Paper short abstract:

One way of promoting interest in the court was by sending gifts to other courts, thereby creating more intimate contact with distant relatives. Some of these gifts were portraits, the exchange of royal portraits served to disseminate images of the monarchs more widely

Paper long abstract:

Women were primarily defined by their family ties. They were given political assignments and court roles that promoted the interests of their families and children; they acted as "ambassadors" for their families. Mariana sent many gifts to French and Austrian courts because they were close family, also because in times of conflict and weakness, it was crucially important to be able to count on family support.

Affections and politics went hand in hand and gift-giving was a way to court favour, and develop closer links with the recipient. Rare and expensive gifts were given to mark the importance of the occasion. The Court gift played a fundamental role in personal relationships; it announced one's social status and was proof of the generosity of the giver

These gifts may have reduced distances between family members, but they also reinforced hierarchies.