Later Plantagenet and the Wars of the Roses Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty, edited by Aidan Norrie, Carolyn Harris, J.L. Laynesmith, Danna R. Messer and Elena Woodacre has been reviewed by Michelle L. Beer in the latest issue of the Royal Studies Journal.
“As an introduction to queenship during this period and recent scholarship, the biographical chapters will be useful to scholars looking to begin or brush up their learning about medieval queens. For those looking to pursue the topic further, the themes, connections, and arguments in the articles noted above might serve to provoke new lines of inquiry and inspire the next generation of queenship studies.” – Michelle Beer, The Royal Studies Journal
“As well as the introductory and concluding chapters, Carolyn Harris provides vital contextual chapters for each section that highlights the similarities and differences between each consort and emphasises the value of bringing these individuals together in one volume…Carolyn Harrisâs final chapter then looks to the present and future by drawing on the legacies of previous consorts to contextualise the roles of Camilla Shand and Catherine Middleton. The inclusion of the latter, in anticipation of her future role as queen consort, is welcome and will hopefully serve as a basis for future academic study. This collection builds a clear picture of the changes that have occurred within the monarchy since the eighteenth-century. It is a highly valuable collection, one which has broken ground for future research in eminently interesting and often understudied consorts.”
On May 24 (Queen Victoria’s birthday), I discussed the recent royal portraits of King Charles III and the Princess of Wales with 15 CBC radio stations from coast to coast to coast!
The restoration of the English monarchy in 1660 resulted in the return of the exiled King Charles II and the re-establishment of an extended royal family. Charles II had numerous family members whose place in the new political order was uncertain including his mother, Henrietta Maria, the queen dowager. Although Charles II enjoyed broad popular support at the time of his Restoration, some of the factions that emerged during the English Civil Wars and Interregnum were motivated to use Henrietta Mariaâs reputation as a weapon to undermine her sonâs political legitimacy. During the 1660s, Charles faced two modes of political attack based on his motherâs reputation, which coincided with Henrietta Mariaâs two periods of residency in England. From 1660 to 1661, various English men and women outside court circles who opposed monarchical government challenged the very premise of âRestorationâ by accusing Henrietta Maria of being unchaste. From 1662 to 1665, when Henrietta Maria presided over a splendid and well attended court at Somerset House, rumours spread in elite and diplomatic circles that she had recently married her private secretary, Henry Jermyn, first earl of St Albans. These rumours were an attempt to undermine both the perceived influence of both Henrietta Maria and the earl of St Albans over Charles, and to diminish the attraction of the queen dowagerâs splendid court, which appeared to promote French and Roman Catholic interests. Although Charles II would make numerous conciliatory gestures towards his political opponents, his support for the status and privileges of all members of the royal family would remain steadfast throughout his reign. Charlesâs later determination to preserve Jamesâs place in the line of succession during the Exclusion Crisis demonstrated the same concern for hereditary legitimacy as his previous efforts to grant Henrietta Maria full honours as queen dowager.
âOne of Palgrave Macmillanâs latest publications in the series âQueenship and Powerâ is a four-volume collection called English Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023), edited by Aidan Norrie, Carolyn Harris, J. L. Laynesmith, Danna R. Messer, and Elena Woodacre, all of whom possess impeccable credentials in queenship and royal studies. The collection features individual biographies of all English and British consorts since England fell to the Normans in 1066. This book, Later Plantagenet and the Wars of the Roses Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty, is the second volume of the collectionâŚthe generally excellent quality of its biographical chapters ⌠[mean] this volume and the English Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty series are a most welcome addition to royal studies.â â Michele Seah, Parergon, Volume 40, Number 2
“In all, Tudor and Stuart Consorts is a handsomely produced study of the careers of fifteen consorts between 1485 and 1714 and deserves attention from scholars seeking fresh perspectives of these individuals based on solid research.” – Conor Byrne, Royal Studies Journal.
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.
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. Â
