Royal House Research Articles

Going Beyond the Tropes of ‘Friendship’ and ‘Modernization’: Internal Colonialism in Siam and Scandinavia in the Age of Empire

ABSTRACT This article contributes to a reconceptualization of the relationship between Siam and Scandinavia at the turn of the twentieth century. At that time, the relationship was manifested by the presence of a large group of Scandinavian, mainly Danish, entrepreneurs and professionals in Siam and repeated visits between the royal houses in Siam and the Scandinavian countries. The tropes of friendship and modernization dominate the main representation of the relationship. In accordance with this representation the Scandinavians were not perceived as a colonial threat to the Siamese rulers but co-producers of a modern and independent Siam. This narrative, created both by the Scandinavians and Siamese, reproduces a dominant royalist narrative in Thai historical writing that presents the absolute monarchy as a disinterested elite who launched a series of reforms to modernize Siam and safeguard the country against foreign encroachment. With reference to a revisionist tradition in Thai historical writing, we argue that Scandinavian–Siamese relations at the turn of the twentieth century needs to be accentuated in relation to the Siamese royal elite’s project of internal colonialism.

The wet nurses of the Hospital Real of Santiago de Compostela between 1803 and 1808.

To analyze the duties of wet nurses at the Hospital Real in Santiago de Compostela (Spain). The secondary objectives were to compare the mortality rate and distribution by parish of the foundlings under the care of the Royal House between 1803 and 1808; and to determine the origin of the Galician foundlings who participated in the Royal Philanthropic Expedition of the Smallpox Vaccine in 1803. Historiographic study that analyzed sorted and not sorted in series indirect positional and quantitative historical sources. The duties of wet nurses during the studied period were to provide basic care and cultural instruction. The mortality rate of foundlings fluctuated during that period and their distribution by parish (functional unit of healthcare services at that time) was similar in those years, with a predominance in the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra. A total of 5 Galician foundlings from the House analyzed were part of the smallpox vaccine expedition, their names were Juan Antonio, Jacinto, Gerónimo María, Francisco Florencio and Juan Francisco. During the observed period the wet nurses of the Hospital Real of Santiago de Compostela were in charge of pediatric care. Wet nurses were vital in the role of keeping the foundlings alive and can be considered as one of the forerunners of the pediatric nurse profession at that time.

Georgian Aristocracy in the Politics of the Russian Empire: Mechanisms and Stages of Integration

This article examines the process of integration of the Georgian elite into the social and political space of the Russian Empire in the first half of the nineteenth century. In this case, integration should be understood as confirmation of the class rights of the Georgian nobility. This process lasted for half a century. The first part of the article analyses the efforts of the Russian authorities aimed at finding an optimal format for confirming the class rights of the Georgian elite. The class guarantees of the Georgian aristocracy were recorded in several documents, most notably in the Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783 and the Manifesto to the Georgian People in 1801. In addition, the rights of the noble Georgian class were guaranteed in several official proclamations of the regional Russian administration. However, the “nobilisation” of the Georgian elite encountered several legal obstacles and was delayed. Another problem of the Russian government was the unauthorised issuance of princely and noble letters by Georgian princes, who, after the liquidation of the royal house of Bagration, were resettled to Russian capitals. The government was not immediately successful in stopping this illegal practice. All these difficulties led to the fact that by the middle of the nineteenth century, most representatives of the Georgian nobility had not received recognition of their class rights at the imperial level. The second part of the article examines the activities of the first Caucasian Viceroy, Mikhail Vorontsov, aimed at completing the process of the “nobilsation” of the Georgian nobility. In 1846, at the proposal of the Viceroy, two special temporary commissions were created in Tiflis and Kutais to examine the class rights of the Georgian nobility. The commissions consisted of representatives of the Georgian nobility and Russian officials. The work of the commissions was completed in 1849, and a year later the lists of Georgian princes and nobles received the approval of Emperor Nicholas I. The Confirmation of rights made the Georgian nobility part of the imperial elite and motivated Georgians to take an active part in empire-building.

