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There were many surprising accessions in the early modern period, including Mary I of England, Henry III of France, Anne Stuart, and others, but this is the first book dedicated solely to evaluating their lives and the repercussions of their reigns. By comparing a variety of such unexpected heirs, this engaging history offers a richer portrait of early modern monarchy. It shows that the need for heirs and the acquisition and preparation of heirs had a critical impact on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century culture and politics, from the appropriation of culture to the influence of language, to trade and political alliances. It also shows that securing a dynasty relied on more than just political agreements and giving birth to legitimate sons, examining how relationships between women could and did forge alliances and dynastic continuities.
List of contents
1. Introduction.- I. Securing a Dynasty.- 2. A Bastard and a Changeling?: England's Edward of Westminster and Delayed Childbirth.- 3. Margaret Tudor, Countess of Richmond and Elizabeth York: Dynastic Competitors or Allies?.- 4. Perceptions of Princesses: Pre-accession Book Dedications to Mary and Elizabeth Tudor.- 5. Fit for a King?: The Gendered Emotional Performances of Catherine de Medici as Dauphine of France, 1536-1547.- 6. Never the Queen: Anne Stuart's Formative Years.- II. Second Sons.- 7. Another Spare to the French Crown: Henry III of France's Self-Representation, Reputation and Royal Authority.- 8. Losing an Unexpected Throne: Deposing Second Sons of the Stuart Dynasty.- 9. Expected, then Passed Over: Second Sons in the French Monarchy of the Seventeenth Century.- III. Unexpected Survival.- 10. A Queen in Constant Motion: Queen Christina of Sweden and the Unexpected Mobility of Sovereignty.- 11. The Unexpected Virgin: The Perpetual Succession Crisis of Elizabeth I.
About the author
Valerie Schutte earned her PhD in History from the University of Akron. She is author of
Mary I and the Art of Book Dedications: Royal Women, Power, and Persuasion (2015) and co-editor of
The Birth of a Queen: Essays on the Quincentenary of Mary I (2016). She has published several articles on the Tudors and book dedications.
Summary
Contributes to the study of dynasty in early modern Europe by highlighting the key role of the heir in the political and cultural history of Europe
Demonstrates the significance of heirs as agents of change in early modern Europe through patronage, education, marriage, and religion
Presents a unique focus on the training of possible heirs, especially on humanist educations and the preparation of daughters to be mothers and wives
Additional text
“Unexpected Heirs in Early Modern Europe, in bringing together a range of unexpected heirs from this period, collectively makes us more aware of just how frequently succession deviated from the ideal. … the collection brings together an array of interesting and well-researched chapters that collectively enhance our understanding of monarchical succession.” (Aidan Norrie, Royal Studies Journal, Vol. 6 (1), 2019)
Report
"Unexpected Heirs in Early Modern Europe, in bringing together a range of unexpected heirs from this period, collectively makes us more aware of just how frequently succession deviated from the ideal. ... the collection brings together an array of interesting and well-researched chapters that collectively enhance our understanding of monarchical succession." (Aidan Norrie, Royal Studies Journal, Vol. 6 (1), 2019)
