Arrayed in Gold

The Winter Princesses

2012-01-09T14:45:00.002+08:00

Daughters of Princess Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia

The Mother:

Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia

Elizabeth was the daughter of King James I and Anne of Denmark. She was thus a granddaughter of Mary, Queen of Scots. This beautiful and accomplished princess became known in history as the "Winter Queen" because of her short tenure as Queen of Bohemia. She was a rather fascinating character based from what I had gathered about her so far. Her four daughters are also quite interesting characters.

The Daughters:

Elizabeth

Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of the Winter Queen, and reputedly one of Europe's greatest beauties. Serious-minded and with profound intellectual attainments, she was one of the most learned women of her day. She was fluent in six languages, and was called "the Greek" because of her knowledge in classical languages. She developed a close friendship with writer and philosopher Rene Descartes, to whom she established and maintained a philosophical correspondence. Elisabeth never married despite plans to marry her off to a Polish king. A committed Protestant, she became the abbess of Herford Abbey in Germany.

Louise Hollandine
Louise, the second daughter, was born shortly after her parents' escape to Holland. She was a very talented artist and painter. She painted many portraits of her and her family, all of them could be mistaken for the work of a professional artist. She studied under the tutelage of Gerard van Honthorst, but she can be considered an "amateur". Like her sister Elisabeth, she was inclined towards intellectual pursuits, but in contrast to her sister, Louise possessed a passionate nature. She converted to Catholicism, much to the dismay of her devoutly Protestant family, and fled to France.

Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria was described as gentle and sweet-tempered. She was a "homemaker" sort of princess. She had a great talent in embroidery, preserve-making, and confectionery, and was at her happiest when she was at the kitchen. She was the only blonde daughter in the family, and her sister Sophia considered her the beauty of the family. She married Prince Sigmund of Siebenbergen in Transylvania when she was 24. She had an extremely happy married life, but unfortunately, she died five months after the wedding. She was buried in her wedding gown and pearls.

Sophia, Electress of Hanover

Sophia, the best known of the Elizabeth's daughters, was the youngest daughter of the family. She was a well-educated woman, very accomplished, strong-willed, and possessed a sharp tongue. When she was 28, she married Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Luneberg, and had several children. One of them was the future King George I of Britain.

Amalia of Oldenburg, Queen of Greece

2012-01-03T18:10:00.001+08:00

Queen Amalia was the first queen of Greece. She was born a Princess of Oldenburg on December 21, 1818, the eldest daughter of Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Princess Adelheid of Anhalt. Princess Adelheid died when Amalia was only two years old. Her father remarried, this time to Amalia's maternal aunt. She was a loving stepmother to her niece/stepdaughter, but unfortunately she also died after only three years of marriage. Augustus' third wife was a Swedish princess, Cecilia. She did not get along well with her stepchildren, and so Amalia was raised by her governess. From an early age, Amalia exhibited a keen intellect. She was taught in foreign languages, painting, music, and dancing, but she showed more interest in theater, dancing, horseback riding and hunting.

Amalia was 17 years-old when King Otto of Greece made a trip to his Germany. Born a Prince of Bavaria, he was chosen to become the first King of Greece when he was only 18 years old. He had been king for three years when he decided to visit his homeland. He made a trip to Oldenburg, where he met the beautiful and talented Amalia. It was a love-match. The marriage of the Catholic Otto and the Protestant Amalia took place in Munich in 1836.

Amalia's arrival in Greece caused so much sensation, as well as curiosity among the people. Her fair hair and complexion were a novelty in Greece. The Greek people were fascinated of her. With her beauty, charm and robust, well-made figure, she brought a spirit of smart fashion and progress to the impoverished country. She created the Amalia dress, a sort of romantic-folksy dress that became the Greek national costume. She actively labored towards social improvement and the beautification of Athens. A keen horticulturist, she was determined to create gardens in Athens despite its novel concept, and the scarcity of water and adverse climate conditions. The gardens were commissioned in 1836 and developed in the next 25 years. The gardens (now the National Garden of Athens) with its shady green spaces and alleys and its romantic hideaways has been an attraction ever since the 19th century. Amalia's efforts were greatly appreciated in Greece, and the town of Amalias and the village of Amaliapolis were named after her.

As for her personality and physical appearance, she was generally described as beautiful, but she became plump as she got older. Bremer described her manners as "lively and extremely agreeable", and she was charmed by her friendliness and her lively conversation. As she is agreeable in private, the Queen is equally pleasant in public. Tastefully dressed in expensive Parisian crinolines, an able dancer excelling especially in waltzes, fluent in French and Greek, Amalia was a delightful conversationalist who neglected no one at the ball - "her eyes, full of the joy of life, emulated in brightness the diamonds around her head and neck". She is, Bremer exclaims, after Queen Caroline Amalie of Denmark, "the handsomest queen I have seen...a real Semiramis, a queenly figure captivating all eyes". She was also extremely vivacious and a daring horsewoman. She liked to ride wearing the Amalia dress, and visited the whole of Greece in horseback, down to the very last village.

When she became more politically involved, she became the target of harsh attacks and criticism. Her image suffered further when she became unable to provide an heir, and chose to remain a Protestant in an almost universally Orthodox country. She also became a target of an assassination attempt. The would-be assassin was a student. He was sentenced to death but he was pardoned due to intervention of Amalia.

While to royal couple were on a visit to the Pelopennese, an uprising took place in Athens. King Otto was urged not to resist the uprising and his reign came to an end. He and Amalia left Greece aboard a British flagship. They arrived in Bavaria where they settle down and spent their remaining years as exiles.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:22:00.002+08:00

Merry Christmas to all and have a blessed year ahead! May the good Lord bless us all.

Portraits of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria

2011-12-24T13:21:00.001+08:00

On December 24, 1837, Princess Elizabeth Amalie Eugenie of Wittelsbach, who later became famous as the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, was born in Munich. "Sissi", as she was called, was one of history's most interesting women. Her beauty as well as her unconventional life, exerts a lasting fascination. She was and is always a beloved and iconic figure throughout Austria and Hungary.

Today marks the 174th anniversary of her birth, and as a tribute to this restless and unhappy Empress, I posted some of her portraits.

The Daughters of Tsar Paul I

2011-12-19T15:25:00.004+08:00

Alexandra Pavlovna,
Archduchess of Austria (left)

Alexandra's birth was a disappointment to the Empress Catherine, who preferred grandsons to granddaughters. A less pretty child (in the Empress's judgment), she was compared unfavorably to her "good-looking" older brothers and with her younger sister Elena. Nevertheless, she was reported to be Paul's favorite daughter, and that when he received reports that her daughter was miserably unhappy at the Austrian court, he threatened war with Austria.

Elena Pavlovna,
Hereditary Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (right)

Elena, named after the legendary Helen of Troy, was recognized as the beauty of the imperial family. Judging from Empress Catherine's letters, she preferred Elena's physical appearance to her sister Alexandra. As Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Elena became acquainted and eventually friends with Queen Louise of Prussia. She was the one who 'introduced' the Prussian king and queen to her brother Tsar Alexander I, and their resulting friendship helped forged an alliance between Russia and Prussia against Napoleonic France.

Maria Pavlovna,
Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Maria was highly precocious as a child, and she was generally regarded as the most intellectual and literary of all Paul's daughters. She used her talents and learning to the improvement of Weimar, and she was able to transform her adoptive country as the cultural and literary center of Europe.

Catherine Pavlovna,
Queen of Wurttemberg

After the deaths of Alexandra and Elena at a relatively young age, Catherine became the recognized beauty of the family. A very vivacious and ambitious woman with a fiery temper, she was her brother Alexander's favorite sister. She had a strong and daring personality and possessed a great intellectual power, but also, according to Countess Lieven, a need to "always eclipse others".

Anna Pavlovna,
Queen of the Netherlands
Just like the youngest girls of other families, "Annette" was her father and mother's 'pet'. Unlike her older sisters whose upbringing and education were strictly supervised by Empress Catherine, Anna was brought up by her parents. It can be say that Anna and her younger brothers were Maria Feodorovna's favorite children. She was determined to have her own way in raising her three youngest children. After Paul's assassination, Maria Feodorovna turned to the then six-year-old Anna as source of comfort and consolation. She also became her mother's constant companion, and was horrified when Napoleon Bonaparte proposed to marry the teenage Anna. Nothing came out from this proposal, and Anna was eventually married to the future King of the Netherlands.

Historical Dolls (Empresses and Queens)

2011-12-03T23:20:00.001+08:00

A while ago, I was surfing the internet for portraits of royal ladies, and I came across this wonderful collection of historical dolls created by Cheryl Crawford. I thought the dolls and their costumes looked beautiful. I just love how Ms. Crawford was able to transform well-known and evocative characters in history into such a beautiful works of art. Here are some photos of her lovely creations. By the way, I do not own any of these dolls nor the pictures.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt

Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France, Queen of England

Joan of Kent, Princess of Wales

Elizabeth of York, Queen of England

Anne Boleyn, Queen of England

Elizabeth I, Queen of England

Mary, Queen of Scots

Anne of Austria, Queen of Spain

Anne, Queen of Great Britain

Marie Leszczyńska, Queen of France

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden), Empress of Russia

Eugenie, Empress of France

Elizabeth, Empress of Austria

Napoleon Bonaparte and Queen Louise of Prussia

2011-12-02T15:56:00.001+08:00

The Treaty of Tilsit

Napoleon receives the Queen of Prussia at Tilsit, July 6, 1807.
The painting also shows King Frederick William III of Prussia and Tsar Alexander I of Russia.
(Painting by Jean Charles Tardieu)

Queen Louise accompanied her husband with the hope of helping him secure better terms for Prussia. Unfortunately, Napoleon proved to be adamant. In the course of this infamous and momentous meeting, the French emperor offered the beautiful queen a rose, which she took, and asked furtively, "With Magdeburg, Sire?" Napoleon sternly answered: "Madam, it is mine to give, yours to accept what I offer!" This rebuff proved to be the Queen's breaking point, for she was already by this time suffering from ill health and was so worn out with anxiety for her husband and the whole country. Her grief for her suffering people and her hapless country took its toll, and Queen Louise died before she could ever see Prussia's victory and the overthrow of Napoleon Bonaparte. Before she died, she was said to utter the words: "Were they to open my heart, they would find Magdeburg engraved upon it."

The Gallery of Beauties

2011-11-22T12:14:00.008+08:00

A tour in Munich, Bavaria is certainly not complete without a visit to the imposing Nymphenburg Palace. The palace was used to be the summer residence of the Kings of Bavaria, and it is now famous not only for its collection of artworks, but also for housing the Schönheitengalerie or the Gallery of Beauties.

The Gallery of Beauties is a collection of 36 portraits of the most beautiful women in Munich. The portraits were commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, a man known for his eccentricity and his love for beauty. German portrait painter Joseph Stieler painted the 36 portraits, featuring women from royalty (including King Ludwig's relations), nobility, and middle-classes, the latter group were shown wearing elaborate dresses and hair accessories despite their humble backgrounds.

Auguste Strobl

Auguste was the daughter of a royal Bavarian chief accountant. It is unknown
how she came to King Ludwig I's attention, but apparently, he was smitten
by her beauty that he wrote poems to her and had her portrait painted. This is Auguste's
second portrait by Joseph Stieler - the first portrait overemphasized Auguste's
neck that it displeased Ludwig.

Maximiliane Borzaga
Maximiliane was a Munich beauty of Italian descent. She was the daughter
of a salt and pawnshop cashier from Rovereto, Italy who eventually
settled in Rochus Lane in Munich. She married a physician, and
had a son and a daughter by him.

Amalie von Lerchenfeld

The illegitimate daughter of Therese, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
and a German count, Amalie married Baron Alexander von Kruedener. After his
death, she married as her second husband Nikolai Adlerberg.
Her dazzling beauty earned her many admirers, among them, Fyodor Tyutchev and
King Ludwig I.

Cornelia Vetterlein

She was the daughter of the Bavarian State Councillor, and married
Baron Franz Ludwig von Kunsberg. Most of the paintings in the Gallery of Beauties
did not have significant backgrounds, but Cornelia symbolizes constancy and a castle is shown in the background. To match the castle, she is portrayed as the traditional German Lady of the Castle.

Isabella, Grafin von Trauffkirchen-Engelberg
Isabella was another Munich beauty whose father held a position at the Bavarian
Court as Lieutenant General a la suite. She married a Polish count when she was 22.
Her portrait was one of the first ten to be displayed at the Gallery of Beauties.

Charlotte von Hagn
An actress of the Biedermeimer era, Charlotte was a celebrated talent everywhere
she went. Her beauty, gentle demeanor, wit and charm were her attraction, and
she became the mistress of Franz Liszt, who called her "the concubine of two kings".

Regina Daxenberger
She was the daughter of a copper-smith. King Ludwig thought her so beautiful
that he had her open a royal ball on the arm of Duke Maximilian of Bavaria.

Nanette Kaula

Nanette Kaula was the daughter of a Jewish Court Agent Raphael Kaula.

In 1838 she married a Hamburg banker whose firm

was granted a real estate license in Munich. She died childless in 1876.

Of all the paintings in the gallery, Nanette's is the only one where

she is dressed in a simple outfit, as "the beautiful Jewess".

She wears a purple and black velvet dress, adorned only with

the golden arrow in her hair and brooch.

Anna Hillmayer

Anna Hillmayer was the daughter of a Munich meat dealer. She died unmarried

on her 35th birthday. She is shown here wearing the traditional Munich

headdress with a prayer book in front of the Munich Frauenkirche

as a symbol of piety.

Helene Sedelmayer

She was the daughter of a shoemaker from Munich, and became known
to King Ludwig when she supplied toys to his children. He had her portrait painted when
she was 18. Helene later married the king's valet, and together they had 10 children.

Lady Jane Elizabeth Digby
Lady Digby was an English aristocrat who led a rather scandalous life. She married four times, and was the mistress of many aristocratic men and several kings, including Ludwig I. Of all the women at the Schönheitengalerie, Lady Digby had been the one who, with the exception of Marianna, Marqueza von Florenzi, had most captivated the King.

Amalie von Schintling
Amalie was the daughter Major Lorenz von Schintling
and Baroness Theresia von Hacke. Her father allowed her portrait to be painted for
the Gallery of Beauties despite her fiance's objections. She and her fiance never got to marry -
she died of tuberculosis before the wedding. Amalie was portrayed here wearing an
Oriental-style cape.

Marianna, Marquesa von Florenzi
She was an Italian noblewoman and a well-known translator of philosophical
works. The daughter of the Count of Ravenna, Marianna received a good education,
becoming the female ideal of an educated woman at that time. For 40 years, she was
the mistress of King Ludwig I, and he greatly valued her advice in government matters.

Irene, Marchioness von Pallavicini
Irene was a Hungarian-born lady-in-waiting in the Bavarian court. She married
Count Alois Nikolaus Arco, the Royal Bavarian Chamberlain, but the marriage
was unhappy, and resulted with the couple's separation but not divorce.

Caroline, Grafin von Holnstein
Caroline was a German noblewoman who at 16 married Carl Theodor, Graf von Holnstein
from Bavaria. The marriage was unhappy, but it gave her ample opportunities to
be at court. King Ludwig I saw her for the first time at a court academy, and was
dazzled by her beauty. It was said that she was the illegitimate daughter of
Prince Karl of Bavaria.

Lady, Theresa Spence

Nothing is known about Therese Renard Spence other than her birthday and that Spence is her married name. She was already married at the time of when this painting was commissioned. Portrayed as Sappho, the Greek lyric poet from the island of Lesbos, she wears the traditional Greek robes and a crown of laurel, and holds a lyre.

Lady Jane Erskine
Jane was born in London, one of the seven beautiful daughters of David Montagu,
Baron of Erskine and British envoy in Munich. Jane married James Henry Callander,
a Scottish politician.

Mathilde von Jordan
Mathilde was the daughter of Baron Wilhelm von Jordan, Royal Chamberlain and
Lieutenant-General of the Bavarian court, and Violana, Countess von Sandizell.
She was also a maid-of-honor at the Bavarian court. She married Baron von Beust, a successful
politician and Austrian Court Minister for Saxony.

Wilhelmine Sulzer

Wilhelmine Sulzer was actually the stage name of Frederica Catharina Sulzer.

An illegitimate child, she was orphaned at the age of 16. She was hired as a student of Heigel at the Royal Court Theater in 1836, where she attracted the attention of King Ludwig, who called her a "decent and virtuous girl". After a year in the theatre, she developed a chronic chest problem and retired from the stage and married the Ministerial Registar Karl Schneider.

Luise von Neubeck

Luise was born in 1816, the daughter of the King's chamberlain, Baron Karl von Neubeck and his wife Leopoldina. After her mother's death, Luise was brought in Rudesheim on the Rhine. She later became the abbess of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Munich, and died there in 1872.

Rosalie Julie, Baroness von Bonar
She was born in Vienna, the daughter of a Moravian knight and a Polish countess. She
married the British ambassador in Vienna.

Antonia Wallinger
Antonia was the daughter of Court Theater Manager Anton Josef Wallinger and a
his wife Catherine. She was a dancer at the Royal Court Theater, before marrying
Frederick Ott, a councilor. She is portrayed here as Hebe, the Goddess of Youth, and was
described by King Ludwig I in his sonnet "Ode to the Hebe in My Collection of Beauties" as
"a sweet cupbearer at the feast of the gods".

Princess Sophie of Bavaria
Sophie was the eldest daughter of King Maximilan I of Bavaria and his second
wife, Princess Caroline of Baden. She was thus a half-sister to King Ludwig I.
She was also the mother of the future Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

Katharina Botsaris
Katharina was Greek beauty from Janina. Her father was a Greek freedom fighter named
Markos Botzaris. He died in battle against the Ottoman Turks in 1820. Katharina's brother, Demetrius, was educated in Munich, and was an aide and war minister of King Otto I of Greece. Katharina became lady-in-waiting to Queen Amalie of Greece, and married Prince George Karadjas in 1845, a general in the Greek army. In 1841, Amalie, Otto, and their aides visited King Ludwig in Munich. While Amalie was climbing out of her carriage in Munich, Ludwig spotted Katharina assisting her. Both Otto and Amalie suggested Katharina for the Gallery of Beauties, and Ludwig agreed. She was portrayed here wearing the traditional Greek costume.

Caroline Lizius

Almost nothing is known about Caroline Lizius, who was described by Ludwig in 1842 as "the most beautiful woman in Munich" and left her 24000 gulden (over 3 million dollars) in his will if she never married, which was to be used as a dowry if she did marry. This portrait of Caroline was the second of two paintings of her by Joseph Stieler, completed in 1843 at the age of 18. The first was completed in 1841 when Caroline was 16, and Ludwig immediately commissioned a second portrait as Caroline "had become more beautiful".

Elise List
Elise was born in Stuttgart, the second daughter of an economist named Friedrich List and
his wife Caroline nee Seybold. She married an Austrian factory owner. She was introduced
to the king by his half-sister Queen Elisabeth of Prussia, who told Ludwig,
"She sang for us with a very beautiful voice but her face pleased me even more than her singing
and I think she would be worthy of being included in your collection of beauties".

Marie, Crown Princess of Bavaria nee Prussia
Marie was Ludwig's daughter-in-law. She was the daughter of Prince William of Prussia
and Princess Marie Anna of Hesse. She was a popular figure in Bavaria, and this portrait of her
was done shortly after her marriage.

Caroline, Princess von Oettingen-Wallerstein

Princess Caroline was the daughter of Prince Ludwig von Öttingen-Öttingen and Wallerstein and Princess Creszentia, whose portrait was also in the Gallery of Beauties. She married Count Hugo Philipp von Waldbott-Bassenheim, a Hereditary Chevalier of the Teutonic Knights, before the completion of this painting.

Friederike, Baroness von Gumppenberg

Friederike was born in Munich, the daughter of former chief mining and salt works council, Baron Franz von Gumppenberg and his wife Therese, née Countess von Tannenberg. Friederike was 17 when she came in the service as a court lady of the Crown Princess Marie, who had just then married and moved to Bavaria. Friederike was the Princess's maid of honor for 15 years. She then married her cousin Baron Ludwig von Gumppenberg. They then gave their service at court. Friederike was awarded the honorary title of Dame of the Royal Order and the Elizabeth Theresa Order.

Josepha Conti

Born as household servant's daughter, Josepha married, at 15, a 45-year-old painter Anton Conti. They lived on Briennerstrasse in Munich, near the Royal Residenz, thus becoming known to King Ludwig I, who included her in his Gallery of Beauties. After her husband left her, she worked as a maker of canvasses for the royal court.She later married a Court Councillor.

Princess Alexandra of Bavaria
Princess Alexandra was the youngest daughter of King Ludwig. A precocious child,
she was a favorite child of the king, who left her in his will his entire natural history collection
as a private possession. She never married, and instead was appointed abbess of the
Royal Chapter for Ladies of Saint Anne in Munich, a religious community for noble ladies.

