Our current First Lady seems to yield her greatest power through public opinion. I do not think much has changed since King Edward's time. The times' have nothing to do with it. These women bask in the aura of their husband's power. They also influence their husband's decisions.
Mistakes are a fact of life.
I at first really couldn't stand them. I'd say yeah. Withholding sex certainly worked for Elizabeth, but not for poor Nell. I suspect Nell's reasons were moral, but Elizabeth was holding out for that Power thing. Mistakes are a fact of life.