Royal Gatherings

Royal events such as coronations and jubilees encompass a wide spectrum of planned events involving monarchs and their families that are strategically designed to reinforce the role of royalty within social and political structures. Royal events may have a long heritage, but often involve traditions that are invented, revived or undergoing major innovations in response to changing times or to meet different purposes. The change from absolutism towards constitutional monarchies has seen a shift towards using royal events to promote national identity, community and inclusiveness. While the function and meaning of royal ritual and ceremony is a product of its particular political, economic and cultural context, conversely, royal events are often an influence on the broader milieu. This book is the first to explore royal events within the context of Events Studies, and takes an historical approach, examining the development of royal events through different periods. It starts with four broad pre-modern eras, namely Classical, Byzantine, the Dark Ages and the Medieval Period, then moves through to the early modern dynasties such as the Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians and Bourbons and on to contemporary times, incorporating the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the current reign of Elizabeth II, including the legacy of Diana and an analysis of current issues affecting royal events. Themes emphasised throughout include the institutional dynamism of royalty, the invention of tradition, the ritual structure of events, the impact of the media and the influence of individual tastemakers. This multidisciplinary work will appeal to postgraduate students and academics from a wide variety of disciplines, including cultural studies, history, tourism, events and sociology.

Challenging scholarly emphasis on French Revolutionary violence, this book instead examines the prevalence of peaceful, democratic methods in Parisian protest.

The King's Body investigates the role of royal bodies, funerals, and graves in English succession debates from the death of Alfred the Great in 899 through the Norman Conquest in 1066. Using contemporary texts and archaeological evidence, Nicole Marafioti reconstructs the political activity that accompanied kings' burials, to demonstrate that royal bodies were potent political objects which could be used to provide legitimacy to the next generation. In most cases, new rulers celebrated their predecessor's memory and honored his corpse to emphasize continuity and strengthen their claims to the throne. Those who rose by conquest or regicide, in contrast, often desecrated the bodies of deposed royalty or relegated them to anonymous graves in attempts to brand their predecessors as tyrants unworthy of ruling a Christian nation. By delegitimizing the previous ruler, they justified their own accession. At a time when hereditary succession was not guaranteed and few accessions went unchallenged, the king's body was a commodity that royal candidates fought to control.

“An admirably balanced assessment of an enormously complicated man who, wrongly but not ignobly, stood athwart history.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred “Elegantly written, delicately nuanced, this compelling account brings Joe Kennedy and his family to life.” — Bob Self, author of Neville Chamberlain: A Biography “A thoroughly revisionist but remarkably persuasive history of Joseph P. Kennedy’s years in London” — David Nasaw , author of Pulitzer Prize–nominee Andrew Carnegie “By wisely presenting pre-war London as a crucible in the [Kennedy] family history, [Swift] exposes the origin of many of the political, social, personal triumphs and tragedies that have cast the family—the father in particular—as a modern-day Lear.” — Lynne McTaggart , author of Kathleen Kennedy: Her Life and Times, The Field and The Intention Experiment “Swift’s chronicle gives an impressive insight into the mechanics of government on both sides of the Atlantic.” — Anne De Courcy, author of 1939: The Last Season of Peace Anne De Courcy, author of 1939: The Last Season of Peace Anne De Courcy, author of 1939: The Last Season of Peace Anne De Courcy, author of 1939: The Last Season of Peace “Dr. Swift’s psychological insight into the Kennedy family members and their dynamics makes a major contribution to the Kennedy literature.” — Jane Vieth, professor of history, Michigan State University