SeldomhasaroyalcourtinvitedsuchintensivestudyasthatofHenryVIII,orbecomesoprominentinpopularculture.Nonetheless,InterculturalExplorationsandtheCourtofHenryVIIIiscommittedtoofferingafreshperspectiveonTudorcourtculture,byusingcontinentalsourcestocontextualize,nuance,andchallengelong-heldperspectivesthathavebeenformedthroughtheuseofwell-studied,Anglophonesources.Usingawidevarietyoftextualsources,fromambassadorialcorrespondence,accountbooks,household矇tiquettes,legalrecords,royalwarrants,andmaritalcontracts,toplaytextsandtravelaccounts,thisstudypresentsoriginalresearchinhistory,literature,andculturalhistory.ThecasestudiesinInterculturalExplorationsandtheCourtofHenryVIIIaddressspecificquestionsthatchallengewhatweknoworthinkweknowaboutTudorcourtculture.Forexample:wasitgoodtastetobringajestertoaroyaldeathbed?WasJohnBlankereallythefirstblackmusiciantoperformattheTudorcourt,ordidhefollowthefootstepsofanothercelebratedperformerofAfricandescent?WhenCharlesVcametomeetHenryVIII,didheeatfromhisownplate?AndwhydidcourtiersexpressthemselvesnegativelyaboutAnneofCleves’sappearance?Byaddressingsuchspecificquestions,InterculturalExplorationsandtheCourtofHenryVIIIwillshowthathoweverquintessentially’English’HenryVIII’scourt,itwasessentiallyaplaceofculturalandinterculturalencountersthatisbestunderstoodwhenstudiedindialogueacrosslanguages,geographicalbarriers,andscholarlydisciplines.
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