Castle Life – Daily Life of a Princess

Beautiful Clothing and Strict Upbringing

Already from their earliest years, medieval princesses were prepared for their lives as adult women – and this was very different than the preparation men received. They had, first and foremost, their duties within the family but also in court. In their upbringing, considerable value was placed on customs and etiquette: the perfect bends, courtly conversation, and the conduct of the gentlefolk. While the boys at the castle learned to ride, fight or hunt, the girls had to learn to play music, embroider, or attend Bible lessons on a very strict daily schedule and were always being instructed on the proper way to behave and appropriate piety.

The childhood of a princess was very short: Many were even engaged while still children. It was not uncommon for princesses to marry at 14 or 15 years of age. Not a man they loved but rather often foreign sovereigns with whom their fathers sought to form an alliance. Then their most important responsibility was to bear children and make a good impression in court life. For these reasons, many princesses did not have access to the type of education we are familiar with. Despite this life primarily determined by men, individual women repeatedly managed to achieve, even on their own and through their own efforts, a high ranking – as an influential abbess and sometimes even as the lady of the castle in her own realm. 

What’s More
In the Middle Ages, a governess was a special teacher who instructed the children of nobility in various subjects. They taught the children manners and etiquette and prepared them for court life and its rules. A valet de chambre was an attendant who helped a royal or noble lord in their chambers. They helped them dress, organized their clothes, and played an important role in the life of a lord.