Religion and Confession as the Bedrock of Monarchy and Court in Early Modern Europe

At the moment of his coronation or succession, the early modern ruler, whether Catholic or Protestant, took on the role of bishop in the territory he ruled over. In addition, many rulers were imbued with a very real personal faith which underpinned their pious practices and those of their families. The first half of this article examines the monarch’s divine mandate and the reality of piety at court. The second half moves from the notion of religion as the foundation of the monarchical state, irrespective of confessional difference, to the impact that post-Reformation confessional divisions had on the lives of royal women by determining their marriage partners. It also discusses the way in which religion provided them with comfort in times of sorrow and the way in which they used the convent as a refuge from the world of the court.