Unexpected Heirs in Early Modern Europe
Subtitle: Potential Kings and Queens
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: Oct 24, 2017
Language: eng
Format: hardcover
Number of pages: 280
ISBN-13: 9783319552934
Description: 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.
Notes: Source title: Unexpected Heirs in Early Modern Europe: Potential Kings and Queens (Queenship and Power)