This book shows how women – rather than men, councillors, and members of parliament – influenced Elizabeth I’s reign. Through considering governesses to stepmothers, ladies-in-waiting to cousins and even rivals, Borman reveals new insights into Elizabeth’s personality. Undeniably, it shows that women who were in the inner circles of monarchs had significant influence over their contemporaries, which can be defined as a sort of ‘soft power’. Teachers could use this book to lead interesting discussions in class on how women can bypass patriarchal preconceptions by exploiting their own relations to a powerful person.

In this very thorough study, Clark offers the first full-length gender-inclusive analysis of the importance of the Howard family in Tudor politics. The focus is on the Howard women, revealing their importance at court and beyond through their network of power. 

Tudor noblewomen had to play a traditional role in order to help establish and maintain the prestige of their aristocratic and dynastic family. For teachers, this book is a great starting point to discuss how women’s roles can easily be overlooked, and what can be done to reassess their positions and importance in the world we live in. 

This book is a great case study for teachers who would like a concrete example of a woman who shaped politics without having the title of ‘queen’. In this biography, not only is Margaret Beaufort brought back to life, but her role as a shrewd politician and matriarch is also carefully revealed. 

This book can generate interesting discussions in the classroom regarding the definition of power. Is ‘soft power’ about counsel or is it also about patronage and decision-making? 

This video highlights Margaret Beaufort's influence on education and Prince Henry.

Katie Amery, Head of History in Liverpool, and Simon Beale, Head of History and Politics in London, join host Carmel Bones to discuss how they've used Reteach to redesign their curriculum offer to be more inclusive and representative. They share practical tips and real-life case studies on approaching 'hard history' topics that are often tricky to tackle. looting, Nazi Germany, the legacy of the British Empire and finding new perspectives to engage KS3 and KS4 students.