Category Archives: Royal Art Patronage

New Book: Hanoverian to Windsor Consorts: Power, Influence and Dynasty

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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: Princess Margaret

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In my latest article for the Canadian Encyclopedia, I discuss the life and legacy of Princess Margaret including her tours of Canada and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto.

Click here to read my article about Princess Margaret in the Canadian Encyclopedia

New Book: Tudor and Stuart Consorts: Power, Influence, and Dynasty

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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

Women and Home Magazine Interview: How the Duchess of Cambridge’s interests are preparing her for life as Queen

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I discussed the Duchess of Cambridge’s hobbies and interests including music, art, tennis and photography with Laura Harman at Women and Home magazine.

Click here to read “How the Duchess of Cambridge’s interests are preparing her for life as Queen” in Women and Home magazine.

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

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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.  

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)

New Issue of The Royal Studies Journal: Volume 8, Issue 1: Performing Royal Power in Premodern Europe

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In 2021, I became the proofreading editor of The Royal Studies Journal, an online and open access academic journal, published with the support of the University of Winchester. The most recent issue of the journal was published this month and is available to read online.

Click here to read Volume 8, Issue 1: Performing Royal Power in Premodern Europe

Spring 2020 Course at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies: Peter the Great and the Building of Saint Petersburg

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I will be teaching an eight week Tuesday evening course in March-April 2020 about Peter the Great and the Building of Saint Petersburg at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. Click here for more information and to register.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

When Peter became czar in 1682, Europe was foreign to Russia, an insular and tradition-bound nation.  The West fascinated Peter, and he was determined to transform Russia into a great European power. Discover the traditional Russia of Peter’s childhood, his Grand Tour of Europe and his subsequent dream of building St. Petersburg, a new city to match his vision of the country. With images of the city and accounts of his cruel drive to create it, we’ll see how the city emerged as a symbol of his power and of Russia’s hopes. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Explore the rise of Russia as a world power in the 18th century.
  • Understand the impact of Peter the Great on Russia’s past and present.
  • Follow the founding of St. Petersburg as the capital of Imperial Russia.
  • Examine the role of St. Petersburg in Russia’s relationship with the West.
  • Appreciate its influence on Russian culture and society.

Click here for more information and to register

New BBC History Magazine Article: Was Queen Mary, wife of George V, a kleptomaniac?

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My latest article in the BBC History Magazine examines the reputation of Queen Mary, the wife of King George V, and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. In the new Downton Abbey film, one storyline references a long-standing question: was Mary partial to stealing from the grand houses that she visited? Writing for History Extra, I explore the life of George V’s queen, and her habits as a collector of precious objects.

Click here to read “Was Queen Mary, wife of George V, a kleptomaniac?” in the BBC History Magazine.