November 10th 2012
Royal Loss: Untimely deaths, public and private mourning, and the monarchs who never
were
November 6th 2012 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Henry, Prince of Wales, son and
heir of James I & VI. Describing the death of the 18 year old prince, Roy Strong remarked that
‘the sense of tragic loss at the time was such that he was to remain for long an ideal monarch
England never had’. The anniversary of his death will be marked by an exhibition this winter at
the National Portrait Gallery in London, ‘The Lost Prince: The Life and Death of Henry Stuart’.
Significantly there is a current display at the NPG which focuses on the life and death of another
heir to the throne of England who predeceased their father, Princess Charlotte of Wales. ‘Queens
in Waiting: Charlotte and Victoria’, details the life of George IV’s daughter, and the public
shock and outpouring of grief at her death in childbirth at the age of 21. It also conveys the
dynastic crisis that ensued, as well as the impact of the dead Princess’s legacy upon her eventual
successor, Victoria. As the deaths of Prince Henry and Princess Charlotte, as well as that of
Princess Diana in modern times, demonstrate, untimely royal deaths have held both political and
cultural significance in this country. In fact Royal deaths throughout history in England and
elsewhere have resonated on both public and private levels both for contemporaries and
succeeding generations. This one-day interdisciplinary conference will explore the rich and
diverse topic of Royal death, loss and commemoration, and is open to applications discussing
monarchies of any period and cultural and geographical background. Suggested topics may
include but are by no means limited to;
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Royal Funerals
Royal mourning and mourners – public and private royal grief
Royal memorials (structural, musical artistic or literary) and Funeral monuments
Epitaphs and Biographies in response to a royal death
The death of royal infants and children
The death of an heir to the throne
Sudden, unexpected royal death – responses to, and fear of death from acute royal illness
Progress and responses to long drawn out royal illness and death
Responses to royal assassination
Responses to royal execution
Feelings of lost hope or potential and ‘what if’ myths of Royal lives that were cut short
Royal widows and widowers
Commemoration ceremonies - sermons, music, rituals etc.
Apportioning blame for a royal death
Dynastic and succession crises, precipitated by royal death
Perceptions of Royal afterlife – for example apotheosis painting or literature, myths and
ghosts, personal and public preparation of a royal individual for an afterlife
Portrayals of royal deaths in popular culture and later popular history
Forgotten Royal deaths
Proposals of 300-500 words should be sent to Sarah Betts at royallossyork2012@gmail.com by
31st July 2012