Staff profile

Toby Osborne is interested in early-modern court history and diplomatic culture. He has worked on the Piedmontese diplomat, abbé and art patron, Alessandro Scaglia (1592-1641), known throughout the courts of Europe, from London to Rome, during the period of the Thirty Years’ War. His work has a strong international character, with a focus on Catholic Europe and the Italian peninsula. He is currently working on several strands of research, including the papal court, the competition for status and prestige amongst the dynastic powers of Italy, the subject of exile in the seventeenth century, and international diplomatic culture. He would welcome interest in early-modern court and elite history, covering Britain and Europe.

• dynastic politics in early modern Europe
• the courts of Catholic Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean region

Authored book

• Dynasty and Diplomacy in the Court of Savoy: Political Culture and the Thirty Years’ War
  
  Osborne, T. (2002). Dynasty and Diplomacy in the Court of Savoy: Political Culture and the Thirty Years’ War. Cambridge University Press.

Chapter in book

• Papal Diplomacy during and since the Ancien Régime
  
  Osborne, T. (2025). Papal Diplomacy during and since the Ancien Régime. In J. Rollo-Koster, R. A. Ventresca, M. H. Eichbauer, & M. Pattenden (Eds.), The Cambridge History of the Papacy (pp. 618-644). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108750608.029
• European Diplomacy and the Early Modern Court
  
  Osborne, T. (2024). European Diplomacy and the Early Modern Court. In D. Goetze & L. Oetzel (Eds.), Early Modern European Diplomacy: A Handbook (pp. 403-418). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110672008-020
• Diplomatic Ceremonial in Early Modern Europe
  
  Osborne, T. (2024). Diplomatic Ceremonial in Early Modern Europe. In D. Goetze & L. Oetzel (Eds.), Early Modern European Diplomacy (pp. 579-592). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110672008-030
• Diplomatic culture in early modern Rome
  
  Osborne, T. (2019). Diplomatic culture in early modern Rome. In P. Jones, S. Ditchfield, & B. Wisch (Eds.), A companion to Early Modern Rome, 1492-1692. (pp. 60-74). Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004391963_005
• Diplomatic Ceremonial
  
  Osborne, T. (2018). Diplomatic Ceremonial. In G. Martel (Ed.), The encyclopedia of diplomacy.. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118885154.dipl0409
• The Thirty Years' War
  
  Osborne, T. (2018). The Thirty Years’ War. In G. Martel (Ed.), The encyclopedia of diplomacy.. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118885154.dipl0486
• Treaty of Westphalia/Peace of Münster (1648)
  
  Osborne, T. (2018). Treaty of Westphalia/Peace of Münster (1648). In G. Martel (Ed.), The encyclopedia of diplomacy.. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118885154.dipl0495
• Confessional (Reformation) Diplomacy
  
  Osborne, T. (2018). Confessional (Reformation) Diplomacy. In G. Martel (Ed.), The encyclopedia of diplomacy.. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118885154.dipl0404
• Translation, International Relations and Diplomacy
  
  Osborne, T. (2018). Translation, International Relations and Diplomacy. In S.-A. Harding & O. Carbonell Cortés (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of translation and culture. (pp. 517-532). Routledge.
• England and Savoy: dynastic intimacy and cultural relations under the early Stuarts
  
  Osborne, T. (2017). England and Savoy: dynastic intimacy and cultural relations under the early Stuarts. In P. Bianchi & K. Wolfe (Eds.), Turin and the British in the Age of the Grand Tour (pp. 25-26). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316556276.004
• Delineating Early Modern Factions: A Unique 17th Century Document
  
  Osborne, T. (2017). Delineating Early Modern Factions: A Unique 17th Century Document. In R. González Cuerva & A. Koller (Eds.), A Europe of courts, a Europe of factions : political groups at early modern centres of power (1550-1700). (pp. 219-250). Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004350588_012
• Anthony van Dyck: A Painter-Diplomat of the Thirty Years' War?
  
  Osborne, T. (2016). Anthony van Dyck: A Painter-Diplomat of the Thirty Years’ War?. In L. Duerloo & M. Smuts (Eds.), The Age of Rubens. Diplomacy, Dynastic Politics and the Visual Arts in Early Seventeenth-Century Europe (pp. 181-196). Brepols Publishers.
• Statecraft and the Role of the Diplomat in Ducal Savoy: the Career of Alessandro Scaglia (1592-1641)
  
  Osborne, T. (2016). Statecraft and the Role of the Diplomat in Ducal Savoy: the Career of Alessandro Scaglia (1592-1641). In P. M. Dover (Ed.), Secretaries and Statecraft in the Early Modern World (pp. 140-154). Edinburgh University Press.
• 1629-1635
  
  Osborne, T. (2014). 1629-1635. In O. Asbach & P. Schroder (Eds.), The Ashgate Research Companion to the Thirty Years’ War (pp. 139-150). Ashgate Publishing.
• Language and Sovereignty. The Use of Titles and Savoy's Royal Declaration of 1632
  
