‘The joyning of the bright Lillie, and the Rose’: Celebrations for the Wedding of Charles I and Henrietta-Maria, 1625

The marriage of Charles I to a French princess in 1625 was a relatively low-key affair by early modern standards. The sudden death of James I and an outbreak of the plague prevented large-scale public celebrations in London, and the union between a Protestant king and a Catholic princess was also controversial. None the less, a variety of events were organized in Paris and London, and in the small towns along the route between. There were triumphal entries; masques and court ballets were planned (if not actually performed) and there were banquets, balls and fireworks.

This conference – the third in a series leading up to the 400th anniversary of the House’s inception in 1616 – will analyse the 1625 celebrations from an interdisciplinary perspective and put them in their intellectual, cultural and political contexts. It aims to uncover the differences and misunderstandings beneath the outward celebration of union and concord, and show how an alliance which promised well for future relations between Britain and France, could soon turn into tensions and acts of hostility.

This conference will be of interest to scholars working in the field of early modern festivals, as well as historians, art and theatre historians, literature and material culture specialists, and musicologists.

For more information and a booking form please contact: Research Department Executive, Royal Museums Greenwich, London SE10 9NF. E-mail: research @rmg.co.uk

Conference fee: £75 (Concessionary rate £60). Booking form: www.rmg.co.uk/researchers/conferences