Overview

A week’s immersion in the Kings and Queens of Britain.

Description

“The whole world is in revolt. Soon there will be only five Kings left--the King of England, the King of Spades, The King of Clubs, the King of Hearts, and the King of Diamonds.”

So said King Farouk of Egypt in 1948. The king was mistaken, as the United Kingdom is one of several countries (unlike Egypt) which still has a monarch as head of state, but the quotation still attests to the special position the British monarchy has in the world imagination. This course will provide the historical background to the modern institution, explaining what the British monarchy has evolved from, and how it has been reimagined over the centuries by kings and queens, politicians, writers and artists.

Course tutor is Dr Matthew Kilburn, an experienced Oxford tutor and currently consultative research editor on the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and research associate for the House of Lords section "History of Parliament".

Course Structure

Day One

What does the monarchy mean today? A discussion based on students’ own impressions of what the British monarchy now does and how it is perceived.

followed by:

Origins. Where kingship came from in Britain. A rapid survey of the origins of kingship in the British Isles, featuring semi-mythical figures like Cerdic of Wessex and Fergus Mor Mac Erc of Dal Riata, mysterious peoples like the Picts, as well as the towering legend of King Arthur.

Day Two

Royal contributions to the built environment – not only current royal residences such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, but also medieval strongholds such as Caernarfon and Edinburgh castles, and the palace and abbey of Westminster. The day will contrast the requirements of medieval warrior kings with the domestic requirements of George III or Queen Victoria, and look at some of the ideas for palaces that didn’t happen, and why.

Day Three

The monarchy in literature and the media. For many people the fifteenth-century kings of England is the narrative of Shakespeare’s history plays. This day will look at how Shakespeare’s history plays reshaped the personalities and events as they happened, and then go on to look at other works of fiction and how they have depicted royal history, from the depiction of the Jacobites in the writing of Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, to the royals of the Blackadder comedy series, and most recently the film The Queen, via larger-than-life figures such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Day Four

Crises and the arts. The seventeenth century saw the Union of the English and Scottish crowns overshadowed by constitutional convulsions, war between England and Scotland, and civil war in both kingdoms. Despite this the era saw massive strides in the presentation of the royal image, with Charles I supporting painters such as Van Dyck and amassing an extensive art collection, and the image of the Restoration court being shaped by artists like Peter Lely.

In the eighteenth century, while Frederick, prince of Wales, was a substantial art collector – as well as beginning what would become the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew – the royal visual image was perhaps most shaped by satirists. This part of the day will look at how James Gillray and other eighteenth-century caricaturists depicted the royal family and examine some more recent examples of visual satire.

Day Five

A Family on the Throne. Originating in the nineteenth century with Bagehot, the last hundred years have arguably seen the importance of family emphasised by the monarchy as never before. Between the reigns of Queen Victoria and George V, One set of transnational identities – that of a pan-European family of dynasties based around predominantly German princely houses – was exchanged for another, based on the British Empire and Commonwealth. Against this background, the careers of the twentieth-century monarchs and their consorts will be examined, the future for the monarchy considered, and participants invited to express their conclusions.

Notes

This is one of our adult courses, which constitute part of the Academy's continuing education division. We offer summer courses in literature, science, philosophy, psychology, music, art. film, and architecture. New courses are frequently added to the website, so if this course does not match your requirements, keep checking the website. In addition, we can make tailor-made courses to suit your requirements - just email us at admin@oxford-royale.co.uk, and let us know what you are looking for.

Accommodation

Students stay in Wadham College, one of the most traditional Oxford University colleges. Located right in the centre of city, Wadham is near all the famous colleges and museums, which makes it ideal for an inspiring study break! The Wadham College website contains practical information about your stay.

Excursions – Oxford Based

Included in the course fees, is a full schedule of sightseeing activities and social events in the city of Oxford. For a sample timetable go to www.oxford-royale.co.uk/tours2007.html and view the Corpus Christi timetable.

Excursions - Outside Oxford

Students wishing to travel outside Oxford, can visit places of historic interest, such as London, Hay-on-Wye, Bath and Blenheim Palace. These tours are an additional cost to the standard programme.

Application

You can either book online or you can download a paper application form and send it back to us.

If you require any support, please either email us or give us a call on +44 (0) 845 130 60 21.

Deposit

There is a booking deposit of £395.00 to accompany your application. Confirmation of your place will be sent to you once your application form has been processed.