A cultural and historical study of women and power, this book examines the nature of queenship in archaic, medieval and early modern Europe. It illustrates the importance of queens in the development of monarchy, both as rulers and as consorts. Cross-cultural research from Africa and Asia brings out common key elements in female sovereignty. Contributors include Jocelyn Wogan-Brown, Emily Lyle, Diana Henderson and Charles Jedrej, and their contributions should be of interest to those studying medieval history, women's studies, anthropology and comparative religion.