Monday Seminar:
Kelsey Ihinger
Dana-Allen Dissertation Fellow (2017-2018)
In 1623, Charles, Prince of Wales, made an unprecedented visit to Spain. He traveled there under a false name and in disguise with the company of only the Duke of Buckingham and two servants. His goal was to win the hand of the Infanta María, sister to King Philip IV, in marriage. At the time, Charles’ adventure was widely reported on in Spain and throughout Europe. It was depicted in news pamphlets, popular ballads, court poetry, and plays. This presentation explores textual portrayals of the unanticipated visit, examining the way they prodded the boundaries of the historical genre. As fact intermingles with fiction, how will Spanish depictions of the English prince begin to create a national narrative for Philip IV, a young king who sought to establish his place as the leader of the world’s most powerful and pious empire?
Kelsey Ihinger is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the representation of England in early modern Spanish texts and the interplay between history and fiction in various literary genres. Kelsey graduated magna cum laude with her BA degree in Spanish and International Relations from Carleton College in 2010, was subsequently awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in Spain, and earned her MA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013. She is currently working to complete her dissertation, entitled “Historiopoetics in Early Modern Spain: Remembering Anglo-Spanish Encounters (1587-1623).”