Context:
As a woman during the reign of James I your world was very domestic. Being a wife was your full-time job. In a large household you would be responsible for the management of servants and a range of tasks such as brewing beer and baking bread. A king's visit would have been a demanding occasion requiring the arrangement of large-scale feasting and entertainment. In addition to running a household industry, a wife would be expected to have 'womanly' qualities such as patience and grace, to make witty conversation and to produce an heir. |