Princess Auguste Ferdinande of Bavaria
She was King Ludwig's daughter-in-law, having married the King's third son, Luitpold. She had a delicate health and was suffering from tuberculosis even before her marriage, which made the King oppose the match. However, Ludwig eventually accepted her and was soon writing with great enthusiasm about her beautiful profile, and insisted that she be painted for the Beauty Gallery in profile unlike the rest of the girls in the Beauty Gallery.

Lola Montez
Her real name was Maria Dolores Elisa Gilbert, the daughter of an Irish
Lieutenant. She became a professional dancer and actress when she was 21, and
later met and became King Ludwig's mistress. She was unpopular among the local
population because of her 'bad' influence to the king and her arrogant manners.

Maria Dietsch

Marie was born in Munich, the daughter of Joseph Dietsch, a tailor from Schwandorf.

She worked as a seamstress, and married George Sprecher, the editor of the Augsburg Evening

Newspaper.

Anna von Greiner
Anna was the daughter of a carpenter, Christian Jacob Bartel and
Wilhelmine Herrlich. She was an actress at the National Theatre in Munich, and
married an landowner named Emil Greiner.

Carlotta von Breidbach-Bürresheim
Carlotta was born in Biebrich on the Rhine, the daughter of Jacob Philipp, Freiherr von Breidbach-Bürresheim and his wife Caroline, nee Baroness von Greifenklau. As lady-in-waiting of the Grand Duchess Mathilde of Hesse-Darmstadt, she visited the court of Maximilian II in Munich. On this occasion she met Ludwig I, who so admired Carlotta that he dedicated no less than 250 poems for her. After the death of his wife, Ludwig even proposed to Carlotta, but she refused. She later married Count Philipp von Waldeck, and they lived in Bohemia.

Berengaria of Navarre: The English Queen Who Never Set Foot in England

2011-11-08T13:12:00.000+08:00

Berengaria of Navarre, Queen of England.
Engraving from c.1890.

Berengaria of Navarre, consort to one of England's most beloved and best remembered kings, Richard I (the Lionheart), had a distinction in history as the only Queen of England never to set foot in England, well at least during her husband's lifetime. Just as in the case of early medieval English queens consort, little is known about Berengaria's life, and this what makes her more intriguing for me. She lived in a time of many historical events and yet she was overshadowed by more forceful personalities of that time (Richard the Lionheart and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine). Berengaria is one of my favorite historical character, and I have always looked up to her as a beautiful, intelligent, compassionate and courageous woman, deeply devoted to her husband. But beauty and devotion were all seemed wasted. Richard, although undoubtedly the ideal warrior-king and the epitome of a chivalrous knight, was far from being the ideal husband (and the ideal king), and his treatment of Berengaria reveals a rather cold and callous side of his personality.

Berengaria was born a princess of Navarre, a little kingdom on the borders of France and Spain (and now a Northeastern region of Spain), between the years 1165 and 1170. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho IV of Navarre (nicknamed "the Wise") and Infanta Sanchia of Castile. Berengaria was probably born and educated in Pamplona, the capital of Navarre.

She was said to be very well-educated, and was taught to appreciate the music and poetry of the troubadours of neighboring Provence. Even though she was a Spanish by descent, she was more a Provencal princess in language and education. When it comes to her appearance, Berengaria was described as dark-haired and dark-eyed, "petite, and a fine musician... in all things, a suitable consort for a king". She was said to be very beautiful, but a Norman minstrel named Ambroise, one of the only two contemporaries who ever saw her, simply described her as "elegant and prudent".

Berengaria first saw Richard when he was still Count of Poitou at a grand tournament held by her father in Pamplona. Richard was a great friend of Berengaria's brother, Sancho. They were fratres juratis, or sworn brothers, according to a custom of the times of chivalry. They had similar personalities and interests. Both men were renowned for their bravery, and they were highly skilled in all the learning and poetry of the Provencals. As Count of Poitou, Richard had ample opportunities to visit Sancho since Navarre was a close neighbor of Poitou. It was believed by historians that it was the result of Richard's frequent sojourns to Navarre that he became acquainted and eventually felt attracted to Berengaria. Berengaria herself was a learned and cultivated princess, and Richard, a gifted troubadour-poet, must have become naturally drawn to her. He admired her cultivated mind, and she made a strong impression on his volatile heart.

Years after Richard and Berengaria's first meeting, the King of Navarre was informed that Eleanor of Aquitaine was interested in a marriage between Berengaria and her favorite son Richard, who by this time had made a vow to 'take up the cross' and join the Crusade. The union between the Princess of Navarre and a Prince of England would be very beneficial for Queen Eleanor, for an alliance with the kingdom of Navarre would mean protection to the southern borders of Aquitaine. The cultural similarities between Aquitaine and Navarre, where the troubadours enjoyed great prestige and royal protection, and the apparent physical attraction between Richard and Berengaria, helped to forge the marriage.

But marriage was impossible between the couple while the contract made by their parents between Richard and Alys of France remained intact. Years ago, Richard had been promised in marriage to Alys Capet, half-sister of the King of France. However, Richard's father King Henry II of England, had taken the gentle Alys as his own mistress, which resulted in Alys giving birth to an illegitimate child. But after the death of his father in 1189, Richard, now King of England, was quick to break the engagement to Alys, and felt free to select a bride according to his personal inclinations. Of course, Alys's brother, King Philip of France, insisted that Richard should marry Alys, but Richard stated openly the reason for his refusal: that Alys's reputation was sullied. Philip was unable to refute this charge, and finally dropped the matter.

King Richard I by the 19th century painter
Merry-Joseph Blondel

Since Richard was at that time busy preparing for the Third Crusade, he sent his mother Queen Eleanor to Navarre to secure Berengaria's hand in marriage. King Sancho was more than happy to accept the proposition and entrusted his willing daughter to Eleanor. We do not know what Berengaria thought about the whole arrangement, but being a dutiful daughter, she was aware of the political advantage of her marriage. And so Eleanor and Berengaria started on their journey not to England, but to Sicily. They were expecting to meet Richard in Messina, but he was already on his journey for the Holy Land. The two women arrived in Messina during Lent, and so the marriage could not take place until after Easter. Richard's sister, Joanna, the Dowager Queen of Sicily, had previously arrived, and she and Berengaria became the closest of friends. Queen Eleanor left Sicily for England with a task of raising money for the Crusade, and Berengaria was left under Joanna's custody. With the crusading forces started on their journey for the Holy Land, arrangements were made for Berengaria and Joanna to set sail to the Holy Land with Richard in a separate ship. En route to the Holy Land, a violent storm came on and scattered the vessels. Richard's ship found shelter in Crete, while Berengaria and Joanna's was driven towards Cyprus. The latter found themselves threatened by the island's ruler, Isaac Comnenus. Eventually, Richard found Berengaria's ship in the open sea, and was indignant to see Isaac and his men plundering the wrecked vessel. Richard led the attack, rescued his fiancee and his sister, captured the island, and overthrew Isaac. Berengaria must have been delighted to be reunited with Richard. It was then decided that their wedding should take place immediately.

Richard and Berengaria were married in Limassol on May 1191, amidst great feasting and revelry. A chronicler wrote: "And there in the joyous month of May, 1191, in the flourishing and spacious isle of Cyprus, celebrated as the very abode of the goddess of love, did King Richard solemnly take to wife his beloved lady Berengaria." The wedding was followed by their coronation. Richard was crowned King of Cyprus, and Berengaria Queen of England and of Cyprus. It was said that Berenagaria's crown was more elaborate and more expensive than those worn by previous Queens of England. It was probably due to her being both Queen of England and Cyprus.

Loretta Young as Berengaria of Navarre from
the movie "The Crusaders", 1935.

Soon after the wedding, Richard immediately set sail to the Holy Land, leaving his wife and his sister to sail under the protection of his most trusted knight, Stephen de Turnham. He was so busy commanding his troops and was in such haste to arrive in Holy Land that observers noted that he did not even spend enough time with his wife. Upon Berengaria and Joanna's arrival at Acre, the place had already been successfully captured by Richard and his men. The ladies stayed there throughout the duration of the Syrian campaign, living in almost harem-like seclusion. While Richard was busy securing the honor and renown he sought, history was silent about Berengaria and her life during this period. I would like to think that she possessed considerable courage and strength of will, since going to the Crusade and the constant dangers of living in a war zone was not an easy thing. Richard, on the other hand, appeared to have had no interest on his wife whatsoever, and many historians believe that the couple's marriage was never consummated. The reasons for this were various: some blame it to Richard being a homosexual, or that he was far too busy with his battles to devote his time to his queen.

After spending a year or two in the Holy Land, Richard finally made truce with his enemy, Saladin. With Jerusalem now under the rule of an Italian nobleman, Richard left the Holy Land, and started on his journey back to Europe. He had already sent Berengaria and his sister back ahead of him to Naples. While Berengaria and Joanna safely arrived in Naples, Richard's ship was wrecked on the coast of Istria. He was captured and imprisoned by the Emperor of Germany, and a huge ransom was demanded for his release. His ever devoted mother, raised the ransom money, and she was aided in this by Berengaria. Richard was released and journeyed back to England after a four-year-absence. As if to make up for the shame of his imprisonment and his long absence, he was re-crowned at Westminster Abbey. This might be the best opportunity to bring Berengaria with him in England and show her to his people. But he did not even bother to recall her. When he went to Normandy to check on his French territories, he did not make any effort to see Berengaria despite ample opportunities. It was said that during this time, Richard renewed his connections with "profligate and worthless set of persons with whom he had been associated in his bachelor days".

Berengaria was in a humiliating situation, but she kept her dignity and patience. The Church then finally intervened and reprimanded Richard. When he fell ill and thought that he was going to die, he admitted his faults and vowed that if he recovered, and if Berengaria would forgive him, he would never leave her again. He did recovered, and as he promised, he went to Poitou where Berengaria was residing, and became reconciled with her. She welcomed him with joyful forgiveness, wisely avoiding from giving him any reproaches. In the Polychronicon, a entry was found about the couple: "The King took to him his Queen Berengaria, whose society he had for a long time neglected, though she were a royal, eloquent, and beauteous lady, and for his love had ventured with him through the world." Berengaria indeed loved Richard, and throughout his time in France, she never left his side, even when he was on his campaigns. He further sealed the reconciliation by giving her the royal revenues arising from the mines in Cornwall and Devonshire for her dower. Unfortunately, her renewed happiness was short-lived. The couple's reconciliation proved to be unfruitful, and Richard, despairing of heirs by his queen, eventually named his younger brother John as heir to the throne of England. Richard never returned to England - his continental possessions had always been more important for him than England, which he viewed as only a source of money and resources for his wars. And thus Berengaria remained Queen of a country which she had never seen.

Queen Berengaria's tomb and effigy in
the Cathedral of St. Juliens in Le Mans, France

Richard died on 1199, when he was 42 years old, as a result of an arrow wound. Berengaria was with him when he died, and was a witness to the testimony that Richard left his crown and his kingdom to his brother John. Although she was still young and beautiful, Berengaria never remarried, and retired in Le Mans, one of her dower properties, where she founded the Abbey of L'Espan. She had never been insistent upon her marital rights, but when it came to her dower rights, she proved to be firm and unyielding. King John refused to pay her her dower rights, and she came to England to demand what was due to her. John treated her shabbily, but she refused to back down. She appealed to the Pope, who championed her cause. King John finally relented (after the threat of excommunication), but he died before the payment could be made. John's son, now King Henry II, finally set things straight, and Berengaria's courage and persistence were rewarded when she received her pension from England.

She spent the remaining years of her life at the stately Abbey of L'Espan, doing good works like feeding the poor, and caring for abandoned children. She died in 1230 and was buried in her abbey.

Berengaria, although one of the least known about Queens of England, proved to be, as her story shows, a virtuous, courageous and admirable woman. I also find her to be a sympathetic figure - she truly loved and admired her husband, but unfortunately for her, Richard seemed to be more interested in battling his wars than his wife. We would never know what her feelings were regarding her husband's neglect of her - she took her heart's secrets to her grave. Her devotion to Richard was commendable, and this was best summed up by the English writer Agnes Strickland: "From early youth to her grave, Berengaria manifested devoted love for Richard; uncomplaining when deserted by him, forgiving when he returned, and faithful to his memory even unto death."

References:
Agnes Strickland, The Lives of the Queens of England.
Lisa Hilton, Queens Consort, England's Medieval Queens.

Portraits of The Princess Margaret

2011-11-04T16:35:00.008+08:00

Princess Margaret has always struck me as a very lovely young woman. I just love her large, piercing blue eyes, her dazzling smile, and her beautiful coloring. She was very elegant and glamorous. No wonder she was a fashionable figure during the 1950s, and was always named as one of the best-dressed women at that time. This beautiful princess is indeed the embodiment of elegance and charm. It is just kind of sad that she spent the last days of her life in isolation and loneliness.
Some pictures of Princess Margaret when she was at the height of her beauty.

A Polka for a Princess

2011-10-22T19:51:00.004+08:00

I found a rather interesting article about the creation of Johann Strauss's "Olga-Polka". Strauss is one of my favorite composers and Olga-Polka one of my favorite music. I was amazed to find out that it was actually composed by Strauss as a dedication to Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna of Russia, sister-in-law to Tsar Alexander II.

This is what the article says about the music:

The Olga-Polka was created because of a Russian imperial wedding which took place in St. Petersburg on August 20, 1857. On that day, the music-loving Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaievich, youngest brother of Tsar Alexander II, married Princess Cecilie of Baden. At that time, Johann Strauss was giving concerts in Pavlovsk. He used the opportunity occasioned by the event to enhance his already enviable popularity with the Russian imperial family and composed the Cecilien-Polka in honour of the lovely young bride. Indeed, it is clear from a letter which Johann wrote in late July 1857 to Carl Haslinger, his publisher in Vienna, that the new polka had been prepared well in advance of the wedding (the fair copy of the full orchestral score made for the publisher's engraver is dated 9 August) and was enjoying success even before the royal couple's official engagement on August 16, 1857. The performance of the Cecilian-Polka in Pavlovsk caused a sensation in St. Peterburg, and was praised for its "truly genial Viennese sounds full of verve and melody".

Since tradition demanded that the German princess Cecilie adopt a Russian name - Olga Feodorovna - before her marriage, so Johann's Cecilien-Polka also underwent a change of identity. On December 8, 1857 Carl Haslinger announced the publication of Strauss's Olga-Polka, on the title page of which is the inscription: "Dedicated to her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Olga, née Princess of Baden". It was under this title, too, that Johann himself first conducted the work in Vienna at a concert in the Volksgarten on November 1, 1857, shortly after his return from Russia. Reporting on this event, the Wiener Allgemeine Theaterzeitung observed: "The Olga-Polka is a most delightful, fragrant musical bouquet, full of fine, gracious rhythms".

Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna of Russia
nee Princess Cecilie of Baden

The Fascinating Marie

2011-10-21T11:02:00.002+08:00

Crown Princess Marie of Romania

"Princess Marie was already famous for her beauty: she had wonderful eyes of such a rare shade of grayish blue that it was impossible to forget them. Her figure was tall and slender as a young poplar, and she bewitched me so completely that I followed her about like a shadow. I spent sleepless nights conjuring up her lovely face. Once, she kissed me; I was so happy that I refused to let my face be washed that night. She was much amused to hear about this act of boyish infatuation, and many years later when I met her again at a dinner given in London at the Austrian Embassy, she reminded me of the incident."

--Prince Felix Yusupov

Princess Zinaida Yussupova

2011-10-19T09:38:00.011+08:00

Princess Zinaida Yusupova was the greatest Russian heiress of her day. She was famed not only for her dazzling beauty and wealth, but also for her intellect and the lavishness of her hospitality.

Her family, the Yusupovs, were immensely wealthy. They owned many properties throughout Russia, among these were the Arkangelskoie Estate (with its paper and textile factories), and sixteen sumptuous palaces in St. Petersburg, Moscow, the Crimea, France, Germany, and Britain. They also possessed a huge and valuable collection of paintings, sculptures, and jewelries.

Being the only the surviving child of Prince Nicholas Borisovich Yusupov and Countess Tatiana Ribeaupierre, Zinaida solely inherited the vast properties of the Yusupovs. As a young woman, she had numerous suitors, among them the Crown Prince of Bulgaria, but she married Count Felix Sumarokov-Eston, an officer of the Russian Imperial Guard. They had two sons, Nicholas and Felix, the latter would eventually gain fame as the man who murdered Rasputin.

Below is an excerpt from Prince Felix Yusupov's memoirs about his mother.

By the age of seven, my mother was well versed in social usage. She knew how to welcome guests and carry on a conversation. Once when my grandmother was expecting a visit from an ambassador, she asked her daughter, who was still a small child, to entertain him till she came downstairs. My mother laid herself out to please the old gentleman, offered him tea, biscuits, cigarettes... she labored in vain! The ambassador, as he waited in majestic silence for the mistress of the house to appear, paid no attention to the child. Having shot all her arrows, my mother could think of nothing else she could do for her guest until she bad a sudden inspiration and asked: "Perhaps you'd like to go to the bathroom?"

My mother was lovely. She was slim and had wonderful poise; she bad very black hair, a soft olive complexion and deep blue eyes as bright as stars; she was clever, cultured and artistic, and above all she had an exquisitely kind heart. No one could resist her charm, and far from being vain and proud of her exceptional gifts she was modesty and simplicity itself. "The more you have," she used to tell us, "the more you owe to others. Be modest, and if you do happen to have any advantages don't let those who are less favored know it."

She had had numerous suitors from every country in Europe. But she refused all offers, even those of royalty, as she was determincd to choose her own husband. My grandfather, who in his mind's eye saw his daughter on a throne, lamented her lack of ambition. He was bitterly disappointed when be found that she had decided to marry Count Felix Sumarokov-Elston, a mere officer in the Guards.

My mother had a natural gift for dancing and acting which would have enabled her to vie with the best professionals. At a great fancy-dress court ball where all the guests had to appear as sixteenth-century boyars, the Tsar asked her to perform the Russian national dance. Although she had not rehearsed with the orchestra, she improvised so skillfully that the musicians followed her movements with case. She took five curtain calls. Stanislavsky, the famous manager of the Moscow theater, after seeing her act in a charity performance of Les Romanesques, play by Edmond Rostand, begged her to enter his company, insisting that her right place was on the stage.

Wherever my mother appeared she brought a delightful feeling of light and well-being. Her eyes shone with kindliness and sweetness. She dressed with quiet elegance, was not fond of jewelry, and although she owned the most beautiful gems wore them only on great occasions.

The Infanta Eulalia, aunt of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, once came to Russia on a visit and my parents gave a reception for her in our house at Moscow. In her memoirs, the Infanta gives a description of my mother: 'Of all the parties given in my honor, none impressed me more than that of Princess Yussupov. The princess was a most lovely woman, whose marvelous beauty stands out as typical of a period. She lived in extraordinary luxury, in a setting of unsurpassed splendor, surrounded by works of art of the purest Byzantine style, in a great palace the windows of which gave onto the city of a thousand cupolas. The magnificence and luxury of Russia, blended with the refinement and distinction of France, reached its culminating point in the Yussupov palace. At the reception in question, the Princess wore a court gown studded with the finest diamonds and pearls. Tall, exquisitely beautiful, she wore a kokoshnik set with enormous pearls and equally large diamonds, worth a fortune. A dazzling array of fantastic jewels from the East and the West completed her costume: ropes of pearls, massive gold bracelets of ancient design, pendants of turquoises and pearls, multicolored, glittering rings... All these gave to Princess Yussupov the majestic splendor of a Byzantine Empress.' [The kokoshnik is our court tiara.]

When I was a small child, my greatest pleasure was to see my mother in evening dress. I remember particularly a dress of apricot velvet trimmed with sable which she wore at a dinner given in our house on the Moika in honor of Li-Hung-Chang, a Chinese statesman who was making a short stay in St. Petersburg. To complete her toilette, she wore a set of diamonds and black pearls. At this dinner, my mother became acquainted with one of the stranger forms of Chinese politeness. At the end of the meal, two of Li-Hung-Chang's Chinese attendants brought in a silver basin, two peacock feathers and a napkin. The Mandarin took one of the feathers, tickled his throat with it... and vomited his entire dinner into the basin. My mother was horrified, and turned an inquiring glance upon the diplomat seated on her left, who had lived in the East for many years. "Princess," said he, "you should consider yourself highly flattered, for such behavior on the part of Li-Hung-Chang is a tribute to your delicious food; it is meant to convey his Excellency's readiness to start his dinner all over again."

My mother was a great favorite with the Imperial family, particularly with the Grand Duchess Elisabeth, the Tsarina's sister. She was deeply devoted to the Tsar, but her friendship with the Tsarina did not last. My mother was too independent to conceal her opinions, even at the risk of causing displeasure. Under the influence of certain members of her immediate circle the Tsarina ceased to see her. In 1917 the court dentist, Dr. Kastritzky, on his return from Tobolsk where the Imperial family was imprisoned, brought us a last message from the Tsar: "When you see Princess Yussupov, tell her that I now see how right she was. If I had listened to her, many tragic events might have been averted."

