I discussed a variety of royal events, past and present with Janet Davison for the latest edition of the CBC News Royal Fascinator newsletter including Princess Anne’s presence at the recent NATO leaders reception at Buckingham Palace and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna’s decision to immigrate to Canada after the Second World War.
Upcoming Guest Lecture: Royal Weddings from Victoria and Albert to Harry and Meghan – December 16, Toronto Public Library
Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Toronto Public Library S. Walter Stewart Branch 170 Memorial Park Ave.
Royal weddings have been the focus of popular fascination for centuries. Queen Victoria popularized the white wedding dress and her descendants have also exerted a profound influence on how marriages are celebrated around the world. Join Carolyn Harris, author of ‘Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting,‘ for a lively history of royal weddings from Victorian times until today.
Drop in. No registration required.
New York Magazine Interview: Of Course the Royals Didn’t Snub Trump
I discussed the recent speculation surrounding Princess Anne and the Buckingham Palace reception in honour of the 70th Anniversary of NATO with Madeleine Aggeler at New York Magazine.
Click here to read “Of Course the Royals Didn’t Snub Trump” in New York Magazine
Global News Interview: What was it like to have Queen Elizabeth II as a mom?
I discussed royal parenting during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II with Meghan Collie at Global News. The release of Season 3 of The Crown on Netflix has contributed to a revival of interest in the relationship between the Queen and her four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. The series speculates about the conversations and confrontations that took place within the royal family behind palace doors.
Click here to read “What was it like to have Queen Elizabeth II as a Mom” at Global News
For more about the history of royal parenting from medieval to modern times, read about the experiences of 20 sets of royal parents in my book, Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting
CBC News Interview: ‘Only thing he could do’: Why Prince Andrew stepped down. But will he stay away?
Here is an excerpt from the interview with Janet Davison at CBC News:
“There aren’t a lot of precedents for this scenario within the Royal Family, but after Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, there was a similar expectation that he would live a quiet life out of the limelight. It didn’t quite work out that way.
“That turned out not to be the case, as he made a very highly publicized visit to Nazi Germany in 1937,” said Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris.
“The Duke of Windsor kept trying to carve out a public role for himself after his abdication … [and] ultimately during the Second World War he was sent off to be governor of the Bahamas, which gets him out of Europe. He was never able to find that public role.”
Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe for sale for $9.99 in the Palgrave Macmillan Cyber Sale
My 2nd book, Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette is currently on sale for $9.99 as part of the Palgrave Macmillan cyber sale. Click here to buy Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe for $9.99 direct from Palgrave Macmillan until December 3, 2019.
CBC Here and Now Interview: Prince Andrew announces he will be stepping away from his royal duties
I discussed the reputation of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and his decision to step away from royal duties for the foreseeable future with Gillian Deacon at CBC Here and Now (CBC Radio 1). Prince Andrew’s withdrawal from royal duties accelerates the process of streamlining the royal family to have a core group of senior figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex undertaking public engagements rather than a larger extended family.
Click here to listen to the interview about Prince Andrew’s reputation at CBC Here and Now.
NBC News Interview: ‘The Crown’ season three: Did Princess Margaret really party with LBJ?
Season 3 of The Crown series premieres on Netflix today and there is already interest in how much dramatic license has been taken by the writers of the series. I discussed the portrayal of Princess Margaret’s 1965 official visit to the United States with Daniel Arkin at NBC News. President Lyndon Baines Johnson was the only American president elected during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign who did not meet the Queen but he hosted an official dinner at the White House for Princess Margaret.
For more about Princess Margaret, I recommend reading 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown and Princess Margaret: A Life in Contrasts by Christopher Warwick.
For more about President Lyndon Johnson, I recommend reading Robert Caro’s ongoing series “The Years of Lyndon Johnson” – The Path to Power, The Means of Ascent, Master of the Senate and The Passage of Power have been published so far.
Magna Carta and the Making of the Modern World – My Winter 2020 Course at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
In January-February, 2020, I will be teaching a course on Magna Carta and the Making of the Modern World at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, just in time for the 805th anniversary of Magna Carta in June 2020. The course will take place on Wednesday afternoons from 2-4pm Click here for more information and to register:
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Magna Carta is the landmark charter that placed limits on the power of the English king. Neither the king nor his rebel baron opponents necessarily expected its terms to be respected for long. But some of Magna Carta’s principles – like the right to trial by peers and due process – have become basic to common law. The charter influenced the creation of Parliament and the concept of equality before the law. Later interpretations informed the American and French Revolutions, Canada’s Confederation and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 800th anniversary in 2015 was celebrated around the world, and a surviving copy of the Magna Carta was exhibited across Canada. Join Carolyn Harris, author of Magna Carta and its Gifts to Canada, and discover the enduring impact of this document on the modern world.
Click here for more information and to register:
Click here to purchase my book, Magna Carta and Its Gifts to Canada
CBC News Interview: Could the Royal Family shrink?
I discussed the recent changes to the Royal House of Sweden with Janet Davison at CBC News. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden’s decision to remove the titles of His or Her Royal Highness from five of his grandchildren are part of a wider trend of streamlining royal houses to include fewer people who receive public funds and perform official duties.
This trend is evident in the British and Commonwealth royal family as well. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, son of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, did not receive a title at the time of his birth, suggesting that he will eventually pursue his own career rather than undertake full time royal duties.
Click here to read “Could the Royal Family Shrink?” in the Royal Fascinator newsletter at CBC News.