Against the odds, monarchies flourished in nineteenth-century Europe. In an era marked by dramatic change and revolutionary upheaval, Europe's monarchies experienced an unexpected late flowering. Royal Heirs focuses on the roles and personalities of the heirs to the throne from more than a dozen different dynasties that ruled the continent between the French Revolution and the end of the First World War. The book explores how these individuals contributed to the remarkable survival of the crowns they were born to wear. Constitutions, family relationships, education, politics, the media, the need to generate 'soft power' and the militarisation of monarchy all shaped the lives of princes and princesses while they were playing their part to embody and secure the future of monarchy. Ranging from Norway to Spain and from Greece to Britain, Royal Heirs not only paints a vivid picture of a monarchical age, but also explores how such disparate monarchies succeeded in adapting to change and defending their position.
- Combines a broad panorama of European monarchy in the nineteenth century with a clear analytical focus
- Offers a vivid group biography of individuals in an extraordinary yet similar situation - men/women waiting to inherit a throne in a constitutional monarchy
- Enables readers to re-assess the place of monarchy in the modernisation of Europe and invites thinking about the mechanisms that sustain monarchy in the twenty-first century
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Reviews & endorsements
'Beautifully written and elegantly translated by Rona Johnston, Müller's brilliantly researched study is the first to shift attention from the monarchs themselves to the children who embodied the institution's future. Drawing on prodigious research in many national and regional archives, Müller's analysis captures the European lineaments of monarchy's modern history without losing sight of national and dynastic peculiarities.' Christopher Clark, author of The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914
'Müller's book dazzles with the brilliance of his primary research and his ability to draw common threads and uncommon insights from a massive scholarly literature. Every chapter of this energetic, imaginative account offers sparkling aperçus about how young and not-so-young heirs to the thrones of Europe grew into their dynastic roles (or didn't).' James Retallack, author of Germany's Second Reich: Portraits and Pathways
'A very substantial contribution to our understanding of monarchy and politics in the “long” nineteenth century. For those who do not know much already about the period, Müller is a master at disentangling the various dynastic skeins, and weaving them back into a comprehensible story.' Brendan Simms, author of Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy, 1453 to the Present
'Müller's fascinating account of the royal heirs in nineteenth-century Europe reminds us that the “game of thrones” can only be played successfully by those who keep a keen eye on what lies ahead in the future. Both meticulously researched and highly entertaining, the book analyses the making of modern men and power relations at the top of society.' Monika Wienfort, author of Monarchy in the Nineteenth Century
'A well-researched study of 19th-century monarchies and their captivating royal heirs.' Library Journal
'This is a beautifully written study that is underpinned by thorough research in various national and regional archives. Dealing with a cast of fascinating royal and imperial characters - some young and others not quite in the first flush of youth - Müller's highly readable account adds a much-needed layer to the flourishing literature on royal history by artfully explaining how these future rulers contributed to the survival of crowns they were born to wear.' Aidan Jones, Royal Studies Journals
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Product details
- Date Published: January 2023
- format: Hardback
- isbn: 9781316512913
- length: 375 pages
- dimensions: 235 x 158 x 25 mm
- weight: 0.64kg
- availability: In stock
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. 'Pledge of a blessed future': royal heirs in the nineteenth century
2. 'And this comedy that I have to perform before the world': royal heirs as sons and husbands
3. 'The affair of his people': the education of royal heirs in the nineteenth century
4. 'Making the Princess known and securing friends for after times': royal heirs in politics, press and the public sphere
5. 'From my earliest youth the army has been my absolute love': royal heirs and the militarisation of the monarchy
Conclusion
Appendix: List of rulers and heirs.
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Author
Frank Lorenz Müller, University of St Andrews, Scotland
Frank Lorenz Müller is Professor of Modern History at the University of St Andrews. Between 2012 and 2017, he led a major research project on the role of heirs in nineteenth-century monarchies. His publications include Britain and the German Question (2002), Our Fritz. Emperor Frederick III and the Political Culture of Imperial Germany (2011) and, as co-editor, Royal Heirs and the Uses of Soft Power in Nineteenth-Century Europe (2016). He is founder-editor of the 'Palgrave Studies in Modern Monarchy'.