  Osborne, T. (2014). Language and Sovereignty. The Use of Titles and Savoy’s Royal Declaration of 1632. In S. Alyn Stacey (Ed.), Political, Religious and and Social Conflict in the States of Savoy, 1400-1700 (pp. 15-34). Peter Lang.
• The House of Savoy and the Theatre of the World: performances of sovereignty in early-modern Rome
  
  Osborne, T. (2013). The House of Savoy and the Theatre of the World: performances of sovereignty in early-modern Rome. In M. Vester (Ed.), Sabaudian Studies: Political Culture, Dynasty, and Territory, 1400–1700 (pp. 167-190). Truman State University Press.
• 'Notre grand dessein': O projecto de casamento entre o Duque Victor Amadeu e a Infanta Isabel Luisa e a politica dinastica dos Saboia (1675-82)
  
  Osborne, T. (2012). ’Notre grand dessein’: O projecto de casamento entre o Duque Victor Amadeu e a Infanta Isabel Luisa e a politica dinastica dos Saboia (1675-82). In M. A. Lopes & B. A. Raviola (Eds.), Portugal e o Piemonte: a casa real portuguesa e os Sabóias. Nove séculos de relações dinásticas e destinos políticos (XII-XX) (pp. 211-238). Coimbra University Press.
• Renaissance Diplomacy and the Early Modern State
  
  Osborne, T. (2012). Renaissance Diplomacy and the Early Modern State. In P. Eich, S. Schmidt-Hofner, & C. Wieland (Eds.), Der wiederkehrende Leviathan: Staatlichkeit und Staatswerdung in Spätantike und Früher Neuzeit (pp. 117-138). Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg.
• A Queen Mother in exile: Marie de Medicis in the Spanish Netherlands and England, 1631-41
  
  Osborne, T. (2011). A Queen Mother in exile: Marie de Medicis in the Spanish Netherlands and England, 1631-41. In P. Mansel & T. Riotte (Eds.), Monarchy and Exile: The Politics of legitimacy from Marie de Medicis to Wilhelm II (pp. 17-43). Palgrave Macmillan.
• Interessi territoriali e prestigio dinastico. La Casa Savoia e la Corte di Roma durante il pontificato di Paolo V Borghese
  
  Osborne, T. (2008). Interessi territoriali e prestigio dinastico. La Casa Savoia e la Corte di Roma durante il pontificato di Paolo V Borghese. In A. Koller (Ed.), Die Außenbeziehungen der römischen Kurie unter Paul V. Borghese (1605-1621) (pp. 285-299). Niemeyer.

Journal Article

• Whither Diplomatic History? An Early Modern Historian's Perspective
  
  Osborne, T. (2019). Whither Diplomatic History? An Early Modern Historian’s Perspective. Diplomatica., 1(1), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.1163/25891774-00101007
• Introduction: Diplomacy and Cultural Translation in the Early Modern World
  
  Osborne, T., & Rubiés, J.-P. (2016). Introduction: Diplomacy and Cultural Translation in the Early Modern World. Journal of Early Modern History, 20(4), 313-330. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700658-12342502
• The surrogate war between the Savoys and the Medici: sovereignty and precedence in early modern Italy
  
  Osborne, T. (2007). The surrogate war between the Savoys and the Medici: sovereignty and precedence in early modern Italy. International History Review, 29(1), 1-21.
• Van Dyck, Alessandro Scaglia and the Caroline court: friendship, collecting and diplomacy in the early seventeenth century
  
  Osborne, T. (2007). Van Dyck, Alessandro Scaglia and the Caroline court: friendship, collecting and diplomacy in the early seventeenth century. Seventeenth Century, 22, 24-41.
• 'Chimeres, monopolies and stratagems': French exiles in the Spanish Netherlands during the Thirty Years' War
  
  Osborne, T. (2000). ’Chimeres, monopolies and stratagems’: French exiles in the Spanish Netherlands during the Thirty Years’ War. Seventeenth Century, 15, 149-74.
• Abbot Scaglia, the Duke of Buckingham and Anglo-Savoyard relations during the 1620s
  
  Osborne, T. (2000). Abbot Scaglia, the Duke of Buckingham and Anglo-Savoyard relations during the 1620s. European History Quarterly, 30, 5-32.
• The Scaglia di Verrua: aristocratic power at the court of Savoy during the early seventeenth century
  
  Osborne, T. (1999). The Scaglia di Verrua: aristocratic power at the court of Savoy during the early seventeenth century. Studi Piemontesi, 28, 367-90.
• In the service of Savoy: Abbate Alessandro Scaglia (1592-1641)
  
  Osborne, T. (1997). In the service of Savoy: Abbate Alessandro Scaglia (1592-1641). The Court Historian, 2, 29-38.

Working Paper

• Language and sovereignty: titles of address and the royal edict of 1632
  
  Osborne, T. (2013). Language and sovereignty: titles of address and the royal edict of 1632 (A. S. Stacey, Ed.).