Spatializing the Body Politic: The Building Projects of Charles II and the Renegotiation of Monarchy

Abstract

This dissertation explores how architecture engaged with political theories in 17th-century Britain by examining the palace building projects of Charles II. After a series of Civil Wars, the regicide of Charles I, the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a non-monarchic government, Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. He was faced with the task of rehabilitating and renegotiating the image and concept of kingship. The debates over sovereignty and governance throughout the period meant that the architecture considered in this dissertation did not simply reflect an established and unshakeable tenet, but instead acted to reify political theories, especially the concept of the king’s two bodies. Through an examination of the remodelings of Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the new project of Winchester Palace, this dissertation explores how the body politic was spatialized in Restoration Britain.