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Fortune and Fiasco: The Wills of Royal Women

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Abstract

The wills of royal women often reveal aspects of their personality or life that have hitherto been hidden or half-hidden from public view. The way they approach their wills and their own ideas of what a will should be may also show unknown aspects of their essential personae. Only a few of them had fortunes to dispense to others, and many legatees were to be disappointed in the terms of the wills, usually because, as is the case with some royal men, the debts exceeded the assets. Again, a disturbing feature is that not many of these wills were properly executed, for a variety of reasons.

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Nash, M.L. (2017). Fortune and Fiasco: The Wills of Royal Women. In: Royal Wills in Britain from 1509 to 2008. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60145-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60145-2_6

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-60144-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-60145-2

  • eBook Packages: HistoryHistory (R0)

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