Progresses, Print, and “Politick Managers”: Performing the Succession of James II & VII, 1679-1682

This article considers the Scottish progresses undertaken during 1679-1682 by the future James II of England and VII of Scotland. At this time, James was heir presumptive to his elder brother Charles II but, as a Catholic, his likely succession was controversial and triggered what is commonly called the Exclusion Crisis. Building on existing work that has studied how James used progresses to negotiate key support in Scotland, this article views these political performances within a broader, trans-archipelagic context and asks how they affected the crown’s ability to extricate itself from this controversy. Using archival and primary material, and paying particular attention to the poems, addresses, and other scripts they incorporate, the first section of this article focuses on ways in which these progresses were staged for multiple audiences. The second part concentrates on their subsequent representation in print as a means to examine the contest that surrounded James’s succession. Drawing together these threads of print and performance, this article shows that James’s Scottish progresses offer insightful case studies for the continued significance of monarchic performance in the premodern world. It demonstrates their profound impact on discourse, debate and, ultimately, the monarchy’s successful political management of this crisis.