Understanding the royal women of medieval Sweden: state of research and potential avenues

It is possible to follow the seminar digitally. For the link, please contact: audur.magnusdottir@history.gu.se

During this seminar, Caroline will present her new book about the lives and legacy of Sweden’s medieval royal women and will discuss its main themes. This will shed light on the development of Swedish monarchy as a whole and serve as prequel for some of the more famous case studies (Queen Margareta, Blanche of Namur). The seminar will end with a discussion about how queenship studies in Sweden could benefit from further research into material culture, and how scholars elsewhere in Europe have approached the subject.

Caroline Wilhelmsson is a historian of state formation in northern Europe. Her PhD thesis (Aberdeen, 2022) investigated the development of Swedish national identity between 800 and 1288, and she recently released her first monograph about Sweden’s royal women from 970 to 1330. Caroline is also a buildings’ curator focusing on military heritage, and she currently works as Assistant Curator at the Tower of London. Her research in this field complements her academic interests and explores how architecture has been used to impose state authority.

Please note: The seminar will be held in English. Open to the public!
Welcome!