Neil Murphy

Receiving Royals in Later Medieval York: Civic Ceremony and the Municipal Elite, 1478–1503

Abstract This article examines the later medieval royal entry ceremony in York from the perspective of the social groups that designed and produced the spectacle. Deliberations of Yorks civic council comprise the main body of evidence for this study. It is argued that a mercantile oligarchy controlled the production of ceremony at every level. Yorks merchants dominated the design of civic receptions by excluding other secular and ecclesiastical groups native to the city from the decision-making process, and by resisting external interference by groups such as the nobility. The civic council made use of the topography of the city to reinforce the mercantile dimensions of the ceremony and to create a ceremonial space where they could communicate with the royal visitor. The merchant élite also adapted the form and content of the citys nuanced Corpus Christi celebrations to the royal entry. By these means they displayed and consolidated their position at the pinnacle of urban society at a time when their dominance over the citys economic, social and political structures was weakening.

John II and the Display of Plantagenet Power, 1356–58

This chapter focuses on the first two years of the John II’s captivity, during which the Black Prince and Edward III devised a range of ceremonies and festivities (including ceremonial entries, tournaments and feasts) that put the French king on public display and highlighted the power of the Plantagenet monarchy. As well as triggering developments in the presentation of the French king’s image, John’s presence in England spurred on Edward III’s use of political propaganda. The English king and the Black Prince highlighted their chivalric qualities by treating the French king with great honour. While their handling of John was a far cry from the actions of kings such as Philip Augustus and Edward I (both of whom had displayed their high-ranking prisoners in chains), the festivities Edward III devised to honour John II were intended to call attention to the power he held over the French king.

Constructing the Royal Image

This chapter examines how John responded to Edward III’s attempts to overawe him with a display of Plantagenet power. As John had failed at war, he came to rely on display to maintain his honour during his time in captivity. He could perhaps take heart from Saint Louis who had also failed at war but whose conduct during his captivity in Egypt had played an important role in establishing a good impression of his character. John had to be seen to live like a king, which meant pursuing a range of public pastimes and activities that exhibited his status. Although historians have minimised the importance of the activities John pursued in captivity, this chapter shows the vital role they played in upholding the French king’s status in the face of challenges from Edward III. The chapter moves on to examine John’s use of clothing and the display of luxury objects to promote his power, as well as considering how he used displays of largesse to develop networks of influence in England and compete with the Plantagenet monarchy.

The French Royal Household in Captivity

This chapter analyses the operation of John II’s household in captivity, focusing especially on the activities of John’s staff. The French monarch relied on the talents of his servants and officials to construct an image of Valois power during a period when it was under great threat. Certainly, John’s achievements in recasting the royal image would not have been possible without the skills of his household staff. This chapter considers the benefits of royal service and examines how John was able to attract both French and English staff to join his household during his time in captivity. This chapter also reconstructs the commercial networks John developed to obtain the range and volume of luxury goods he needed to live nobly, before moving on to consider how he raised the funds he required to purchase these goods.

The Captivity of John II, 1356-60

This book provides a systematic analysis of the innovations that occurred in the display of royal power during John II’s four years in English captivity. Neil Murphy shows how the French king’s competition with Edward III led to a revolution in the presentation of the royal image, manifesting through developments to the sacral character of the French monarchy, lavish displays of gift giving, and the use of courtly display. Showing that the Hundred Years War was not just fought on the battlefields of France, this book unravels how the war played out daily in the competition for status between Edward III and John II.

Royal Grace, Royal Punishment: Ceremonial Entries and the Pardoning of Criminals in France, c. 1440–1560

This chapter examines the process by which criminals were pardoned during a ceremonial entry, and seeks to understand what this tells us about both the nature of royal justice and the interaction between the French crown and its municipal elites during this period. There were close links between punishment and mercy, and royal entries often followed the exact same processional route as that used for executions and punishments. Significant developments were made in the provision of royal mercy between the mid-fifteenth and mid-sixteenth centuries. The ability of royal women to issue pardons was not seen as an intrinsic right of their royal status. Rather, it was seen as an extension of their husband or fathers position as king, from whom they derived their authority. During the second half of the fifteenth century the right to pardon at entries was increasingly understood to be a right pertaining to the king alone. Keywords: ceremonial entries; criminals; French crown; pardons; royal justice; royal punishment; royal women