A problematic history of obsessing over royal women’s looks, from Camilla to the ‘ugly’ Elizabeth of Austria

Other

von Guttner Sporzynski, Darius, Biniaś-Szkopek, Magdalena and Tomczak, Robert. (2024). A problematic history of obsessing over royal women’s looks, from Camilla to the ‘ugly’ Elizabeth of Austria The Conversation Media Group.
Authorsvon Guttner Sporzynski, Darius, Biniaś-Szkopek, Magdalena and Tomczak, Robert
Abstract

Throughout history, queens have often been judged on their looks. Beauty standards shaped early-modern queenship. Even today, royal women such as the UK royal family’s Camilla, Catherine and Meghan are scrutinised for their looks, while their male counterparts aren’t held to the same standard.

One woman who faced particular scrutiny for her looks was Elizabeth of Austria (1436/37–1505). Known as the “mother of kings”, Elizabeth married Casimir IV of Poland and had 13 children, securing the Jagiellon dynasty’s future. Yet she is still remembered for her supposed lack of beauty.

This obsession with her appearance overlooks what really mattered for queens in her time: fertility, motherhood, political alliances and dynastic stability.

Year22 Oct 2024
PublisherThe Conversation Media Group
ISSN2201-5639
Web address (URL)https://theconversation.com/a-problematic-history-of-obsessing-over-royal-womens-looks-from-camilla-to-the-ugly-elizabeth-of-austria-241674
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online22 Oct 2024
Publication process dates
Deposited27 Mar 2025
JournalThe Conversation
Open accessOpen access
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/917x9/a-problematic-history-of-obsessing-over-royal-women-s-looks-from-camilla-to-the-ugly-elizabeth-of-austria

Log in to edit

Download files

Publisher's version
OA_von_Guttner_Sporzynski_2024_A_problematic_history_of_obsessing_over.pdf
License: CC BY-ND 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 8
    total views
  • 3
    total downloads
  • 7
    views this month
  • 3
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

