Welcome to the Society for Court Studies!

Founded in September 1995, the Society for Court Studies is the leading international academic society for the examination of royal and princely courts and households from antiquity to the present. The Society for Court Studies has become an integral part of the study of the past from multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary and international perspectives.

In the pages that follow, we bring you the latest information, opportunities, and resources on court studies to support students and educators, early career researchers, and established scholars. Check out the Society’s journal, The Court Historian, the leading periodical in the field of court studies for the past 29 years. We encourage you to become a member, make use of the resources contained here, and let us know how we can assist you. Thank you for visiting the Society for Court Studies!

News and Announcements

Open call for Deputy Chair of the European branch

The European branch of the Society for Court Studies is seeking to appoint a Deputy Chair. The European branch is dedicated to carrying out the Society’s mission to grow and develop a strong community of interdisciplinary scholars, support to all members from early career researchers to independent scholars, and the development of research and engagement opportunities in the field of court studies. As a voluntary, but important and visible, position of responsibility, the Deputy Chair will play a vital role in the leadership, management and administration of the European branch and ensures the development and implementation of initiatives for the Society’s mission. The position does require a specific time commitment, but this can be planned around other responsibilities. The Deputy Chair will work closely with and shadow the Chair to learn and assist in the running of the European branch, including adhering to the Society’s constitution and organisational policies, liaising with the Executive Committee, and assist with carrying out the key responsibilities and tasks of the Chair. The successful candidate will be someone: 1) with a desire and passion for court studies; 2) with supervisory and/or management experience; 3) with a wide range of editorial, digital and administrative skills; 4) who takes initiative, develops and executes long-term plans and solutions; and 5) who is a committed leader, team player, and willing to help others. Expressions of interest should be directed to the Chair of the European branch, Dr Dustin Neighbors. For consideration, please send an email and CV to . The deadline for consideration has been extended to 15 April 2024. Interested candidates will be provided with a full position description in due course.

2024 Annual Conference CFP Launch

The Society is excited to announce the details for the 2024 annual conference and launch the official CFP. The conference theme is “Courtly Experiences in the Premodern World, c. 1200-1800: Cultural, Material and Sensory Experiences in the World of the Court”. The conference will be held at Palacký University Olomouc in Olomouc, Czechia from 22 - 24 August 2024. Organised by the European Branch Committee in partnership with Palacký University Olomouc and support from the Centre for Research on Courts and Residences of the Institute of History at the Czech Academy of Sciences, this interdisciplinary conference will explore the intersections and nuances of courtly experiences in physical, material and sensory terms. Full CFP details (including a PDF of the CFP) is available on the Society’s website found here. Paper and panel proposals should be sent to . The deadline for proposals is 2 April 2024.

Bursary Winners – Fall 2023

The Society for Court Studies is happy to announce that there was not one but two bursaries awarded in the Fall cycle of 2023. Ms. Eter Edisherashvili, PhD student at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in Tbilisi, Georgia was awarded £250 to support a trip to the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens for her PhD research into illuminated charters issued by kings and nobles in late medieval Georgia.

The SCS awarded a second bursary of £250 to dr. Abigail Upshaw of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Dr. Upshaw will present a paper at the Renaissance Society of America’s annual conference in March 2024 titled “Leonardo da Vinci’s Wild Men,” examining a procession of uomini selvatici (wild men) costumed by Leonardo in honour of the marriage of his patron Ludovico Sforza to Beatrice d’Este. The SCS bursary will help pay for her travel arrangements.

We congratulate the winners and are looking forward to their reports, later this year. If you would like to avail of the SCS research and publication bursary, please send in your application before 15 March 2024 to or look for more information on our website.

Upcoming Seminars

SCS Lecture Series

Monday 15 April 2024, 6pm - Online via Zoom
Elisabeth Natour (University of Mainz) - ‘Contentious Sound? Music and Power in the reign of Charles I’ - registration.

Virtual Scholarship Series

AUTUMN 2024 PROGRAMME COMING SOON