ABSTRACT
The consort was at the centre of the dynastic system, for it was through her body that the dynasty she married into survived. With examples taken from courts in Berlin, London, Madrid, Munich, Naples, Paris, Stockholm and Vienna, this chapter discusses how status, territorial gain and confession were the reasons why a particular consort was chosen, not biology. It describes what life was like for a consort at her marital court and the pressure she was under to produce an heir, analyses to what extent she could exert political influence and how she negotiated key relationships with her mother-in-law and her husband’s mistresses. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the consort’s household.
