Today is International Women’s Day (2021) and I could not be more thrilled that we have arrived here again. Although women have made strides in many areas of life, we still appear to be stuck behind men in one way or another. And that is very true of history. If you study “female” areas of history, you are constantly having to justify why these areas are as important as traditional (often considered “male”) areas of history. My academic research focuses largely on royal women (mostly from the House of Windsor) and their official and unofficial work. For International Women’s Day, I’m going to chat about why I find it so fascinating and why it deserves more attention.
Royal Women Exhibition
The Royal Women exhibition at the Fashion Museum in Bath was incredible for a number of reasons, including the amazing pieces that were included. (Be still my heart, Norman Hartnell in front of me!) However, I think that one of the most important parts for me was the motivation behind the exhibition:
The four women were not themselves reigning monarchs, but each one was close to the throne – a wife or sister of a monarch. Unlike private citizens, they could not dress to solely please themselves: well aware that clothes give messages, they had to consider the wider effects of their fashion choices.
These figures had little voice in politics or current affairs: they were seen but not heard. By creating powerful visual messages through dress, these four women forged our modern idea of what it means to be a royal woman. (Fashion Museum Bath, Royal Women exhibition book, p. 1)
The Fashion Museum has so beautifully put into words why two subjects dear to my heart, royal history and fashion history, are important areas of study. Everything we do has wider ramifications, and being female doesn’t change that. Although these women were not on the throne, they were still able to have great effect.
Want more on the exhibition? You can read Part I here about Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, and Part II about Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and the Countess of Wessex here!
Why study modern royal women?
There are a few different reasons that I study modern royal women, rather than those of further past time periods. Firstly, there is a lot of work being done on medieval and early modern royal women. (How many people are studying royal women in the Tudor period alone right now?) As an historian, I’ve always been taught that you should try and find a somewhat new subject or angle to take (which I agree with), and few academic historians have looked at the women of the House of Windsor in depth. And they don’t deserve less attention because they were only born 100 years ago instead of 500.
Secondly, as a person, I find it easier to relate to them. I know that many people feel very differently, but I don’t see myself having much in common with Mary I or Bess of Hardwick. Their lives feel alien to me, and while I love reading about them, I feel that I can offer more insight and analysis on the royals of the past 150 years. (To those people who do study royal women of the distant past and relate to them, I am eternally impressed!)
Thirdly, as we just saw yesterday for the Commonwealth Day service, the female members of the royal family are doing as much as their male counterparts. The Countess of Wessex spoke to two different women who are continuing to push for women’s rights across the Commonwealth, while the Duchess of Cornwall discussed the importance of literacy and the Duchess (and the Duke) of Cambridge spoke to healthcare workers. Though they often are marrying into the royal family, they still play such important roles.
Making a Difference for IWD2021 (and Beyond)
Whether or not you are reading this on International Women’s Day or later, there are many ways that you can make a difference no matter what gender you identify as. When you are looking for your next book, perhaps look to a female author that you haven’t read before. (And there are female authors in every genre, despite what people say…) Allow women to use their voice in whatever setting, be it work, community groups, philanthropic organisations, etc.
And in terms of history, don’t downplay women’s history. Even if you study an area of history largely devoid of women, you can still share and support historians working on women’s history. Don’t dismiss people for studying areas of history that you deem “trivial”, and if you see someone doing that, call them out on it.
Finally, try and find a local organisation or two. There are many organisations to support different causes/facets of life- there will be something that speaks to you. It might mean volunteering, it might mean donating money or supplies, it might mean sharing their work. Whatever it looks like, take a moment to think about what that looks like in your own life. (For example, when I was looking for a hosting company, Lyrical Host stood out to me because they make ongoing donations to Kurandza, an organisation that helps girls in Mozambique attend school.)
Royal Women- Quote Bookmarks
In a big step for An Historian About Town, I’ve got my first physical products to sell- bookmarks! I knew that the first set that I wanted to make would be highlighting different royal women and their best quotes. Queen Victoria, the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret have all taken very different roles in their lives and within the monarchy, and I think that we can learn something from each of them. (These are also simply perfect for any of your royal books!)
If you would like to purchase them, they are available on my Etsy store as a set of three here: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/975271891/trio-of-royal-women-quote-bookmarks. They are currently $10 CAD for the set, with free shipping for now. After seeing how these do, I have another royal women set planned, as well as a female authors set.
Thank you for any and all support, for the shop and for the blog- it is very much appreciated.
How are you observing International Women’s Day this year?
Cheers,
The Historian
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