Source:
Youssoupoff, Prince Felix: "Lost Splendour", Jonathan Cape, London 1953

'Crowned Ophelia'

2011-10-16T12:51:00.008+08:00

The Grand Duchess Elizabeth, c1890

"She is fair, winning, gifted, the most brilliant and accomplished of all the Queen's grandchildren, with beauty of so fragile and delicate a type that they call her a 'crowned Ophelia'."

While reading "Royal Girls and Royal Courts" by M.E.W Sherwood, I came across this interesting passage about the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna ('Ella'). It intrigued me that Ella was called a "crowned Ophelia". I haven't read anywhere before that she was called like that. Perhaps there is something about the character Ophelia (I assume from Shakespeare's 'Hamlet') which made the comparison with Ella. I'm not sure.

"Ophelia" by Arthur Hughes, 1865

Royal Portrait: The Princess Elizabeth

2011-10-14T23:30:00.003+08:00

Princess Elizabeth by Cecil Beaton, 1945
(From V&A Museum)

This must be my favorite portrait of Her Majesty the Queen. It was taken in 1945, when she was still Princess Elizabeth. She is truly the quintessential princess. I just love the whole effect of this photo: her dress, the flowers, her pose... There is something romantic, magical, and serene about it. Cecil Beaton has perfectly captured the youthful beauty and charm of the Princess, as well as her sweet smile.

The First American Princess of Monaco: Alice Heine

2011-10-12T14:03:00.193+08:00

Alice Heine,
Princess of Monaco

Before the American actress Grace Kelly became Princess of Monaco by her marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, another American woman had become the wife a Prince of Monaco more than half a century earlier. Marie Alice Heine was the first American woman ever to marry a Prince of Monaco, and the first American woman ever to wed a reigning sovereign.

Alice Heine was born on February 10, 1858 in New Orleans. Her father, Michael Heine was a scion of the prominent European banking family Heine-Freres, and a cousin of the German poet Heinrich Heine. He came to New Orleans from France to become a real-estate developer and to organize cotton financing. Alice's mother was Amelie Miltenberger, an architect's daughter, and of a French ancestry.

Because of the American Civil War, the Heines were forced to go back to France. It was also in France that Michael Heine introduced his daughter to Parisian society. Alice's beauty and her family's wealth made her an attractive bride, and soon enough the most eligible bachelors were begging for her hand in marriage.

At the age of 17, Alice married Armand, 7th Duke of Richelieu, a wealthy man but many years older than her. They went on to have a son, the future 8th Duke of Richelieu. Five years after their marriage, the Duke died, and 22 year-old Alice was left a widow. Her husband left her a substantial fortune, and the young and wealthy widow became one of the most courted widows in the cosmopolitan world. She embarked on her fabulous career as an international hostess, and became famous in London and Paris.

Few years later, Alice met Prince Albert of Monaco at the island of Madeira. The prince was immediately attracted to the beautiful blonde widow and wished to marry her. However, Prince Albert's father was against the match and the couple had to wait years before they could marry. When the reigning prince died and Albert became the new sovereign of Monaco, he immediately married Alice. They got married on October 30, 1889. Alice arrived in Monte Carlo and was greeted with much fanfare. The Bishop of Monaco described her as "the embodiment of virtue, chastity, and generosity". She brought with her six million dollars as dowry, which was a fortune at that time, and possessed some of the most valuable jewels in existence.

Alice's marriage to Prince Albert proved an equal blessing to him and his tiny principality. Alice possessed a strong business acumen, well in advance for her youth. Having helped put her husband's principality on a sound financial footing, she would devote her energies to making Monaco one of Europe's great cultural centers, with an opera, theater, and a ballet under the direction of the famed Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev. Prince Albert was a keen oceanographer, and ordered the construction of the research ship Princess Alice in honor of his wife.

Albert supported his wife's efforts in transforming Monaco into a major cultural center, but Alice was unsympathetic to her husband's love for the sea. Despite the initial success of the marriage, the couple eventually found it hard to reconcile their differences, and they separated in 1902. They did not divorce. Alice's father tried to negotiate a return of some part of her large dowry, but the Grimaldi family refused. After her separation from the prince, Alice settled in London, and became the hostess to one of its most glittering salons. She became a close friend of Queen Alexandra, and the Queen regularly sent her roses from Sandringham to be added to her garden. She entertained considerably, and her parties were frequented by celebrated artists, writers, and political leaders. She also became patron to many young, promising artists and a supporter of humanitarian causes popular in the early 20th century. Upon the Prince's death 20 years later, Alice became the Dowager Princess of Monaco. She did not remarry.

Princess Alice died in Paris at the age of 68.

Imperial Cyphers of the Russian Empresses

2011-10-11T11:39:00.001+08:00

Diamond imperial cyphers of the Empress Maria Feodorovna, consort of Paul I (left),

the Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna, consort of Alexander I, in combination with the monogram of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (right), and the Empress Maria Feodorovna, consort of Alexander III (center)

Cypher of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, consort of Nicholas I

(Left) Monogram of the Empress Maria Feodorovna, consort of Paul I

(Right) Dual cypher of the Dowager Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, consort of Nicholas I

and the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, consort of Alexander II

Dual cypher of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, consort of Alexander III,

and the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, consort of Nicholas II

Royal Portrait: The Family of Tsar Paul I

2011-09-23T15:22:00.005+08:00

This portrait of the family of Tsar Paul I of Russia was done by Gerhard von Kugelgen in 1800. The imperial family is depicted against the background of the Pavlovsk Park. At the right side of the painting is the facade of the Pavlovsk Palace, overlooking the Slavyanka River.

From left to right: Tsarevich Alexander (wearing the uniform of the Semenovsky Life-Guards Regiment and his arm resting on a pedestal containing the bust statue of Peter the Great), Constantine (in red uniform), Nicholas (wearing a blue ribbon around his waist), Empress Maria Feodorovna, Catherine, Maria (playing with a harp), Olga (depicted as a bust statue); Anna (wearing green clothes), Tsar Paul I, Michael (sitting on the ground), Alexandra, and Elena.

Queen Hortense: Recollections by the Duchess d'Abrantes

2011-09-14T15:45:00.002+08:00

From the memoirs of Laure Junot, Duchess d'Abrantes:

"Hortense de Beauharnais was at this time, 17 years old; she was as fresh as a rose, and though her fine complexion was not relieved by much color, she had enough to produce that freshness and bloom which was her chief beauty; a profusion of white hair played in silky locks round her soft and penetrating blue eyes. The delicate roundness of her figure, slender as a palm tree, was set off by the elegant carriage of her head; her feet were small and pretty; her hands very white, with well-rounded nails. But what formed the chief attraction of Hortense was the grace and suavity of her manners which united the Creole nonchalance with the vivacity of France. She was gay, gentle and amiable; she had wit, without the smallest ill temper, is enough to be amusing. A polished and well conducted education has improved her natural talents; she dances excellently, sang harmoniously, and performed admirably in comedy. ...She became one of the most amiable princesses in Europe. I have seen many, both in their own countries and in Paris, but I never knew one who had any pretensions to equal talents. She was beloved by everyone..."

Queen Hortense

The Pearl of Russia: Maria Pavlovna of Russia

2011-09-09T15:39:00.004+08:00

Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess of Russia,
Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

The Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia was the fifith child and third daughter of Paul I of Russia and Empress Maria Feodorovna. She was born in Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg on February 4, 1786, and was named after her mother. Maria was raised along with her four sisters in Pavlovsk and Gatchina under the strict guidance of their mother. As a child, "Masha", as she was called within the family, was distinguished from her sister as a bit of a tomboy. Her grandmother, the Empress Catherine, wrote that Maria would have been better to have been born a boy and earn a place in the dragoons. She was inclined to enjoy boy's games, and swaggered by clenching her hands and putting them on her hips. The Empress Catherine despaired, "...I don't know what will become of her..." The little Maria was also considered not pretty: her features where disfigured as a result of a pioneering application of the smallpox vaccine. "My third granddaughter was unrecognizable", wrote Empress Catherine. The grandmother and the parents were so concerned about Maria that they, especially the Empress, started to pay special attention to her development.

Fortunately, as she grew older, Maria began her transformation from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan. The pox marks were now barely visible, and by the time she reached adolescence, people at court started admiring her. She was now a very pretty girl, with deep-set brown eyes and an aquiline nose, and was called "the pearl of the family". She was not as beautiful as her sister Elena, who was considered the beauty of the family, but she had grown up to be an attractive girl. "...She looked like an angel," said one courtier. If Maria did not stand out as the beauty among her sisters, she made it up through her remarkable talent in music. This was especially praised by her grandmother, who noted how, at the age of nine, Maria was able to play the piano with such genius. She also became a favorite of her father, who admired her cheerful and lively disposition, strength of character, will power, and candor. A highly precocious child with a serious interest in intellectual pursuit, Maria loved reading so much that courtiers were amazed to see her holding and reading a book for hours.

In 1799, Maria's two elder sisters, Alexandra and Elena, were married in St. Petersburg, and soon departed with their respective husbands for their new home. Fourteen-year-old Maria was left as the eldest daughter of the family. But after a year, there were already talks about a possible marriage between her and the heir to the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Prince Charles Frederick, a nephew of Paul I's first wife, Natalia Alexeievna. Negotiations were conducted, and in the summer of 1803, Charles Frederick arrived in Russia. He was warmly greeted by the imperial family and the court, was made Lieutenant-General, and was given his own suites in the palace. He was to spend a year in Russia with his future bride. This was a great opportunity for the couple to know each other thoroughly, and to better understand each other's personality, habits and tastes.

The young grand duchess Maria in
1804.

Charles Frederick was said to be handsome, kind, and with a good sense of humor, but he was considered too "simple-minded" and obtuse for the intelligent Maria. Nevertheless, he and Maria were finally married in St. Petersburg after nine months of "getting to know each other". They spent their honeymoon in Pavlovsk.

Maria's future adoptive homeland, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, was nothing like Russia when it comes to wealth, power, and prestige. The duchy was small and impoverished, but it was well-known throughout Europe to be a center of culture and science. Its capital, Weimar, was the home of great poets like Goethe and Schiller, dramatists, philosophers, writers and other eminent scholars. Curiously, the cultural glory of this duchy was not created by its ruling dukes, but by the Dowager Duchess Anna Amalia, who was a Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel before her marriage to the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. It seemed that Maria's talent and love of music and the arts had found their rightful place in this duchy.

Meanwhile in Weimar, the people were already excited for the arrival of their prince and their new princess. They were very eager to meet her. The poet Friedrich Schiller wrote to his friend: "We are all waiting anxiously for the appearance of the new star from the East." In the autumn of 1804, Charles Frederick and Maria left Russia for Weimar, where they were greeted with much festivities. Her arrival caused great enthusiasm to the people of Weimar. Cristoph Martin Wieland, a German poet and writer, described the happy event: "The most festive part of all the magnificence of balls, fireworks, promenades, comedies, illuminations was the widespread and genuine joy at the arrival of our new princess". She was not only warmly welcomed by the two duchesses - Dowager Duchess Anna Amalia and the reigning Duchess Louise - but they also "fell in love with her". Anna Amalia wrote to a friend: "It is indeed with great joy and genuine love to speak to you about my new granddaughter - who was a real treasure. I love and respect her endlessly. She was blessed with the ability to charm us all." Maria charmed not only her new relatives, but also those people who had the opportunity to converse with her. Wieland wrote to his friend about his impression of the Russian grand duchess: "She was inexplicably charming, and knows how to connect innate majesty with extraordinary politeness, delicacy and tact. She was perfect when she speaks. It is impossible not to wonder how, in the first hours of her arrival, when she has not been to court before, she was able to addressed each person with such tact and politeness. She will probably begin a new era for Weimar... It will go on and bring to perfection what Amalia has begun forty years ago." Schiller seconded Wieland's impression: "She has a talent for music and painting, is very well-read, and shows strength of mind which aimed at serious things... Her face is attractive, but not pretty. She seems a very determined character, and as she strives for truth and goodness, we can hope that she will reach her goals. In other words, if we had a choice and we could choose any princess, then we would still choose her... If she feels at home here, there is a promise of a great Weimar era."

As a Russian grand duchess, Maria's marriage to Charles Frederick was considered by the people of Weimar to be politically advantageous. Through her marriage, the duchy gained the friendship and protection of powerful and wealthy Russia. The couple's arrival in Weimar in 1804 coincided with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte in France, and in the succeeding years, the defenseless duchy found itself in constant threat by Napoleon's aggressive political ambition.

The French Army then started attacking Prussia, which was an ally of Saxe-Weimar, and successfully defeated it in the Battle of Jena and Battle of Auerstadt. With the advancement of the French Army in Weimar, Maria, her husband, and her children were forced to flee to Schleswig. They returned in Weimar after a year. Although the terms of peace for the duchy were hard, it was allowed to retain its independence, thanks to Maria's position as the sister of the Russian emperor.

During the French campaign in Russia, Maria and her family left Weimar once again and stayed in Bohemia, where the family received the protection of Austrian troops. After the Battle of Leipzig, they returned to Weimar. During the Congress of Vienna, heads of state and diplomats all over Europe participated and Maria was one of them. Through her efforts, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was elevated to a Grand Duchy and added more territories.

Throughout her life, Maria showed great interest in the arts and sciences. Gifted with intelligence, and, in the words of Schiller, "a great talent for painting and music, and a love for reading", she spent the first years of her marriage in constant contact with intellectual people. She wanted to continue the work began by her predecessors by cementing Weimar's place as the cultural capital of Germany. She wanted to further her education by taking up logic, history and philosophy in the University of Jena. She maintained a correspondence with Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky and Schiller even dedicated his last poem to her.

When Maria and Charles Frederick succeeded to the Grand Duchy, she became the patroness of art, science and social welfare. Through her efforts, a museum was built as a dedication to Goethe, Schiller, Wieland, Herder, and helped establish the Falk Institute in Weimar. "Literary Evenings" were conducted in her home, the Wilhelmsthal Castle, where scholars and professors from Jena University and others from outside the grand duchy were invited to give lectures on various topics. Maria also encouraged the study of history, and expanded the Weimer Library that was founded by the Dowager Grand Duchess Anna Amalia. She was also interested in nature. She facilitated the opening of a horticulture school and donated a substantial amount of money for the planting of trees along roads, and creating new parks, squares, and gardens.

Maria was also involved in charity. She gave loan fund to help assist the poor, and established workhouses and a variety of trade schools. She also set up committees that would donate equipment and medicine for hospitals. Because of her efforts, she was called by the people as "the angel of the poor, the sick and the orphans". And Goethe declared that she was "one of the greatest and most outstanding women of our time".

Although she kept herself busy in her adopted homeland, Maria still remained in contact with her relatives in Russia. After the death of her eldest brother, Alexander, and her eldest sisters, Alexandra and Elena, Maria became the eldest child in her family (Constantine was still alive but he was distant). Her younger brothers and sisters, particularly, Nicholas and Michael, held her in high esteem. They treated her as their second mother figure (their mother was still alive), and her authority over family affairs was never overlooked.

Charles Frederick and Maria's marriage was far from being perfect but the couple seemed to enjoy a harmonious relationship. The couple had different personalities and temperament, but the success of their marriage was largely attributed to Maria's acceptance of her position in Weimar. She never complained about her destiny and learned to make the most out of it.

Grand Duke Charles Frederick died in 1853, and he was succeeded by his son, Charles Alexander as the new Grand Duke. Meanwhile, Maria's youngest daughter, Augusta, made a grand marriage to Prince William of Prussia, who would one day become the first German Emperor as William I.

The now widowed Maria spent most of her time in Schloss Belvedere on the outskirts of Weimar. It was there that she received the sad news that her brother Tsar Nicholas I had died. She was deeply affected by his death that she started suffering from ill health. Nevertheless, she was still strong enough to travel to Russia to attend the coronation of her nephew, Alexander II. While in Russia, she wandered through the parks of Pavlovsk and Gatchina, remembering her happy childhood days. She wrote to Vasily Zhukovsky, "Who among us old people can forget the dreams of our youth?"

She seemed to know that this trip to her homeland was to be her last. On the evening of June 23, 1859, Maria passed away in her bedroom at Schloss Belvedere. She had died of heart attack. She was buried beside her husband in a mausoleum that was constructed in a lot purchased by the Russian government. Next to the mausoleum, a Russian Orthodox church was erected. Her burial was attended by the members of her family, among them was her daughter, the Empress Augusta of Germany, and the empress's daughter, Louise, Grand Duchess of Baden.

Maria Pavlovna's contribution to her adoptive country cannot be underestimated. With her strong character and powerful intellect, she had become a highly-respected and well-loved figure throughout Germany, and with the number of people who greatly mourned her death, it was a proof of that.

Wife to the Conqueror: Matilda of Flanders, Queen of England

2011-08-30T14:49:00.008+08:00

Matilda of Flanders
Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy

Matilda of Flanders, the wife of William the Conqueror, and the first woman to be crowned and titled Queen of England, was born sometime in 1031. She was of illustrious descent: her father, Baldwin V, was the Count of Flanders, and her mother Adela, was a daughter of the King of France. On one side or the other, Matilda was related to most of the royal families of Europe.

She was extremely well-educated, and said to be very beautiful - though modern research shows that she never exceeded 5 feet in height. According to old chroniclers, she had a refined, delicate features, a well-set head, and a graceful figure. And when she was in her state dress, she would have compared favorably with a Greek statue. Matilda spent her early years in Lille, a town that was built by her own father in Northern France. She inherited his talent for architecture which she would later turned to such good account. It was also in Lille that Matilda met an English ambassador named Brihtric, the Earl of Gloucester. The youthful Matilda fell in love with him, but Brihtric never returned her affections. He returned to England, perhaps even forgot about her, but her pride was wounded, and she was said to take her revenge years later.

Although Matilda's father Baldwin V possessed no higher title than Count, he ruled over a realm which was one of the wealthiest and most powerful in Europe. So it is no wonder that his daughter was a much sought-after bride. One of her numerous suitors was her own cousin, William of Normandy, the illegitimate and only son of Robert, Duke of Normandy and a woman named Herleva, a daughter of a tanner. William was called by his enemies as "William the Bastard", but he had no problem with it. Even though he was illegitimate, his father made him heir, and when Robert died, William succeeded as Duke of Normandy at the tender age of seven.

William grew up to be a handsome and athletic man, according to all accounts. By the age of nineteen, he was already a toughen man and a reputable warrior who had successfully defended his title. But the Count of Flanders had misgivings regarding William's position, and this view was shared by Matilda. She didn't want him as her husband. She considered herself too high-born to be considered marrying a bastard even though he was a Duke. But William was not the sort of man to easily give up.

Matilda was the smallest Queen of England.
Her height never exceeded beyond five feet.

He had fallen in love with Matilda when he saw her for the first time at the French court. He was said to be so passionately enamored of her that he would do anything to obtain her, whether it means by using force. Nevertheless, her words reached him and he felt slighted. And so one day, while Matilda and her ladies were on their way home from church, she was met by William. Her ladies were alarmed by his wild demeanor, but Matilda remained calm. She remained adamant that she would not marry a bastard, and upon hearing this, William dragged her off her horse by her long braids, and threw her down in the mud-covered street in front of her flabbergasted attendants. He did not abduct her; he rode away.

The Count of Flanders took offense at this, and prepared to attack William's dominions, but Matilda intervened. She may had found William's violent behavior "macho" and likable because she finally agreed to marry him, to the astonishment of all. "His request pleases me well," she said. When her father laughingly asked her how she consented to the marriage after her scornful refusal, she was said to reply: "Because I did not know the Duke then so well as I do now; for he must be a man of great courage and high daring who could venture to come and beat me in my father's place."

William and Matilda were married at the Angi Castle in Normandy, when they were 25 and 21, respectively. Soon after their marriage, the Pope expressed his displeasure at this marriage between cousins and excommunicated them. William indignantly appealed to the Pope, and finally relented but with conditions. They must build two abbeys. And so William founded St. Stephen's Abbey for monks, and Matilda, the Abbaye-aux-Dames for nuns.

Despite the rather violent nature of their meeting, William and Matilda went on to have a successful and happy marriage. William was especially proud of his wife. He made sure that he would take her with him on royal tours of his dominions, showing her off to his subjects. They settled in Rouen, and Matilda became popular with the people. The couple was devoted to each other, and both were noted to possess commanding tempers. She was faithful and affectionate to William, as he was to her, and was able to win and retain his affection, respect and esteem. She supported and sympathized with all his projects, whether they were social or political. They went on to have ten children.

Meanwhile, Edward the Confessor, King of England, died without issue, and the throne was fiercely disputed by three claimants. William, now 28 years-old and a hardened man of battle, press his claim through descent to Emma (mother of Edward). He also contended that Edward, when in exile in Normandy, had promised William the throne. But it was Harold who was crowned King of England, in accordance to Edward's last will.

