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.
Category Archives: The Royal Succession
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.
Metro UK Interview: Historian reveals the most popular British monarchs – and where Elizabeth II ranks
In an extended interview with Katie Boyden at Metro UK, I discussed Queen Elizabeth II’s popularity and how past monarchs were viewed – favourably and unfavourably – by the public, both during their reigns and afterward. Kings and Queens discussed in the interview include Queen Victoria and Richard III.
Toronto Star Interview: A spoon, a stone and a graffiti-covered chair will play key roles in King Charles’s coronation. Here’s why they’re so special
I discussed the fascinating and eventful history of royal regalia, the Stone of Scone and the coronation chair with Alessia Passafiume at the Toronto Star.
New Book: Hanoverian to Windsor Consorts: Power, Influence and Dynasty
Hanoverian to Windsor Consorts: Power, Influence and Dynasty, edited by Aidan Norrie, J.L. Laynesmith, Danna R. Messer, Elena Woodacre and myself is now available in hardcover and e-book from Palgrave Macmillan. The book includes new research and perspectives on all the consorts to the Hanoverian, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Windsor monarchs in Britain and the Commonwealth, examining three hundred years of royal history. I wrote the introduction to the volume and introductions to the sections on Hanoverian and Windsor Consorts as well as the final chapter about Camilla, Catherine and the future of the role of the royal consort.
Hanoverian to Windsor Consorts: Power, Influence and Dynasty at Palgrave Macmillan
Hanoverian to Windsor Consorts: Power, Influence and Dynasty on Amazon
New Canadian Encyclopedia Article: Autumn Phillips
My new article in the Historica Canada Canadian Encyclopedia is about Autumn Phillips, the Canadian former wife of Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest grandchild, Peter Phillips.
Click here to read my article in the Canadian Encyclopedia about Autumn Phillips
Rabble Radio Podcast Interview: Keep Calm and Carry On: Reviewing the Royals in Canada
I discussed the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II and popular perceptions of the royal family in Canada with Rabble Radio.
Click here to listen to Keep Calm and Carry On: Reviewing the Royals in Canada
Fall 2022 Course at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies: Women in Power
My course about the history of Women in Power from the Classical World to the 21st Century will be offered in class at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies on Tuesday afternoons in Fall 2022 from October 11 to November 29.
Click here for more information and to register
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Powerful women have presented themselves as warrior queens, rulers by divine right, wives and mothers and, most recently, as elected officials. We’ll examine the most significant female political figures in history, including Boadicea, Queen Isabella, Queen Elizabeth I, Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton. Through lively lectures and discussions, you’ll learn the story of women in political life. Why are women still underrepresented in political life? Join Carolyn Harris for a fascinating look at the often-neglected place of women in power from Cleopatra to Angela Merkel.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
- Survey changing attitudes toward women and political power throughout history.
- Explore how female leaders have presented themselves to the public.
- Understand how powerful women are portrayed in popular culture and the media.
- Compare the experiences of female leaders around the world.
- See how the history of women in power influences female political leadership today.
The Agenda Interview on TVO: What Does a New King Mean for Ontario?
I discussed the first few days of the reign of King Charles III and the monarchy in Canada with Steve Paikin on TVO’s The Agenda
Click here to watch “What Does a New King Mean for Ontario” on The Agenda
New Book: Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty
Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty edited by Aidan Norrie, Carolyn Harris, J.L. Laynesmith, Danna R. Messer and Elena Woodacre is now available from Palgrave Macmillan.
This book examines the lives and tenures of all the consorts of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs of England between 1485 and 1714, as well as the wives of the two Lords Protector during the Commonwealth. The figures in Tudor and Stuart Consorts are both incredibly familiar—especially the six wives of Henry VIII—and exceedingly unfamiliar, such as George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne. These innovative and authoritative biographies recognise the important role consorts played in a period before constitutional monarchy: in addition to correcting popular assumptions that are based on limited historical evidence, the chapters provide a fuller picture of the role of consort that goes beyond discussions of exceptionalism and subversion. This volume and its companions reveal the changing nature of English consortship from the Norman Conquest to today.
Click here to purchase Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty