“The monetary test of loyalty”: on the financing of visits by British princes to the Empire in the 60s and 70s of the XIX century

Abstract

Importance. In the 60–70s of the XIX century, representatives of the royal family of Great Britain visited the possessions of the British Empire. The issue of financing was one of the fundamental issues in their implementation. Being closely connected with the sphere of political reputation management, it went beyond the boundaries of exclusively organizational practice. The purpose of the study is to explore the specifics of the financing mechanism for visits by members of the British ruling family to the empire’s possessions in the 60s and 70s of the 19th century and to determine the importance that it began to acquire in the process of building Britain’s relations with these territories.Materials and Methods. Historical-genetic and problem-chronological methods make it possible to analyze the process of monetary support for visits of British princes to the empire’s possessions and determine its role in the context of imperial construction of Great Britain.Results and Discussion. On the basis of sources – materials from the British and colonial press, journalistic publications, parliamentary documents – the features of the financing mechanism for official royal visits and official trips of British princes to the possessions of the Empire of various types are analyzed. The guidelines that conforms the organizers of royal trips and ceremonial receptions in carrying out the task of providing them are revealed.Conclusion. In the context of the royal visits’ implementation, the issue of their financing acquired conceptual importance. Through the sponsorship of the British princes’ trips by the colonial authorities and the public, as well as by the imperial government, ideas that were important for the development of interaction between the metropolis and its possessions were broadcast.