The focus at the workshop will be on points of conflict arising from the queen consort’s presence in her new court. These may be religious (consorts were often of a different faith to that of their husband and new country); personal (rivalries with mistresses or favourites); diplomatic; or political. Elucidating what these frictions tell us a) about the specific context in which they occur; and b) about the problems, limitations and challenges of cultural transfer more broadly, will be a central part of this workshop. This workshop will also consider (in a broader sense) whether ‘success’ and ‘failure’ are adequate and helpful terms in assessing the impact of Queens consort.
