| During the Early Middle Ages male primogeniture became established as the underlying principle that ensured the continuity of Western European dynastic-hereditary monarchies; by establishing this clear parameter for succession, royal families were able to maintain their control of the throne over successive generations. Thereby the monarch and his successor became the corner stone of the monarchy. However, this system could only be sustained by all the members of the ruling family, different degrees depending on their precise status and rank, loyally participating in implementing monarchical rule, whether in merely ceremonial roles at court or by undertaking governmental roles. From amongst the diverse protagonists in this system it has undoubtedly been the male non-regnant members of the royal family, whether legitimate or illegitimate?–?siblings, cousins or monarchs’ bastard children?–?who have prompted increasing scrutiny from historians, despite the fact that their dynastic relevance lacked any specific political status beyond their being blood relatives of the monarch. Nevertheless, these members of the royal family were frequently deemed problematic due to the difficulty of balancing their interests and the responsibilities they assumed as dynastic agents. This volume brings together twelve contributions by specialists from a range of countries with a dual aim: on the one hand, to examine the dynastic role these members of the royal family played at the heart of the Hispanic Monarchy and the European states under its influence; and, on the other, to analyse how the problematic nature of these family members and the diverse roles they were expected to play were addressed and represented within the Hispanic Monarchy. |
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