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 familiarā€”especially the six wives of Henry VIIIā€”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

2022-2023 Teaching Schedule

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

Ā 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