The 'Sailor Prince' in the Age of Empire: Creating a Monarchical Brand in Nineteenth-Century Europe (Palgrave Studies in Modern Monarchy)

This book explores the puzzling phenomenon of the remarkable revival of monarchy in nineteenth-century Europe through a new prism: the public persona of the ‘Sailor Prince’. It highlights how four usually overlooked dynastic figures – the younger sons and brothers of monarchs such as Queen Victoria or Emperor William II – decisively helped to advertise their respective dynasties in the fiercely contested political and popular mass market, by aligning them with one of the most myth-invested cultural presences and power-political symbols of the Age of Empire: the navy. __The 'Sailor Prince' in the Age of Empire__ traces the unusual professional careers, the adventurous empire travels and the multifaceted public representations of Prince Alfred of Britain (1844-1900), Prince Heinrich of Prussia (1862-1929), Prince Valdemar of Denmark (1858-1939) and Prince Georgios of Greece (1869-1957). Through the prism of these four personality brands, the study also investigates issues such as the role of the maritime sphere in national identity, the nature and extent of nineteenth-century monarchical modernization, the relevance of intra- and inter-imperial royal diplomacy in the Age of High Imperialism, and the curious collaboration of middle-class opinion-makers and entrepreneurs with Europe’s monarchical establishment. "This book explores the puzzling phenomenon of the remarkable revival of monarchy in nineteenth-century Europe through a new prism: the public persona of the 'Sailor Prince'. It highlights how four usually overlooked dynastic figures - the younger sons and brothers of monarchs such as Queen Victoria or Emperor William II - decisively helped to advertise their respective dynasties in the fiercely contested political and popular mass market, by aligning them with one of the most myth-invested cultural presences and power-political symbols of the Age of Empire: the navy. The 'Sailor Prince' in the Age of Empire traces the unusual professional careers, the adventurous empire travels and the multifaceted public representations of Prince Alfred of Britain (1844-1900), Prince Heinrich of Prussia (1862-1929), Prince Valdemar of Denmark (1858-1939) and Prince Georgios of Greece (1869-1957). Through the prism of these four personality brands, the study also investigates issues such as the role of the maritime sphere in national identity, the nature and extent of nineteenth-century monarchical modernization, the relevance of intra- and inter-imperial royal diplomacy in the Age of High Imperialism, and the curious collaboration of middle-class opinion-makers and entrepreneurs with Europe's monarchical establishment."-- Provided by publisher Acknowledgements 7 Contents 9 List of Figures 10 Chapter 1 Introduction: A Royal Prince Who Is also a Sailor 12 References 25 Chapter 2 Monarchy at Sea: The Maritime Dimension of Nationalization 28 Prince Alfred and the ‘Island Nation’ 30 Prince Valdemar and the ‘Sea Folk’ 40 Prince Heinrich and the ‘Window Out to the Sea’ 50 Prince Georgios and the ‘Greeks of the Sea’ 60 Conclusion 70 References 82 Chapter 3 Princes in Disguise: The Myths of Equality and Professionalism 91 Educations in Transition 95 Sailors in the Making 103 The Limits of Equality 114 Between Performance and Destiny 125 Conclusion 139 References 153 Chapter 4 To the Empire’s Ends: Mobility in a Globalizing World 159 Imperial Webs 163 Colonial Repercussions 179 Royal Go-Betweens 186 Cosmopolitan Nationalists 198 Conclusion 207 References 219 Chapter 5 Princes Living on the Edge: Celebrity and the Markets 229 Ad-Ventures of Empire 233 The Making of a Brand 244 Winning Hearts and Minds 260 Conclusion 271 References 281 Chapter 6 Conclusion: A Brand Enters Series Production 287 References 296 Note on Sources 298 Index 308 Front Matter ....Pages i-xii Introduction: A Royal Prince Who Is also a Sailor (Miriam Magdalena Schneider)....Pages 1-16 Monarchy at Sea: The Maritime Dimension of Nationalization (Miriam Magdalena Schneider)....Pages 17-79 Princes in Disguise: The Myths of Equality and Professionalism (Miriam Magdalena Schneider)....Pages 81-148 To the Empire’s Ends: Mobility in a Globalizing World (Miriam Magdalena Schneider)....Pages 149-218 Princes Living on the Edge: Celebrity and the Markets (Miriam Magdalena Schneider)....Pages 219-276 Conclusion: A Brand Enters Series Production (Miriam Magdalena Schneider)....Pages 277-287 Back Matter ....Pages 289-309 Miriam Magdalena Schneider. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 289-298) And Index.