Enfilade

From The Royal Studies Network:

Kings and Queens 6: In the Shadow of the Throne
Madrid, 12–15 September 2017

Proposals due by 30 March 2017

The Kings & Queens conference series will travel to Madrid in 2017 for its sixth edition. On this occasion, we aim to connect scholars across the world whose research  focuses on topics related to royal history, diplomacy, art  history, political history, biographical studies, or any other  issues included in the scope of royal studies. In  particular, this edition of the Kings and Queens congress will focus on the secondary members of royal families, such  as siblings, spouses, cousins, as well as the people closest to the king, like lovers, favourites, members of the royal entourage, etc. We especially invite studies related to figures with family ties to a monarch who were not kings or queens in their own right but had a significant influence in spheres such as international politics, the court, the arts, the society, or dynastic strategies during their time—with the objective of obtaining a better understanding of figures who are usually in the shadow of the throne. All kind of topics related to these issues will be welcomed, from diverse chronological periods and parts of the world. In the potential topics for papers or panels we may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Biographical, dynastical, and political studies of different members of the royal families who were not  kings or queens on their own right
• Power, role, and importance of different people close to the monarch, like favorites, lovers, relatives with military, diplomatic or dynastic posts, ambassadors or diverse members of their entourage
• The relationship between power and art; patronage, collecting, and diplomatic exchanges
• Monarchy, high nobility, and the representation of status, power, and influence through art, culture, and image
• The importance of the dynasty and the ‘dynastic mirror’
• Informal power, royal favour, and disfavour

Proposals should include a title, institutional affiliation, an abstract of around 500 words, and a one-page CV. In the case of panels, the proposal should include a maximum of three different papers accompanied by the same information required for individual proposals along with the name, affiliation, and one-page CV of the sponsor (if they are not presenting a paper in the same panel). All the proposals should be submitted by March 30, 2017, to Kq6Madrid@gmail.com. Please remember that English will be the official language of the congress.

Also, we are pleased to announce that we offer 20 bursaries for young researchers to help them with the costs. Those interested in said bursaries should write to the aforementioned email to obtain more details about them and what they cover. Those who want to apply must send us the title of the proposal, an abstract of around 500 words, institutional affiliation, a one-page CV, and one-page report focusing on why this congress is relevant for them and how their research could improve the field of royal studies.