Parrots, Princes, and Popes: Translatio Imperii in Jean Clouet’s Portrait of Francis I as St. John the Baptist

At first glance, a green parrot featured in Jean Clouet’s Portrait of François Ier as St. John the Baptist appears out of place. The parrot was a prized import that graced Europe upon Alexander the Great’s victorious return from the Persian Empire and India. Why is this foreign bird exhibited in a sixteenth-century French royal portrait? Repeated in a portrait of François’ sister, it becomes apparent that the green parrot was no casual inclusion. François’ green parrot contains a complex visual message. Considering the implications of the parrot and the ambitions of François, this paper will argue that the appearance of this particular bird served to glorify and endorse a new branch of the royal House of Valois.

Leaving no one behind: Information (re)ˆpackaging for rural dwellers in South Africa

In most rural communities in South Africa, there is inadequate access to information due to a lack of public facilities and infrastructure, such as libraries and internet connections. This has a negative impact on the day-to-day activities of rural dwellers as it deprives them of the opportunity to access information, which is a fundamental right. This qualitative study used the Delphi technique, interviewing five experts in the Library and Information Services (LIS) fraternity in three rounds. The format in which information is accessed, as well as available information sources and resources, need (re)packaging in order to ensure free and equal access to information on a daily basis. This can be done through the provision of free Wi-Fi by rural municipalities in churches, gathering places, and royal houses to bridge the digital chasm. Provision of free Wi-Fi would give rural dwellers an opportunity to have access to online information without any hurdles as most rural dwellers are unemployed and lack money to buy data bundles for information access. With technological advancements, lot of information is shared online be it job advertisements, tertiary education applications, news, among others. The study provides a framework for addressing issues of information inaccessibility in remote rural areas. There is a need for increasing high-speed internet access for those in rural communities.

Dressing up the Monarch

ABSTRACT The present article analyses the strategy used by the sultans of Sulu over two centuries (19th-21st) to affirm their status and authority, from their costumes to the symbols used. By doing so, it highlights how tradition makes use of old materials, symbols and rites from the southern Philippines, while it incorporates others which belong to the European heraldic language to extend the symbolic vocabulary of authority and power. The article uses written and visual sources to demonstrate how the royal house adapts to the changing local and international political situations. The comparison cases from the 19th and the 21st centuries shed light on the evolving diplomatic usage and contribute to a better understanding of the political culture of the Sultanate of Sulu.

Bronze Art, Cultural Norms, and Group Identity: A Group of Late Western Zhou and Early Spring and Autumn He Vessels Analyzed in Their Temporal and Spatial Contexts

abstract: A new generation of scholars has called into question the homogeneous nature of Western Zhou culture and the sweeping imposition of this culture over a large region that covers much of present-day China. Our study contributes to this debate by focusing on a coherent group of bronze vessels dated to the end of the Western Zhou and beginning of the Spring and Autumn periods. He (盉) vessels with drum-shaped bodies, bird-like lids, and human-like legs are among the most unique and artistically innovative artifacts of this period. While these unique artifacts have been found in and near the center of the Western Zhou polity, they are not associated with the rituals of the royal house, but rather with those of other aristocratic lineages. We argue that the artistic style of the vessels was part of the culture developed around the royal Zhou house and in areas close to it, although it is not strictly representative of the royal culture of the Western Zhou, being instead associated with minor lineages. A multi-dimensional analysis of this group of vessels, addressing their geographical distribution, location within their archaeological context, and social associations, combined with an analysis of their decorative scheme and the inscriptions cast inside them, enables us to better understand the sociocultural landscape of this period. Our study suggests that diversity existed not only in remote border areas or among the lower strata of society, but also within the cultural core of the Western Zhou polity and among the highest echelons of the aristocracy. Such processes of diversification are associated with the development of local and regional identities and with the growth of the political independence of aristocratic lineages during the final years of the transition from the Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn periods.

