This collection brings together essays examining the international influence of queens other
female rulers and their representatives from 1450 through 1700 an era of expanding colonial
activity and sea trade. As Europe rose in prominence geopolitically a number of important
women-such as Queen Elizabeth I of England Catherine de Medici Caterina Cornaro of Cyprus
and Isabel Clara Eugenia of Austria-exerted influence over foreign affairs. Traditionally
male-dominated spheres such as trade colonization warfare and espionage were sometimes for
the first time under the control of powerful women. This interdisciplinary volume examines how
they navigated these activities and how they are represented in literature. By highlighting
the links between female power and foreign affairs Colonization Piracy and Trade in Early
Modern Europe contributes to a fuller understanding of early modern queenship.
