ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book traces suggestive of the ways in which Prince Charles's taste in art and clothes were influenced by his Spanish enviroment. It examines the way that ephermeral objects, style of dress, tailoring and accessories such jewels, hats and gloves, inflected Charles's delicate negotiation of cultural differences. The book also examines in detail the printed accounts associated with the visit, the festival texts and their translation and dissemination in England. It analyses the political functions served by Charles's entertainments, using previously unpublished material from Madrid's municipal archives, as well as contemporary pamphlets and eyewitness accounts. The book focuses on the public ritual and ceremonial provided by the Spanish court to celebrate Charles's visit, from his Royal Entry to the numerous public entertainments that ranged from bullfights, comedias, hunting, feasting and tournaments, to visits to other royal palaces and towns in Spain.
