@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

Another woman that played an important role at Versailles was Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon. She was first mistress and later wife of Louis XIV, although this marriage was never openly acknowledged. Nevertheless, she was a close confidant and advisor to the king and everybody knew about her political influence. The audioguide doesn’t mention this. At several points it describes how Louis XIV discussed politics with his (male) advisors in this or that room. Madame de Maintenon isn’t mentioned in these contexts. She is only discussed, when talking about Louis’ XIV free time and that he enjoyed going for extended walks with her. That they might have discussed politics isn’t mentioned at all, neither that she was an important political and diplomatic actor at the French court. (5/7)

@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

Whether this is true or not, the position of the princess was always that of a broker between her family of origin and the family of her husband. They were in a way #emdiplomats. That was not always an easy position, as both sides expected on the one hand that she acted as an intermediary between the two families and on the other hand that she had to be loyal to both sides which of course could lead to conflicts. How the women handled this situation was very different, depending also on the political constellation between the two dynasties. In the case of Marie Adélaïde de Savoie it is important to acknowledge this position, instead of creating the image of a woman who overstepped her competences. When reporting home to her father, she might have enraged Louis XIV, but she fulfilled the expectations of her family of origin. (4/7)

@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

One of these stories was about Marie Adélaïde de Savoie (1685-1712) who was married to Louis de Bourbon, the grandson of Louis XIV. She was also the mother of the later Louis XV. She came to Versailles when she was only eleven and the audioguide tells you that the old Louis XIV really enjoyed her lively company. When she died quite young at the age of 26 of measels, her papers were sorted and it was discovered that she had regularly reported about court politics to her father the duke of Savoy. According to the story, Louis XIV had been enraged and called her a traitor. (3/7)

@histodons @historikerinnen @earlymodern

Explaining the architecture as well as courtly life under Louis XIV. the audioguide enriched the historical facts with some details and stories from his life. Altogether, very few women appeared in this audioguide and if they did they were presented in a very unpolitical way. (2/7)

You can read William Lithgow’s

The Totall Discourse of The Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations of long Nineteene Yeares Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and Affrica

online via @gutenberg_org

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61545/61545-h/61545-h.htm

@historikerinnen @histodons @earlymodern

Lower-ranking envoys often resided in place for decades and thus built networks that enabled them to compensate for the disadvantages of their low status. Their lack of access to the ruler was compensated for by their contacts with members of the court.
Neither have these lower-ranking agents and residents nor their networking and its importance for the functioning of #emdiplomacy been researched in detail, as Externbring and Ferber highlight. The same is true for the #emdiplomat's household. (9/10)

@historikerinnen @histodons @earlymodern

Diplomatic missions were ambiguous, on the one hand, diplomatic service could be seen as a test if one was suited for higher offices at court. On the other hand, there are examples of #emdiplomats perceiving lengthy missions as a removal from the centre of power.
Permanent absence from the home court became more frequent during the 18th century but was rare during the 16th and 17th centuries due to the yet not developed institutionalization of the legation system. (8/10)

@historikerinnen @histodons @earlymodern

An institutionalised education for #emdiplomats was lacking. Normally, their recruitment was part of an administrative or courtly career. Depending on the nature of the mission, the envoy had a legal education or he combined high birth and the master’s favour. (7/10)

@historikerinnen @histodons @earlymodern

#emdiplomats were not bound by their nationalities, quite the opposite, it was normal for them to serve foreign sovereigns with exception of the papal diplomatic service which mostly relied on Italians.
Moving between courts fostered desirable networks between the #emdiplomats & their colleagues but as the members of the courts. Although the comparatively low loyalty of the #emdiplomats hampered community building with the latter as Externbrink and Ferber emphasise. (6/10)