One of the earliest known Scottish queens was none other than the notorious Lady MacBeth. Was she really the wicked woman depicted in Shakespeare's famous play? Was St Margaret a demure and obedient wife? And have we underestimated James VI's consort, Anne of Denmark, frequently written off as a stupid and wilful woman? These are just a few of the questions addressed by Dr Marshall in her entertaining, scholarly study.

This is the first book to deal exclusively with Scotland's queens, the few who were monarchs in their own right and also the consorts. Queenship is currently an important aspect of gender studies, and the lives of these largely forgotten women form lively and revealing miniature biographies while at the same time illuminating the author's main theme: how did women chosen to be the brides of Scottish kings react to their usually arranged marriages, and how did they confront the overwhelming difficulties that all too often followed?