News

Durham Conference examines The Monarchy

(29 January 2003)

Prominent academics and journalists team up to examine the Monarchy in the modern age at a conference in the University of Durham on 1 February.

The annual History Society Conference, organised by history students at the University, has a tradition of attracting a strong line-up of speakers on a topic of current 'history-in-the-making' - which in the past has included Northern Ireland and international relations.

The 2003 theme is 'The Monarchy: Inventing Tradition.' Final-year student student and conference organiser Andrew Fearnley says there is some concern among historians that despite the monarchy providing such a rich quarry from which historical debate can be mined, a lot of work so far has lacked critical analysis and contained far too much narrative. He adds: "The Conference will hopefully redress this trend, and force historians to re-think how they approach such a controversial, because important, issue."

CHAIR: Mr Rob Butler - former ITN Royal Correspondent and Channel 5 News Presenter

SPEAKERS:
Dr Justin Champion - 'After 1689: Republicans and Monarchy in Historical Perspective' - Presenter of Channel 4s The Secrets of the Palace and ITVs forthcoming Kings and Queens. - Royal Holloway College, University of London

Professor Ben Pimlott - 'Queen Elizabeth II: the modern monarchy' - Warden of Goldsmith's College, University of London. Biographer of Queen Elizabeth II

Mr Stephen Bates - 'The Media Monarchy' - Royal and Religious Affairs Correspondent, the Guardian

Dr Martin Farr - 'Imagining the Monarchy - Empire to Commonwealth: the changing identity of the monarch' - University of Newcastle

Clifford Longley - 'Monarchy, Myth and Mystery: the monarchy and religion' - former Relgious Editor of the Times and the Telegraph

Dr John Plunkett - 'The Victorian Media Monarchy: Invention and Tradition' - University of Exeter

The event is on 10am-6pm, 1 February in the Debating Chamber, Palace Green Durham. Fee £5 History Society members, £7 non-members. Conference website.
Further information: Matthew Jenkinson, History Society President, tel: 07919 107 310