The Royal Studies Network is sponsoring two panels at the 2016 meeting of the International Congress of Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo, MI. The first session is “A Queen is Born: Celebrating the 500th Birthday of QUeen Mary I of England.” Accepting that there is still much to be discovered about the actual Queen Mary I, this panel seeks scholarship focused on celebrating the quincentenary of Mary in 2016. The second panel is “A Successor is Born: Contested Births and Unexpected Heirs.” This panel seeks papers that re-evaluate unexpected heirs and how they achieved their kingship and queenship. We would like to engage in the actual and cultural afterlives of these monarchs, such as how they were perceived by their contemporaries, how their reputations changed over time, and whether or not their reputations need further revisions. We are particularly interested in papers that explore issues facing these monarchs before and after accessions, how they were educated and trained (or not trained) for leadership, familial relationships. obstacles, and image.
If you are interested, please see http://wmich.edu/medieval/files/medieval-call-for-papers-2016.pdf, page 22.
Cheers,
Valerie Schutte