Royal Voices : Language and Power in Tudor England

Through an exploration of the material and linguistic properties of Tudor royal texts, this book argues that Tudor royals and their subjects recognised an English 'royal voice' that symbolised monarchic power. Contemporary methods and concepts are used to illuminate and appraise the textual practices of the Tudor monarchy and their subjects.

The Tudors are one of the best known royal families in English history. Over three generations, they constructed and maintained their status and authority during a period of social, political and religious unrest. This book examines the textual basis of Tudor royal power. Through analyses of correspondence alongside genres including proclamations and historical chronicles, the book explores the visual and verbal practices that came to symbolise monarchic authority in the Tudor era. Mel Evans combines concepts from sociolinguistics and pragmatics with corpus linguistic methods to explore the characteristics of authentic English language Tudor texts, alongside materials reporting and appropriating royal language. The book reveals a pervasive sixteenth-century royal voice - one which is central to the articulation and perpetuation of Tudor monarchic power.