University of Highlands and Islands to host country's first ‘Kings and Queens' conference

This first international Royal Studies Network ‘Kings and Queens' conference to be held in Scotland will be hosted by the University of the Highlands and Islands online from June 29 to July 2.

This year's four-day event ‘Royal Patronage: material culture, built heritage and the reach of the Crown' features over 110 speakers from around the world.

Working with heritage partners at Historic Environment Scotland, Culture Perth and Kinross and Historic Royal Palaces, the conference seeks to extend and encourage further working partnerships between heritage professionals and academics.

It also includes a cook-along dinner hosted by the ‘Grant MacNicol at the Castle' restaurant at Dornoch Castle and a digital tour of Linlithgow Palace by Historic Environment Scotland.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the conference marks a decade since the founding of the Royal Studies Network in 2012. The conference series was set up by Dr Elena Woodacre, University of Winchester. and brings together international academics and students in the field of royal studies hosted by a different university each year.

Lead organiser Dr Lucy Dean, at the university's Centre for History, said: "This is the first time that the Kings and Queens conference has taken place in Scotland and we were sad not to be hosting people ‘live' in the Royal City of Perth. So it has been crucial to imbue the conference with a sense of place and culture, as well as to make sure that there are lots of opportunities for the social and networking activities that are often lost putting conferences like this online.

"It is important to us that we use research events to offer our students further opportunities, experiences, and skills beyond a classroom as well as in it."

Co-organiser and colleague at the Centre for History Dr Amy Hayes added: "The vast experience and know-how in using technology to deliver online teaching at the university has allowed us to transition the conference online. It's also a great opportunity for our students to understand how an academic conference works including the technical aspects of online event production."

More details and register: www.royalstudiesnetwork.org

Registration closes on June18.

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