Friday October 13 Toronto Public Library Lecture: A History of Royal Weddings from Victoria and Albert to Harry and Meghan

I will be delivering an evening lecture (7pm) at North York Central Library in Toronto on Friday October 13 about the history of royal weddings from Victoria and Albert to Harry and Meghan! All are welcome.

Click here for more information!

Fall 2023 University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Course: Behind the Crown: The Monarchy from Victoria to Charles III

I will be teaching an eight week course on Tuesday afternoons in October-November 2023 at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies – Behind the Crown: The Monarchy from Victoria to Charles III. Click here for more information and to register.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

The personal lives of royalty are a popular subject for fiction in novels, films and TV series but the real history is more interesting. Each generation of royalty must respond to the challenges of their times to keep the monarchy relevant and engaged with public opinion. Join Carolyn Harris, historian, commentator and author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting for a lively discussion of the history, politics and cultural significance of the monarchy in the UK and Canada.  

Click here for more information and to register for “Behind the Crown: The Monarchy from Victoria at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies

Winter 2022 Online Course: Behind the Crown: The Monarchy from Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II

My new eight week online course at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies starts Wednesday January 12, 2022. Click here for more information and to register.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

The year 2022 marks Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. It’s an opportunity to look back on the social, political and cultural changes during her long reign.  The personal lives of royalty are a popular subject for fiction in novels, films and TV series but the real history is more interesting. Each generation of royalty must respond to the challenges of their times to keep the monarchy relevant and engaged with public opinion. Join Carolyn Harris, historian, commentator and author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting for a lively discussion of the history, politics and cultural significance of the monarchy in the UK and Canada.

Click here for more information and to register.  

CBC News Interview: What’s in a royal baby name?

I discussed the arrival of Lilibet Diana, daughter of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the history of royal baby names with Janet Davison at CBC News.

Click here to read “What’s in a royal baby name?” at CBC News

For more about the history of royal parenting, see my book, Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting

CBC News Interview: Royal pregnancy and privacy: How Harry and Meghan and other royals are setting their own terms for parenthood

I discussed royal parenting and pregnancy announcements with Janet Davison at CBC News for this week’s The Royal Fascinator newsletter. In the youngest generation of the royal family, only the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expected to undertake full time royal duties when they grow up. The arrival or forthcoming arrival of the Queen’s other great-grandchildren such as Princess Eugenie’s son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank and the expected second child of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been announced in a variety of different ways on social media rather than official announcements from Buckingham Palace alone.

Click here to read “Royal pregnancy and privacy: How Harry and Meghan and other royals are setting their own terms for parenthood” at CBC News

For more about the history of royal parenting, see my book, Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royalty

Global News Interview: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie: Who are Prince Andrew’s daughters?

I discussed Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with Meghan Collie at Global News, amidst speculation that their public role will expand following the departure of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, from the United Kingdom. As Princess Beatrice is expected to get married in 2020, the two sisters have been the focus of increased media scrutiny.

Click here to read “Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie: Who are Prince Andrew’s daughters?” at Global News

CBC News Interview: Princess Eugenie’s wedding: Why these royal nuptials are courting controversy

The Duke of York in the 2012 Trooping the Colour Parade with his younger daughter, Princess Eugenie

I discussed the controversy surrounding Princess Eugenie’s wedding with Janet Davison at CBC News. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

“It’s bound to bring back royal wedding memories of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s carriage ride through the streets of Windsor.

Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie, 28, and Jack Brooksbank, 32, are planning a horse-drawn jaunt after their wedding in St. George’s Chapel on Friday, perhaps in a glass coach if rain seems likely.

But while much shorter than Harry and Meghan’s, Eugenie’s ceremonial excursion, and the security it will require, have stirred controversy over the nuptials of this more junior royal who seems to be aiming for a wedding to rival the one her higher-ranking relative had in May.

“Princess Eugenie … is a private citizen in many respects,” said Toronto-based royal historian and author Carolyn Harris. “She doesn’t have that range of public engagements, and so there’s some popular controversy about the perception that she’s trying to emulate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.”

Click here to read Princess Eugenie’s wedding: Why these royal nuptials are courting controversy

 

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

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

 

Town and Country Interview: Why Princess Eugenie’s Role in the Royal Family Is Very Different From Prince Harry’s

Princess Eugenie

I discussed Princess Eugenie’s role in the royal family with Town and Country. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

“Prince Harry’s life will be filled with official engagements, as demonstrated by his role as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador and his forthcoming tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga,” Carolyn Harris, a royal historian and author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting, explains.

“In contrast, Eugenie will continue to be a guest at royal weddings and other family occasions but will be expected to continue to pursue her own independent career rather than represent the monarch at official engagements.”

Click here to read Why Princess Eugenie’s Role in the Royal Family Is Very Different From Prince Harry’s

 

Town and Country Interview: Why Princess Eugenie’s Children Likely Won’t Have Titles

Princess Eugenie

I discussed Princess Eugenie’s upcoming wedding and titles for any future children with Town&Country. Since royal titles are passed through the male line, it is unlikely that her children will have titles unless her husband Jack Brooksbank receives an earldom from the Queen.

Click here to read “Why Princess Eugenie’s Children Likely Won’t Have Titles” in Town&Country

My interview with Town&Country was also quoted in The Daily Express