16th December 2011
Institute of Historical Research

2011 is the 150th anniversary of the death of Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s consort), and also the 90th birthday of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

In collaboration with the Society for Court Studies, the Institute is bringing together a range of international historians to look at the peculiar yet influential institution of the male royal consort from Ferdinand of Castile through to the famous examples of the 18th century such as Prince George of Denmark, and onto contemporary personalities in western Europe. Our interest lies in studying how male partners of female monarchs have had and used power, how gender affected their perceived role, what sort of court and political influence they were able to wield and attract, how they often defined themselves in distinctive spheres of the arts or war, and more generally, the extent to which they contributed to the changing ideal and reality of royal families and dynasties over the centuries. Please send 250 word proposals on topics for papers related to these themes to IHR.Events@sas.ac.uk by 1st July 2011. Submissions from postgraduates and early career researchers are particularly welcome.

Confirmed speakers so far:

Dr Glyn Redworth (University of Manchester) Philip II of Spain
Professor Derek Beales (University of Cambridge) Francis of Lorraine (consort of Maria-Theresa)
Professor Luc Duerloo (University of Antwerp, Belgium) Archduke Albert of Austria
Professor Charles Beem (University of North Carolina, Pembroke) Prince George of Denmark
Dr Paul Keenan (London School of Economics) Duke of Courland (consort of Tsarina Anna)
Professor Daniel Alves (Universidade Nova de Lisboa) Fernando II of Portugal
Dr Karina Urbach (IHR) and Professor Franz Bosbach (Duisburg-Essen) Prince Albert
Professor Maria Grever (Erasmus University, Netherlands) The Dutch Princes Consort of the 20th century