Weird History
What Was It Like When Medieval Commoners Met Royalty
2021 • E103 Sep 1, 2021 11m
Encounters with monarchs were not reserved for the rich and powerful alone, but did medieval peasants ever meet their lords? Surprisingly, they sometimes did.
"Commoners" denotes a large group of men and women who didn't have noble titles. This included everyone from wealthy merchants to peasants who struggled to make ends meet. Surviving records reveal that medieval monarchs had encounters with these commoners - though it's hard to get a sense of what exactly commoners thought of these meetings. Were they cynical, excited, or indifferent about them?
"Commoners" denotes a large group of men and women who didn't have noble titles. This included everyone from wealthy merchants to peasants who struggled to make ends meet. Surviving records reveal that medieval monarchs had encounters with these commoners - though it's hard to get a sense of what exactly commoners thought of these meetings. Were they cynical, excited, or indifferent about them?