Mostri musulmani. La deumanizzazione dell’antagonista miscredente nella storia di Buovo d’Antona dalla tradizione anglonormanna al Bovo-Bukh di Elia Levita

The story of Beuve of Hampton circulated throughout the Late Middle Ages and was printed in a number of incunables issued in Venice and Bologna in the 1480s. One of those inspired Elia Levita to compose his own Old Yiddish version known as the Bovo-Bukh. Though written in Padua in 1507, Levita’s poem was printed in Württemberg in 1541. The Bovo-Bukh became so popular that it continued to be widely read and adapted in several Ashkenazi centres in Europe until the late 18th c entury. T he original story goes b ack to Anglo-Norman Boeuve de Haumtone, whose earliest manuscripts are dated to the end of the 13th century. Its plot features a creature called Escopart. It is a giant freak in the service of the Saracens. Yet, once baptised, it turns into a magical Auxiliary. In the early 15th century, Andrea da Barberino adapted the story in prose as Book IV of his largely fictional chronicle of The Royal House of France. In this text, the unbeliever appears as a werehound named Pulicane, but its narrative function is quite similar to Escopart’s. With its name changed into Pellucano, the character is depicted in the Venetian incunables too. In Levita’s version, it becomes Pelukan. The purpose of this paper is to present the ideological changes in the depiction of the monstrous unbeliever, both in historical terms (the timespan of more than two centuries) and with reference to different axiologies. The strong prejudice of the Anglo-Norman tradition, in which the low-born and the unbelievers were depicted as hell spawn never to be trusted, was replaced by a common-sense approach in the later versions of the story. Finally, in Levita’s poem, the confessional background becomes unimportant in determining personal allegiances.

The Anti-Monarchist Turn in British Politics, Society, and Culture: Diana, Harry and After

This article returns to the context of the royal crises of the late nineteen-nineties and re-examines the origins of the term “anti-monarchism” and scholarship in this field. Taking the popularity of the monarchy as a starting point and acknowledging the weakness of an openly republican discourse in Britain rarely expressed through the platforms of the major political parties, anti-monarchism provides a measure of the shift in public opinion that resulted in a questioning of the influence, probity, public role, and privileged financial position of the royal house. The focus of this article is on public attitudes, and the move towards sympathy for younger, less establishment royal figures, defined by celebrity culture, who attract the empathy and interest of a younger public. In the following analysis, figures from Princess Diana to Harry and Meghan may be cast as pretenders, fulfilling the role of an alternative to the existing family and, in some views, a compromised court of the Windsors. Here there emerges the outline of a potentially “liberal” vision of monarchy that eschews the established conventions of royal life and reflects a discourse of diversity and pluralism. Further, this piece analyses the increasing relevance of anti-monarchist discourse against the turbulent backdrop of Brexit, debates around Scottish independence, a renewed emphasis on the importance of Englishness, the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the potential break-up of the union. Locating Harry’s memoir Spare in a broader tradition of royal revelations and exposures, this article also explores the role of anti-monarchist currents in the former empire, particularly the Caribbean, and across the Commonwealth in shaping the discourse of anti-monarchism in Britain.

Программа росписей Пинтуриккьо в апартаментах Борджиа в Ватикане: библейские образы в политической репрезентации римских пап

Researchers cannot agree on the interpretation of the programme of the murals in the Borgia apartments executed by Pinturicchio in the 90s of the 15th century. Egyptian sub-jects, Turkish motifs, the theme of the salvific role of the Church, the Aragonese origin of the customer, etc., are on a display in the interior of the apartments in the Apostolic Palace. The frescoes were commissioned by Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), one of the most odious Popes of the Renaissance. This paper focuses on the political aspect of the frescoes, particularly on the theme of the triumph of the Church as an institution. Pinturicchio’s painting was used to visualize the public image of Rodrigo Borgia with dominant motifs of Pope’s leadership in the Christian world. The pontificate of Alexander VI, the ‘warrior of Christ’, in whose hands both spiritual and secular powers were united, was glorified in the church history, and it is presented here as Borgia’s triumph. Such a public image was in line with other representa-tions of Roman pontiffs and secular rulers of Western Europe. It was created in the context of political confrontation of the Holy See with powerful royal houses of Italy, French kings, etc. We can thus talk not only about the visual programme of the apartments per se, but also about its connection with other imagery presenting Popes as political figures and created for Alexander VI’s predecessors as well as for his successors.