The strange story of the grave of Copernicus
von Guttner Sporzynski, Darius. (2024). The strange story of the grave of Copernicus The Conversation Media Group.
From vilified queen to political strategist : Re-evaluating the role and image of Bona Sforza. The Queen’s 1537 response to her critics
Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2024). From vilified queen to political strategist : Re-evaluating the role and image of Bona Sforza. The Queen’s 1537 response to her critics. Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Historica. 116, pp. 35-58. https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6050.116.03
Central Europe as Jagiellon Europe
Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2024). Central Europe as Jagiellon Europe. In In Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius (Ed.). The Jagiellon Dynasty, 1386–1596 : Politics, culture, diplomacy pp. 25-39 Brepols Publishers.
The spread and influence of crusading ideology in Bohemia and Poland
von Guttner-Sporzynski, Darius. (2024). The spread and influence of crusading ideology in Bohemia and Poland. Historia Slavorum Occidentis. 14(1), pp. 186-208. https://doi.org/10.15804/hso240111
What are the origins of Santa Claus?
von Guttner Sporzynski, Darius. (2023). What are the origins of Santa Claus The Conversation Media Group.
‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’ : Who was atom bomb pioneer Robert Oppenheimer?
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2023). ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’ : Who was atom bomb pioneer Robert Oppenheimer The Conversation Media Group.
Hulu’s The Great depicts her as humorous and vulgar – the real Catherine the Great is perhaps even more interesting
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2023). Hulu’s The Great depicts her as humorous and vulgar – the real Catherine the Great is perhaps even more interesting The Conversation Media Group.
International Criminal Court has cited Russia’s deportation of Ukrainian children a war crime : On Russia’s long history of weaponising deportation
von Guttner Sporzynski, Darius. (2023). International Criminal Court has cited Russia’s deportation of Ukrainian children a war crime : On Russia’s long history of weaponising deportation The Conversation Media Group.
Conversion of Pagans and the Evolution of Holy War Ideology : Assessing the Vulnerability of Mieszko’s Realm to Holy War
von Guttner Sporzynski, Darius Maria Claudius. (2023). Conversion of Pagans and the Evolution of Holy War Ideology : Assessing the Vulnerability of Mieszko’s Realm to Holy War. Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association. 19(2), pp. 169-194. https://doi.org/10.35253/JAEMA.2023.2.3
Daughter, mother, widow : The making of the identities of Isabella d'Aragona
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2023). Daughter, mother, widow : The making of the identities of Isabella d'Aragona. Gender and History. pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0424.12683
The periphery of Europe and the idea of crusade : Adaptation and evolution of crusader ideology in Poland under the Piast Dynasty (1100-47)
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2022). The periphery of Europe and the idea of crusade : Adaptation and evolution of crusader ideology in Poland under the Piast Dynasty (1100-47). In In Srodecki, Paul and Kersken, Norbert (Ed.). The expansion of the faith : Crusading on the frontiers of Latin Christendom in the High Middle Ages pp. 69-88 Brepols Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1484/M.OUTREMER-EB.5.127514
Mount Kosciuszko : How Australia’s highest peak came to be named for a freedom fighter against Russian aggression
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2022). Mount Kosciuszko : How Australia’s highest peak came to be named for a freedom fighter against Russian aggression The Conversation Media Group.
French Revolution : Study and exam guide
von Güttner, Darius, Heaton, Olivia and Lyell, Ian. (2022). French Revolution : Study and exam guide History Teacher's Association of Victoria.
Knowledge, historical thinking and skills
von Gϋttner, Darius. (2022). Knowledge, historical thinking and skills. In In Sharp, Heather, Dallimore, Jonathon, Bedford, Alison, Kerby, Martin, Goulding, James, Heath, Treesa, von Gϋttner, Darius and Zarmati, Louise (Ed.). Teaching secondary history pp. 26-47 Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108980081.003
Contextualising the marriage of Bona Sforza to Sigismund I of Poland: Maximilian I’s diplomacy in Italy and Central Europe
von Güttner Sporzynski, Darius. (2022). Contextualising the marriage of Bona Sforza to Sigismund I of Poland: Maximilian I’s diplomacy in Italy and Central Europe. Folia Historica Cracoviensia. 27(2), pp. 63-90. https://doi.org/10.15633/fhc.4200
The Chronica Polonorum by Bishop Vincentius of Cracow. Preliminary remarks about its historical context, violence and its use
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2021). The Chronica Polonorum by Bishop Vincentius of Cracow. Preliminary remarks about its historical context, violence and its use. Questiones Medii Aevi Novae. 26, pp. 79-90.
French Revolution : The basics
von Güttner, Darius. (2021). French Revolution : The basics Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003157748
Communicating God’s war. Accounts of holy war in Polish medieval narrative sources
von Güttner Sporzynski, Darius. (2021). Communicating God’s war. Accounts of holy war in Polish medieval narrative sources. Ordines Militares Colloquia Torunensia Historica : Yearbook for the Study of the Military Orders. 26, pp. 43-65. https://doi.org/10.12775/OM.2021.002
Excursus : The conquest of Pomerania according to the anonymous author of the Gesta principum Polonorum of Pomerania in the Polish medieval historiography
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2020). Excursus : The conquest of Pomerania according to the anonymous author of the Gesta principum Polonorum of Pomerania in the Polish medieval historiography. In In Rosik, Stanisław (Ed.). Europe reaches the Baltic : Poland and Pomerania in the shaping of European civilization (10th–12th centuries) pp. 394-402 Uniwersytet Wrocławski.
The life and career of a knight of Malta in the age of secularisation : Michele Enrico Sagramoso (1720-1791). The order of Malta and the first partition of Poland
von Güttner Sporzyński, Darius. (2019). The life and career of a knight of Malta in the age of secularisation : Michele Enrico Sagramoso (1720-1791). The order of Malta and the first partition of Poland. Ordines Militares Colloquia Torunensia Historica : Yearbook for the Study of the Military Orders. 24, pp. 301-329. https://doi.org/10.12775/OM.2019.010
French Revolution : Study and exam guide
von Güttner, Darius, Shepard, Natalie and Lyell, Ian. (2018). French Revolution : Study and exam guide History Teacher's Association of Victoria.
The end of the Crusader state in Prussia : The treaty of Kraków in 1525
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2018). The end of the Crusader state in Prussia : The treaty of Kraków in 1525. In In Jensen, Kurt Villads, Jensen, Carsten Selch and Møller Jensen, Janus (Ed.). Fighting for the faith : The many Crusades pp. 331-359 Sällskapet Runica et Mediaevalia.
Introduction
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2017). Introduction. In In von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius (Ed.). Writing history in medieval Poland : Bishop Vincentius of Cracow and the Chronica Polonorum pp. ix-xii Brepols Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1484/M.CURSOR-EB.5.114755
Historical writing (or the manufacture of memory)
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2017). Historical writing (or the manufacture of memory). In In Cassidy-Welch, Megan (Ed.). Remembering the Crusades and crusading pp. 95-113 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315543253-15
Chrzest pogan – chrzest Polski. Konwersja ludów pogańskich a rozwój idei wojny świętej. Czy władztwo Mieszka mogło stać się celem wojny świętej?
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2017). Chrzest pogan – chrzest Polski. Konwersja ludów pogańskich a rozwój idei wojny świętej. Czy władztwo Mieszka mogło stać się celem wojny świętej? In In Dobosz, Józef, Strzelczyk, Jerzy and Matla, Marzena (Ed.). Chrystianizacja "Młodszej Europy" pp. 159-174 Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza.
Bishop Vincentius of Cracow and his Chronica Polonorum
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2017). Bishop Vincentius of Cracow and his Chronica Polonorum. In In von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius (Ed.). Writing history in medieval Poland : Bishop Vincentius of Cracow and the 'Chronica Polonorum' pp. 1-17 Brepols Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1484/M.CURSOR-EB.5.114756
Bishop Vincentius of Cracow and chronica polonorum
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2016). Bishop Vincentius of Cracow and chronica polonorum. Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association. 12, pp. 69-87. https://doi.org/10.35253/jaema.2016.1.4
Constructing memory : Holy war in the Chronicle of the Poles by Bishop Vincentius of Cracow
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2015). Constructing memory : Holy war in the Chronicle of the Poles by Bishop Vincentius of Cracow. In In Cassidy-Welch, Megan and Lester, Anne (Ed.). Crusades and memory : Rethinking past and present pp. 51-66 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315715575-7
The French Revolution
von Güttner, Darius. (2015). The French Revolution Cengage Learning Australia.
Evolution and adaptation : The Order of Saint John in war and peace
von Güttner-Sporzyński, Darius. (2013). Evolution and adaptation : The Order of Saint John in war and peace. Ordines Militares Colloquia Torunensia Historica : Yearbook for the Study of the Military Orders. 18, pp. 205-217. https://doi.org/10.12775/OM.2013.010