Princesses = Queens???

[Askthepizzaguy]

i ment that princess will become a queen and she can lead armys and so ...

There were extremely few cases in history where a lady would lead an army into battle. Not to be sexist, but it is a historical reality that women rarely served in battle or advanced in rank in the medieval period.

Although a queen may in fact be the sole ruler of a nation in some rare instances, she would be even less likely to be on the battlefield if she became queen. If a nation is so strapped for legitimate heirs to a throne that the queen becomes the sole ruler, she would not risk herself in battle.

Joan of Arc was the only female commander of an army who led troops on the battlefield, if I recall. My knowledge of history isn't what it should be, so anyone feel free to correct me.

[ReiseReise]

@pizzaguy

There were actually many, the most well known besides Joan probably being Boadicea of the Iceni fighting the Romans.

http://www.lothene.org/others/women.html has a very long list by time period.

It brings up the point that there were many many laws through the ages prohibiting women from combat, and there would be no need for such laws if women did not participate in combat in the first place. Case in point: there is no law against setting your own genitals on fire because nobody does it, however there are laws against attempted suicide because people do.

An off-topic but interesting case in point in the news recently due to a grotesque event: there is no law against necrophilia in Wisconsin. A court decided that the "living or dead" clause in the rape laws only applies if the victim was killed during the assault.

[IrishArmenian]

The most famous in the Caucasus is Tamar of Georgia. She was one of the greatest rulers of Sarkatvelo and she ushered in a golden age for large parts of Armenia by taking them from the occupying Turkish forces.

Weird fact: Queen is one of the only words in english that is traceable back to Armenian. (Along with door) Qin came to be used by the Germans during the crusades and they brought it back with them, same goes for door which comes from toor.

Now you can amaze everyone at snobby gatherings!

[Askthepizzaguy]

@reisereise

I am humbled by the facts. I hereby withdraw my previous statement.

Excellent work!

[WhiskeyGhost]

There is one way to get a Queen, and on the battlefield too.......It involves having one of your generals, and the Arse trait line

[Hoplite7]

There is one way to get a Queen, and on the battlefield too.......It involves having one of your generals, and the Arse trait line

Or if you face a pope in battle, and he has the "secretly female" trait.

[Askthepizzaguy]

I always thought the pope dressed like a queen. What's with the dress and the fancy shoes? What's he hiding in his pointy hat anyway? A bulbous bouffont? Some macadamias? Or perhaps a gazebo?

[ReiseReise]

@IrAr

Cool notes about those etymologies, although Random House disagrees.

I met an Armenian at a party once, he was shocked that I actually knew where Armenia was, which i only knew thanks to RTW

[andrewt]

It brings up the point that there were many many laws through the ages prohibiting women from combat, and there would be no need for such laws if women did not participate in combat in the first place. Case in point: there is no law against setting your own genitals on fire because nobody does it, however there are laws against attempted suicide because people do.

I saw a news story once about some guy in Germany getting his stuck in his vaccum cleaner. Why he would shove that thing down there I have no idea.

[TinCow]

*Ahem*

Back on topic, please.

[rosscoliosis]

@pizzaguy

There were actually many, the most well known besides Joan probably being Boadicea of the Iceni fighting the Romans.

Boadicea got pwned, lol. Roma victor!
There was a documentary on her on the History Channel awhile back, but the acting (of course) was horrid and she came off as an annoying wench. Still was fun learning/watching just how the Romans massacred her forces using their tight formations and then rolling over the routers with cavalry. Definitely inspired me to load up RTW immediately and try to recreate it, haha

[Nikos_Rouvelas]

I think that at least the Byzantines should get the option to have an Empress. Its historically accurate and would make for interesting gaming.

[Orb]

There were extremely few cases in history where a lady would lead an army into battle. Not to be sexist, but it is a historical reality that women rarely served in battle or advanced in rank in the medieval period.

Although a queen may in fact be the sole ruler of a nation in some rare instances, she would be even less likely to be on the battlefield if she became queen. If a nation is so strapped for legitimate heirs to a throne that the queen becomes the sole ruler, she would not risk herself in battle.

Joan of Arc was the only female commander of an army who led troops on the battlefield, if I recall. My knowledge of history isn't what it should be, so anyone feel free to correct me.

Just off the top of my head, I can also recall Margaret of Anjou, the incompetent Boudicca, and maybe Robert Guiscard's wife Sichelgaita, who rallied his troops at Dyrrhachium. Another one would be Artemisia (fought on Xerxes' side at Salamis).

I have to agree that they were few and far between, though.

It brings up the point that there were many many laws through the ages prohibiting women from combat, and there would be no need for such laws if women did not participate in combat in the first place. Case in point: there is no law against setting your own genitals on fire because nobody does it, however there are laws against attempted suicide because people do.

Not a valid argument here. A law does not have to derive from an event. It'd seem unlikely that, given the cultural situations of the middle ages, that women combatants would be common.

[WhiskeyGhost]

It has been said before, that "Behind every great man is an even greater woman" Also, it would be neat if say the queen wasn't actually a combatant herself, but her guards were (as in she loses all guards, she is automatically captured)

[Nelson]

In the case of France, the Salic Law was invoked to pass over female heirs to the throne in order to reach the next closest male relative. A male cousin, for example, could make a claim that a royal daughter could not.

[ReiseReise]

Not a valid argument here. A law does not have to derive from an event. It'd seem unlikely that, given the cultural situations of the middle ages, that women combatants would be common.

Women Knights in the Middle Ages http://www.heraldica.org/topics/orders/wom-kn.htm

[The Badger]

Thanks for the awesome link...

Women Knights in the Middle Ages http://www.heraldica.org/topics/orders/wom-kn.htm

In the meantime;
I would just want to point out that not speaking combatively; but managerial-ly;

I have read several accunts of Ladies giving the orders for -particularly - seige defense when their husbands were away.

I am not so much asking that the queens be battle units; only that MYSELF i dislike that the character vanishes as soon as married...

and that charm is her only trait.

Realistically; the queen/duchess/contessa/baroness (etc) is going to have quite an impact when her husband is way - even when he isn't.

And I meant merely as "second in command"; those nations that allow a queen to actually rule... well; enough said.

Vaguely relatedly, emissaries tended to be of noble families; rather than professional trained diplomats; for the best part, and to the best of my knowledge.

PS: Does anyone but me think that when the vatican chooses a cardinal he should become an "NPC"?

[Magraev]

Many european nations have had great queens. England and Denmark have had 3 and 2 respectively in the last 800 years. That's not a lot, but still something. The danish queen Margrethe I was the founder of the Kalmar Union uniting scandinavia, so she was no smalltime player. She started out as "protector" for a boy with the right to the throne, but he didn't get his chance until she died iirc.

Maybe there should be a small chance that a queen take power - would be cool i think.

[Matt_Lane]

Many european nations have had great queens. England and Denmark have had 3 and 2 respectively in the last 800 years.

I think England has had four ruling Queens, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Ann, Victoria and Elizabeth II, five if you count Mary II who ruled with William of Orange.

Anyone please feel to correct me, its been a while since I've been to a History class.

[icek]

Poland in the era of teutonic campaign had only queen that married later lithuanian king, made an union, the biggest kingdom in europe http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafika...uania_1387.PNG and slaughtered teutons.