The materials of marital diplomacy: Henrietta Maria's trousseau

Abstract

The movement or exchange of objects across courts was never apolitical; portraits, plate, and jewels in particular were gifted and dis­played to advance diplomacy, and so too were far more unwieldy objects including beds, car­riages, and horses. For princesses marrying for­eign princes, the accompanying trousseau was a highly political gift. Importantly, there was a clear understanding that the political clout of the bridal family mirrored itself in the value of goods. In its scale and sheer weight, a trousseau needed to be appropriately royal, suitably mag­nificent; additionally, the style, quality, country of origin, and artistic pedigree of these objects materialised diplomacy. Such objects are typi­cally described in English as 'fayre', 'rare', 'fine', 'rich', 'fitting', and 'suitable'. Moreover, such magnificent goods needed to be appropriate for the recipient, vehicles for a material diplo­macy that suitably reflected the status of both parties in the exchange, if not also their gender, home country, and personal preferences.