And so William finally set out on his greatest enterprise: the conquest of England. He was helped in his preparations by Matilda, convincing the barons to overcome to reluctance and follow William "beyond the sea". King Philip I of France treated William's idea of annexing England as absurd, and asked him who would be left in charge of Normandy while he was running a kingdom. To this William confidently replied that he had Matilda and his subjects, who were capable of securing the duchy during his absence.

Matilda returned this gesture of confidence by building and fitting out a secret ship to be added to William's navy. It was called the Mora. Upon seeing it, William was surprised. The ship's gold figure-head was an effigy of their youngest son holding a trumpet with one hand and with the other a bow, with its arrow pointed towards England. William took this as his flagship.

Before leaving Normandy, William appointed Matilda as the regent of his dominions. She was helped in this by her eldest son, Robert, who was only 13-years-old. She proved to be a capable and wise regent that when William had successfully landed in England and crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey, he arranged for her coming and had her crowned Queen of England at Winchester Cathedral in 1068.

Matilda remained in Normandy most of the time, looking after her husband's interests while he was detained in England by recurring revolts caused by the Saxons. Her revenue as Queen of England was considerable, this include money to provide oil for her lamp and wood for her hearth. She received tolls on goods landed at Queenhithe, and part of every fine voluntary paid to the crown.

William and Matilda enjoyed a happy marriage life throughout their lives, but the one cause of tension between husband and wife was their eldest son, Robert. He was his mother's favorite child, but he also inherited too much of his father's masterful spirit. He grew up to be arrogant and self-centered. He challenged his father and demanded to be the regent of Normandy. William acquiesced, and Robert acted as regent, while his father was in England busy subduing the rebellions. Then he demanded complete control of Normandy and broke into open rebellion. William was much surprised at his son's capacity as a leader, but he was still no match to him. William successfully suppressed the rebellion, and Robert sought pardon. But William was not to be easily propitiated; he refused to completely forgive his son. Throughout the quarrel between father and son, Matilda gave all her efforts at reconciliation, but to no avail. She was torn between husband and child. She supported Robert during the rebellion, secretly supplying him with money and jewels. William discovered her secret aid for Robert, but this did not seem to have made any difference in his affection for her.

Statue of Matilda of Flanders in the
gardens of the Luxembourg Palace in Paris

William and his son never had a full reconciliation, and this trouble seemed to have already preyed on Matilda's mind. She became ill and grew weaker. When William received the news that she was seriously ill, he hastened to Normandy to be at her bedside. He wrote a letter to Robert, who was by that time staying at Gerberol Castle because of his recent rebellion, and asked him to immediately travel to Rouen. Robert arrived, and William grant him full pardon. For a time, Matilda's health improved. But in 1098, her daughter Constance died, and there were troubles once again between William and Robert. She was deeply affected by these sad events, and died in November after a lingering illness. She was buried at the Abbey of Holy Trinity in Caen.

Matilda's death plunged William into deep depression. It was said that after her death, he became tyrannical, and people blamed it on his having lost her. He no longer went hunting, which was his favorite sport. After four years, William died, and was buried at St. Stephen's Abbey.

Napoleon's Beautiful Enemy: Queen Louise of Prussia

2011-08-20T22:01:00.005+08:00

Princess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,
Queen of Prussia

Probably no other Queen-Consort in German history is so famous as Queen Louise of Prussia, wife King Frederick William II of Prussia. She influenced her contemporaries and modern Germany probably more than any other woman. She was often called the “Queen of Hearts” because she impressed those around her with her beauty, charisma and cheerful, friendly nature. Her legacy was further cemented by her infamous meeting with Napoleon of France, and thus became the symbol of Prussian patriotism that eventually led to the creation of the German Empire.

Louise was born on March 10, 1776 in a one-story villa on the outskirts of Hanover. Her father, Prince Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz served as a field marshal of the household brigade in Hanover, while Louise's mother was Friederike, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt. Soon after Louise's birth, Prince Charles was appointed Governor-General of Hanover, and the family moved to Leineschloss. When she was only six-years-old, her mother died in childbirth. Her grieving father decided to find another wife, and he married Louise's aunt, Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt. But after only 15 months, Charlotte also died after giving birth to her only son. Her mother's early death left Louise with a life-long sympathy for orphans, reinforced by her own upbringing which was rather more modest than most would expect of a princess and in which charity was stressed. Shortly after their stepmother's death, Louise and her siblings were separated. The twice-widowed and grieving Charles decided to send his three daughters to live with their maternal grandmother Marie Louise in Darmstadt, where they could be properly educated and cared for. Louise's brothers would remain in Hanover with their father.

Princess George, as Louise's grandmother was called, was a resolute and wise old lady, who preferred to raise her granddaughters in simplicity and in a carefree environment. They were given a Swiss governess, Madame Gelieux, who gave them French lessons. The princesses also received lessons in English, German and history, as well as in drawing, painting, and playing the piano.

Louise was not a zealous student. Although she studied history and philosophy, and became fluent in French, her German was neglected. It was only after a few years that she decided to catch up with her native German, and after reading the poems of Friedrich Schiller, it sparked her love for German as a literary language.

The lives of the princesses in Darmstadt were filled by frequent visits to their relatives in Hesse and Mecklenburg. The now adolescent Louise and her younger sister Frederica became closer than ever, and were always together when they visited friends and relatives. One time, when they visited the mother of the famous poet Goethe in Weimar, the two princesses left a deep impression on the lady, and wrote: "I was extremely pleased to meet the Princesses of Mecklenburg... They were given lots of freedom despite rigid etiquette..." In March 1793, Princess George took the 17-year-old Louise and the 15-year-old Frederica to Frankfurt to be presented to the King of Prussia. By this time, Louise had grown up to be a very beautiful young woman, possessing an exquisite complexion and big blue eyes. When the King saw her for the first time, he was enchanted, and wrote about their meeting:

"I saw the two angels for the first time at the start of the comedy, and I was so struck by their beauty that I was beside myself when their grandmother presented them to me. I wish very much that my sons will meet them and fall in love... I want them to get to know each other properly... [The princesses] promised that a meeting could soon take place, probably in Mannheim. The eldest [princess] would marry the eldest [prince] and the youngest [princess] to the youngest [prince]."

Frederick William and Louise, 1794

Louise and Crown Prince Frederick William finally met in March 14, 1793. The crown prince was twenty-three, serious-minded, and religious. Louise made such a charming impression on him that he became eager to marry her as soon as possible. Frederica also caught the eye of Frederick William's younger brother, Prince Louis Charles, and the two families began planning a double betrothal, celebrating a month later, on April 24, 1793 in Darmstadt. Frederick and Louise were subsequently married on December 24 that same year, with Louis and Frederica marrying two days later.

Louise's arrival in Berlin caused much sensation, and she was honored with a grand reception by the city's joyful citizens. When she broke protocol and stooped to pick up and kiss a child, Prussian writer Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué remarked that: "The arrival of the angelic princess spreads over these days a noble splendor. All hearts go out to meet her, and her grace and goodness leaves no one unblessed." Another wrote: "The more perfectly one becomes acquainted with the princess the more one is captivated by the inner nobility, and the angelic goodness of her heart."

The King gave Louise and Frederick William a palace of their own, Charlottenburg Palace, but the couple preferred to live in simplicity at Paretz Palace, outside Potsdam, where Louise kept herself busy with household affairs. Paretz was far from the bustle of court, as the couple were most content in the "rural retirement" of a country life. The shy and introverted Frederick William was delighted with his rather energetic wife, and the marriage proved to be happy and successful. He called her "princess of the princesses", and gave her the palace of Oranienburg. They referred to each other as "my husband" and "my wife", and preferred to walk together without their entourage.

Life at the rigid Prussian court was quite demanding; there were many people that Louise had to know, rules and obligations that she had to familiarize with. She saw to it as her duty to wholly support her husband, and met all the demands expected of her as the future queen of Prussia. Louise quickly became pregnant, but her first baby was stillborn. A year after, she was pregnant again, and gave birth to a healthy baby boy who was named Frederick William after his father. Eight more children would follow in the span of 12 years.

On November 16, 1797, Frederick William finally succeeded the throne as King Frederick William III of Prussia. Louise, now Queen of Prussia, wrote about the occasion to her grandmother: "I am now Queen, and what pleased me the most is the hope that now I need no longer count my charities so carefully." As the King and Queen, Frederick and Louise had to give up their quiet life at Paletz and begin living under the restraints of the royal court. They began a tour of the country's eastern provinces for two purposes: the king wanted to acquaint himself to his subjects, and despite the unusualness of a queen consort accompanying the king further than the capital, Frederick William wanted to introduce the queen as well to their people. Louise was received everywhere with festivities. The secretary of the British legation shared the enthusiasm of the Prussian people to their queen, and wrote to his sister: "The Berlin society, especially among younger people, had a sense of chivalrous devotion to their Queen... Few women were endowed with such loveliness as her... But I must pause, otherwise you will probably think that I have lost my head, just like the many people here, because of the beauty and charm of Queen Louise of Prussia."

For the first time in Prussian history, the queen emerged as a celebrated public personality in her own right, as she occupied a much more prominent role than her predecessors. But rather than taking this as an advantage to herself, she used her formidable intelligence and skill for her husband's sole advantage. She wanted to stay informed of political developments at court, and from the very beginning of his reign the new king consulted Louise on matters of state. She charmed the nation with her grace, beauty and wit, which led to national pride and patriotism among the Prussian people. She also became a fashion icon, for instance starting a trend by wearing a neckerchief to keep from herself from getting ill.

While as queen of Prussia, Louise commanded universal respect and affection, but her life was certainly not without affliction. As Napoleon Bonaparte managed to turn topsy-turvy the balance of power in Europe, he pressured the King of Prussia to allied himself to France on the looming Napoleonic Wars. But Frederick William favored neutrality, and this view was supported by Louise. But because of Napoleon's increasing violations of Prussian treaty rights, Louise began to encourage the King over his long-standing policy of neutrality, pleading with him to break off all relations with the French Emperor. She took the initiative of contacting the Tsar of Russia and the Emperor of Austria, both of whom, along with Frederick William, signed the Potsdam Treaty on November 3, 1805 - a treaty which formed an alliance among these three nations against Napoleon. This greatly infuriated the French Emperor, and he termed Louise "My beautiful enemy" for her role in forming this alliance.

During the war, Napoleon attempted to destroy the queen’s reputation, but the only effect of his charges in Prussia was to make her more deeply loved. Napoleon eventually gained the upper hand over his enemies in battle. It was a disaster for Prussia; as French troops approached Berlin, the royal family was forced to flee for Konigsberg. Louise was already ill during their journey in Konigsberg, and upon their arrival there, they were confronted with a grim situation: they was no food or clean water, and the family was forced to stay in "wretched barns".

Napoleon Bonaparte meets the Queen of Prussia.

In 1807, both Louise and the King were forced to meet with Napoleon in person at Tilsit in Russia to sign a peace treaty. The stipulations of the treaty for Prussia were humiliating, and Louise felt discouraged. However, recognizing that her country depended upon her for moral strength, she regained her sense of optimism. Napoleon callously called her "the only real man in Prussia", but he was greatly impressed by her beauty and determination: "I heard you are the most beautiful of Queens, but I did not know that you are the most beautiful of women," admired the emperor. He had previously attempted to destroy her reputation by questioning Louise's marital fidelity, but the queen met him anyway, attempting to use her beauty and charm to flatter him into more favorable terms. She made a request for a private interview with the emperor, whereon she threw herself at his feet. Though he was impressed by her grace and determination, Napoleon refused to make any concessions, writing back to his wife Empress Josephine that Louise "is really charming and full of coquetry towards me. But don't be jealous...it would cost me too dearly to play the gallant." Napoleon's attempts to destroy Louise's reputation failed however, and they only made her more beloved in Prussia. Her efforts to protect Prussia from French aggression secured for her the admiration of future generations.

The French occupation of Prussia had a particularly devastating effect upon Louise, as the queen endured personal insults. It was difficult for her and her family, yet she bore her trials and sufferings with patience and dignity. During their time in Konigsberg, she often took the time to prepare their eldest son for his future role as King of Prussia. She believed that the hard trials of her children's early lives would be good for them: "If they had been reared in luxury and prosperity they might think that they will always live like that." In the winter of 1808, Tsar Alexander I invited the king and queen to St. Petersburg, where she was treated to sumptuously-decorated rooms. "Nothing dazzles me anymore", she exclaimed on her return back to Germany. Near the birth of her youngest child Princess Louise in 1809, the queen wrote to her father, "Gladly...the calamities which have befallen us have not forced their way into our wedded and home life, rather have strengthened the same, and made it even more precious to us." Louise was sick for much of that year, suffering from frequent colds and headaches, but she returned with the king to Berlin near the end of the year after an absence of three years. Their arrival in Berlin was greeted with great enthusiasm among the people, and Louise, despite her gloom, was pleased to finally return. For her life was more bearable in the "splendid misery of Berlin" than in Konigsberg. At Charlottenburg Palace, they found the residence ransacked, as Napoleon and his commanders had stripped its rooms of precious paintings, sculptures, and other antiquities. Returning to a much different Prussia than she left, a preacher observed that "our dear queen is far from joyful, but her seriousness has a quiet serenity... her eyes have lost their former sparkle, and one sees that they have wept much, and still weep".

Queen Louise and her son,
the future Emperor William I of Germany

On the summer of 1810, Louise decided to take a trip to Strelitz to visit her father. While staying at her father's summer residence, she became feverish and was forced to stay in bed. The doctors came to check her but declare that there was no need for serious concern. But after several weeks, her condition worsen, and the doctors were summoned. She was coughing very hard accompanied by circulatory problems. The doctors were not able to identify the cause of her illness. The King was informed about Louise's situation, and he hastily traveled to Strelitz with his two eldest sons. The King and his sons arrived at five in the morning of July 19, 1810, and knelt by her the bedside. Four hours later, Louise died.

Louise's untimely death left her husband alone during a period of great difficulty, the Napoleonic Wars, and the need for reform continued. Napoleon reportedly remarked the king "has lost his best minister." Louise was buried in a mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace. The King commissioned Christian Daniel Rauch to execute the statue of the Queen in a sleeping posture. Louise's death was greatly mourned by the Prussian people, and the widowed King was inconsolable. Seeking female companionship and sympathy, he remarried after 14 years, albeit morganatically. He never forgot his queen and when he died in 1840, he was buried beside his beloved Louise.

Louise did not live to see either Napoleon's defeat in 1815, or the reestablishment of the Germanic Empire under Prussia just a few years later under her son William. But she left a lasting legacy to the whole German nation. She was revered by her subjects as "the soul of national virtue", and historians wrote that she was "Prussian nationalism personified". Her reputation as a loving and loyal supporter of her husband became crucial to her enduring legacy and the cult-like adulation for her that continues to the present day surrounded. Louise became the embodiment of ideal feminine attributes: beauty, grace, and charm, but she also successfully combined them with her dignity, gentleness of character, benevolence and piety. She was the idol of the German nation, and her popularity persisted to this day.

Almost an Empress - Anna Feodorovna of Russia

2011-08-14T11:03:00.006+08:00

Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia
Born Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
From a portrait by Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun
(The Royal Collection)

Little has been written about the Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia in English so it's not surprising that many people reading about the Romanovs are not familiar with her. And yet, she bears that distinction as the first princess who married into the Romanov Family to be divorced from her husband. She was related to almost all royal families in Europe, and perhaps the most famous of her relatives was Queen Victoria. Anna Feodorovna was the sister of Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent, as well as Leopold, King of the Belgians, thus, Anna was aunt to Victoria.

Anna Feodorovna began her life as Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She was born in Coburg on September 23, 1781, the third child of Franz Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld, and Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf. As was the case with most princesses, Juliane was educated privately at home by governesses, and may have had passed her childhood rather uneventful. Both of her parents were intellectual: her father was especially interested in botany and astronomy, while her mother, a woman widely known for her beauty, was said to be gay and witty. Juliane, as we learn more about her later, got most of that liveliness from her mother.

Meanwhile, in Russia, Catherine the Great was 'successful' in securing a match between her favorite grandson Alexander and the ravishing Princess Louise of Baden. With her firstborn grandson safely married off, the indefatigable Empress Catherine was now planning of arranging the marriage of her next grandson, Grand Duke Constantine. But while Alexander inherited the charm and good looks of his mother, Constantine resembled more his father, both physically and temperamentally. Paul was described as "quick-tempered... there's an imprint of tyranny in his nature, but there are times when he is most generous. He is similar to a water hemlock, which is both a medicine and a poison".

Even before the search for a suitable wife for Constantine began, a proposal from the court of Naples had arrived unexpectedly. The King and Queen of the Two-Sicilies wish to marry off one of their daughters to Constantine. But Empress Catherine reacted to this proposal rather negatively: a Russian grand duke was too good for an insignificant Neapolitan princess. So what better court in Europe can offer a suitable match? Empress Catherine, herself German-born, only wanted a German princess for her grandson.

And so in 1795, Catherine ordered one of her generals, Andrei Budberg, to travel around the courts of Europe. His 'secret' task was to search for a princess suitable for Constantine. On his way, he got sick and was forced to stop and stay in Coburg. There he heard about its princesses: Antoinette, Sophie and Juliane, and conveyed to the mother of the princesses about the task he was assigned to. The mother was delighted about the prospect of one of her daughters becoming a grand duchess of Russia. Upon General Budberg's return to Russia, he reported to Catherine about the Coburg princesses and agreed to invite the young the girls and their mother to Russia.

At the invitation of Empress Catherine, Antoinette, Sophie and Juliane, with their mother Augusta, arrived in Russia. They were very well received by the Empress, noting that the princesses were pretty. Prince Adam Czartoryski upon meeting them wrote about the guests: "The mother was intelligent, well-educated and affable; her three daughters were all characterized by refinement and beauty. Frankly speaking, it was rather painful to see this mother, who arrived in a strange country, offering her daughters like goods for sale, and watching anxiously to discover who among them will catch the eye of the Empress and that of the Grand Duke Constantine." The Empress shared her opinion about the guests with Baron Grimm: "The Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Coburg was excellent, a woman worthy of respects, and her daughters are pretty. It is a pity, that our fiance must select only one; it is good to leave all three. But it seems our Paris will give the apple to the youngest. You shall see; he prefers Julie... actually, Julie the prankster, is the best."

According to Countess Golovina, Constantine appeared to have no desire to get married. But he had no choice but to do so, because the Empress 'ordered' him. After three weeks of spending time with the Coburgs, Constantine finally made his selection: he chose to marry the prettiest of the three girls, the dark-haired Juliane. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alexeievna wrote about her future sister-in-law: "She is a charming child - good, loving and trustworthy. I did not want another friend but her. Her hazel eyes are full of life; there is much honesty about them. She also has a very pretty mouth." Juliane was received into the Russian Orthodox Church and was given the names and title Anna Feodorovna, Grand Duchess of Russia. She and Constantine were married on February 2, 1796; the groom was only 17 and the bride not yet 15.

Initially, Constantine was obviously delighted with his very young wife. Anna was not only pretty, but also exuberant and inclined to be frivolous. The Empress was likewise delighted of this new addition to her family, and wrote about Anna's appearance: "She has a round face... Has large blue eyes that reflect intellect and energy; eyelashes and eyebrows that are almost black, small mouth, crimson lips. Very pleasant smile, excellent teeth and a face with fresh colors..." At the time of his engagement, Constantine wrote to his former tutor Cesar Laharpe, happily reporting his current thoughts about his upcoming marriage : “I am in a very pleasant position in life; I'm going to marry the Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg. Greatly I regret, that you did not see her. She is a beautiful young woman and I love her with all of my heart!"

Catherine also commented that these two people were both 'mischief-makers', and she seemed very much contented, knowing and seeing that everything between the couple was working very well. Little did she know how this marriage would eventually make the couple, especially Anna, terribly unhappy.

Less than a month into their marriage, the cracks in Constantine and Anna's marriage began to appear. Constantine was a carefree and unpredictable young man with a violent quick temper. His only passion was the army, and he loved the freedom that he gave up because of his marriage. To be tied into a marriage at a very early age simply didn't suit him. The tenderness he felt for Anna at the early part of his marriage was quickly transformed into roughness and he started treating his wife rudely. She hated his obnoxious behavior and his amorous escapades. He was never faithful to her and began neglecting her even though she was becoming increasingly attractive. People in the Russian court started calling her "The Evening Star". Anna should have had the support of her parents-in-law, but they proved to be unhelpful. The now Emperor Paul had no affection whatsoever to her and did not give her his support, simply because his 'much hated' mother chose her for Constantine. The hostility that Anna had to endure deeply affected her health and she became increasingly ill. She began to faint frequently. On the coronation of the new Emperor and Empress on April 16, 1797, Anna was forced to take the trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow despite being very sick at that time. The Emperor falsely believed that Anna was just pretending about her illness, but upon realizing that she was really sick, he visited her and said: "Now I see that this is serious, and I am very sorry that you are so sick. I confess, until now I thought that this little habit of yours was acquired during the past reign and I'm trying to eradicate it." Despite her uncomfortable situation, she found true friends through her sister-in-law Elizabeth and her husband Alexander. Elizabeth, especially, was her constant support and companion. Anna would spend her free-time as much as possible with her, and soon a friendship sprang up between them, and they became each others' confidant. Anna once confided to Elizabeth that she was attracted to Prince Constantine Czartoryski and he to her, and when Elizabeth tried to reprove her, Anna cried and talked about her husband's tyranny. (Note: Prince Constantine Czartoryski was the younger brother of Prince Adam Czartoryski, Alexander I's best friend and a rumored lover of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth.)

