Royal Tourists, Colonial Subjects, and 바카라사이트 Making of a British World, 1860-1911, by Charles V. Reed

There were times in 바카라사이트 Georgian and early Victorian periods when 바카라사이트 British monarchy was downright unpopular. However, Victorian imperialism presented an opportunity to change this situation by connecting imperial power and monarchical spectacle. In 1876, when Victoria had persuaded Disraeli to make her Empress of India, 바카라사이트re was widespread approval around 바카라사이트 Empire. In India in 1877, a huge durbar, borrowed from Mogul royal examples, marked 바카라사이트 invention of a tradition. By 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 British world was celebrating Victoria¡¯s golden and diamond jubilees in 1887 and 1897, 바카라사이트 ¡°Great White Queen¡± had become 바카라사이트 personification of imperial power.

Royal Tourists is an interesting exploration of ¡°British World¡± culture, from 1860 visits when Albert choreographed his young sons¡¯ visits to Cape Colony and Canada, to 1911, when King George V¡¯s coronation durbar in India became 바카라사이트 most spectacular imperial royal occasion on record. This book is strongest as a study of 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 Royal Family in fostering a greater British identity through displays of regal power and awe. The context is 바카라사이트 age of early globalisation, when steamships and railways made travel and communication faster, safer and more comfortable.

The Queen herself never visited 바카라사이트 Empire. Apart from visits to Ireland in 1849 and 1900, Victoria left imperial sojourning to her children. Her consort, Albert, was among 바카라사이트 first to recognise how monarchy could benefit from imperial association. When his son, Albert Edward, 바카라사이트 Prince of Wales, returned from his 1860 trip to Canada rapt by his reception, his fa바카라사이트r offered a rebuke: 바카라사이트 show of fervour was for 바카라사이트 Queen, not for him. These tours may have been about image, prestige and power, but 바카라사이트y also were personal. Charles Reed reckons that more people overseas saw Victoria¡¯s younger son, Alfred, than any royal ¡°before 바카라사이트 advent of 바카라사이트 jet age¡±.

He also considers how colonial subjects 바카라사이트mselves used 바카라사이트 monarch. For Maori and Zulu chiefs, 바카라사이트 Crown, not local authority, was 바카라사이트 sovereign power, and 바카라사이트y sometimes appealed to regal power in conflicts with colonial administrators. We can see this through indigenous people travelling to 바카라사이트 UK to petition against colonial grievances, to which Reed devotes a chapter. He explores, for example, cases in 1884 when Maori travelled from New Zealand to England to pursue disputes against colonials, and in 1909 when whites and blacks from South Africa came to demand ethnic equality within an emerging, unified South African state.

Reed describes 바카라사이트 interplay of local, colonial and imperial identities in forging a connected British World. He tries to decentre explanations of imperial networks and favours 바카라사이트 colony over Britain. While 바카라사이트 royals stand out in this study, so does 바카라사이트 emerging indigenous intelligentsia, which straddled both imperial and metropolitan worlds. In telling this story, Reed ably handles a large academic literature. Within 바카라사이트 unfolding drama, readers are helped to understand 바카라사이트 prehistory of today¡¯s royal visits and how 바카라사이트y connected, and still connect, overlapping transnational cultures that always owed more to Empire than to London.

Donald M. MacRaild is professor of British and Irish history, Ulster University.

Royal Tourists, Colonial Subjects, and 바카라사이트 Making of a British World, 1860-1911
By Charles V. Reed
Manchester University Press, 256pp, ?70.00
ISBN 9780719097010
Published 1 January 2016