Colonial collections, restitution and issues of inequality

This contribution raises three questions about collections from colonial regions. One is about the division of the power over the provenance research into such collections between the Global North and the Global South. A second is about the silence of art dealers and private collectors in the Global North about their possessions and how they were acquired, which makes it hard for former colonies to know about them. The third is about how governments in the Global South on the one hand and traditional royal houses, communities of origin and other sub-statal actors on the other deal with collections after their return.

Absolute Chronology revisited: Integrating precise Bayesian models from Machu Picchu with Inca ethnohistoric praise narratives

Recent articles provide a captivating set of radiocarbon dates from Machu Picchu and environs, with important ramifications for the site and the Inca Empire more broadly. Here, we present Bayesian models of these dates that incorporate life history details of each dated individual, including age at death, age of tissue formation for dated samples, family relationships, and associated grave goods. We calibrate dates with a bespoke calibration curve mixture specific to Machu Picchu. These model boundaries suggest the site was first occupied ∼ AD 1435 (1410–1455, 95%) and abandoned ∼ AD 1495 (1480–1515, 95%). This is consistent with dates from the region and builds on the consensus that ethnohistoric dates are unreliable. Anchoring Inca history to this radiocarbon chronology allows us to explore the ethnohistoric sources in a new light. We can more plausibly trace the life history of the ruler Pachacutec, including his founding of the Machu Picchu royal estate. Regionally, this approach leads us to reassess the conquest of the earliest and largest Inca conquest, the southern quarter. This area was subject to waves of intense interaction for nearly two centuries by multiple royal houses, possibly starting under Yahuar Huacac, Pachacutec's grandfather, events that were almost completely scrubbed from Inca praise narratives.

The Guozishan Warring States tomb M1 in Zhangshu, Jiangxi

Abstract The discovery of the Warring States tomb M1 at Guozishan is a groundbreaking achievement in Eastern Zhou archaeology in Jiangxi. This earthen pit tomb is ditch-bounded with two sloping ramps leading to the bottom. The wooden burial chamber comprises 25 sub-chambers, and more than 2600 pieces/sets of grave goods were unearthed, including sets of ritual vessels, musical instruments, weaponry, chariot and horse accouterments. The tomb dates back to the middle Warring States period, and inscriptions found on the “Zhiyi” and “Bu?shou” ge-dagger-axes (or ji-halberds) suggest the tomb occupant had a close relationship with the Yue royal house. This tomb reflects diverse cultural attributes, which integrated and coexisted with each other. The excavation holds significance as it offers insights into local history, political landscape, and cultural changes during the Eastern Zhou period.

Repressions of the OGPU-NKVD-NKGB against Gypsies 1932–1941: On newly discovered materials from Ukrainian archives

This article deals with a little-explored part of the history of the Gypsies: the repressions against them by the Soviet state security organs in the 1930s and 1940s. The persecution and arrest of Gypsies, led by “King” Yegor Mihai and members of the Kwiek royal house, took place both during the terror period of the 1930s and in the early stages of the Second World War. The article is based on previously unknown documents of the Soviet special organs, which are kept in the Ukrainian archives. The analysis of these sources led to the conclusion that the OGPU-NKVD-NKGB repressions against the so-called foreign Roma were aimed at the complete “cleansing” of the cities in the USSR of the presence of this ethnic group. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .

