THE COURT OF FELIPE IV AND THE CONDE-DUQUE DE OLIVARES

Felipe IV of Spain, nicknamed el Rey Planeta, by his contemporaries, presided over a court that was both pious and secretly decadent. A ‘lazy king’, he was said to have ignored the good government of his country by relying too heavily on his valido, the  infamous Conde-Duque de Olivares, and devoting his time to collecting Old Masters, being painted himself by Velázquez, hunting, theatre-going and womanising. Felipe also presided over the beginning of the decline of the Spanish empire, and watched his children die until there was but one in-bred drooling son to follow him. This talk examines court life in Madrid between 1621-1665, and how some of the results of that period can be seen in Spain today.

 Biography of the author

Jane G. Harlond Arredondo grew up in the English West Country. Author of ‘Local Resistance’, ‘The Empress Emerald’ and ‘The Chosen Man’ (all published by Penmore Press), Jane writes thoroughly-researched, page-turning historical crime fiction that weaves fictional characters into real events. She is particularly interested in aspects of power; international intrigue and domestic politics are significant elements in her stories.

‘Dark Night, Black Horse’, a short novella, is a true story about a young boy who rescues his father’s favourite black stallion during the Spanish Civil War. This is now available in Spanish as ‘Noche Oscuro, Caballo Negro’.

Jane is a member of the prestigious British Historical Writers’ Association, the Historical Novel Society, and the British Society of Authors. Apart from fiction, Jane also writes school text books for Oxford University Press under her married name. She has a large family now settled in diverse parts of Spain and Europe. After travelling widely, she and her husband, a retired Spanish naval officer, are now settled in Coín.

Website: www.jgharlond.com
Blog ‘Reading & Writing’
Find Jane on Twitter: JG Harlond @JaneGHarlond