“Penny Nash has made a hugely valuable contribution to the controversial question as to the nature, and the extent, of the roles which could be played by queens in the Middle Ages. Her work is judicious and measured, based as it is on the highest standards of scholarship. Her work should become essential reading for anyone interested in the dynamics of power in the Middle Ages.” (Henrietta Leyser, Emeritus fellow of St Peter’s College, Oxford, UK, and author of Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in Medieval England, 450-1500)

“This account of two of the most significant female rulers in Europe in the central Middle Ages is told with verve and clarity. Penny Nash shows exactly how Adelheid and Matilda fitted into their political worlds, how they exploited them and what the differences between them were. We are in her debt.” (Chris Wickham,  Chichele Professor of Medieval History, University of Oxford, UK)

“Penelope Nash has deftly interwoven the lives of Empress Adelheid and Matilda of Canossa, two of the most fascinating female rulers of the central Middle Ages, together in this exciting new work. The innovative structure of the book contextualizes their lives within the framework of family, landholding and models of rulership—all vital elements for the reader to fully understand the significance of Adelheid and Matilda, and the world that they inhabited.” (Elena Woodacre, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern European History, University of Winchester, UK)