Courtier

Derived from the Anglo-Norman ‘corteiour’ and the Old French ‘cortoyeur’, the word ‘courtier’ identified those who frequented a sovereign's court, princely residence, or household. ¹ Although the seat of English political power and national sovereignty, the court was often perceived as a separate space from the rest of the country. ² As a governmental, scholarly and artistic centre, as well as a hub of conspicuous consumption, the court functioned as a contact zone, a meeting point which fomented a regular interaction between different English and foreign political and cultural actors. ³ These included not only foreign ambassadors, but also the entourages of foreign queens such as Anne of Denmark, Henrietta Maria, and Catherine of Braganza, as well as the foreign artists and scholars serving at the court. ⁴ All these actors tended to share similar cultural and intellectual references, as well as an aristocratic or courtly habitus which reinforced the links between the English court and other European courtly centres.