A Monarchy of Letters: Royal Correspondence and English Diplomacy in the Reign of Elizabeth I

by Rayne Allinson

Overview

This book examines Elizabeth's correspondence with several significant rulers, analyzing how her letters were constructed, drafted and presented, the rhetorical strategies used, and the role these letters played in facilitating diplomatic relations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137008350
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	05/17/2012
Series:	Queenship and Power
Edition description:	2012
Pages:	251
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Rayne Allinson is an assistant professor of History at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She received a DPhil from Magdalen College, Oxford and her BA and MA from The University of Melbourne.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Preface xi

A Note on Style xv

Acknowledgments xvii

1 Tedius and Paynefull: Letter Writing in English Royal Diplomacy 1

2 My Skrating Hand: The Making of Elizabeth's Correspondence 17

3 Entering the Stage: Elizabeth's Use of Letters in Her Early Reign, 1558-1559 37

4 War of Words: King Philip II of Spain, 1558-1584 53

5 Silent Diplomacy: Queen Mary I of Scotland, 1559-1587 73

6 Marriage and Motherhood: Catherine de' Médici, Queen Mother of France, 1559-1588 93

7 Inward and Secret Letters: Tsar Ivan IV of Russia, 1561-1583 111

8 Letters Full of Marvels: Sultan Murad III of the Ottoman Empire, 1579-1595 131

9 Well Worth a Letter: King Henry IV of France, 1572-1603 151

10 Mine Own Hand: King James VI of Scotland, 1579-1603 167

Conclusion 185

List of Abbreviations Used in Notes 195

Notes 197

Additional Reading 243

Index 247

Editorial Reviews

'In A Monarchy of Letters, Allinson shows the importance of royal correspondence in foreign policy making and how good relations between monarchs helped to preserve peace between realms Through well-documented and also through less well studied primary sources, Rayne Allinson shrewdly enhances our understanding of early modern royal epistolary relationships.' Reviews in History

"Rayne Allinson presents in broad scope and extensive detail the story of Elizabeth I's epistolary dealings with the monarchs and rulers of her time - in each case, a multifaceted narrative told to a large extent in Elizabeth's own words. Allinson offers fascinating narratives of diplomacy mediated through a complex web of correspondence. Her work succeeds on several levels - in offering an absorbing and well-researched review of some of Elizabeth's most instrumental letters, with ample quotation, and in elucidating the role epistolary rhetoric played in early modern political culture. Rich in detail and interpretation of this especially notable period in diplomatic and rhetorical history." - Renaissance Quarterly

'Rayne Allinson's engaging and lively monograph is a timely contribution to our knowledge of Queen Elizabeth I's foreign letters The book opens up numerous avenues of research and is extremely stimulating; there is no doubt whatsoever that it constitutes a landmark in the field this is a work of the highest scholarship from which historians, literary or not, students and laymen should benefit enormously' Journal of the Northern Renaissance

From the Publisher