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Forum
Included
11:15 - 12:15
•
Sun, 28 June
133. Where Power Lies: Intimacy and Intrigue at Court
Forum
How were royal women celebrated, sidelined, or set against one another? In this sharp, myth busting panel, Kate McCaffrey probes the complex rivalry between Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, examining marriage, legitimacy, and the making of a queen. Dr Gabby Storey explores Eleanor of Aquitaine and Rosamund Clifford, revealing how ideals of beauty and desire became political weapons. Dr Estelle Paranque examines Catherine de Medici, Diane de Poitiers, and their notorious ménage à trois, asking who truly held power in the French court. Chaired by Shalina Patel, the discussion unpacks propaganda, portraiture, gossip, and survival strategies to rethink figures too often reduced to stereotypes. Expect lively debate, fresh scholarship, and a new lens on the politics of intimacy at court.
