Performing the Many Roles of Queenship: Mary II as a Character in Dutch Songs

During Mary II’s reign (1689-1694), several dialogue songs were written and performed in the Dutch Republic that featured her as a named character. This article studies five songs in which the character of Mary plays a number of roles, including daughter, wife, naval commander, and above all else, Queen of England. Building on previous research on queenship, studies of royal family loyalty, and recent work in performance theory, this article examines how these songs aided in constructing and interrogating queenship through performance. Through analysis of the songs, three intersections of powe... Mehr ...