The editorial team of Essays in Economic & Business History is pleased to announce the publication of our new Special Issue, “Administrative Practices and Resource Management of Ruling Women in Premodern Europe”, guest edited by Dr. Katia Wright, Dr. Cathleen Sarti, and Dr. Charlotte Backerra.
The full issue, with all articles available open access, is available HERE.
Have you ever thought about the fact that queens were some of the richest persons in their realms? This Special Issue of Essays in Economic & Business History unites contributions from queenship scholars, looking at 14th to 16th century queens as business owners, investors, and administrators.
Bringing together scholarship at the intersection of economic history, business history, and queenship studies, the Special Issue examines queens not simply as political or dynastic figures, but as economic actors. The contributions explore the ways queens managed resources, administered estates, participated in commercial and financial activity, deployed wealth, and navigated the economic institutions of their respective realms.
Articles in the Special Issue include:
Lledó Ruiz Domingo, “Financial Management in Late Medieval Iberia: Fluctuating Patrimony, Indebtedness, and Economic Policy in Queen Violant of Bar’s Finances (r. 1387-1396).”
Manuela Santos Silva, “Authority, Guidance, and the Management of Land: Key Motives Behind the Establishment of the Queen’s Chancellery in Early Fifteenth-Century Portugal.”
Elizabeth Norton, “The Queen as Lady of the Manor: The Economic Agency of the Tudor Queen Consorts in relation to their Manorial Interests.”
Susan Broomhall, “A Risky Business? Representing Catherine de’ Medici’s silk Entrepreneurialism.”
Rubén González Cuerva, “Managing an Imperial Household: Empress Maria of Austria as financial Agent (1548-1581).”
Essays in Economic & Business History is an open-access journal publishing original research across economic and business history. We welcome submissions of individual research articles as well as proposals for future special issues. Scholars working in economic history, business history, and related fields are encouraged to consider Essays in Economic & Business History as an outlet for their work.
We hope you enjoy the Special Issue and encourage you to share it with colleagues and others who may be interested.


