The Spanish Habsburg Court during the Reign of Carlos II (1665-1700)

Special Journal Issue—The Court Historian : The International Journal of Court Studies

Despite a growing body of revisionist literature on the reign of Carlos II (1665-1700), his court remains one of the lesser known of the Habsburg period. Carlos II’s court, however, holds major allure for scholars. The court’s organization and its ceremonies were adapted to the needs of a child-king thus becoming a testing ground for existing etiquette traditions and institutional development. The presence of three queens—Carlos’s mother and regent during his minority, Mariana of Austria (1634-1696), and his two consorts, Marie Louise of Orleans (r. 1679-1689) and Mariana of Neuburg (r. 1690-1700)—stimulated the production of art, festivals, royal entries, theater, literature, and music. Several important administrative measures associated with the reign and its political circumstances are of particular interest for court studies specialists. For example, women—queens, aristocrats, ambassadresses, and nuns—played a preeminent role in court politics. Most importantly, the court of Carlos II became a hub of international diplomacy during his minority and the rest of the reign, particularly in the waning decades of the seventeenth century when the question of the Spanish succession dominated European affairs.

This special journal issue will showcase research on the court of Carlos II from cultural, gender, political, and diplomatic perspectives in order to further advance revisionist scholarship of the reign and deepen understandings of the Spanish Habsburg court from longue durée perspectives.

Topics for articles may include :

1. Royal entries, festivities, travels, and processions during Carlos II’s reign

2. Literary and performing arts

3. Scientific and mathematical knowledge

4. The function of satellite courts and other centers of influence

5. Practice and representations of kingship in ceremonies, festivals, or royal portraiture

6. The politics of court fashion

7. The roles of women at court

8. Diplomatic practices at court

For essays (8,000 words maximum) to be considered for publication please submit by December 15, 2017. Contributors are encouraged to contact the editors prior to submitting full articles.

For this and additional queries, contact Jonathan Spangler, general editor, J.Spangler[@]mmu.ac.uk, and Silvia Z. Mitchell, guest editor, mitch131[@]purdue.edu