Дипломатический церемониал приема сестры британского посланника при дворе Екатерины II

Электронный научно-образовательный журнал "История". 2023. Т. 14. № 9.

Новикова А. Д.

Referring to relevant approaches of New Diplomatic History, this article looks into aceremonial reception for the British envoy’s sister by a Russian court. Although theprocedure for introducing diplomatic spouses to European monarchs in the eighteenthcentury has been studied in depth, the issue of resolving ceremonial disputes remainsunanswered. The case of arrival of James Harris together with his wife and sister inRussia in 1777 invites us to re-examine women’s participation in diplomatic ceremoniesat the Russian Imperial Court. Miss Harris, not being de juro an official member of thediplomatic corps (that is, neither wife nor daughter of a designated male), de facto wasan agent of diplomatic action. She was presented to the Russian court, thought acceptedrules did not allow unmarried women to attend court functions. This article draws on aset of archival unpublished diaries of Katherine Harris which are devoted to courtpresentations and rituals as well as miss Harris’s assessment of courtiers and Russiannoble society. The article concludes that, contrary to popular opinion, diplomaticprotocol at Catherinian court was flexible. So, despite the prohibition for unmarriedwomen to enter the palace, the imperial court greeted Katherine Harris as anambassadress. Meanwhile, Catherine II perceived some rituals as an indispensableprerequisite (for example, the kissing of the sovereign’s hands).

Keywords: Россия, Великобритания, Russia, Екатерина II, Great Britain, Дипломатия, new diplomatic history, Catherine II, Russian court, Европейская дипломатия, церемониал, diplomatic ceremonial, российский двор, European diplomacy