According to the memoirs of Countess Golovina, maid-of-honor to the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, Anna had a different temperament from Elizabeth, and how two people with contrast personality became best friends baffled the Countess. She described that Anna:

"...Had a very pretty face, but neither had grace of movement nor education, and she had a romantic little head that was the most dangerous to her because she was totally lacking in knowledge and principle. She had a kind heart and was naturally quick-witted, but, not possessing any virtues likely to safeguard her against temptations, she was surrounded by dangers on every side, while the atrocious behavior of [her husband] contributed further to bewilder her ideas."

Then she mentioned that Elizabeth was the sort of companion that have good influence for her, and added:

..."But circumstances and the daily more painful events of her life hardly permitted her to know her own mind."

Whether Anna and Prince Czartoryski took their fascination to one other in another level was open to conjecture.

Meanwhile, Anna's present situation with her husband began to take a toll in her health. It was said that she was afflicted with syphilis by her husband; whether this is true or not, Anna had had enough of him. Her doctors advised her to take cures in Bohemia, and this is just exactly what she wanted: away from Constantine. She had been thinking of leaving him, if there was only a way, and this trip offered her that opportunity. When she told Constantine that she was ill and that she want to spend some time abroad, he held himself responsible for her illness. He told her that he regretted his actions and promised to make it up to her. Anna refused to believe this, and decided to continue on her trip.

Before leaving, she confided to Elizabeth that most probably they would not see each other again. Anna was already determined to leave Russia, using as her pretext her eagerness to visit and stay with her relatives for a short time. In the early months of 1799, Anna left Russia for Coburg. She was thinking of not returning to Russia anymore and confided to her parents her situation. However, they refused to help her. Marriage was still marriage no matter how terrible the situation can be. At the same time, Paul I may have had some doubts about her daughter-in-law's reason for leaving Russia, and he immediately summoned her back to Russia. With no support from her family, and fearful that the Emperor might vend his anger to those who helped her 'escape', she decided to return in October 1799 in time for the wedding of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich to Princess Charlotte of Wurttemberg.

Constantine and Anna decided to try to improve their relationship and settled in Tsarskoe Selo. But after a few months, she was ill again. They moved to St. Petersburg so she can receive appropriate care. Constantine showed some kindness to her, but this harmony was short-lived. He started an affair with Joanna Grudzinska. He wanted to marry her and was desperate to be free from Anna, but Paul I thundered that he would not let them divorce. The couple continued their marriage in name only but decided to live apart. Then Paul I was assassinated, and Constantine, free of his father's stern command, surrendered himself to drinking and debauchery.

Anna never complained and endured this with patience. Then a rumor started to circulate that Anna took Ivan Linev an officer in the cavalry regiment as her lover. When Ivan was questioned about his involvement with the grand duchess, he declared that he had been with Anna in her bedroom. Of course, he was lying. How could he enter the room of the grand duchess when all her maids and ladies-in-waiting were constantly present? Anna was confronted by an angry Dowager Empress Maria, and she vehemently denied the rumors. No one came in her defense; she was left all alone with these vile accusations. Even her friend Elizabeth, when tried to help Anna, had to face the wrath of the Dowager Empress.

Defenseless against this hateful slander and the anger of the Dowager Empress, Anna left Russia for Coburg in 1813, without ever coming back. Almost immediately, the Grand Duchess began negotiations for a divorce. In 1814 , during the invasion of France by Russian troops, Emperor Alexander I of Russia expressed a desire for reconciliation between the spouses but Anna flatly refused. On 20 August 1820, the marriage of Constantine and Anna was officially dissolved by a manifesto of Alexander I. The same year, Constantine married his mistress Joanna Grudzinska: a morganatic union.

Now this is quite interesting to note. Alexander I was left without a direct heir: his two daughters had died during infancy, and he had a cold relationship to his wife, so no children would ever come from them. His heir was his brother Constantine, and Alexander asked him to go after Anna. He was hoping that if the couple had a full reconciliation, they would become the future Emperor and Empress of Russia. However, things didn't go that way. Furthermore, Constantine, despite his roughness and obnoxiousness, cherished no desire in becoming Emperor. He was more than content with his life with Joanna. In 1823, he secretly renounced his claim to the throne.

Anna Feodorovna was only a few steps away from becoming an Empress Consort of Russia. But like Constantine, she had no desire to that position. After her divorce from Constantine, she settled in Switzerland where she died in August 12, 1860. She was a great lover of music, and her home was the center of musical life in that era: diplomats, musicians and writers flocked her home. She remained constantly in contact with her dear friend in Russia, now the Empress Elizabeth, and received news about the court and the country. Despite the stigma suffered by divorced people, Anna never experienced thus. She was always received warmly and sympathetically by royals and aristocrats throughout the courts of Europe, and anyone who came in contact with her were fascinated not just by her personality but also by her glittering recollections about the magnificent Russian court where she once became a part of.

The Heroine of Gaeta - Maria Sophia of Bavaria

2011-08-10T16:36:00.001+08:00

Duchess Maria Sophia of Bavaria,
Queen of the Two-Sicilies

Maria Sophia of Bavaria was the last queen of the Kingdom of the Two Siciles, who by the age of 19, had been a queen, lost her kingdom, rallied soldiers around her in the hopeless defense of a lost cause, and had had men - even her enemies - writing reams of romantic slush about her. She was "the angel of Gaeta" who would "wipe your brow if you were wounded or cradle you in her arms while you die". D'Annunzio called her the "stern little Bavarian eagle" and Marcel Proust spoke of the "soldier queen on the ramparts of Gaeta". She was intelligent, lovely, and headstrong; she could ride a horse and defend herself with a sword. She was everything you could ask for - a combination of Amazon and Angel of Mercy.

Maria Sophia came from the Bavarian royal House of Wittelsbach, the daughter of Duke Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Ludovika. She was the younger sister of the famous Empress Elizabeth of Austria ('Sissi'). Like her ravishing older sister, Maria Sophia was said to be 'unusually beautiful', according to the sculptress Harriet Homer.

In 1859, Maria Sophia married the soon-to-be king Francis II of Bourbon, the son of Ferdinand II, King of Naples. Within the year, with the death of the king, her husband ascended to the throne and Maria Sophia gave up the frivolous court pursuits of a princess and took on the full-time responsibilities as the queen of a realm on the verge of crisis. The Italian peninsula was in the grip of turmoil brought on by a combination of revolution, nationalism and republicanism. People were eager for an Italian unification. Upon their ascension, Francis II and Marie Sophia were already the target for invasion by the army of revolutionary republicans led by Giuseppe Garibaldi.

To avoid bloodshed in the major city of Naples, the king, the queen, and their army retreated to Gaeta to make what turned out to be a last stand. By this time also the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia under King Victor Emmanuel II had joined the fight for Italian unification and lay siege to the stronghold of Gaeta, which eventually overcame the defenders. It was the siege of Gaeta that gained Maria Sophia the reputation that stayed with her for the rest of her life. She was constantly on the walls, tireless in her efforts to rally the defenders, giving them her own food, caring for the wounded, encouraging the troops, and shouting defiance at the enemy. She refused the chivalrous offer from the attacking general that if she would but mark her residence with a flag, he would make sure not to fire upon it with artillery. "Go ahead and shoot at me", she said; "I will be where the men are."

However, it was a vain and hopeless fight. The King and Queen were forced to give up Gaeta and went into exile in Rome. They were welcomed as honored guests of the Papal court but the position of the Pope was under the same threat that had already befallen their own country. In 1870, Rome fell to the forces of Italy, and the King and Queen moved in Bavaria where Francis II died there in 1894. Maria Sophia's activities were, however, far from over. She continued to preside over a Two-Sicilies court-in-exile and never gave up hope for a restoration of her adopted kingdom.

During a visit in Rome in 1870 of the sculptress Harriet Homer (who made a sculpture of Maria Sophia), she wrote in a letter to her father about the visit of the then Crown Prince Umberto and Crown Princess Margherita (the future rulers of united Italy), and her devotion to the exiled Queen:
"...The Prince and Princess of Piedmont [Umberto and Margherita] came the other day [to Rome], and Roman society is completely divided over who should they speak about. You must be either Papalist or Liberal. You can not be both. She [Margherita], they say, is beautiful and charming. I have not seen even a glimpse of her, though one of the knights of honor tells me that she will visit soon. But I'm still faithful to my violet-eyed heroine of Gaeta.."

During World War I, Maria Sophia was actively on the side of Germany and Austria in their war with Italy. She hoped that the defeat of Italy might to lead to the restoration of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. But that was not meant to be. She went on to see her beloved homeland, the Kingdom of Bavaria, taken up into a united German Empire, and Italy became, irrevocably, a single nation state. She lived to see Mussolini take power in Italy and to see Hitler make his first move in Germany. She was still active enough in her 80s to stand at the window of her apartment in Munich and look at anarchists and police battling in the streets. She wanted "to see if young people of today still have the stuff they had when I was young.”

The wealth and privilege in Maria Sophia's life were, to a certain extent, overshadowed by personal tragedies. Her marriage was not consummated for many years, as her husband suffered from phimosis. His shyness and religious fanaticism also prevented the couple from developing any kind of physical intimacy with each other. While in exile in Rome, Maria Sophia fell in love with an officer of the papal guard, Armand de Lawayss, and became pregnant by him. She retreated to her parents' home at Possenhofen in Bavaria, where a family council decided that she must give birth in secret to prevent scandal. On 24 November 1862, Maria Sophia gave birth to a daughter in St. Ursula's Convent in Augsburg. The child was immediately given to another family. Maria Sophia was made to promise that she would never see the child again, which deeply affected her. She suffered from depression in later life, which is believed to have been rooted in this event. A year later, on the advice of her family, Maria Sophia decided to confess the affair to her husband. Afterwards, the relationship between the two improved for a time. Francis submitted to an operation which allowed him to consummate the marriage, and Maria became pregnant a second time, this time by her husband. Both were overjoyed at the turn of events and full of hope. On 24 December 1869, after ten years of marriage, Maria Sophia gave birth to a daughter, Maria Cristina Pia. Cristina was born on the birthday of her aunt, Empress Elizabeth, who became her godmother. Unfortunately, the baby lived only three months and died on 28 March 1870. Maria Sophia and her husband never had another child.

Other personal tragedies Maria Sophia's life was the death of her younger sister Sophie Charlotte in the 1890s. She died heroically while trying to help others from a burning building. Shortly thereafter, in 1898, Maria Sophia's older sister, the Empress Elizabeth was stabbed to death by an anarchist.

Maria Sophia died in exile in Munich in 1925. The Italian newspaper il Mattino announced her death, and was praised as "...one of those European princesses who, with her great gifts, would have had another destiny but for the dramatic events of her times."

She attracted harsh criticism, but she also generated so much respect and admiration in her long life. Even from those who would be her most extreme political enemies such as the famous Italian ultra-nationalist Gabriele d'Annunzio called her the "stern little Bavarian eagle". The Queen was buried alongside her husband and their short-lived daughter in the Church of Santa Chiara in Naples.

Poem for Empress Maria Feodorovna

2011-08-09T12:30:00.003+08:00

On June 15, 1888, when Maria Feodorovna had been Empress of Russia for three years, her husband's cousin, the poet Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, wrote a poem dedicated to her.

On the balcony, blooming in spring,

As the nightingales sing in the gardens,

I admired you in silence,

Gazing into your gentle eyes.

A quiet voice rang in my ears,

But I can not hear what you were saying:

I was like in a dream immersed

In the depth of those soft eyes.

All that is joyous, pure, lovely,

That lives in beautiful dreams

Were all told so simply and clearly

To me through these enchanting sight.

In their secret meaning

No words can be enough...

Like the night hanging over me,

A Radiant, Spring night!

Joan of Kent: The First Princess of Wales

2011-08-05T17:29:00.073+08:00

Joan of Kent,
Countess of Kent and Lady Wake of Liddell
Countess of Salisbury,
Princess of Wales
(Modern portrait by Stephen Warde Anderson)

"The most beautiful woman in all England, and the most loving.”

-Jean Froissart, Medieval Chronicler

In modern times, the British courtesy title Princess of Wales has become synonymous to style, beauty and charm. The most well-known bearer of this title was the late Lady Diana Spencer, and she was the epitome of that title. There were over forty kings who occupied the British throne since William of Normandy conquered England in 1066, but the women who held the title Princess of Wales - a title reserved only for the wife of the heir to the throne - were only ten. Eight of them eventually became Queens Consort, but the remaining two were never crowned because they were predeceased by their husbands.

Joan of Kent was one of those two who never became Queen, and she was the first woman to become Princess of Wales. She was the consort of Edward, Prince of Wales or known famously as "The Black Prince", son of King Edward III. Joan was known in history as "The Fair Maid of Kent", a nickname that later historians ascribed because of her immense beauty. She was of royal blood, a Plantagenet, through her father, and because of her royal descent and beauty, she was a much sought-after bride. She was born around 1328, the third child of Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent (a son of King Edward I) and Lady Margaret Wake of Liddell.

During Joan's lifetime, three important historic events occurred: the Hundred Years' War, the Black Death, and the Peasants' Revolt. The backdrop of her story was the Hundred Years' War, the age when the Plantagenet monarchs of England claimed the throne of France and made many attempts to secure it. The Black Death reduced the able-bodied people of England, thus causing labor shortage. And finally, the Peasants' Revolt, a consequence of the Black Death.

When Joan was two years-old, tragedy struck her family. King Edward II was murdered at the instigation of his wife, Queen Isabella. Joan's father, a younger brother and a supporter of the king, began investigating the circumstances of his murder. This greatly infuriated Queen Isabella, and arranged to have Edmund charged with treason. Soldiers seized Arundel Castle and held Edmund's wife and children prisoner. Edmund was later executed, leaving a total of three children to his wife.

When the new king, Edward III became aware of the injustice done to his uncle, he banished his mother Queen Isabella to Anglia. The new queen, the virtuous Philippa of Hainault, set out to make amends, and arranged for the Kent Family to be brought to court so that the Joan and her siblings could be raised with their royal cousins. Joan was given a governess, Catherine Montague, Countess of Salisbury. The Countess and her husband the Earl were a very enterprising couple, and raised an ambition to wed Joan to their son and heir William. However, Joan had other ideas. At the age of twelve, she had fallen in love with Thomas Holland, a steward in the Salisbury household and a man eight years her senior. They contracted a secret marriage, without royal consent. The following year, Thomas Holland went overseas to fight in one of the many campaigns of Hundred Years' War. With Thomas absent, the Saliburys forced Joan to marry William. Joan later claimed she was afraid that disclosing her previous marriage would lead to Thomas's execution for treason on his return, and so did not disclose it. She may also have become convinced that the earlier marriage was invalid.

When Thomas returned from France he could do little to reclaim his wife, and he soon went off again serving with Edward, the Black Prince. Meanwhile, back at court, Joan was now Countess of Salisbury, since her father-in-law had died in 1347. She was a great favorite of Edward III and Queen Philippa. But Thomas Holland had not forgotten Joan. Now wealthy and influential, he appealed to the Pope to arrange Joan's divorce from Salisbury. The Pope decided in favor of Sir Thomas's claim and Joan was returned to him. She had no children by her previous marriage to Salisbury, but with Holland she soon became a mother of five.

Her cousin the Black Prince stood as godfather to her two children, and gave his cousin "Jeanette" a silver cup. By 1353, Joan became the Countess of Kent after the death of her brother. She inherited a substantial property, but her happy marriage with Sir Thomas ended in his death in December 1360.

Joan, now thirty-two years old, was a very sought-after prize. Suitors flocked around the beautiful and wealthy widow, but she was uninterested. By this time, she had her eyes only to her cousin, Prince Edward, to whom she shared a strong attachment ever since they were children. When Edward knew that she was in love with 'somebody', he entreated her to identify the object of her affection. Joan then revealed that she was in love with him, and Edward, who had been in love with her for quite a long time, asked his parents' consent for marriage. Although the King and Queen liked Joan, they were not pleased with Edward's choice. Queen Philippa was especially concerned about Joan's reputation and her flighty disposition. But Edward was adamant that if he was to marry, he would only marry Joan, his true love. Finally, the King and Queen acquiesced, a papal dispensation was sent (because of consanguinity), and Edward and Joan were married on October 10, 1361 at Windsor Castle.

The Black Prince owned several residences but Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire was his favorite. There the newly-weds went to stay, but not to long. The Prince was anxious to return to France to secure more territory. In February 1362, Edward and Joan sailed for France accompanied by her children. They set up their home in Bordeaux, and two years later Joan gave birth to a son they named Edward. The Black Prince was delighted. Another son was added in family on January 1367 and they named him Richard. Once assured that Joan had recovered, the Prince set out for the south, to check an advance over the Pyrenees by a Spanish army.

Edward and Joan appeared to be a very loving couple. Before Edward left for the south, the couple "very sweetly embraced and take farewell with kisses." And on his return, they went on an informal walkabout: "The Princess came to meet him, bringing with her her first born son...very sweetly they embraced when they met together. The gentle prince kissed his wife and son. They went to their lodging on foot, holding each other by the hand."

Upon his return to Bordeaux, the Prince was far from well. His health grew steadily worse after the death of the little six year-old prince Edward. The parents were grief-stricken with the loss, and decided to sail back to England. As he became increasingly ill, the Prince fretted over the succession, suspicious that his brother John of Gaunt would claim the throne on the death of the King. Edward feared that his son Richard might be set aside by John of Gaunt. Meanwhile, Joan did not involve herself in politics, but she showed no small skill when the future of her son might be in jeopardy.

Edward the Black Prince died in June 1376, when Richard was only nine years-old. One year later, King Edward III died, and Richard became King of England. Early in his reign, the young King faced the challenge of the Peasants' Revolt. The Lollards, religious reformers led by John Wyclif, had enjoyed the protection of Joan, but the violent climax of the popular movement for reform reduced the feisty Joan to a state of terror, while leaving the King with an improved reputation. As the power behind the throne, the now Dowager Princess of Wales was well-loved for her influence over the young king, She maintained a cordial relationship with her brother-in-law John of Gaunt for the sake of her son, and was supportive of her new daughter-in-law, Richard's wife, Anne of Bohemia.

Joan then retired to Wallingford, but she did not remain uninvolved. Richard was a peaceloving, artistic youth, clearly lacking the warlike qualities necessary in a successful 14th century monarch. These were present in John of Gaunt, and Joan felt compelled to continue as peacemaker between the young King and his grasping uncle. At the end of her life, Joan was disturbed by a quarrel between her two sons, Richard II and his half-brother John Holland. This eventually lead to a reconciliation between the two, thanks to the effort of their mother. But the strain proved too much for the Dowager Princess of Wales, now fragile at the age of fifty-seven, and died in August 1385 in her castle at Wallingford. According to her will, she was buried not near the Black Prince, but beside her first husband, Sir Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent, at Church of the Grey Friars at Stamford.

Joan of Kent, the first Princess of Wales, was a strong character who exercised considerable influence in the years after the Black Prince died. She was a Plantagenet and an heiress, and through her children by Thomas Holland, the ancestress of many English aristocratic families.

The Courage of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth

2011-08-03T15:57:00.024+08:00

This is an excerpt from the memoirs of Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, a Polish stateman in Russian service and a best friend of Tsar Alexander I, where he recalls the night of the murder of Tsar Paul I in 1801, and how he admired the courage that was displayed by the future Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna, wife of Alexander I and the woman rumored to be his great love.

"During the first terrible moments Alexander was so absorbed by his remorse that he seemed incapable of saying a word or thinking of anybody. His mother, on the other hand, was in a passion of grief and animosity; the only member of the Imperial family that retained her presence of mind was the young Empress [Elizabeth]. She did her utmost to console Alexander and give him courage and self-reliance. She did not leave him during the whole of the night, except when she went for a few moments to calm her mother-in-law and persuade her to stop in her room and not expose herself to the fury of the conspirators. While in this night of trouble and horror some were intoxicated with triumph and others plunged in grief and despair, the Empress Elizabeth alone exercised a mediatory influence between her husband, her mother-in-law, and the conspirators. "

The murder of Tsar Paul I of Russia, March 1801

Portrait of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth

Queen of Pearls: Margherita of Savoy

2011-08-01T14:48:00.016+08:00

Princess Margherita of Savoy,
Queen of Italty
Portrait by Michele Gordigiani

Margherita of Savoy, the first Queen of Italy, was born on November 20, 1851 in Chiablese Palazzo in Turin. She was the only daughter of Prince Ferdinand of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, and Princess Elisabeth of Saxony.