An Overview of the Life and Legacy of Harry Winston, the King of Diamonds. Contemporary Influences

Stone can be considered as a piece of resistance for jewelry, not just an accessory fixed on a noble metal. This current study reflects the biography and the activity of Harry Winson – one of the most important american diamond collectors and specialists of 20th century. Winston House, during several decades, presents one of the most impressive natural stones, rarely found in sizes, unique properties, such as President Vargas’ diamond, Hope, the sapphire of Queen Maria of Romania and so on, creations of clothing jewelry and watches produced in history for royal houses (Duchess Windsor, Queen Elizabeth's II, Queen Maria of Romania...) and also for cinema stars (Katharine Hepburn, thus, Winston is a remarkable personality. Refurbishing jewelry by reshaping into contemporary clothing ornamental items. His authority and professionalism were so imposing, that it was impossible for him not to be a source of influence and inspiration in contemporary art, such as jewelry making, painting, sculpture from the territory of Bessarabia and the whole world. The goal of this study was to shortly reflect the most representative stones and well-known jewelry from Winston’s House, and their impact in the jewelry making field and fashion, which lasted in time.

One Name, One Person: The Problem of Reconstructing the List of Early Kings of Piedras Negras in Light of the Hieroglyphic Texts from Yaxchilan

This article is concerned with an important episode in the early history of two neighboring kingdoms located in the western part of the Maya lowlands: Yaxchilan and Piedras Negras. The two sites were at war with each other and sought dominance in the Upper Usumacinta region for almost the entire duration of Classic Maya history (3rd to 10th centuries AD). The article examines some controversial issues related to the founding of the Yaxchilan and Piedras Negras dynasties and highlights the initial stage of their military confrontation, which took place in the second half of the 5th century. It is shown that the founders of both royal houses were probably of non-local origin, having arrived in their new capitals from elsewhere. The main sources used in this work are hieroglyphic inscriptions from Yaxchilan: lintels 11, 35, 37, and 49 and Hieroglyphic Stairway 1. These texts contain a list of local kings and a brief description of their military triumphs. In particular, it is mentioned that Jatz’oom Jol, the seventh ruler of Yaxchilan, and his successor Yaxuun Bahlam II gained victories over Piedras Negras and seized important captives. A ruler of Piedras Negras called Itzam K'an Ahk is mentioned in connection with both wars. Jatz’oom Jol captured Itzam K'an Ahk himself in the second half of the 450s at the earliest, and Yaxuun Bahlam II captured a military commander who served Itzam K'an Ahk in the late 460s or 470s. The opinion that two different rulers who successively sit on the throne of Piedras Negras, Itzam K'an Ahk I ("Ruler A") and Itzam K'an Ahk II ("Ruler B"), are mentioned on the Yaxchilan triumphal monuments is firmly established in historiography. However, having two successive Maya kings with the same name on the throne would have run contrary to the established practice of changing regnal names: the direct heir to the throne never repeated the name of their predecessor in the history of Yaxchilan and Piedras Negras. Besides that, the monuments from Yaxchilan only mention the capture of the enemy king, not his death. Maya history is replete with examples of defeated rulers returning home after being captured and ruling their kingdoms for many more years. This is what may have happened to Itzam K'an Ahk I. However, there is a plausible explanation for his being mentioned twice that is even simpler. Subordinate rulers and dignitaries in Classic Maya society maintained a personal relationship with their overlords even after the death of the latter. A military commander from Piedras Negras could remain a man of Itzam K'an Ahk I even if his suzerain had died in captivity long before the second war. Therefore, there are no sufficient grounds for distinguishing between the early Piedras Negras kings Itzam K'an Ahk I and Itzam K'an Ahk II. It is much more likely that the same person, namely the enemy king Itzam K'an Ahk I, is mentioned in the inscriptions in Yaxchilan and the list of rulers of Piedras Negras requires correction.

