Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 7905
  • Author(s)/Creator(s): Lewis , Katherine J.
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: Becoming a Virgin King: Richard II and Edward the Confessor [the author argues that Richard's devotion to Edward the Confessor was part of his effort to deal with anxieties concerning his childlessness and status as the king; the Wilton Diptych expresses his unique identity as a chaste virgin with the implication that it required a special strength and holiness].
  • Source: Gender and Holiness: Men, Women, and Saints in Late Medieval Europe.  Edited by Samantha J. E. Riches and Sarah Salih.  Routledge, 2002.  Pages 86 - 100.
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Essay
  • Subject (See Also): Edward the Confessor, King of England and Saint Hagiography Kings Kingship Masculinity Politics Richard II, King of England Succession Virginity Wilton Diptych, Altarpiece
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: British Isles
  • Century: 11, 14
  • Primary Evidence:
  • Illustrations:
  • Table:
  • Abstract:
  • Related Resources: Lewis discusses notions of male virginity in her study of how and when King Richard II of England adopted the cult of St. Edward the Confessor as a personal favorite. Lewis argues that this association, which produced the famous Wilton Diptych, grew out o
  • Author's Affiliation: University of Huddersfield
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 2002.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: 0415258219