Thirty-three women challenged the political conventions of the Renaissance. These European queens, princesses, and regents—including Anne of Brittany, Louise of Savoy, Catherine and Marie de Medici, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, Mary Stuart, Isabel of Castile, and Ann of Austria—redefined the acceptance and the limits of female power. They shaped female identity at a time when women’s issues were banned from the public sphere. Le Pouvoir Contesté pinpoints a long-standing controversy about the ability of women to govern.

The author delves into the issue of gender in relation to power, which still reverberates today as more women become heads of state. From having an influence to attaining full power, Thierry Wanegfflelen shows how women took command in a world dominated by men.

Extensively documented, Le Pouvoir Contesté comprises an index of the thirty-three monarchs as well as short biographies. It also includes the genealogy of the Habsburg, Tudor, and Stuart families along with illustrations.