The sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine have been the subject of much historical attention, but their daughters have been curiously overlooked.
The youngest of them, Joanna, led a particularly extraordinary life full of adventure and danger – and not a little controversy – that was more than a match for those of any of her brothers, including the famed Lionheart himself.
Lionessheart is Joanna’s story, and also an exploration of the wider world of the 12th century as seen through the eyes of a woman who was a princess and a pioneer, a warrior and a wife, a captive — and a queen.
Lionessheart: The Life and Times of Joanna Plantagenet by Catherine Hanley is published in paperback on 7 May, 2026.
Read Catherine’s Historia feature explaining why this remarkable woman was really a lionessheart.
Find more history books published in 2026 in our round-up of over 140 books out this year.
