influence on European countries, especially France and the Holy Roman Empire, where the succession to the throne of women was severely restricted.
On the contrary, Britain developed independently throughout history and was not closely connected to the European continent until the time of the Norman Conquest. Although William ruled England as Duke of Norman, he did not fully accept the feudal rules of France, such as those of France"The vassals of my vassals are not my vassals"evolved in England"I am still a vassal of my vassals", which strengthened the power of the British crown.
In terms of inheritance law, England maintained a unique tradition of not being bound by the Salic Code, so that English women enjoyed some freedom to inherit the throne until the 14th century.
In the 14th century, despite the emergence of the Salic Code, England was unique and untouched by it. This stems from the unique geographical location and historical traditions of the United Kingdom, as well as the king's obsessive pursuit of the French throne.
When Charles IV died in 1328 and the Capetian dynasty of France was broken, Fili VI succeeded to the Valois dynasty as a cousin, but King Edward III of England claimed a stronger sovereignty over the French throne by virtue of his blood relationship with Charles IV, thus kicking off the 116-year Hundred Years' War.
The trigger for the war revealed the British recognition of female succession, making women the potential basis for succession to the throne, and together with the Salic Code, shaping the important rules of succession to the British throne.
After a century of conflict between England and France, although the Salic Code of the 6th century did not rule out the possibility of a woman becoming the French throne, no woman has been crowned for 8 centuries, because of the stable chain of male heirs over the years.
In France, by contrast, even though women such as Eleanor (Duchess of Aquitaine) occasionally influenced politics through marriage, the core of the throne was always occupied by men. However, English history is not entirely the same, as in the case of Henry I, Princess Matilda was appointed as her successor due to the accidental loss of a male heir, which not only broke the norm, but also set a precedent for female inheritance in England, and although she lost the civil war, her courageous attempt left a lasting impact.
The Tudor era saw an important turning point in English history, with women in particular roles. Born from the children of Henry VIII, the Tudor dynasty opened a new chapter in the reign of the Queen.
Of Henry's six wives, there were few legitimate descendants, but Edward succeeded to the throne for a short time. Gray briefly sat on the throne as a symbol of the Protestant faith, despite the questionable status of her queen.
However, her reign lasted only 13 days before she was replaced by Mary, who went on to become the second queen. Subsequently, Henry's daughter Elizabeth ascended to the throne as the third queen of the Tudor dynasty, and the power of women occupied a position that cannot be ignored during this period.
Therefore, it can be said that in the Tudor dynasty, female power was like a bright star, interspersing the era of three queens.
Benefiting from the natural barrier of its geographical location, the UK is an island nation isolated from the sea, endowed with its unique geographical environment"Heaven-made risk"defensive advantage.
This makes it possible for the King to take on his own armor from an environmental determinist perspective, as the country's security is guarded primarily by the waves rather than the walls. Historically, England, especially after the Norman Conquest, played more of a role of external expansion than a passive defense, and was therefore less exposed to external intrusions, which also reduced the need for male kings as military leaders.
Therefore, the emergence of a female monarch did not pose a serious challenge to ***. In summary, Britain's unique geographical location and historical traditions, coupled with the relative scarcity of royal men, make the active role of female heirs in the political arena even more unique.
Since the Norman Conquest, England has gone through many kings, among which the figure of female kings is even more brilliant, becoming a rare and beautiful scenery in European history.