Royal Events: Rituals, Innovations, Meanings

Royal events such as coronations and jubilees encompass a wide spectrum of planned events involving monarchs and their families that are strategically designed to reinforce the role of royalty within social and political structures. Royal events may have a long heritage, but often involve traditions that are invented, revived or undergoing major innovations in response to changing times or to meet different purposes. The change from absolutism towards constitutional monarchies has seen a shift towards using royal events to promote national identity, community and inclusiveness. While the function and meaning of royal ritual and ceremony is a product of its particular political, economic and cultural context, conversely, royal events are often aninfluenceon the broader milieu.

This book is the first to explore royal events within the context of Events Studies, and takes an historical approach, examining the development of royal events through different periods. It starts with four broad pre-modern eras, namely Classical, Byzantine, the Dark Ages and the Medieval Period, then moves through to the early modern dynasties such as the Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians and Bourbons and on to contemporary times, incorporating the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the current reign of Elizabeth II, including the legacy of Diana and an analysis of current issues affecting royal events. Themes emphasised throughout include the institutional dynamism of royalty, the invention of tradition, the ritual structure of events, the impact of the media and the influence of individual tastemakers.

This multidisciplinary work will appeal to postgraduate students and academics from a wide variety of disciplines, including cultural studies, history, tourism, events and sociology.

Jennifer Laing is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management, Sport and Tourism at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Her research interests include travel narratives; the role of events in society; rural and regional regeneration through tourism and events; and health and wellness tourism. Jennifer is a co-editor of the Routledge Advances in Events Research series and was recognised in 2017 as an Emerging Scholar of Distinction by the International Academy for the Study of Tourism.

Warwick Frost is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management, Sport and Tourism at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. His research interests include heritage, events, nature-based attractions and the interaction between media, popular culture and tourism. Warwick is a co-editor of the Routledge Advances in Events Research series and has co-edited five books and co-authored five research books.