Introduction

This manuscript, The Book of the Queen, is a collection of works by the author Christine de Pizan. It was presented to Queen Isabeau of Bavaria. She was the wife of Charles VI. He was the King of France from 1380-1422. His father, Charles V, was a popular king. However, the same could not be said of Charles VI. From an early age he suffered from bouts of madness (he probably suffered from schizophrenia). These continued throughout his life.

Due to her husband's condition the queen had a much more prominent role in government than would usually have been the case. Much controversy surrounds her reign (she was foreign born and a woman), but she was a large benefactor to the arts. This is of particular relevance given her patronage of Christine de Pizan and the remarkable manuscript that is a legacy for both the author and the queen herself.