Category Archives: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette

2022-2023 Teaching Schedule

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2022-2023 (in person and online courses)

Fall 2022

Tuesdays (in class) Women in Power (University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies)

Wednesdays (online) Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution (University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies)

Fridays (online) Modern Monarchies: Connections and Continuity (Glendon College, Living and Learning in Retirement)

Winter 2023

Tuesdays (in class) Magna Carta and the Making of the Modern World (University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies)

Thursdays (online) Imperial Spain (University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies)

New Scholarly Book Review: Marie Claude Canova-Green and Sara J. Wolfson, eds. The Wedding of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, 1625: Celebrations and Controversy

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I reviewed The Wedding of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, 1625: Celebrations and Controversy, edited by Marie Claude Canova-Green and Sara J. Wolfson for the Journal of British Studies.

Click here for information on accessing this article online.

New Historica Canada Canadian Encyclopedia Article: Prince Rupert of the Rhine

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My new article in the Canadian Encyclopedia is about Prince Rupert of the Rhine, First Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The article discusses his eventful life as a prince in exile, royalist general, privateer, artist and scientist in addition to his involvement in the Royal African Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Click here to read my article about Prince Rupert of the Rhine in the Canadian Encyclopedia

New Podcast Interview: “Marie Antoinette” on History Gems

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In the latest episode of the History Gems podcast, I discussed Queen Marie Antoinette and the Affair of the Diamond Necklace with Dr. Nicola Tallis. Themes in the podcast episode including Marie Antoinette’s reputation, fashions and the impact of the Diamond Necklace scandal on perceptions of the monarchy prior to the French Revolution.

Click here to listen to the “Marie Antoinette” episode of History Gems

For more about Marie Antoinette, read my book, Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette (Queenship and Power series)

March-April 2021 Online Course: Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution

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My March-April 2021 online course on Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution begins at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies on March 9, 2021. Click here for more information and to register.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

More than 200 years after her execution, Queen Marie Antoinette is still one of the most famous and controversial figures in European history. In late 18th-century France, her reputation influenced debates about the role of women in politics, their families and the arts. Austrian-born, her position at the top of French society fueled criticism of the monarchy and contributed to the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. Her influence on popular culture continues today.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Discover the real Queen Marie Antoinette behind centuries of myths in popular culture.
  • Trace the reasons for her controversial reputation.
  • Explore the clashes in the politics, culture and society of royal and revolutionary France.
  • Look behind the legend and examine the controversial queen’s impact on politics, culture and society.

Click here for more information and to register.

Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe for sale for $9.99 in the Palgrave Macmillan Cyber Sale

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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.

Today Interview: Queen Elizabeth changed how royal babies eat. Will Meghan Markle do the same?

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I discussed the history of royal parenting and how royal babies were fed over the past few centuries with Aly Walansky at Today. The debate concerning whether royal mothers should nurse their own children dates from the late eighteenth century when French Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau objected to the prevalence of wet nurses employed to feed and care for infants. Marie Antoinette briefly nursed her daughter Marie-Therese over the objections of her own mother, Empress Maria Theresa and Queen Victoria’s daughters nursed their children despite the Queen’s distaste for the practice. The controversy surrounding royal mothers nursing their own children continued until the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II’s children in the mid 20th century.

Click here to read Queen Elizabeth changed how royal babies eat. Will Meghan Markle do the same?

Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution: My Spring 2019 course at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies

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 I will be teaching an eight week course about Queen Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies on Tuesdays in March-April 2019. Click here for more information and to register.

More than 200 years after her execution, Queen Marie Antoinette is still one of the most famous and controversial figures in European history. In late 18th-century France, her reputation influenced debates about the role of women in politics, their families and the arts. Austrian-born, her position at the top of French society fuelled criticism of the monarchy and contributed to the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. Her influence on popular culture continues today.

  • Discover the real Queen Marie Antoinette behind centuries of myths in popular culture.
  • Trace the reasons for her controversial reputation.
  • Explore the clashes in the politics, culture and society of royal and revolutionary France.
  • Look behind the legend and examine the controversial queen’s impact on politics, culture and society.

Click here for more information and to register.

Click here to purchase my book Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette

BBC History Magazine Article: 8 unconventional royal wedding dresses in history

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The Duke and Duchess of Windsor at the time of their wedding in 1937.

My latest article in the BBC History Magazine is about unconventional royal wedding dresses from Marie Antoinette to Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. I discuss how wedding dresses at first considered unique or noteworthy set trends for future royal brides or contributed to the history of fashion.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“For centuries, royal women were married in sumptuous garments and glittering jewels intended to announce the bride’s wealth and status rather than reflect her own personal taste. But from the 18th century onwards, royal wedding dresses began to display more personal touches, some of which became traditions for future royal brides. As speculation mounts over the style and design of Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress when she marries wine merchant Jack Brooksbank on 12 October, historian Carolyn Harris reveals eight royal wedding dresses that were considered unusual, unconventional or innovative in their time…”

Click here to read “8 unconventional royal wedding dresses in history” in the BBC History Magazine