Colonial Policy of Russia and Samachablo

The political history of Samachablo (Didi Liakhvi Gorge) is closely related to the fight of the representatives of the Georgian Royal House and the feudal aristocracy against the Russian authorities that had become active since 1802. Although several members of the clan of the Machabeli feudal lords were in the service of the Russian government, their overall attitude was sharply anti-Russian. The Machabels took an active position in the actions against Russia’s colonial policy and fought in support of members of the Kartli-Kakheti Royal House. The rebellious Georgian princes tried to form a united front against the Russians. In the pursuit of the common goal of the Caucasians, they also relied on the support of the Ossetians, which were loyal to the Royal House. Georgian historical sources have retained a lot of information on the active relations of the Georgian kings with the Ossetians living in the North Caucasus, which often fought side by side with the Georgians during the invasions of foreign enemies. The Emperor’s Court of Russia exerted a political pressure on the small nations in the Caucasus region. Ossetians also could not escape the Russian aggression. The German traveller Güldenstädt narrates of the Ossetian population's confrontation with Russian troops that often resulted in casualties on the part of the Ossetians. The support from Ossetians for Georgia occupied by Russia soon became evident. Vakhtang Batonishvili, who rebelled in 1802, was actively assisted by Ossetians from Tagauri, because of which, Russian General Tuchkov imposed economic sanctions on the Ossetians. This meant that the Ossetians were prevented from importing grains from the lowland. This was, of course, a major blow to the Ossetians living in the mountains. In 1804, Governor-General Tsitsianov also tried to block the road for the Ossetians from Tagauri in order to prevent them from connecting further to Georgia. Russia had become a common enemy for the peoples living in the Caucasus. Therefore, the representatives of the Court of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti tried to take mutual efforts against Russia. Georgian princes placed special hopes on the Ossetians, which were their historical allies.

宋人不言慶曆“新政”“新法”“變法”考———基於觀念史的個案研究

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.
 宋人雖常以“新法”“變法”“新政”賅括熙豐政事，但未曾以這些詞彙歸納慶曆之政；當代文史著作常言“慶曆新政”，這説法卻不見於清代以前文獻，原因何在？本文考析宋人慶曆書寫，指出：（1）熙豐變法時期宋人從未直接比較范、王改革主張，也不曾認爲慶曆、熙寧更革是可比的對象，這些聯繫待朱熹而後始。今人或曰熙豐變法之時，慶曆革新派趨於保守，這固屬當代觀點，卻非宋人認識；（2）范仲淹故後，對其顯有貶評者只有梅堯臣、宋神宗、王安石三例，後二者對范的批評，反映熙豐變法主事者並不完全認同慶曆改革；（3）歐陽修等慶曆當事人認爲范仲淹改革失敗皆因“群言營營，卒壞於成”，可是徽宗朝以後卻出現“慶曆之治”説法，其内涵又被簡化爲仁宗能“開納直言，善御群臣，賢必進，邪必退”。這説法無法揭示慶曆之政真正特色，又故意忽略慶曆改革主事者因“衆訾成波，擠落在外”的事實，卻有利於范仲淹作爲忠義第一人形象的建立；（4）宋人從不曾認爲慶曆之政有違祖宗之法，這是宋人不言慶曆“新”政的根本原因。南宋以後論者以范仲淹爲“守我宋之家法者”，進一步確立這觀點。
 When Song-Dynasty people summarized the political situation of the Xining (1068-1077) and Yuanfeng (1078-1085) eras, they used the terms “new laws,” “reform of laws,” and “new policies,” but the Qingli era (1041-1048) was never treated in the same way. The term “New Policies of the Qingli era” is commonly used in contemporary scholarship of Chinese history, but this term was not in existence in the literature before the Qing Dynasty. What is the reason for these phenomena? The present study analyzes Song people’s writing on Qingli and makes the following arguments:
 (1) During the Xining-Yuanfeng reform, Song people had never directly compared the reformist advocacy of Fan Zhongyan (989 1052) and that of Wang Anshi (1021-1086), nor had they ever considered the Qingli and Xining-Yuanfeng reforms comparable, until Zhu Xi (1130-1200) made such a comparison. Today’s view that the Qingli reform advocacy was deemed conservative during the Xining-Yuanfeng reform movement was never so perceived by Song people. (2) After Fan’s death, he was explicitly criticized by Mei Yaochen (1002-1060), Emperor Shenzong of the Song (r. 1067 1085), and Wang Anshi only. The criticisms by the latter two indicate that the Xining-Yuanfeng reform leaders did not completely agree with the Qingli reform. (3) Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072) and the other leaders of the Qingli reform held that Fan’s failure was due to the extensive wave of criticisms the reform had triggered. However, during the reign of Emperor Huizong (r. 1100-1126), a positive view emerged, coming with it inarguable narratives that describe the reform as a sign of Emperor Renzong’s (r. 1022-1063) willingness to accept advice. Unable to reveal the Qingli reform’s true features, this opinion deliberately ignores the historical fact that the Qingli advocates were lambasted and thus demoted, but helps construct Fan’s personal image as a most loyal person. (4) Song people had never considered that the Qingli reform violated the ancestral custom of the Song Dynasty, and this is the very reason why they had never referred to it as “new policies.” This argument was further supported by the opinion of Southern Song critics, who viewed Fan as a protector of the traditional norms laid down by the ancestors of the Song Dynasty’s royal house.

