In England, and around the world, all eyes may be on Kate Middleton, the future queen. But long before Middleton or even Queen Elizabeth I, women of the monarchy were attracting great attention and wielding surprising power in England. Helen Castor is a historian who’s been delving into the lives of these powerful, but largely unrecognized women, as far back as nine hundred years ago. She’s the author of “She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth.” Far from feeble, these royal women showed great power, like Eleanor of Aquitaine, who rebelled against her husband and was faced with 15 years in jail.
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