Private Celebrations at the Polish Court in the Time of Louise Marie de Gonzague-Nevers

Abstract

The royal court in every European state, including the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, played a representative role. The ceremonial functions at the Polish court, both private and public, connected the monarch with his subjects through a system of symbols, gestures and rituals. Private ceremonies included the christenings, birthdays and funerals of royal children and others concerning the royal family personally. In the case of private ceremonies, only a limited number of courtiers and those in the monarch’s or queen’s immediate entourage attended, although they were publicly known about. This chapter will analyse the private celebrations of the court of Louise Marie de Gonzague-Nevers (1611–1667), such as the births, baptisms and, unfortunately, deaths of royal children. These were private ceremonies and were marked by the smallest group of people, although their setting undoubtedly flowed far beyond the royal court, along with information about these events. Every detail, even the smallest, of these ceremonies was important, and a large role was also played by the godparents, who had to be chosen carefully, taking into account political considerations.