‘She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens’ presented by Helen Castor continues on BBC4 tonight at 9pm.
In part two, ‘…she tells the remarkably similar life stories of two French queens, Isabella and Margaret, both of whom were betrothed, 137 years apart, to a king of England – Edward II and Henry VI respectively – so weak that they were obliged to wage war against their husband’s rivals to protect the throne for their sons. This is what men had to do to reign, but as women their behaviour was derided as unnatural, and thus the pair have gone down in history as ‘she-wolves.’
(Live Magazine, p 57)
(c)BBC4
The Radio Times describes episode two as ‘another fluent and gripping history class’ with Dr Castor letting ‘the history do the talking, neatly and thrillingly.’ (Radio Times website)
Part 2 – Isabella and Margaret will be repeated:
BBC 4
Thursday 15 March – 3.25am
Sunday 18 March – 11pm
Monday 19 March – 2.30am
BBC HD
Tuesday 20 March – 7pm & 11pm
Thursday 22 March – midnight
You can read more about this episode in:
Radio Times – She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens – Part 2 Isabella and Margaret
Guardian – TV Highlights 14/03/2012
Sources
Radio Times – She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens
Live (The Mail on Sunday), 11 March 2012
BBC4 – She-Wolves: England’s Early Queens
