Monarchical culture is now being explored from many new angles. Particular emphasis has been laid on the interaction between monarchy and the public. The transformation of monarchical rule into representative duty, the popularisation of reigning families as part of the public image of monarchy and the attempts to re-invent monarchical culture at the end of the nineteenth century have provided us with a much more complex picture than the traditional paradigm of monarchical decline. Although monarchical control over political-decision-making decreased, the public role of monarchy, its social, cultural and, not least, economic significance did not disappear.

Despite a renewed interest in monarchical culture, little has been written about monarchy and exile. The most notable exceptions are works on the courts of the exiled Stuarts and the German Kaiser. Although they provide us with important insights, they cover only part of a more analytical approach towards the topic. The conference aims to establish a coherent framework for studying monarchy in/ and exile from c.1500 to the present.

Papers should address the topic on three levels. First, the exiled court in its organisational context should be presented. Who paid the bills? Who owned the properties which the court inhabited and did they have any representational value? How did local communities in the country of exile respond to the exiled monarch? Second, the exiled court should be analysed in its dynastic position. What efforts were undertaken to maintain royal rank and dynastic networks? Were members of the exiled court received at other courts? Did they attend major European dynastic events such as coronations, weddings, and funerals? Third, a special focus should be laid on the interaction between exiled monarchy and their host and home countries, attempts to establish legitimate claims for restoration or interaction with (loyal and oppositional) public.

The convenors have drafted the following list of question as a rough guide-line for contributors:

1 Is the existing historiography aware of the topic? If not, why has it been sidelined?

2 To what extent do monarchies in exile shed new light on the practice and ideology of monarchy in general?

3 Where and how was the Court established in exile? Who paid the bills? Who owned the properties which the court inhabited and did they have any representational value? How did local communities in the country of exile respond to the exiled monarch?

4 Did the court in exile become a factor either in internal politics or in European diplomacy? Did it start a broader debate on the nature of monarchical legitimacy?

5 How were attempts made to maintain or create military and/or popular opposition at home? How were supporters recruited? Did the court in exile contribute to civil war or popular unrest?

6 What efforts were undertaken to maintain royal rank and dynastic networks? Were members of the exiled court received at other courts? Did they attend major European dynastic events such as coronations, weddings, funerals?

7 Did the consort accompany the exile? Did gender play a role, i.e. were there differences in the treatment of exiled kings and exiled queens?

8 What ceremonies and other court traditions survived in exile, and why? Were there any attempts to create new forms of monarchical representation?

9 What role did iconography play in maintaining awareness of the exiled court? What visual material survives and why?

The two persons in charge of the conference are Torsten Riotte (T.Riotte@em.uni-frankfurt.de) for the GHIL and Philip Mansel (philipmansel@compuserve.com) for the Society of Court Studies (SCS).

Proposals of approx. 1,000 words should be emailed to T.Riotte@em.uni-frankfurt.de not later than 15 July 2007.

Alternatively, proposals can be posted to:

Torsten Riotte, Historisches Seminar, Universität Frankfurt,
Grüneburgplatz 1, 60629 Frankfurt/M, Germany or
Torsten Riotte, German Historical Institute London, 17 Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2NJ