Construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction

: Stuart kings and queens in heritage sites

Abstract

This thesis examines the construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of early modern royal narratives in English and Scottish heritage sites. It focuses on three Stuart kings and their queen consorts: James VI and I, Anna of Denmark, Charles I, Henrietta Maria, Charles II, and Catherine of Braganza. The project’s use of a wide range of permanent and temporary heritage reconstructions allows it to draw out themes including gender, sexuality, conflict, confessional and foreign identity, and parenthood and fertility, and compare approaches to these themes between site types. To analyse these representations, this project takes an interdisciplinary approach, uniting methodologies and literature from history, heritage studies, gender studies, sociology, and memory studies. Split into two thematic sections, the first pays particular attention to the reconstruction of historic royal (in)fertility, pregnancy, and parenthood, demonstrating that these themes are treated as ‘unclean’ within heritage spaces. In addition, this section demonstrates the effects of Section 28 and other legal acts on the reconstruction of same-sex relationships within these environments. The second section explores conflict, identity, and power, examining Anglocentric approaches within heritage sites in England, the queen consorts’ liminal positions within heritage reconstructions, and the intended creation of local, regional, and national identities within heritage spaces. This examination highlights the link between the Stuarts and the current British royal family, which are present within many of these heritage environments, ultimately arguing that the continued existence of a monarchy in Britain results in a possibly unique reconstruction of a national past. Furthermore, the conclusion of the thesis offers actionable suggestions for heritage professionals, largely concerning how (in)fertility, parenthood, gender, religion, and conflict are approached in relation to the early modern Stuart monarchy.

Date of Award	17 Apr 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	Ellie Woodacre (Supervisor) & Simon Sandall (Supervisor)