I am a new queen, only recently married and introduced to the ways of palace life, and I find myself terribly unsure of my duties. My husband the king has so many advisors, counsellors and judges who carry out so many duties. With so many people around, I am unsure of what my place is. Please, can you give me some advice so that I may be a virtuous queen?
Sincerely,
Lost and wondering
Dear Lost and Wondering,
It is no wonder you are so confused! Palace life is a terribly complicated affair, and without much time to study it and understand the inner workings of the palace, one can become hopelessly lost all too quickly. There are all sorts of officers and counsellors who, as you said, look after most of the affairs of the palace. Most of your secular and spiritual needs will already fall under the duties of one of these men.
This does not mean you have nothing to do! As queen, you have a very important job as well. Your husband, the king, already has the heavy responsibility of seeing to the governance and protection of the kingdom. He can not be bothered with the smaller things that, while important to building relationships with allies, would take up far too much of his time and attention. Events must be planned and executed so that nothing is missing at the proper time and gifts must be given to those officials who have earned them in order that they do not think their good service has been forgotten. These important tasks fall to you and the chamberlain and you must do your best in performing your duties in order to reflect well upon your king.
If you need further guidance, look to examples like Queen Wealtheow in the tale of Beowulf, who performed her part in the ceremony with the mead cup admirably. She knew who to present the cup to in the correct order to show respect to the proper individuals at the right time and therefore saw that the ceremony was executed properly. She gave favor to those who deserved it, first to the king, the warriors and their guest, in order to show the noteworthiness of each man.
I hope this has helped you, Lost and Wondering, to be better equipped and more comfortable in your duties as a new and respectable queen.
Sincerely,
The Lady
Dear Noble Lady,
I have been a queen for quite some time and have done my best to do what is right by my husband and for my kingdom. I have only offered the best advice I can to my husband without over-stepping my bounds as a woman and as queen. I have sought to run the household of the palace to the best of my ability. But I fear that, although I am a good queen and wife, I may lose sight of what it means to follow the word of God and to protect my soul against the corruption of earthly desires. With power and wealth comes temptation and the chance of one’s faith falling away as one becomes lost in more mundane matters. Can you please give me some advice as to how I can be a good queen and a good Christian?
Sincerely,
Questions of Faith
Dear Questions of Faith,
It is difficult to walk the line between the secular demands of the kingdom and the spiritual demands of the soul. Of course, you will have clergy at your palace, and a chaplain, who are able to direct you in the proper way to protect your soul, but here I will tell you what I can.
First, of course it is possible to be both a faithful woman and an honorable queen. In fact, it is necessary to be both, for if one is not a virtuous and devoted woman how can one give good advice and run your king's palace as it ought to be run? We have plenty of examples of queens who use their position with the king and their place in his bed to lead him astray. These queens seek only power and prey upon their husbands lusts to secure their own fortunes rather than think on what is best for their kingdom. Think on the wife of Justinian, the empress Theodora, who was an actress and unfit to be queen from birth, but through sinful means secured her throne.
While these queens are ever present, you will also find examples of virtuous queens, even those who show what might be called an excess of faith. Think of Helena, the mother of Constantine, who was converted to the true faith. A woman of humble origins, she did not let her power and favor with the emperor corrupt her. Instead she remained faithful throughout her life. She even journeyed to Jerusalem and was so good and faithful that the spirit led her to the sight of the burial of the Holy Cross. Here is a perfect example of a righteous and noble queen.
Another noteworthy queen is Radegund, the wife of Clothar, who had shown signs of her faith since her childhood. She wished since she was a young girl to be a martyr in the name of Christ and even after her marriage to a terrestrial king she did not lose sight of her faith. Indeed, she was more faithful to the church than to her kingdom and kept her mind only on God. Some might go so far as to say she was excessive in her faith, but if she was it only served to make her a more humble and merciful queen.
These women might be seen as outliers, as queens who stand out and have done what is seemingly impossible by not allowing their fortune to turn them from their faith. Look to them as guides so that you too can serve your kingdom to the best of your ability. Do not let power corrupt you and cause you to forget your faith, and in turn do not use your influence to corrupt your king. Do not be like the Empress Theodora, who was born without virtue and showed none through her life. She who used her power for personal gain and used her ability to tempt men with the lusts of the flesh to lead her kingdom astray. You must remember that you are a queen, a servant to your king as much as you are a dedicated servant of the Lord. You will need to be both to attend to your kingdom as it deserves.
Sincerely,
A Noble Lady
No comments:
Post a Comment