Margherita's parents had a brief marriage. Prince Ferdinand died when Margherita was only 4 years-old and her brother Thomas barely a year old. For a time, the widowed Princess Elisabeth was interested in a possible marriage with her widower brother-in-law, King Victor Emmanuel II. But the King dismissed the idea as absurd. Elisabeth, upset with such rebuff began a relationship with her chamberlain and married him secretly less than a year after the death of her husband. This created a huge scandal. King Victor Emmanuel was so infuriated that he ordered her and her new husband into exile, forbidding her from seeing her two children. However, the exile didn't last long and she was allowed back again at court. Realizing that she made a mistake in marrying her chamberlain, she devoted herself and her time in raising her children.

The young Margherita, a lovely girl with a pretty smile, grew up to be religious and conservative, showing great interest in the arts. She was an excellent conversationalist and gained considerable popularity, especially among the Italian masses. She was so devoted to her homeland that she refused a proposal of marriage from Prince Karl of Romania. Instead, the now 17-year-old Margherita was married to her cousin Umberto, the 24 year-old heir to the Italian throne. They were married on April 22, 1868 at the Royal Palace in Turin. A year after their marriage, Margherita gave birth to the couple's only child, a son, Prince Victor Emmanuel of Naples.

When Umberto and Margherita visited the Netherlands, Margherita attracted admiring glances from the people, and Queen Sophie of the Netherlands wrote about the couple: "The Prince and Princess Royal of Italy are here. She is a lovely child, white, small, delicate, graceful - he is a brute and it is impossible not to feel pity for that young and naive creature Just now her dresses, her jewels, the release from governess and schoolroom make her happy. Lovely as she is, he seems to have no admiration for her..."

In 1878, King Victor Emmanuel II died, and Umberto and Margherita were crowned as the new King and Queen of Italy. Months after their succession, the royal couple made a trip throughout Italy to greet their subjects. The young Queen, with her charm and affability, was able to win the hearts of her people.

Only few people within the court knew the real state of the royal marriage. Since 1864, Umberto had been in liaison with the beautiful and much older Eugenia Attendolo Bolognini, Duchess of Litta. It turned out that she was the love of his life. Margherita had known about her husband's mistress even at the start of their marriage. She had to put up to that, but nevertheless, Umberto tried to be a good husband to her, and the marriage was still consider a harmonious one.

Queen Margherita promoted the arts and culture, introduced the chamber music in Italy, and founded the quintet of Rome. She was also a keen mountaineer and became the first woman to climb the highest peak of Monte Rosa, the Punta Gnifetti. The mountain hut there was named after her.

She had a magnificent and lavish collection of jewelry, but the most famous is her large collection of pearls. She was called the "Queen of Pearls" and her portraits show her always wearing a profusion of these. She was described by the Crown Princess of Prussia as "certainly lovely and fascinating" and "a very charming and graceful creature. So amiable." Wherever she would go, everyone was charmed by her. With her beauty and elegance, she was among the most admired women of the day, along with the Empress of France and the Empress of Austria.

On July 29, 1900, while King Umberto and Queen Margherita were on a visit in Monza, the King was assassinated. He was shot four times by an anarchist named Gaetano Bresci. He claimed he wanted to avenge the people killed due to the suppression of the uprisings in Milan by Gen. Fiorenzo Bava Beccaris. The King had given honor to Beccaris in the belief that the uprising was a form of socialism aiming to shake the monarchy to its foundation.

The Queen was staying in Villa Reale when the assassination of the King took place, and his body was brought there. Her son Victor Emmanuel was now the King of Italy.

After her husband's death, Margherita, now the Queen Mother, devoted her time to charity work and promoting the arts and culture. She encouraged artists and writers, and founded more cultural institutions. As the Queen Mother, she showed great support to her son and his wife, Elena.

Politically, she favored Fascism, which at that time was the only movement that opposed Socialists and Bolsheviks. In October 1922, the quadrumvirs visited her in her villa at Bordighera to pay their respects prior the March on Rome.

Queen Margherita died in in her villa in Bordighera on January 4, 1926. Her remains were then taken to Rome to be interred at the royal vault in the Pantheon. Margherita was deeply mourned by the people. It took a long time for the funeral train to reach its destination because of the crowd of people trying to get close and throw flowers to her coffin.

From Princess to Poverty: Elizabeth of Hungary

2011-07-22T15:32:00.019+08:00

Princess Elizabeth of Hungary,
Landgravine of Thuringia
Painting by Edmund Blair Leighton

One of the most beloved saints of the Catholic Church is Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. Born a Hungarian princess and died in profound poverty at the age of 24, she is an inspiration to many and one of the influential women of the Middle Ages. Through her daughter Sophia, Duchess of Brabant, she is the ancestress of the House of Hesse and almost all royal houses throughout Europe.

Princess Elizabeth of Hungary was born on July 7, 1207 in the Castle of Sarospatak in Hungary. Her father was Andrew II, the powerful and rich King of Hungary. He was described as "valiant, enterprising, pious, and overgenerous with a reckless good nature which never thought of the morrow". Elizabeth's mother was a German countess, Gertrude of Andechs-Meran, a woman noted for her beauty and intelligence.

Elizabeth's first three years passed happily in the company of her sister Anne Marie and her brother Bela. From her earliest youth, Elizabeth loved music, dancing and playing in the beautiful countryside. However, her greatest joy was giving alms to relieve the sufferings of the poor. Her love for virtue and prayer corresponded perfectly with her name which in Hebrew means "worshipper of God" or "consecrated to God." But there was not even a remote chance of Elizabeth pursuing the path of her maternal aunt, Hedwig of Andechs, a Benedictine abbess. Following the custom of the time, her father, for political reasons, arranged her marriage while she was still a mere child. Elizabeth, he determined, would become the Landgravine of Thuringia.

Elizabeth was only four years old when she left Hungary to be raised in Thuringia with her future husband, and, in the course of time, to be betrothed to him: Prince Louis of Thuringia. Before departing for Thuringia, King Andrew II placed his daughter in the special care of Count Walter de Varila, saying: "Promise me on the faith of a Christian knight that you will ever protect and be a true friend to my little daughter." Count Varila pledged that he will protect her and always be faithful to her. Elizabeth's mother was rather cold towards her saying: "Act like a princess."

The journey from her native place to her new home, the town of Eisenach, Thuringia, took several months, as the royal entourage was greeted along the way with many festivities. When they finally arrived in Wartburg, a castle built on the top of the mountain and surrounded by hundreds of miles of forest and the seat of the Landgraves of Thuringia, she was received by Landgrave Hermann and his wife, Landgravine Sophia. She was then introduced to her fiance, 11-year-old Louis, and to his four younger siblings. The formal engagement of Louis and Elizabeth took place in the castle chapel, where the bishop blessed them.

Louis and Elizabeth, although very young and their future marriage was certainly for political reason, grew fond of each other. It was a "love at first sight", if that was possible for mere children, but their joy was their companionship and spent all the time they could together. But as future rulers, they both had much to learn.

Under the tutelage of Louis's mother Sophia, Elizabeth and her companions studied German, French, and Latin, the history of the realm, music, literature, and embroidery as well the care of linens, tapestries and wardrobes. Of paramount importance, however, was the detailed training on being the future Landgravine. Louis, on the other hand, was undergoing his training as the future ruler of Thuringia. As usual with nobility destined for knighthood, he become a page at the age of seven. He learned to serve the lords and ladies with perfect manners. As a squire, he would have his own attendants, suit of armor, and horse. He, too, was taught Latin, French, music, math, equestrian skills and military arts. It was said that Louis was unsurpassed physically and mentally. He was the very picture of a medieval knight; he was "tall, well proportioned, good-looking, attracting all who came near him, kind in speech, brave and daring."

Landgrave Hernann's death in 1217 thrust the 17-year-old Louis to rule Thuringia. The Landgrave's tragic death was because of the political difficulties and his alliances against the Church. This resulted of him being excommunicated, which at that time, was regarded as the ultimate punishment. This blow combined with the sudden death of his son Hermann, drove him mad and for some time, Louis had to act as Regent for him.

The death of her father-in-law greatly affected Elizabeth, for he, other than Louis, was kindly to her. A year after their mourning, Louis was knighted at the age of 18 and was named as the Landgrave of Thuringia, Louis IV. According to the feudal system, Louis then paid homage to Frederick II as his vassal and at this ceremony received the pledge of fealty from his lesser nobles.

Louis IV started to rule Thuringia with honesty and noble heart, which quickly endeared him to his people and gained the respect of other rulers. He was described as "cheerful, brave, pious, temperate, chaste and just".

From the start of her life in Thuringia, Elizabeth already despised the vanities of court life, and regarded them as' insignificant and unimportant'. As a princess, she had every gown at her disposal and yet she only wore them to fulfill the duties of her state. Her ladies-in-waiting knew that she was wearing a hair-shirt.

When she was 12 years old, Elizabeth shocked the court by her disregard for pomp and show. On the Feast of the Assumption she was required to go in state to attend the High Mass. This meant that she and the princesses would be dressed in the full magnificence of their rich silk and velvet clothes, with long embroidered sleeves and surcoats, edged with fur, with magnificent long mantles carried by pages, their gloves sewn with pearls and precious stones, and their persons adorned with golden chains and jewels. The young princesses probably did not wear the customary linen coif but would have loose veils and coronets on their flowing hair. On entering the packed church they knelt before the crucifix, and then instead of moving to her place of honor with the others, Elizabeth took off her crown, laying it before the cross, and remained prostrate on the ground with her face covered. All eyes turned toward the Landgrave's future bride. When his mother corrected her for this want of protocol, Elizabeth responded: "How can I, a miserable creature, remain wearing a crown of earthly dignity, when I see my King, Jesus Christ, crowned with thorns?"

Charitable even in her young age, Elizabeth always distributed food for the poor at the castle gate. But this act of charity was regarded with disdain by the court, which viewed her as a foreigner and called her a "Hungarian gypsy". As she grew older her piety irritated the women of the court. It made them uncomfortable and they would grumble that she was too holy, prayed too long, and should have been a nun instead of being betrothed to the prince. Despite this treatment, she had an ally in Louis, who championed her cause and protected her from malicious gossip. If not for him, Elizabeth's life in Thuringia would be unbearable.

At this point news arrived that things were not well in Hungary. Her father, King Andrew II, who had vowed to lead a Crusade, had instead made a peaceful expedition across Jericho and up the Red Sea. There, he retreated after a brief encounter with the Saracens. This humiliation, coupled with his inability to pay back the monies he had borrowed for the trip, was his downfall. Now the Hungarian alliance did not seem so promising to the Thuringian people and they began to reconsider the choice of Elizabeth as a match for the future Landgrave.

It began to be openly discussed and soon Louis's mother Sophia called a council without his knowledge. The main complaint against Elizabeth was her piety and extravagance to the poor. It was said that she could not be trusted with money for the good of the realm. Elizabeth learned about the council and held her own. She confided to Walter de Varila, the knight who had been appointed to her by her father, that she feared a conspiracy was about to separate her from her beloved Louis.

Varila bypassed the court council and asked Louis what his intentions were regarding the fate of Elizabeth. Louis pointing to one of the tallest peaks in Thuringia, said that if the entire mountain were turned into gold he would not exchange it for his Elizabeth. "She is dearer to me than anything on earth and I will have no other for my bride." Once Louis's determination became apparent, the murmuring subsided and Elizabeth was treated more kindly.

In the spring of 1221, Louis and Elizabeth were finally married. He was 21 and she was 14. The entire realm participated in the week-long festivities, and Elizabeth, now Landgravine of Thuringia and the Mistress of Wartburg, received gifts from her people as well as from Hungary. Louis's mother left Wartburg and retired to live as a nun in the Convent of St. Catherine.

Castle Wartburg undergone some renovations during the reign of Louis IV. He added additional rooms and a large banqueting hall.

He was extremely proud of his young wife, and the couple remained inseparable. Elizabeth dutifully performed her role as the new Landgravine and was a constant support to Louis. The new banquet hall now afforded them new opportunities to entertain. One night a German storyteller made his appearance in a gray habit of a newly founded order. He entertained the party with his tales of the "poor little rich man" named Francis and his new Order. Elizabeth, with her innate piety and selflessness, was greatly moved by all she heard. She was becoming increasing drawn to a different way of life and desired to become a follower of St. Francis. She wants to find her way by helping the poor. She was described as thus: "She played and danced and was present at assemblies of recreation, without prejudice to her devotion, which was so deeply rooted in her soul. Her devotion increased among the pomp and vanities to which her condition exposed her. Great fires are increased by the wind, while small ones are extinguished, if not screened from it."

Louis's duties kept him constantly away from the court and from Elizabeth. When her husband was absent, she would ride through the village helping her subjects and listening to their problems. She saw the condition of these people, how they lived and how they endured hard labor. They had to pay high taxes and often suffered cruel treatment from the nobles.

Elizabeth wanted to help them in anyway and every way she could. As the Landgravine she can do anything at her disposal: she paid debts, buy food and clothing, and clean and bury the dead. Her acts of charity challenged brought forth gossip and she became increasingly unpopular at court.

She began to feel as though she was leading a double life. She was torn between her state duties and her 'duties to God'. She felt that her love for her husband competed with her love for God. She began mortifying herself by rising in the middle of the night to pray. Louis was worried but understood her wife's devotion and her increasing drawn towards spiritual life. When she told him that she yearned for a simple life, Louis gently explained to her that it was their duty to rule and their subjects would not respect them if they lived with less extravagance. Even her visit to her native Hungary made her distracted in the knowledge that the money needed for the extravagant homecoming came from taxes extracted from the poor subjects of the kingdom.

A year after her wedding, on 28 March 1222, Elizabeth gave birth to a baby boy. The happy couple named the baby Hermann after his grandfather. Elizabeth was now worried that her new son would be another tie to the world. She was advised by her confessor: "Your duty is now to your son ... You are a ruler, wife, and mother. It is very difficult, but not impossible, to practice poverty as a wealthy ruler. But you can practice other virtues like patience, humility, and charity as you now do. It may be God's will that you remain as you are. Your greatest offering would be to give up your own will."

Following his advice, Elizabeth took a step more in her charity. She began to visit lepers. Her sister-in-law reported to Louis on his return home that Elizabeth had gone too far. Louis understood but did nothing. He loved his wife very much and he let her do as she pleased. Later on, Elizabeth gave birth to another child, a daughter, named Sophia.

In the winter of 1225, Agnes, Louis's sister, left Wartburg to marry. This freed Elizabeth from the long penance of her sister-in-law's presence. However, that winter was a great trial to Elizabeth because of famine, plague, and smallpox. Louis was away, leaving Elizabeth, who was only 19, in charge of the castles, villages and vassals. Famine stirred the peasants to demand grain. But the stewards prevented the peasants from entering the castle and were determined not to give away the stored grain. Desperate, Elizabeth sold her family jewels to buy food and when that was gone she demanded the granaries to be opened. "We shall not starve if we are generous. We must have faith." Elizabeth's action causes disdain to the people at court. They complained and reported to Louis his wife's doings in which he answered: "Is my wife well? That is all l care to know; the rest matters not. Let her give to the poor what she likes; as long as she loves me, I am content."

On Louis's return, he had to break a distressing news to his wife: he would be joining the Emperor on the Crusade. Elizabeth almost fainted from grief but then he consoled her, saying that it was a tradition for the Thuringian rulers to defend the Holy Land. She replied that she wouldn't hold him back. "It is the will of God. I have given myself entirely to Him and now I must give you, too."

On June 1227, Louis departed for the Holy Land. Before her left he entrusted the care of his kingdom to his knights and vassals, the affairs of state to his brother Henry, and Elizabeth, now pregnant with her third child, and children to his mother Sophia. Unfortunately, Louis was struck with fever during an epidemic in Otranto. He died on 11 September 1227, aged 27, without him reaching Jerusalem. Elizabeth received the painful news of her husband's death few days after giving birth to her daughter Gertrude. She was stricken, crying out: "Now the world and all its joy is dead to me." She fell unconscious, and for several days she mourned in isolation.

That winter, Louis's brother, Henry took complete authority as the heir of Thuringia, declaring himself the new Landgrave, and announcing that his sister-in-law was an incompetent Landgravine and a great spendthrift. He withdrew all funds from Elizabeth and her children, and finally she was forced out of Wartburg Castle into the village streets. Elizabeth wandered into the streets, the village people doing nothing to help her. Her children were put in the care of Louis's friend, and for months she had to endure harsh treatment, supporting herself by weaving, spinning and living wherever she would be received.

Finally her aunt, the Abbess of Kitzingen and her brother, the Bishop of Bamberg, heard about Elizabeth's plight, and she and her children were sent to live in Bollenstein Castle. This castle became the home of little Sophia and her small siblings. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was allowed to go back to Wartburg for the interment of her husband's remains. Then she summoned Louis's vassals and knights and thanked them for their fidelity. They pledged to defend her rights and the rights of her children, and forced Henry to restore Elizabeth to her rightful position. But Elizabeth declined life in Wartburg. Her children are now in the care of her relatives.

She joined Third Order of Saint Francis, being the first woman to do so. The members wore rough habits, recited the canonical hours, fasted most of the year and abstained from meat four days a week. Elizabeth was perfectly comfortable with these penances, and she made her vows renouncing everything. When King Andrew II heard about her daughter's condition, he sent for her to return to Hungary. She sent him a message: "Tell my father that I am happier here than in any castle. Ask him to pray for me and to ask the court to do so also. Tell my good father that I will always pray for him."

On November 1231, Elizabeth, exhausted from helping and nursing the poor and the sick as well as suffering from poor health, was stricken with fever. Finally, in the night of 19 November 1231, at the age of 24, Elizabeth died. Her daughter Gertrude, four year old at that time and living in Marburg, said: "I hear the passing bell at Marburg; at this moment the dear lady, my good mother, is dead." Elizabeth was buried in the chapel hospital that she founded.

Four years after her death, she was canonized in the presence of her children, mother-in-law and brothers.

When her relics were transferred in 1236, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who once asked Elizabeth for marriage, came and laid his crown on her tomb, saying: "Since I could not crown her as Empress in the world, I will at least crown her today, immortal queen in the Kingdom of God."

Olga Nikolaievna of Russia: The Second Russian Queen in Wurttemberg

2011-07-18T11:24:00.011+08:00

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna of Russia,
Queen of Wurttemberg
Portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna was the second daughter of Nicholas I of Russia and his consort Alexandra Feodorovna. She was born on August 30, 1822 in the Anichkov Palace. While pregnant with Olga, Alexandra had suffered some anxiety because two years earlier, she gave birth to a stillborn daughter. Fortunately, this time, everything went well and the newborn daughter was named Olga, probably in honor of Princess Olga of Kiev. Within the family, she was called 'Ollie'.

In 1825, when Olga was 3 years old, her father ascended the throne as Nicholas I. The Emperor and the Empress doted on their children and Olga grew up in a loving and close-knit family. Nicholas and Alexandra were able to create a real home - a "happy island" in the words of the grand duchess: "Along with a very strict upbringing, on the other hand, we were given a lot of freedom. My father demanded strict obedience, but allowed us pleasure inherent in our childhood, which he himself loved to decorate what some unexpected surprises. "

In 1828, Olga was given a governess of a Swedish descent and a Protestant faith, Charlotte Duncker. Well-educated and strict, she inspired her student to work and study hard. In five years, Olga could read and write in three languages. However, according to her, her religious upbringing was rather superficial. "We are surrounded by Protestant teachers, who barely knew our language and our Church." She explained that because of the religious differences that existed in their environment, she and her siblings developed a strong attraction to their Orthodox faith.

Her education consisted of studying languages (German, French and English), history and geography. She learned how to play the harpsichord and the organ. However, her passion were painting and sculpting. One of her tutors, Count Vasily Zhukovsky, who had to return to Germany before Olga finished her education, wrote about her to her sister Maria: "Olga is very industrious. ...and always very, very attentive. She listens diligently, and does not forget what she learned... I am sorry that I do not have more time: it is a great pleasure to learn with her..."

In 1838, the imperial family traveled to Prussia to visit Empress Alexandra's father, King Frederick William II. It was Olga's second trip abroad. She recalled how she and her sisters enjoyed their stay with their Prussian relatives, where there were always jokes and laughter. The old King loved being surrounded by his Russian granddaughters. Olga recalled how during dinners, he always wanted Maria, Olga and Alexandra to be seated across from him, and how he "liked to look at [them] all and enjoy [their] beauty". Olga also mentioned that among the three of them, it was she who bore little resemblance to their mother, and opined that Alexandra was their grandfather's favorite because she, the King said, "was the only one among us who look 'Prussian' with her snub nose and a sly face."

