I have long been interested in political dissent: how people position themselves in opposition to the political authority embodied in individuals or in institutions; the language they use to articulate their demands and justify their resistance; and the strategies they deploy when protest ‘within the system’ fails to achieve change. As I was writing this book, I found myself equal parts heartened by and fearful for Hong Kong's pro-democracy protestors, and disturbed by the discourses of treason that became so prominent in both UK and US politics in the febrile climate of Brexit and Donald Trump's presidency, with combatants on all sides terming each other traitors and enemies of the nation. While resisting the temptation to make ahistorical comparisons, I am nevertheless struck by certain echoes of the medieval past in our current political moment, not least in the distinctively gendered terms in which battle lines over loyalty, treason and claims to power are so often drawn. Watching the rise of authoritarian ‘strong men’ across the globe and the parallel demeaning treatment of women politicians reinforced my own conviction (if such reinforcement were even necessary) that we cannot write comprehensive political histories, whether of the recent or distant past, without fully incorporating gender into the analysis. This book focuses on the history of treason, a phenomenon that I argue was inherently gendered by its utter entanglement in conflicts over manly honour and claims to political agency in an overtly masculine body politic. I have been intellectually inspired and practically guided by the rich body of research on queenship and, more recently, on kingship that puts questions of gender and political authority firmly at the centre of historical inquiry. I hope my own contribution to the field of gender and medieval politics might in turn inspire others to travel further along the same path.

I am indebted to the many generous scholars who have helped me along the way. Andrew Brown, Christopher Fletcher, Kim Phillips, Karen Jillings, Clare Monagle, Katie Barclay, Mark Ormrod, Sally Fisher and Christopher van der Krogt read and critiqued work in progress, discussed ideas, challenged my thinking and asked probing questions. I have likewise been fortunate to enjoy the support of my colleagues in History at Massey University, who have proved an ever-reliable source of practical advice and scholarly wisdom.