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Advancing Court Studies Research: Fostering Engagement and Connections

By Dustin M. Neighbors and Kristen Vitale

Court studies is thriving. The field is booming with a plethora of academic events, written contributions, and social media engagement to new and innovative publications being produced to enhance court studies research and our understanding of it. Everywhere you look these days, it seems that there is some connection to royal and princely courts and court cultures. Rose Cousins previously gave a brief overview of the field and its growth in one of the first posts of “The Court Observer”. And yet, over the past few years there has been an explosion of films and tv series that portray (good and bad) the dynamics and intrigues of courts, such as The Crown, The Woman King, Empress, Napoleon, Mary and George, Sisi and I, Shōgun, Franklin, Queen Charlotte, Bridgerton, Serpent Queen, just to name a few of the many and counting. What this explosion highlights is the continued and rising public interest in historical periods and topics in which the court played a crucial role. The challenge here for the Society is how to not only tap into this pop culture boom, but to also find ways to grow and advance the field.

Collage, Films and TV portraying court dynamics and intrigue

The Society for Court Studies has led the way in demonstrating the significance and value of court and has proactively fostered engagement in multiple ways. For instance, the Society has recently held their annual conference on “Courtly Experiences in the Premodern World, c. 1200-1800: Cultural, Material and Sensory Experiences in the World of the Court”.  The conference took place in Olomouc, Czechia at Palacký University Olomouc on 22 – 24 August 2024. The conference hosted over 60 in-person and 22 online participants, representing 13 countries (UK, USA, Czechia, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, France, Lithuania, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Finland), along with 2 keynotes and 41 presentations that covered the periods from 1154 to 1789 and a wide historic geographic scope (Bohemia, Sweden, England, Poland-Lithuania, Vienna, Italy, Spain/Iberia, France, Hungary, Dutch Low Countries, Holy Roman Empire). The success of the conference was due to the fact that it was academically stimulating, showcasing innovative and lesser-known research on early modern courts, and expanding on the existing research approaches and scholars within court studies. The proceedings encapsulated the importance of two-way knowledge exchange, whereby a broad range of considerations and questions emerged that pushed participants to think about the boundaries and various ideas of courtly experiences in new ways. These considerations and questions urged us to reassess and contextualise courtly experience; questions that include: what constitutes the senses?; could emotion and memory be considered a ‘sense’?; what do the senses articulate about relationships at court?; how do strategies of communication shape experiences and/or define the culture at early modern courts?; are there categorisations of court culture that we should reconsider?; do we use existing or developing methodologies that help analyse courtly experiences? One further question that emerged, and seems to be a recurring one at court studies conferences, is what is court culture? While these questions were not immediately answered, the conference reinforced the value of interdisciplinarity within court studies, along with participants affirming how court studies conferences forge research connections that inspire new perspectives and collaborations that drive the field forward. The proceedings are being developed as two separate publications: an edited collection and a special issue of the journal, Historia Olomucensia.

Society for Court Studies, annual conference “Courtly Experiences in the Premodern World, c. 1200-1800: Cultural, Material and Sensory Experiences in the World of the Court”.

In addition to the annual conferences, the Society has invested in and developed several initiatives to advance court studies and to support scholars working in the field. One of the vital ways that the Society engages with both court studies scholars and the public is through an annual programme of lectures and virtual seminars. The long-running and popular lecture series presents and discusses new work and publications in the field. Until COVID, the lectures were held in person. Now most of them are held online, although plans are to return to in-person lectures soon. The “Virtual Scholarship Series” (VSS) is the dedicated online seminar series that in 2020. Organised by the European branch, the VSS focuses on the progression of innovative research, knowledge and skills development and field specific methodologies that take place in a variety of formats – seminars, workshops, roundtable discussions, and interviews with scholars.

The Society employs a variety of mediums to not only disseminate court studies research. Through publications and written contributions, but also through cultivating an active network by promoting activities that are relevant to the field and providing opportunities to bring together court studies scholars, research groups, and projects around the world. To the dissemination of research and network development has been achieved through establishing the European branch in 2020, and, more recently, the re-establishment of the Americas branch. The Society’s newsletter, produced three times a year, also aids in facilitating the dissemination and advancement of research by establishing regular communications from the Society, encouraging scholarly connections and curating material to support the research community. The newsletter features the latest news and announcements of the Society, information about international scholarly events relevant to court studies, highlights of what is happening in the world of court studies, and short essays and pieces reflecting on court studies topics or showcasing new discoveries or research, or response articles. Recently, a newsletter team has been established to generate content, including specific contributions illuminating a variety of topics and perspectives. Additionally, the Society’s social media platforms (X and Facebook, potentially expanding to Instagram) are used to promote the Society’s activities, external events and calls. 

The Court Dispatch of the Society for Court Studies, newsletter

However, the primary method of disseminating court studies research is through the Society’s journal,  The Court Historian – The International Journal of Court Studies (TCH). TCH initially began as an annual newsletter for the Society’s members after it was founded in 1995. By 1999, the fourth volume of the newsletter transitioned to a more fully developed academic journal. Today, TCH is published three times a year. The journal is the leading periodical in the field of Court Studies. It presents new work by major authors and experts, exploring all dimensions of court life, from politics, palaces and war to dress, dining and gardens. Articles are fully referenced, peer-reviewed and frequently illustrated. The journal also includes book and exhibition reviews, as well as a listing of publications pertaining to court studies. The journal is available digitally and in print. Members of the Society are able to access both the digital issues, dating back to 1999, and the online comprehensive (to date) court studies bibliography. All of which is used to support current and future scholars, and further court studies research.

Society for Court Studies journal,  The Court Historian – The International Journal of Court Studies (TCH)

The Society’s recent addition to the research dissemination platforms and means of connecting scholars is the official court studies blog, “The Court Observer”. Launched in 2022, the blog showcases new and innovative research in the field, from court studies scholars (members and non-members) of all career levels. Contributions to the blog are based on original research and presented in a shorter, more accessible, format than a traditional journal article. The shorter format of contributions will be particularly suitable for works-in-progress, sharing research problems or obstacles, or pieces based on conference papers. The blog certainly allows the Society to engage with both academics and public audiences because the shorter, open-access format will enable school teachers and university tutors to utilise our blog contributions in their course curricula, as accessible and academically credible readings. Thereby increasing the Society’s readership and engagement. The Society has recently announced the annual 2025 call for blog contributions. Details can be found in the PDF provided below or on the Society’s website.

“The Court Observer”, Call for 2025 Contributions

Whether its research dissemination, knowledge exchange, or just sharing the latest information about events and calls, the Society is committed to its mission of “stimulating and co-ordinating the study of royal, princely, and dynastic courts by providing opportunities and exchanges to nourish innovative research”, and through investing in and supporting court studies scholars, especially PhDs and ECRs. The initiatives and opportunities for engagement listed above are just a few of the ways that the Society has aided in the continuation and flourishing of court studies. With this in mind, the Society welcomes anyone who is interested in learning about or becoming involved with the Society as contributors, collaborators, members, volunteers, or in any capacity that fosters the advancement of the field of court studies.  


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
courtstudies (December 1, 2024). Advancing Court Studies Research: Fostering Engagement and Connections. The Court Observer. Retrieved February 16, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/12t2w


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