Our next reading group is on Monday 27 April 4-5pm (BST). In this session, led by Kristen Vitale Engel, we will discuss ‘The Function of the Ceremonial in the Reign of Henry VIII‘ by Jennifer Loach. If you require access to the suggested reading, please contact revelsoffice@gmail.com.

Kristen has prepared the following prompts:

The analytical framework of the article is that a function of the ceremonial was to perform the relationships (whether positive or negative) between the King and his nobility (p. 66), to or for the church. Do you agree with the conceptions of audience/reception in this article?

In your view, who was this pageantry meant for? Who was the target audience? Who was the idealized reception of the performance, and the subsequent interpretation of it, aimed at/for?

In your view, who was this pageantry meant for? Who was the target audience? Who was the idealized reception of the performance, and the subsequent interpretation of it, aimed at/for?

Loach affirms that the “effectiveness” or “ineffectiveness” of Tudor pageantry is “subjective”. Do you agree? How would one study, research, and understand the effectiveness of such pageantry? What school of historical methodology and inquiry (social, intellectual, political, economic, etc.) would aid us in illuminating
this answer?

If you’d like to join us, please contact revelsoffice@gmail.com for the Teams link. For reminders of upcoming reading groups, you can sign up to our mailing list.