19 September 2012

‘Diplomacy and Deception: James VI’s Foreign Relations, 1584-1604’

Talk by Cynthia Fry, University of St Andrews

VC-Suite 9 in the Longman Building (Inverness College, UHI). The event will also be available by videoconferencing at Dornoch at Ross House, North Highland College.

Organised by UHI Centre for History. Please email/phone Dr Kathrin Zickermann on Kathrin.Zickermann@uhi.ac.uk  / 01847 889622 to say if you will attend (and where).

Description:

The diplomatic history of early modern Europe is traditionally told from the perspective of what were, at the time, the superpowers – France, England and Spain. But these were not the only kingdoms involved in or influencing the world of international politics, and without an understanding of the roles that every kingdom played, the story remains incomplete. This paper will attempt to fill in some of these gaps, by re-telling the story of late-sixteenth century European foreign relations through the activities of Scotland, and her king, James VI. Such a study is invaluable, not only for highlighting the importance of Scotland within early modern Europe, but also for understanding the experience and practices that informed James’s diplomatic policies when he added the kingdoms of England, Ireland and nominally France to his dominion in 1603.