5 Favourites and flunkeys
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Jennifer Mori
Abstract
British diplomats were, first and foremost, watchers and their dispatches were dominated by the health and doings of the king, his ministers, and the fortunes of factions and favourites at court. This chapter reports the instances of support for, or protest against, royal policies, both foreign and domestic, in addition to confrontations between major interest groups in the state, most notably the clergy, the military, the nobility and, occasionally, other corporate groups. Competent diplomacy therefore involved the maintenance of cordial communications and active diplomacy was devoted to the improvement of relations between states. Much has been made of the congress system's failings and its introduction affected diplomatic practice in important ways. In the process of doing so, the attention of the corps began to shift away from the doings of royals and nobles towards the public in its various manifestations.
Abstract
British diplomats were, first and foremost, watchers and their dispatches were dominated by the health and doings of the king, his ministers, and the fortunes of factions and favourites at court. This chapter reports the instances of support for, or protest against, royal policies, both foreign and domestic, in addition to confrontations between major interest groups in the state, most notably the clergy, the military, the nobility and, occasionally, other corporate groups. Competent diplomacy therefore involved the maintenance of cordial communications and active diplomacy was devoted to the improvement of relations between states. Much has been made of the congress system's failings and its introduction affected diplomatic practice in important ways. In the process of doing so, the attention of the corps began to shift away from the doings of royals and nobles towards the public in its various manifestations.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
- Part I: The structure of a service 17
- 1 Why diplomacy? 21
- 2 Entrance, training and promotion 41
- 3 Family, sex and marriage 62
- Part II: Of cabbages and kings 87
- 4 Etiquette and ‘face’ 91
- 5 Favourites and flunkeys 106
- 6 Gossips, networks and news 124
- Part III: Beyond the call of duty 149
- 7 The Grand Tour 151
- 8 From ancients to moderns 167
- 9 War, ethnography and religion 188
- Conclusion 211
- Appendix A Male diplomats, 1750–1830 219
- Appendix B Female diplomats, 1750–1830 227
- Select primary source bibliography 232
- Index 239
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Preface vii
- Abbreviations viii
- Introduction 1
- Part I: The structure of a service 17
- 1 Why diplomacy? 21
- 2 Entrance, training and promotion 41
- 3 Family, sex and marriage 62
- Part II: Of cabbages and kings 87
- 4 Etiquette and ‘face’ 91
- 5 Favourites and flunkeys 106
- 6 Gossips, networks and news 124
- Part III: Beyond the call of duty 149
- 7 The Grand Tour 151
- 8 From ancients to moderns 167
- 9 War, ethnography and religion 188
- Conclusion 211
- Appendix A Male diplomats, 1750–1830 219
- Appendix B Female diplomats, 1750–1830 227
- Select primary source bibliography 232
- Index 239
