Political Women, Vol. 2

Political Women, Vol. 2 by Sutherland Menzies pulls back the curtains on the power, passion and peril of Europe's most consequential courtly women. Menzies continues his vivid political biography of the 17th–18th century, tracing figures from Mademoiselle de Montpensier and Madame de Longueville to Madame de Chevreuse, the Princess des Ursins and the Duchess of Portsmouth. Set against the Fronde, the ascendancy of Mazarin, and the War of the Spanish Succession, these portraits reveal how female agency shaped dynastic policy, factional rivalries and diplomatic manoeuvres across French, Spanish and English courts. The narrative balances anecdote and analysis—duels and intrigues sit beside examinations of patronage, court offices like the camarera mayor, and the limits imposed by gender and rank. Written as history and political biography, Menzies’s prose highlights the strategies these women used to influence kings, ministers and public opinion without sensationalizing their lives. Perfect for listeners of politics and biography, European history enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by court intrigue and the hidden levers of power, this volume brings to life the personalities who steered events from behind the throne.