Becoming a queen in early modern Europe
My thesis approaches sixteenth-century European queenship through an analysis of the ceremonies and rituals accompanying the marriages of Polish and French queens consort: betrothal, wedding, coronation and childbirth. The thesis explores the importance of these events for queens as both a personal and public experience, and questions the existence of distinctly Western and Eastern styles of queenship. A comparative study of âEasternâ and âWesternâ ceremony in the sixteenth century has never been attempted before and sixteenth-century Polish queens usually do not appear in any collective works about queenship, even those which claim to have a pan-European focus. The thesis combats the stereotype of the cultural âothernessâ and political isolation of sixteenth-century Poland in relation to the âWestâ through a comparison with France, considered a quintessentially âWesternâ early modern state. Comparing the ceremonies of France, an absolute monarchy, and Poland, a ânoble democracyâ, exposes the complex impact of the system of government on royal ceremony. The comparison is especially viable since French and Polish queens consort were related to each other and married their husbands for
Kosior, Katarzyna
Becoming a queen in early modern Europe. My thesis approaches sixteenth-century European queenship through an analysis of the ceremonies and rituals accompanying the marriages of Polish and French queens consort: betrothal, wedding, coronation and childbirth. The thesis explores the importance of these events for queens as both a personal and public experience, and questions the existence of distinctly Western and Eastern styles of queenship. A comparative study of âEasternâ and âWesternâ ceremony in the sixteenth century has never been attempted before and sixteenth-century Polish queens usually do not appear in any collective works about queenship, even those which claim to have a pan-European focus. The thesis combats the stereotype of the cultural âothernessâ and political isolation of sixteenth-century Poland in relation to the âWestâ through a comparison with France, considered a quintessentially âWesternâ early modern state. Comparing the ceremonies of France, an absolute monarchy, and Poland, a ânoble democracyâ, exposes the complex impact of the system of government on royal ceremony. The comparison is especially viable since French and Polish queens consort were related to each other and married their husbands for
becoming queen early_modern_europe approach sixteenth_century european queenship analysis ceremony ritual accompany marriage polish french consort wedding coronation childbirth explores importance event queen personal public experience question existence distinctly western_eastern style queenship comparative_study eastern western ceremony never attempt sixteenth_century polish queen usually appear collective work queenship even claim pan european focus combat stereotype cultural otherness political isolation sixteenth_century poland relation west comparison france consider western early_modern state comparing ceremony france absolute monarchy poland noble democracy expose complex impact system government royal ceremony comparison especially viable since french polish consort relate married husband