It was in also in Prussia that Olga met the Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria. In Charlottenburg, she was able to dance with him in a cotillion. The Bavarian royal family wanted Max to marry one of the Russian princesses, and they thought about Maria. But the Crown Prince told Olga that he saw a resemblance between her and a portrait in one of the Bavarian palaces, and so it was only her that he wanted to marry. At first, Olga didn't know that she was already being courted. When her mother told her about Max's intention, Olga refused even to think about marriage.

After the marriage of their sister Maria to the Duke of Leuchtenberg, and their brother Alexander being away for periods of time in search for a bride, Olga became closer to her sister Alexandra. "We talked a lot together, especially about the future... Most of it was about our future children, whom we will love and believe passionately, fill them with respect to all the beautiful and above all to the ancestors and their deeds, and to imbue them with love and devotion to our family. Our future husbands do not take us completely, it was enough that they seemed to us perfect and full of generosity."

By this time also, Olga was already 19, attractive, cultured and still unmarried. She was regarded as one of the most eligible princesses in Europe. After the wedding of her sister Maria, who married a prince below her rank, their parents were determined to find Olga a royal husband. Back in 1838, there was Max of Bavaria, but neither Olga nor her family liked him. A year later, their thoughts turned to Archduke Stephan of Austria. He was the son of Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary (Joseph's first wife was none other than Olga's aunt, Alexandra Pavlovna) from his second marriage. Olga liked Stephan, but a possible marriage between her and Stephan was prevented by his stepmother, who, probably out of jealousy, didn't like a Russian relative of Alexandra Pavlovna. Furthermore, Austria didn't want a princess with an Orthodox faith as this can lead to social unrest among the minorities. By 1840, Olga decided that there was no need to rush into marriage. She was happy to stay home. Her father told her that she was free to choose who she like.

When Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel visited Russia in 1843, Nicholas and Alexandra were hopeful that he might consider marrying the already 21-year-old Olga. He was introduced to her when he came to Peterhof. Olga seemed to have liked Frederick and enjoyed his company and conversation. However, the next day, Frederick met the 18 year-old Alexandra, and to everyone's surprise, fell in love with the younger princess. Realizing that the couple were very much in love with each other, Olga graciously 'stepped aside' in favor of her sister. Frederick William and Alexandra married in January 1844 but the couple's blissful married life was tragically cut short when Alexandra died 6 months later from consumption and premature childbirth.

Later that year, Adolf, Duke of Nassau came to visit Russia with his younger brother Maurice. The Emperor and the Empress were considering this visit as a great opportunity for a marriage between Adolf and Olga. However, their hopes were dashed once again when Adolf fell in love and decided to marry Olga's cousin, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna. The Emperor was surprised, but Olga wrote that "he had nothing against [the match]".

Meanwhile Olga turned 22 year old, still unmarried, and a suitable groom can't still be found.

Olga was said to have a strong personality and was very much like her father "with regular features, a strong will and a persistent nature". While on the other hand, she also inherited her mother's "femininity and angelic tenderness". She was described as the ideal feminine beauty: "tall, slender, blond, with a cameo profile and big blue eyes."

The death of Olga's younger sister Alexandra in the summer of 1844 was a devastating blow to the whole family. Olga's grief in the death of her beloved sister inspired her to write her memoirs later in life and described how it felt without Alexandra, the favorite of the family. She described her as "a lark that emanates with joy." The Empress was doubly affected by Alexandra's death. Not of a robust constitution, her grief greatly worsened her health. She was advised by her physicians to spend sometime abroad and to benefit in the warm climate of the South. Olga was to accompanied her mother, and wrote sadly that the trip was like a death sentence. "Away from the family, from home, without Papa and my brothers, wandering around Europe, not knowing when we can return." Olga, her mother and a few staff wander across Europe, visiting one health resort to another. When they reach their final destination, Palermo in Italy, the Empress's health certainly improved and Olga happily wrote that her mother was doing quite well, was able to put on some weight, was more cheerful and was strong enough to do everyday activities. It was also during this stay in Italy that Olga received a letter that would finally decide her fate. The letters that Olga received are from Stuttgart. The first dispatch of letters contained a request from the King of Wurttemberg to introduced his son to Olga, because the prince wanted to meet her. The second dispatch was a letter from Count Metternich stating that the Austrian Imperial Family were interested in a rapprochement, regarding the failed match between Archduke Stephan and Olga.

Olga felt confused and in her own words, the first time she went in doubt. She didn't want to be bound to a husband, who, not having a firm position, depends entirely to Metternich. The unexpected request from Stuttgart made her more confused and undecided. But she later remembered her father's advice that everything is in God's hands. She decided to visit Stuttgart to meet the Crown Prince of Wurttemberg, and it was after then that she would decide which of the two candidates is more suitable for her.

Then Olga made her decision. She decided that she would chose to marry Crown Prince Charles of Wurttemberg. Her reason for selecting him was familial. Among all the ruling families in Germany, Wurttemberg was most closely associated with the Romanovs. Olga's grandmother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna was born a princess of Wurttemberg, so was her aunt, Elena Pavlovna, and another aunt, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna was once married to the King of Wurttemberg.

Crown Prince Charles of Wurttemberg arrived in Palermo on January 1, 1846. On their first meeting, Olga felt nervous but not shy. She recalled how she immediately fell in love with his soft voice, and admired his figure, his brown eyes and how his hair framed his forehead and temples. "He was rather shy and spoke little." After several meetings, Olga accepted Charles's marriage proposal. She was brimming with happiness in this event, same also her whole family and Russia. The Russian Court sighed in relief upon receiving the news that she was marrying Charles instead of Archduke Stephan. "In Austria, she would be unhappy, as was the late Alexandra Pavlovna... Thank God she was saved from trouble and gave her a more dignified fiance."

After their engagement was announced, Olga spent most of her free-time with Charles:
"I looked at his eyes and listened to him in intently, but the upcoming big change in my life also interested me, so I kept clear memories and impressions. It seemed to me that it is more important and significant to know the character and nature of Charles. His childhood was not happy: his parents never had a harmonious time together. He grew up lonely, and his need for affection was great. He loved to talk to me while walking in the garden, on bank of the Arno. When I was sitting in the room with work in hand, he quickly grew impatient, and this reminded him of his joint family evenings at home, where his mother and sisters sat in silence for their work, shivering in advance of the chicanery of the King. When he found out that my birthday is on 11 September, he exclaimed: 'Oh, it lies exactly between the birthdays of my parents! This may mean that you are destined to become the connecting link between the two.' He guessed my nature and I have thus the direction of my path."

Olga and Charles were married in great splendor at the Peterhof Palace in Russia on July 1846. Olga looked radiant. After the Orthodox wedding, a Lutheran one followed. The celebration lasted for several days and then the couple attended a ball in their honor. The people observed: "She was incomparably beautiful. Her husband was not handsome, but his face radiates common sense and kindness."

In September, Olga and Charles left Russia for Wurttemberg. She was enthusiastically welcomed by the people. The couple settled in Villa Berg in Stuttgart. Less than a month after her arrival to her new homeland, Olga was settling herself with great ease, bringing herself closer to her new country and her people: "It's comforting to think in a moment of separation that my grandmother was born unforgettably in this land where I was destined to live and where Ekaterina Pavlovna left so many memories. They love their Russian name, and Württemberg connected us by many ties."

-----------------------------

Source:
"The Golden Dream of My Youth" by Queen Olga of Wurttemberg

'Dear Katya': Catherine Pavlovna of Russia

2011-07-17T09:48:00.006+08:00

Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia,
Duchess of Oldenburg
Queen of Wurttemberg

"Catherine had eyes of fire and a figure of demi-goddess."

- Nikolai M. Karamzin

Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia or "Katya" as she was affectionately called by her family, was the favorite sister of Alexander I and one of the few people he trusted implicitly. Elegantly beautiful, vivacious, highly-intelligent and ambitious, Catherine was one of the brightest stars in the Russian court. She exercised a considerable moral influence to Alexander and he kept up a detailed and continual correspondence with her over the years. Their 10 year age gap and their differences in personality didn't prevent these two people to become deeply attach to each other. Alexander was calm, humble and reserved. Catherine was whimsical, dramatic and impulsive. She had a fiery nature that Alexander found irresistible, and he adored and worshiped her, so much so that some people in the Russian court even suspected that they were having an incestuous relationship. But I strongly doubt that such a thing between Alexander and Catherine ever existed. They were simply too devoted to each other.

Catherine Pavlovna (or Ekaterina Pavlovna, the Russian equivalent of her name) was the fourth daughter of Paul I of Russia and Maria Feodorovna. She was born on 10 May 1788 in Tsarskoe Selo and was named in honor of her formidable grandmother, Empress Catherine II. Her birth was a disappointment to her parents, who were expecting a son, but the Empress was delighted with this little baby girl who was named after her. She wrote: "Yesterday, the grand duchess gave birth to a daughter that received my name - Catherine. Mother and daughter are healthy now."

Catherine's education began under the supervision of the Empress, and Countess Lieven became her governess. After the Empress's death, Maria Feodorovna continued the supervision of her daughter's education. Her education was "rigid" and Catherine grew up to be a witty and very intelligent woman, with a good sense of independence and individuality. In addition to French, German and English, Catherine was also fluent and wrote well in Russian - something that was rare for Russian women of high rank during those times. She was well-read in mathematics, economics, politics, history and geography. She was also taught in music and painting, and she was engaged in engraving. By the age of 16, her beauty became more noticeable. Her character became even more lively and sociable, and shyness was alien to her. But it was her eyes that greatly stood out, as the historian Nikolai Karamzin recalled: "Catherine had eyes of fire..." With her remarkable beauty, slender figure, brilliant mind and royal descent, Catherine was a much sought-after bride. The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna wanted her daughter to be Empress of Austria, and this prospect was shared by the ambitious Catherine herself. However, Alexander I, who wanted a fine husband for his favorite sister, would not hear of it, since he thought that the Emperor Franz was too old for her, feeble and weak-willed. Furthermore, Alexander never forgot the unhappy life of his sister Alexandra in the Austrian court, which eventually resulted to her premature death.

Catherine on the other hand, was very keen to marry Emperor Franz and live in Austria. She wrote to her brother that even though Franz was already 40 years old, she didn't find that a problem, adding: "I understand that he is no Adonis, but he is a decent man, enough to make a happy family life." However, nothing came out from this possible marriage with Austria (due to the strong opposition of Alexander I), and soon Catherine, by this time already 20 years old, finds herself still unmarried.

In the summer of 1807, Alexander received a proposal from Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon wished to strengthen France's ties to Russia and he thought about marrying one of Alexander's sisters who was of marriageable age - Catherine. Alexander was shocked and he communicated this to his mother. The Dowager Empress was horrified; she didn't want any of her daughters to become wife of a "tyrant", as she called Napoleon. Catherine was likewise averse of Napoleon and she said "I would rather marry the last Russian stoker than that Corsican." Hastily, the Dowager Empress arranged for the meeting and subsequent betrothal of Catherine to Prince George of Oldenburg. They were married on 18 April 1809 when Catherine was already 21 years old. The tragic short life of Catherine's older sisters, Alexandra and Elena, who both died in childbirth, made the Dowager Empress determine not to marry off her remaining daughters in such early age.

Although it was said that Prince George of Oldenburg was neither handsome nor imposing, he was an honest and respectable man. Catherine became deeply attached to him, and felt happy and contented with her married life. Their honeymoon was spent in Pavlovsk and eventually Alexander gave them the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg. Later, Prince George was made Governor-General of Tver and he and Catherine moved there in August 1809. Catherine gave balls in the palace, festivities, illuminations and fireworks. She changed "the quiet and simple provincial life" in Tver. She made every effort to "give this dear place a piece of St. Petersburg". She became involved in charity, and, with a great sense of duty, adopted many public causes. According to the French Ambassador Joseph de Maiste: "The life of the Grand Duchess Catherine in Tver is truly astonishing. In the evening, her home is like a monastery. A famous writer, Mr. Karamzin, reads her lectures in Russian history... The Princess teaches Russian language to her husband and serves as a mediator between him and the common people. Her kindness and courtesy are unparalleled. If I were a painter, I would send a picture of her eyes, that you may have seen her good nature... And this young princess was high in favor to her brother [Alexander], who lavishes her...with much attention. She is very well-educated and very intelligent. Hers is a mind that can foresee a lot and take the most decisive measures."

In 8 August 1810, Catherine gave birth to her first son, Frederick Paul Alexander. And two years later, another son, Peter. During these times, Catherine exercised considerable influence to Alexander. He took her advice concerning domestic and foreign policy. She even showed consideration to his mistress, the wily and astute Maria Narishkina, which touched Alexander deeply. During the war with Napoleon, amidst the general confusion and distress, Catherine showed a remarkable energy and initiative. She was tireless in her every effort and Alexander admired her more than ever. Unfortunately, on December 1812, before the expulsion of the French troops from Russia, her husband Prince George fell ill and died of typhus. Catherine was devasted and wrote to Alexander: "I lost with him all." She felt her loss so much that for weeks, she refused to leave her room, crying and lamenting. Her family and her friends became so concerned about her that they feared her sanity, and persuaded her to travel around Europe to take her mind off things.

The widowed Catherine traveled extensively abroad, writing numerous letters to her mother. While staying in England, she met the Prince Regent, and he proposed to her. Catherine was shocked and refused his proposal. Thereafter, she refused ever meeting him again. Because of her behavior, which provoked the outrage of the royal court and the British public, relations between Russia and Britain became even more strained.

While staying in England, Catherine met her cousin, Crown Prince William of Wurttemberg. William was married to the gentle Princess Caroline of Bavaria but their marriage was deeply unhappy and remained childless. They divorced in 1814. And now William, lonely and very unhappy, fell in love with his charming and beautiful cousin. Catherine reciprocated his feelings, and finally William proposed to her. In January 1816, they were married. Soon, the couple moved to Stuttgart. Months later, King Frederick of Wurttemberg fell gravely ill. Despite the fact that Catherine was in the last month of her pregnancy, she was almost always near the patient and taking care of him. The king died and in the same day, Catherine gave birth to a daughter. She was named Marie Frederika Charlotte. William and Catherine were now the King and Queen of Wurttemberg.

Catherine's life in Wurttemberg didn't start off very well. She had to deal with difficult in-laws and the poor financial state of the kingdom. But, having a strong character and keeping in mind that she was a Russian grand duchess, she was able to install herself perfectly in her position, and gained the respect of the people. Just like what she did in Tver, she continued her efforts to the benefit of her new country. She became involved in charity and promoted many social causes, such as establishing schools, orphanages and workhouses, and helping farmers and horticulturists to better cultivate the land. Unfortunately, Catherine's life in Wurttemberg would be cut short.

In early 1819, less than three years in her adopted homeland, Catherine fell gravely ill with erysipelas which later complicated by pneumonia. She died in the morning of 9 January 1819. Her husband, who loved her and was greatly devoted to her, was devastated, and her children were deeply affected by the death of their mother. When Empress Maria Feodorovna received the news that her daughter had died, she burst into uncontrollable sobs and cried "No, it's not true! Dear Katya is not dead, it's a lie!"

To house the remains of her precious wife, the inconsolable William commissioned the Italian architect Giovanni Salucci to build a mausoleum at the peak of the Wurttemberg Hill in Stuttgart.
Catherine was outspoken, exuberant and had a very strong personality, but she also possessed great kindness, intellectual prowess and a non-judgmental approach towards people. She was devoted to Russia, and after marrying William, to Wurttemberg, which welfare was of an utmost important for her. She was a loving and devoted wife and mother, and the people of Wurttemberg greatly mourn the premature loss of their beloved Queen.

The Countess Lieven wrote about Catherine as Queen of Wurttemberg:

"I've never met a woman who was so much afflicted with the need to move, act, play a role and overshadow others. She has charming eyes and manners, confident gait, a proud and graceful posture. Although her features were not classic, her striking fresh complexion, bright eyes and gorgeous hair captivated everyone. She knew perfectly well all the rules of decency and was blessed with strong feelings of the sublime. She spoke briefly but eloquently, her tone was always commanding."

Maid-of-honor to the Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna, Countess Edling, wrote about Catherine:

"Ekaterina Pavlovna, sister of the emperor, later Queen of Wurttemberg, whose greatness of heart was equal to that of her mind, could charm any and dominate everyone who surround her. Beautiful and fresh as Hebe, she was able, had a charming smile, and eyes that penetrate into one's soul. Her eyes sparkled with wit and gaiety... [Her] lively conversation exuded her peculiar charm. The family adored her and she felt that by staying in Russia, she could play the most brilliant role!"

Song for Sissi - If I Had a Wish

2011-07-16T20:31:00.004+08:00

Dutch singer Petra Berger dedicated this song to the beautiful and tragic Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

Sisi, I know you’re sad
Through all the hurt you’ve had
I can’t make it right
Can’t win your fight
Although I’d like to

You married far too young
You were a precious one
He stole you away
A new role to play
The empress of Austria
If I had a wish
I wouldn’t miss
My chance to say

Sisi I’d braid your hair
Brush away all despair
You flirted with death
To take your last breath
And lead you to heaven

Sisi it makes me sad
You had your babies too
Taken away from you
How did you survive
So long in that life
I couldn’t do it
Let’s dream that you’ll be
Barefoot and free
With all your children

Sisi I’d braid your hair
Brush away all despair

Angel of Schwerin: Elena Pavlovna of Russia

2011-07-16T19:14:00.011+08:00

Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia,
Hereditary Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Portrait by Josef Grassi, 1803

On December 13, 1774, in Gatchina, Tsarevich Paul of Russia and his wife Maria Feodorovna gave birth to a second daughter. The proud parents and the formidable grandmother Empress Catherine were surprised with the unusually regular features of this baby. She was named Elena - after Greek mythology's Helen of Troy - and true enough the baby would grow up to be a great beauty.

Elena was educated privately at home together with her elder sister Alexandra, to whom she shared a close relationship. The first years of her education were strictly supervised by her grandmother, and Elena was given a governess, Countess Charlotte Lieven. The Countess closely monitored the child's spiritual and emotional qualities and she quickly realized that the child was particularly sensitive to all things beautiful. Countess Lieven reported this to the Empress, and in turn the Empress ordered to decorate the room of the little grand duchess with special care and fill it with flowers everyday. The Empress, filled with pride about her granddaughter, wrote to Baron Grimm about Elena: "She seems to be a beauty in the full sense of the word. She has an unusually regular features. She is slim and graceful by nature, she had a lively and playful character and a kind heart. Her brothers and sisters are extremely fond of her cheerful disposition..." The Empress was meticulous when it comes to matters about her grandchildren but she was particularly proud and quick to compliment Elena. She wrote: "...beautiful Helen is thriving and I believe that in the next six months she will be smarter and livelier than her older sister, who will be two years old next week."

Elena, together with her sister Alexandra, learned painting, music and languages. By the time they were in their early teens, they could already speak five languages. As Elena grew older, her grandmother never tried to hide her preference for "beautiful Helen", comparing her with her sisters and was always praising her appearance. For the Empress, Elena was the embodiment of beauty and grace. She was fond of drawing flowers and plants, loved taking long walks in the parks of Pavlovsk, and probably kept a diary - but it was not preserved. She grew up to be a thoughtful and sensitive but impressionable girl.

When Elena was 12 years old, the French painter Madame Vigee Le Brun did a portrait of the two eldest grand duchesses: Alexandra and Elena. Another painter, Vladimir Borovikovsky, also painted a portrait of Elena. These portraits were shown to the European courts, and monarchs and ministers were fascinated with the two grand duchesses.

Soon there were talks about Elena's marriage. Emperor Paul chose the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. This German state is not only small but it is also not wealthy. Nevertheless, Paul saw it was politically advantageous for Russia. Negotiations were conducted and fortunately no problems arose and so it was completed successfully.

On February 17, 1799, Prince Frederick Louis, the heir to the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin arrived in St. Petersburg. He was introduced to his bride-to-be. According to contemporaries, Frederick was rather "naive and plain, but he is kindhearted, handsome and has a strong sense of humor". He was obviously captivated with his bride's "elegant beauty, refined manners and gentle eyes". Elena was also fascinated with the young man, and they quickly fell in love. She was happy to meet his entourage and was eager to see his future father-in-law. She sent him letters, almost everyday, which she diligently and respectfully written in German and French.

Elena and Frederick Louis were engaged on May 5, 1799 in Pavlovsk and on October 12, 1799 they were married in Gatchina. A week later, Elena's sister Alexandra was married to Archduke Joseph of Austria. These two weddings were celebrated with great joy and pomp, and celebrations lasted for a month.

In early 1800, Elena and her husband left Russia for Schwerin. On their arrival, she was warmly received by her father-in-law, the Duke. He immediately liked Elena and she was to become his favorite daughter-in-law. A banquet was held in honor of the newlyweds. Elena appeared in her magnificent dress decorated with diamonds, things that were never seen in impoverished Schwerin. She quickly realized the condition of her new homeland and she became involve in charity.

