ALL THE QUEEN’S JEWELS 1445-1558: POWER, MAJESTY AND DISPLAY
A FOUR-WEEK ONLINE COURSE
THIS COURSE HAS NOW ENDED
Throughout history jewels have been used by the monarchy as vital tools that enabled kings and queens to shape their identities, and to fashion images of power that could be seen by their households, court, and contemporaries. From Margaret of Anjou to Katherine Parr, All the Queen’s Jewels 1445-1548 examines the jewellery collections of the ten queen consorts of England in this period, and investigates the jewels a queen had access to, as well as the varying contexts in which queens used and wore jewels. Jewels were more than decorative adornments; they were an explicit and tangible display of power, majesty, and authority. This course is perfect for those with an interest in medieval and Tudor history, queenship, jewellery, and the history of material culture. By the end, you will see these fascinating women in a whole new light!
Delivery: The course will be delivered by a series of four pre-recorded video lectures, and separate group Q&As with the course tutor via a video conferencing platform. Participants will also receive a reading list, course literature and activities. Links and details will be sent to participants a few days before the course begins. Lectures will be released at 7pm (GMT) each Thursday and will be available to view for a month and half. The live Q&A will take place at approx. 8pm (GMT) each Thursday of the course, beginning 26th January. It will be recorded and made available to view afterwards.
Accessibility: All lectures will have closed captions. The live Q&As will be recorded and fully captioned within 48 hours of their first being streamed. If you have any additional access requirements, please get in touch via enquiries@histfest.org
*Please note: lectures are pre-recorded, and Q&A’s are live.
Lectures
1. What’s so great about jewels? In this first lecture you’ll receive an introduction to jewellery in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, including the genres that were available and the materials from which they were fashioned. You’ll also learn more about why jewels were so important to fifteenth and sixteenth century English queens, and some of the ways in which they used them.
2. Life, Death, and Legacy: Much of the information we have about the jewels of the queens in this period comes from a mixture of documentary sources and portraits: inventories tell us what they owned in life, wills show us what they gave away in death, and portraits reveal how they wore their jewels and, in some cases, how they chose to be remembered by posterity. When we put these things together we begin to view some of these women differently from how they have sometimes been portrayed – through the medium of jewellery, they were able to craft their identities in whichever way they chose.
3. Getting and Giving Jewels: Queens could acquire jewellery in many ways, but this lecture specifically looks at those commissioned from goldsmiths and the relationships queens shared with these highly skilled craftsmen. It also explores those that were given and received as gifts, thereby shedding fascinating light on the relationships a queen had with her family, friends, and courtiers.
4. Crown Jewels: The Crown Jewels were and continue to be a unique set of jewels that have a pivotal place in our history. Equally, they played a special role in the lives of the fifteenth and sixteenth century queens. This week we will explore the pieces of regalia used by the queens, and discover how they provided them with a way of showcasing their majesty and authority.
Your tutor: Dr Nicola Tallis is an independent historian and the author of four critically acclaimed books: Crown of Blood, Elizabeth’s Rival, Uncrowned Queen, and All the Queen’s Jewels, 1445-1548: Power, Majesty and Display.
If you have any queries about the course, please do not contact the tutors direct. Instead, contact enquiries@histfest.org where we will be happy to advise.