The afterlife of a Stuart Princess in Victorian culture: Sarah Betts

This talk explores the afterlife of Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of Charles I, and how her untimely death reverberated in Victorian culture. Exploring a range of sources, from history-genre paintings to newspapers and diaries, it will discuss how Elizabeth's memory was shaped into a tragic and fascinating story by Queen Victoria and others, that reveals fresh perspectives on the relationship between visual culture, historicism, and traditions of commemoration in Victorian society. 

Sarah Betts is a PhD student at the University of York, working on the cultural memory of the English Civil War. She has published on royal history, memories of conflict, and history on television.

Admission is free, no booking necessary.

Princess Elizabeth in Prison at St James' by John Everett Millais, 1879