Aurum Reginae: Queen’s Gold in Late Fourteenth-Century England

Abstract

Queen’s gold, an ancient tax on fines payable to the king, formed an important part of the medieval queen’s revenues and her rights, linking the queen’s role as an intercessor to a tangible benefit. A number of writs in the National Archives provide the opportunity to analyse the demands for queen’s gold in a short period during the life of the fourteenth-century queen Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward III, in terms of those liable and the difficulties involved with extracting payment. Although many individuals were often unwilling to pay an extra tax, they based their arguments on the validity of the fine in question, rather than questioning the queen’s right to collect her gold. This article also considers the origins and limits of queen’s gold, its role in queenly power and agency, and its relation to queenly motherhood, situating Philippa and her claims within the wider context of queen’s gold.

Keywords

• medieval
• england
• queens
• revenues