Tudor Childbirth in the Royal Court

In the Tudor court, a woman’s body was never her own. It was a commodity to be bartered by her father and used by her husband to produce as many heirs as possible. Every pregnancy, every birth, was a link in the chain of dynastic succession, and failures were unforgivable. In Tudor Childbirth in the Royal Court, historian and midwife Brigitte Barnard reveals how royal women gave birth and the rituals surrounding childbirth in England during the Renaissance period. Barnard brings readers into the intimate world of the early modern midwives, history’s overlooked guardians of knowledge, skill and secrecy. Across 16th-century England, and Europe from Spain to the emerging Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire, she traces the practices, beliefs and dangers that shaped maternal care. Although miscarriages, stillbirths, and the whims of superstition could ruin reputations or even end lives, midwives worked tirelessly to protect the women and children under their care.Deeply researched and vividly told, this book explores childbirth in the Tudor court and delves into the mystery of why the Tudor dynasty ultimately came to an end.