Metaphorical Modeling of Reality in Public Discourse of the Spanish Monarch Felipe VI

The purpose of the article is to study metaphorical modeling of reality, one of the most effective means of verbal impact on the audience, in public speeches of the Spanish monarch Felipe VI (2014–2022) in the current political context of Spain (2017–2022). The article presents a systematic analysis of anthropomorphic, militaristic, domestic, artifact-related, orientational and spatial metaphors following the communicative strategies and ideologemes used by the Spanish King in public discourse. The study is based on J. Lakoff and M. Johnson’s theory of conceptual metaphor, as well as on the ideas of A. Chudinov and E. Budaev developing political metaphorology in linguo-pragmatic and discursive perspectives. The analyzed material includes Felipe VI’s public speeches from 2014 to 2022 available on the website of the Spanish Royal House. The article states that metaphors, being a mental and linguo-social phenomenon, are widely used in modern propaganda and political discourse by state and government leaders. The results of the study show that metaphors in the Spanish monarch’s public discourse describe the constantly changing realia of political, social and economic life of the country. In the speeches delivered to the nation, metaphors promote ideas and basic principles in order to impact the addressee’s worldview, performing as a means of advocating, interpretation and cooperation strategies. Also, they can be regarded as an important characteristic of the Spanish King’s discourse because they may influence the citizens’ perception of socio-political realia. In the Spanish King’s speeches delivered abroad, metaphors are primarily used to create a positive image of Spain and convey the main principles of existence of the European Union within the framework of a country presenting and declarative strategy.

Kings, Treasures, and Looting: The Evolution of Sovereign Immunity and the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act

Last year witnessed the conclusion of a long-fought dispute between a private party and a foreign government over an art collection with significant cultural value. It involved a treasure of ecclesiastical objects dating back to Medieval Germany that had once belonged to the royal House of Guelph and housed in the muralled medieval Brunswick Cathedral in Braunschweig, Germany. Ultimately, after over a decade of fighting, the controversy’s resolution did not involve an ownership determination by a U.S. court. Rather, the high court abstained from making a determination and instead declined to exercise jurisdiction over Germany. The lack of decision was not surprising, particularly in light of delicate foreign policy issues at play and the importance of keeping the judiciary out of international political disputes. The court’s unanimous decision was consistent with prior holdings, and so perhaps it was foreseeable that the court did not examine the merits of the ownership claims. However, a line of cases against Greece, Switzerland, and Italy did come as a shock, because they involved claims against foreign countries for asserting ownership interests in antiquities that were suspected of having been looted. Never before had governments been sued for their actions regulating the antiquities market and working to protect cultural artifacts.