Royal Childbirth in the Middle Ages

Fertility, Pregnancy and Birth

Michèle Schindler

$69.99

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English

Pen and Sword
01 February 2026

British & Irish history; Early history: c 500 to c 1450&1500; Medieval history; Social & cultural history; Reproductive medicine

In 1441, Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, was convicted of trying to bring about King Henry VI`s death through witchcraft. Her defence was that she had simply tried to become pregnant with the help of a well-known wise woman, using sorcery only for this aim. While one of the most widely publicised cases of such a fertility treatment, it was certainly not the only one in the Middle Ages. In fact, due to the lack of knowledge surrounding not only fertility but also pregnancies and birth, there was a flourishing market offering spiritual and secular aids. This book provides a history of the concerns and the common problems for women struggling with fertility problems, being pregnant and giving birth, and looks especially at the religious and societal ramifications of these issues.

AUTHOR: Michèle Schindler is a language teacher for children and adults, teaching English and German as a second language. She also reads and writes French and Latin. Her degree was in English Studies and History, focusing on medieval studies, particularly fifteenth-century England and France. She is the author of Lovell Our Dogge (Amberley, 2019), De la Pole, Father and Son (Amberley, 2022) and Mental Health in Late Medieval England (Pen & Sword, 2025). She has also written and self-published a novella, The Autumn Baron and a charity anthology, Yorkist Stories, which raised money for Doctors Without Borders.

15 b/w illustrations

By: Michèle Schindler
Imprint: Pen and Sword
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781399099813
ISBN 10: 1399099817
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 01 February 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Other merchandise
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Michèle Schindler is a language teacher for children and adults, teaching English and German as a second language. She also reads and writes French and Latin. Her degree was in English Studies and History, focusing on medieval studies, particularly fifteenth-century England and France. She is the author of Lovell Our Dogge (Amberley, 2019), De la Pole, Father and Son (Amberley, 2022) and Mental Health in Late Medieval England (Pen & Sword, 2025). She has also written and self-published a novella, The Autumn Baron and a charity anthology, Yorkist Stories, which raised money for Doctors Without Borders.