Isabel of Castile: Practicing Public Relations in Medieval Spain

As a news consuming American, I am currently confronted with the question “are we ready for a female president?” on a daily basis. I would like to live in an enlightened society where gender is a nonissue, but there is no denying that women face unfair biologically-induced obstacles beyond their political abilities.

Though this posed question has yet to be answered in our modern-day democratic country, I cannot help but applaud Queen Isabel of Castile’s ability to overcome the misogynistic monarchical system of the medieval Iberian Peninsula, which she did with the help of advisors and the bold strategic communication plan, long before the term “public relations” was coined.

The primitive campaign she implemented included:

The meticulously meditative creation of the image she wished to portray, which balanced the prowess of a ruler with ladylike characteristics in a non-threatening manner

Propaganda in the form of poetry by influential figures of the time, which sometimes went as far as drawing parallels between the Queen and the Virgin Mary

Diverting focus from her “weaknesses” to others she believed were plaguing the kingdom’s progression, which is evident in her Catholic conquests

"By crafting an image of her reign that frequently capitalized on the presumed shortcomings of the preceding rule of her half-brother, Isabel’s gender and sexuality and the potential redemptive power of each of these categories were constantly being redefined and refashioned," Lehfeldt writes.

Ashley Paguyo
JOUR 3279
Blog Assignment