About

Dr. Carolyn Harris is a historian, author and royal commentator based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an instructor in history at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies. She is the author of Magna Carta and Its Gifts to Canada: Democracy, Law, and Human Rights (Dundurn Press 2015) and Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette (Palgrave Macmillan 2015). Her 3rd book, Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting was published by Dundurn Press in 2017. She is a co-editor of the English Consorts, Power, Influence, Dynasty series, which will be published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2022 and the proofreading editor of The Royal Studies Journal.

Carolyn completed her PhD in history at Queen’s University at Kingston, Canada in 2012, spending six months at Birkbeck College, University of London in 2009 as a visiting overseas research student. She was a SSHRC master’s and doctoral fellow and a recipient of the SSHRC foreign study supplement.

Carolyn is an expert in the history of European monarchy and has been interviewed by numerous media outlets including the CTV News Channel, Global News, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, BBC Radio 5, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, Radio Canada International, TVO, The Toronto Star, the National Post and the Globe and Mail. Her writing concerning the historical context for issues facing the monarchy today has appeared in numerous publications including Reader’s Digest, Zoomer Magazine, Canada’s History Magazine, BBC News Magazine, BBC History Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Quartz Magazine, Military History Monthly, the Globe and Mail, and the Ottawa Citizen. Carolyn also writes for the Historica Canada Canadian Encyclopedia.

Carolyn is a prolific guest lecturer on land, at sea and online. She has delivered talks on royal history for numerous museums, libraries, universities, retirement residences, and educational organizations. Carolyn also contributes to cruise ship enrichment programs and has lectured onboard cruise ships sailing to Canada and the United States, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, South America, South Africa, Scandinavia and St. Petersburg and the UK and Western Europe.

Carolyn is available to give talks and interviews about all aspects of royal history. She is also available as a historical consultant, researcher, presenter or contributor to television, radio, print and online media.

For all inquiries contact:

E-mail: carolyn.suzanne.harris@gmail.com

Twitter: @royalhistorian

7 thoughts on “About

  1. Hi Carolyn. Thoroughly enjoyed your talk at McNally last evening! You have a remarkable breadth of knowledge and insight into continuing legacy if royalty in Europe and the so-called New world. I work For and with First Nations for four decades and very much appreciated your education of the audience re Cdn Constitution 1982 and connections of Royal Orockamation 1763 as First Nations Magna Carta – although more mention of Treaty of Niagara would Aldo be welcome. I admire your work as a while, as described in your UoT interview! Keep on your excellent work! Kathi

  2. Carolyn, I’m a retiring history teacher in New York State and really enjoyed your Rasputin article. I would love to hear you speak sometime. Do you ever lecture in the States? Anyways, I look forward to reading more of your columns. Sincerely, Dom

  3. Hey there. Huge fan of your writings. I had a question about a topic on which there appears to be no consensus, prompted by your picture from Westminster. Why was Princess Joan buried at Bayonne? And is she truly? If she died 100 miles to the north, what was the significance of burial at Bayonne? I’ve seen a couple of sites mention that she was to be married there, but they seem to be outweighed by those that say she was on her way to Castile to be married. The whole story of her journey and death is very convoluted. Thanks!

    • My impression was that Edward III’s daughter Joan had already departed Bordeaux, in an attempt to escape the plague, when she died. She was likely buried in Bayonne, the next major cathedral town on the route to Spain, so that her household would not have to travel back to Bordeaux, where plague was rampant.

  4. Good article on Duchess Olga Alexandrovna Romanov.
    Thanks for writing it . I’m was born in upstate New York and Cooksville Ontario ( where the Dutchess died )was just across Ontario lake . We named our dog jack russell dog “Dutchess” after her .
    Must be awesome to a royal historian , yes ?

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