Sex with the Queen

Eleanor Herman

Sex

w i t h t h e

9 0 0

y e a r s

o f v i l e k i n g s ,

v i r i l e l

o v e r s ,

a n d p

a

s

s i o n a

t e

p o l i t i c s

To my husband, Michael Dyment.

If all queens had been married to a prince like you,
they would never have committed adultery.

c o n t e n t s

Insert

o n e

l i f e b e h i n d pa l a c e wa l l s 13

t w

o

t h e q u e e n ta k e s a lo v e r

39

t h r e e

m e d i e va l q u e e n s , t u d o r v i c t i m s 55

f o

u r

t h e s e v e n t e e n t h c e n t u ry : e s c a p e f r o m t h e g i l d e d c a g e 87

f i v e

e i g h t e e n t h - c e n t u ry r u ss i a : t h e u n c h a s t e e m p r e ss e s

129

s i x

e i g h t e e n t h - c e n t u ry e u r o p e : p o w e r , pa ss i o n , a n d p o l i t i c s 187

s e v e n

t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u ry :

au d a c i t y a n d o u t ra g e

235

e i g h t

t h e t u r n o f t h e t w e n t i e t h c e n t u ry : s t r u g g l e f o r e q ua l i t y

257

n i n e

d i a n a , p r i n c e ss o f m a n y lo v e r s 275

c o n

c l

u s i o n

t h e p o l i t i c s o f a d u lt e ry 291

notes

297

bibliography

307

index

313

c o n t e n t s

v

Other books by Eleanor Herman

Credits

Cover

Copyright

About the Publisher

c o n t e n t s

vi

[ [ L C 1 M = 2 5 P 1 P = C O ] ]

i n t r o d u c t i o n

That wife alone unsullied credit wins

Whose virtues can atone her husband’s sins.

Thus, while the man has other nymphs in view,
It suits the woman to be doubly true.

— r i c h a r d s h e r i d a n