CFP: Keeping Up Appearances: Bodily Politics at the Jacobean Court (RSA Annual Meeting)

2025 will be a critical year for early Stuart court studies. March (the time of the conference) marks 400 years from the death of King James VI & I and the ascension of Charles I.

This panel seeks to contribute to this well-established yet ever-evolving field by turning attention to the potent political site of the body at court during the Jacobean period. This is a rich area of study but one where specialist scholars have not often been brought together. The intention behind this panel is to help inform a broader understanding of the political charge of appearance in courtly life and the various nuanced and complex ways this manifested. This comes with the hope that the dialogue created will directly enrich and inform each attendee’s research.

My specialism is King James’ curation of his self-image through visual and material means. My paper will consider how the choices made regarding James’ sartorial display during his 1603 English coronation established the principles of this new monarchy.

Proposals are welcome for papers on any aspect of the politics of bodily representation at the English and Scottish Stuart courts during James’ reign. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of or reactions to clothing, cosmetics, jewellery and other adornments, as well as physical engagement with performance, rituals or other public and private interactions. Your paper might regard anyone attending or actively representing the court, be it the royal family, courtiers, servants, artists, actors or ambassadors.