Isabel of Bourbon and the Dynamics of Power at the Spanish Court

Abstract

A lejandra Franganillo Álvarez ’ s comprehensive study shines new light on three important yet little-studied aspects that transformed the political system of the court of the Spanish Monarchy during the first half of the seventeenth century: its fluctuating workings of power and of the patronage system, and its increasing numbers of royal servants. The unnamed queen of her title is the French princess Isabel of Bourbon, the wife of the Spanish king, Philip IV. By not identifying her, Franganillo Álvarez signals that Isabel is not her main subject, but that she will instead investigate the changes that took place in the court ’ s dynamics of power, structure and community upon Isabel ’ s arrival. Although she does not propose to write a biography of the elusive queen, she never-theless illuminates several significant episodes during Isabel ’ s reign as queen consort from  to  that offer