Despite the fact that Schwerin is far from being magnificent or opulent like the Russian court, Elena was happy and contented with her new country and tried her best to make the most out of it. The new Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was affectionate and amiable. She was friendly to all people: from her in-laws to the street urchins. She and Frederick explored the streets on foot while generously giving the people, especially the children, with flowers, coins and sweets. She became involve in encouraging children's education and did her best to help those in need. She quickly won the hearts of her people. They loved their Princess and were proud of her kindness and beauty. Elena was indeed lovely and charming, with blond hair, a slender figure and beautiful blue eyes, but she also possessed a warm heart devoid of any pretensions. She treated people with respect and in the way they would not feel intimidated nor distressed in her presence. On her birthday, her maid got hold of something rare in those days: a bunch of Parma violets (these normally bloom during warm season, and Elena's birthday is in December). She presented the flowers to her mistress, and Elena, deeply moved with her maid's thoughtfulness, gave her something that is "more valuable than gold" - she simply embraced her. Both stood for several minutes in silence and with tears in their eyes.

On September 1800, she gave birth to her first child - a son - and he received the names Paul Frederick. He was named in honor of his grandfathers. In the following year, she and her husband visited Berlin. She met the Prussian royal family and became friendly with Queen Louise. The people of Berlin were fascinated with the sight of these two lovely creatures walking together, and they were called "A Pair of Roses".

In 1803, when Elena was expecting her second child, her fragile health deteriorated rapidly. There were signs of consumption. Physicians were called from Berlin and St. Petersburg, but there was nothing they can do to save her. Consumption was incurable during those times. She died in the evening of September 24, 1803. She left behind a bereaved husband and in-laws, a one year old son and a newborn daughter. The people of Schwerin were saddened by her sudden death. She was buried with great sorrow in a mausoleum in Ludwiglust. On the day of her death, a paper was found under her pillows. It contains a long list of the names of families she intended to help in the future.

The people of Schwerin called Elena an "Angel" because she made no enemies and was loved by everyone. Despite her short life, Elena was still luckier than her older sister Alexandra. While both princesses grew up together, were almost inseparable, married almost at the same time, and had relatively short life and both dying in childbirth, Elena was more fortunate. Until her untimely death, she was surrounded by loving and kind people. Her husband was loving towards her, her father-in-law gave her with fatherly affection and the servants all loved and respected her (strikingly different from the cold and stiff Austrian court that Alexandra had to endure).

Psyche: Elizabeth Alexeievna of Russia

2011-07-15T16:08:00.052+08:00

Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna of Russia
Born Princess Louise of Baden
Portrait by Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun

"Her features were well formed and regular, her face a perfect oval; her fine complexion was not bright, but was of a paleness completely in harmony with the expression of her countenance, whose sweetness was angelic. Her fair hair floated over her neck and forehead. She was clad in a white tunic, a carelessly knotted girdle surrounding a waist as slender and supple as a nymph's. As I have described her, so ravishingly did this young person stand out against the background of her apartment, adorned with pillars and draped in pink and silver gauze, that I exclaimed, "That is Psyche!" It was Princess Elisabeth, the wife of Alexander."

-Madame Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun

I have always been fascinated about Elizabeth Alexeievna, wife of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. She was one of the saddest figures of the Romanov family. Extraordinarily beautiful, sensitive, charming, compassionate, intelligent and kindhearted, it seemed she had all the requirements to please the future Alexander I of Russia and become the perfect Empress-Consort of Russia. Alexander himself was a handsome and very charming man, and his marriage to Elizabeth was dubbed as 'the marriage of Cupid and Psyche'; it was said that no other couple looked so perfect together. Everybody commented that Alexander was married to the most desirable of women. Indeed. But with all her beauty and good character, Elizabeth was not able to find happiness in her marriage to Alexander nor in her life in Russia.

Elizabeth was born as Princess Louise of Baden on January 13, 1779 . She was the daughter of Prince Karl of Baden and Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt, sister of the Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna. Around the time when Louise was thirteen years old, Catherine the Great was looking for a suitable wife for her favorite grandson, Tsarevich Alexander. Her attention turned to Baden and its princesses. The Empress immediately communicated her interest to the Baden court and sent for its two unmarried princesses.

At the invitation of the Empress Catherine, the two unmarried Baden princesses, Louise and Frederica, traveled to Russia. From the very beginning, Catherine felt fascinated with Louise. Without a doubt, Frederica was pretty and vivacious, but it was Louise - with her thick but silky ash-blond hair, angelic face and melodious voice - who captivated the court. It was said that there could be no more beautiful and charming princess in the world. Although Alexander was initially shy and didn't know how to treat her, he eventually warmed up to her, and later admitted that he liked her. After a few weeks, Alexander proposed to her. Empress Catherine was overjoyed and Louise was received in the Orthodox Church and was baptized as Elizabeth Alexeievna, Grand Duchess of Russia. Alexander and the new Elizabeth were married with great pomp in St. Petersburg. Everything seemed perfectly going well. Empress Catherine was obviously delighted with this good-looking couple. Elizabeth declared to her mother that her husband was worthy of her love and affection and Alexander himself looked radiant with his wife. Elizabeth was delighted with her new country and its customs, and was enthusiastic in studying its history and language. Princess Dashkova commented that Elizabeth mastered the Russian language in just a short time and "without the slightest foreign accent". Society admired her beauty, kindness and humility. However, not all things happened favorably with the new grand duchess.

Elizabeth and Alexander were very young when they were married. They were naive about so many things. Soon they started to realize that they had very few things in common, and their personalities were entirely different from each other. Alexander was a restless soul constantly in search for something. Elizabeth was shy and placid. Even though they started their married life with a distinguished fondness for each another, this didn't last long. Despite Elizabeth's love for Alexander, he didn't return his wife's affection. Eventually, Alexander drifted away from her. Although he was polite towards her in public and arranged for his meals with her, he was emotionally distant. He treated his wife with such coldness and indifference that this was noticed not only by his family but also the servants. The couple's relationship was soon replaced by a cool friendship. Elizabeth's pain and sorrow over this treatment was not the only one. The Empress Catherine was all kindness to her but after her death, Elizabeth's life in the Russian court took a different turn. She wrote to her mother:

"...I will never forget her. How difficult it is to start a new life! You cannot imagine this terrible emptiness, and that all (except their Majesties) succumbed to sadness and grief. I am displeased by the fact that the emperor almost never expressed his sorrow over the death of his mother."

Members of the imperial family were not particularly affectionate towards Elizabeth, especially her parents-in-law. Although Maria Feodorovna initially admitted that "the girl [is] charming to me, I found her not merely pretty but possessing such an attractive figure that even the most indifferent person would love her", her feelings towards her daughter-in-law quickly turned sour soon after the death of Empress Catherine. During the Coronation Day of the now Emperor Paul and Empress Maria, all wore court dresses, and Elizabeth - desiring to supplement her attire, fastened fresh roses to the diamond flower attached on her dress. When the Empress saw her, she immediately pulled out the roses and threw them on the floor, saying "These don't suit the court dress." Elizabeth was also accused of helping to secure the marriage of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and her sister Frederica. Empress Maria felt insulted (her daughter Alexandra was supposed to wed the King of Sweden but he didn't appear during the betrothal ceremony and this incidence caused a huge scandal and a brokenhearted Alexandra). Elizabeth denied all the charges but Maria never believed her. Maria and Elizabeth's relationship was never warm, and perhaps one of the reasons Maria didn't like her daughter-in-law was because she was a niece of Paul's first wife, Natalia Alexeievna. There would be more reproaches from her in-laws; she felt indignant but meekly bore everything. The only friend she ever had this time was her sister-in-law Anna Feodorovna, wife of Grand Duke Constantine. She was Elizabeth's constant support and companion. She wrote to her mother after Empress Catherine's death: "Anna is my only consolation, as I am for her, and she spends almost all of her time in my place. She comes in the morning, take meals with me almost everyday, and stay with me all day..." But when Anna left St. Petersburg permanently for Coburg because of her failed marriage to Constantine, Elizabeth felt completely alone.

Then Elizabeth learned that she was pregnant. She later gave birth to a daughter, Maria Alexandrovna, but the baby was dark-haired (Alexander and Elizabeth were both blond), and this was noticed by the people at court. Then rumors started to spread: the baby was not fathered by Alexander but by Adam Czartoryski, a handsome and highly intelligent Polish prince and Alexander's best friend. Adam had been attracted to Elizabeth for quite a long time and his attentions became more intense. Alexander even appeared to encourage Adam's attention and feelings to his wife, and he sometimes even arranged for his wife and his best friend to be alone together.

Whether Elizabeth finally succumbed to the charm of the Polish prince was debatable. There were no strong evidence that Adam and Elizabeth had sexual relations. But one thing was certain, Adam was in love with her. Elizabeth might have had harbored some feelings for him, but both of them tried to repress these feelings out of sense of duty. Their relationship eventually caused both of them great consequences. Adam was sent away by a raging Emperor Paul to Italy, and Elizabeth suffered more from the indifference and coldness of the imperial family. To add to her suffering, her baby died after thirteen months. This latest tragedy devastated her and she became more withdrawn.

In 1801, Paul I was assassinated. Everyone in the palace was frightened and stunned, including Alexander, and according to eyewitnesses, it was only Elizabeth who remained calm and levelheaded in the mayhem. She comforted the family, helped Alexander to come to terms to his new responsibility (who was overcome with grief and shock by his father's death), and with Anna Feodorovna, tried to talk to the soldiers and the conspirators. Everyone admired the composure and her bravery she showed during that terrible night. Alexander and Elizabeth were now Emperor and Empress of Russia. They were the youngest rulers ever to be crowned in Moscow: he was 24 and she 23. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's position as the new empress brought her more unhappiness.

First, the Dowager Empress took precedence over the new Empress. This was something unique in Russia, but Alexander was more than willing to let his mother take the center stage."The Dowager Empress sought to eclipse her by a more majestic demeanor, and at every State pageant occupied a place by the side of the emperor. ...She regarded Elizabeth as her chief rival - a feeling she showed with some haughtiness towards her daughter-in-law..." (Grahame, F.R) Second, even worse, Alexander started an affair that would last for the next fifteen years with a beautiful Polish princess, Maria Naryshkina.

Maria Naryshkina was, as contemporaries wrote, the exact opposite of Elizabeth. If Elizabeth's beauty was of the angelic type, Maria was of the exotic type: black hair and black eyes, and she was described as "fascinating and charming, with the ability to attract people". She was even called the "Aspasia of the North" and the "primadonna of the Russian court". She had a habit of wearing the simplest dress when attending balls so as to make her stand out. Although she was not intelligent as Elizabeth and was rather vulgar and distasteful in her remarks, Alexander found her irresistible and greatly enjoyed her company. Surprisingly, she was also well-liked by Alexander's family. Some historians often wonder why Alexander would love a woman like Maria Naryshkina who was "without any merit other than the charm of her beauty".

Perhaps Alexander preferred women who were high-spirited, women who worship him... Whatever the reason, Maria bore Alexander several illegitimate children. Elizabeth was hurt and indignant but she bore his betrayal with dignity: "I pardon everything in a woman except the seduction of a married man, for one cannot calculate its disastrous consequences," she wrote to her mother. Maria Naryshkina even tried to persuade Alexander to divorce Elizabeth, but he vehemently refused to do so.

In the winter of 1808, the King and Queen of Prussia were invited to St. Petersburg, where they were treated most magnanimously. Especially, Queen Louise, who was able to charm Emperor Alexander. The sight of these two beautiful consorts together, Queen Louise and the Empress Elizabeth, caused so much sensation in the Russian court. The charm and vivacity of the Queen of Prussia was universally acknowledged, but it was the gentleness and quiet dignity of the Russian Empress that captured people's hearts. Joseph de Maistre said of the Queen: "She has often been compared to the reigning Empress [Elizabeth]. The Queen may be a more beautiful woman, but the Empress is a more beautiful sovereign."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who was by this time at the height of her beauty, was craving for love and affection. She had fallen in love with a handsome Guard officer, Alexei Okhotnikov, who was said to be the love of her life. Alexei called her in French: "My little wife" and "My friend, my wife, my God, my Elise, I love you." Elizabeth became pregnant, and obviously Alexander was not the father. The child was a girl who was also named Elizabeth. Nevertheless, Alexander declared that the child was his, but during the baptismal ceremony, according to the Dowager Empress, he felt quite ambivalent and showed little attention to the infant. Alexei and Elizabeth's affair lasted for only two years. He died after an attempt in his life. She felt abandoned and lonely than ever and turned to her only solace, her daughter Elizabeth. Unfortunately, the little girl died after fifteen months. Elizabeth was grief-stricken and wrote to her mother: "Now, I am not longer good for anything in this world, my soul has no more strength to recover from this last blow.”

Towards the end of their lives, Alexander and Elizabeth became closer to each other and started spending more time together. Alexander finally left his mistress and return to Elizabeth. They traveled to Taganrog in 1825 due to Elizabeth's ill health and stayed in a small house. There, Alexander and Elizabeth enjoyed a happy and quiet life together. She wrote: “Sometimes I am reduced to thinking of myself as Alexander’s mistress, or as if we had been married secretly.." Near the end of 1825, Alexander caught a cold that developed into typhus while returning to Taganrog from Crimea. On December 1825, he died in the arms of his wife. Elizabeth was stricken by her loss, writing "I do not understand myself, I do not understand my destiny. "

Elizabeth was now too weak to go back to St. Petersburg for the funeral and decided to stay for some time. When the journey finally started, she felt very sick and they had to stopped at Belev in Tula. In the early hours of May 16, 1826, a few months after her husband's death, Elizabeth was found dead in her bed. She had died of heart failure. Her remains were buried in St. Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

The Comtesse of Choiseul-Gouffier wrote sadly about Alexander and Elizabeth: "What a difference would it have made in the happiness of both, if they had been able to understand each other! They seemed to have been made the one for the other; the same goodness, the same gentleness and intellectual power. Yet there seemed to have been one point on which their hearts could not meet. Why is it that death alone has reunited such perfect souls?"

Elizabeth's life in Russia had been unhappy and unfulfilled. She was an example of one of those women who, despite their rare qualities and nobleness of heart, were destined to lead a lonely and deeply unhappy life. Neglected and abandoned throughout most of her life in Russia, her potential as a woman and as an empress were not fully realized. Certainly, she deserved more, all the goodness and the happiness in her life, just as the Comtesse de Choiseul-Gouffier declared wistfully, "How happy she deserved to be!"

Further Reading:

Catherine the Great by Henri Troyat

Alexander of Russia: Napoleon's Conqueror by Henri Troyat

Memoirs of Countess Golovine: A Lady at the Court of Catherine II by Countess Varvara Nikolaevna Golitsyna Golovina

Historical Memoirs of the Emperor Alexander I: and the Court of Russia by Sophie, Comtesse de Choiseul-Gouffier

Life and Times of Alexander I Emperor of All the Russias by F.R. Grahame

A Tragic Short Life: Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia

2011-07-15T13:28:00.007+08:00

Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia,
Archduchess of Austria
Portrait by Vladimir Borovikovsky

Alexandra was the eldest daughter of Paul I of Russia and Maria Feodorovna. She was born on August 9, 1783 in Tsarskoe Selo. Her grandmother Empress Catherine took Alexandra's elder brothers, Alexander and Constantine, to be brought up and educated under her supervision. She took no interest in a granddaughter that's why Alexandra was allowed to be brought up by her parents. In turn, Alexandra became her father's favorite daughter.

The young princess was educated to a high standard. She received lessons in languages, music and painting. By the time she was 10 years old, she could already speak four languages and was an excellent harpsichord player. Her dancing was exquisite, and although Catherine had greatly admired the beauty of Alexandra's younger sister, Elena, she was also starting to praise young Alexandra's beauty and her gentleness. Catherine wrote to Baron Grimm: "She speaks four languages, writes well, draws, plays the harpsichord, sings, dances, learns easily and reveals a nature of extraordinary gentleness."

Alexandra had many talents: she was also an amateur translator and a painter. Her translations were published in the book "The Muses" and her paintings were sent to the Academy of Fine Arts. When she was being prepared by her grandmother for the role of Queen of Sweden, she mastered the Swedish language.

Alexandra was only 10 years old when her fate was sealed by her grandmother. The Empress wished to strengthen Russia's ties with other European countries, and thought about Sweden. She immediately began negotiating with the Swedes on a marriage between Alexandra and the young Swedish king Gustav IV Adolf. The Swedes accepted and the wedding would take place when the bride turned 18 (Alexandra was only 13).

Catherine liked the young king very much. He was said to have "a very pleasing face, in which wit and charm were portrayed." And Alexandra was described by Madame Vigee Le Brun with"an angelic face, complexion so tender and delicate that one might have supposed that [she] lived in ambrosia. ...She was of the Greek type of beauty, and very much resembled Alexander [her older brother]."

Another description of her:

"At 14, she was already tall and womanly; her figure was noble and majestic, softened by all graces of her sex and age. Her features were regular, and her complexion fair as alabaster. Innocence, candour, and serenity stamped their divine impressions on her brow; and light flaxen hair...fell in ringlets on her well-turned neck. Her heart, her talents, and her intellect were in unison with her exterior appearance."

Alexandra saw a miniature of her future husband and convinced herself to be in love with him and that she will be happy 'forever'.

On August 1796, Gustav IV Adolf arrived in St. Petersburg. His stay in the capital was accompanied by endless festivities, balls and parades. Gustav first saw the portrait of Alexandra by Vigee Le Brun in the artist's studio. Madame Le Brun recalled: "He was only seventeen years old, but his tall figure and his proud and noble bearing made him respected in spite of his youth. Having been very carefully brought up, he showed a most unusual politeness. The Princess whom he had come to marry, and who was fourteen, was lovely as an angel, and he speedily fell deeply in love with her. I remember that when he came to my house to see the portrait I had done of his bride elect, he looked at it with such rapt attention that his hat fell from his hand." Gustav was so fascinated with his Russian princess that he immediately asked the Empress for Alexandra's hand. Catherine joyfully consented and the engagement ceremony was scheduled for September in the Throne Room of the Winter Palace.

Unfortunately, everything happened very badly on the day of the betrothal ceremony. As the future Queen of Sweden, Alexandra must change her religion from Orthodoxy to Protestantism. Catherine insisted that Alexandra should keep her Orthodox religion. Catherine thought that Gustav had implicitly agreed to this when he declared his love to Alexandra. It was a misunderstanding, and not just a simple one. Upon reading the contract where it was stated that Alexandra will remain an Orthodox after her marriage, Gustav was livid. He was adamant that he will never give his people an Orthodox queen. He didn't appear in the betrothal ceremony. The whole Russian court - and the whole Europe - was shocked. The social affront was humiliating for Catherine and the whole Russia. As for Alexandra, she also felt humiliated and brokenhearted.

This rebuke apparently shortened Catherine's life and she died two months later. But the new emperor Paul I, had other plans. He hoped to make an alliance between Russia and Austria against France and Napoleon.
In 1798, Alexandra's parents received a proposal from the Austrian court about a possible marriage between Alexandra and Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary, younger brother of Emperor Franz II of Austria. Negotiations had been conducted, and Archduke Joseph personally went to St. Petersburg to ask Alexandra's hand for marriage.

Archduke Joseph was described as 'nice and intelligent, shy, awkward but kind... His accent more Italian than German'. He felt deeply in love with Alexandra and they were married in St. Petersburg in October 1799. Alexandra is now an Archduchess of Austria. A month after the wedding, Alexandra and Joseph left Russia for Austria. She was quiet and very sad to say goodbye to her family, particularly to her father. She confined to a lady-in-waiting that she had a feeling that she will never be able to see Russia or any of her family again. And indeed she was right.

Joseph and Alexandra arrived in Austria and stayed there for the next few weeks. She was warmly welcomed by Emperor Franz but not by the Empress Maria Theresa. Alexandra immediately aroused the hatred of the Empress, for many reasons. First, Alexandra looked so much like the Emperor's beloved first wife, Elizabeth of Wurttemberg, who died in childbirth, and the Emperor showed Alexandra all kindness. Second, the Empress was jealous of Alexandra's beauty, jewelries and her growing popularity among the people. Third, Maria Theresa cannot forgive her brother-in-law for making a successful choice of bride, and feared that she might weaken her influence over the Emperor. As a result, Alexandra's life in Austrian court became exceedingly unhappy. There was an instance when Alexandra appeared in the box of the theater and the audience were captivated with her youthful beauty and her incredible Russian jewels. Maria Theresa was irate with this scene and the next day forbade Alexandra to wear her jewelries in the theater and in balls. She meekly followed, and during a ball, she decorated her hair and her dress with fresh flowers only. Her simple attire further enhance the radiance of her beauty that the crowd was all attention to her. The Empress was further vexed and she became fearful of the influence that Alexandra may have at court. She insisted to Joseph to take his wife and leave immediately for their residence in Buda, the capital of Hungary. According to Prince Adam Czartoryski, the Empress rendered Alexandra's life so intolerable that when Emperor Paul learned how his favorite child had been treated "he flew into a rage, demanded that she should be sent back to St. Petersburg, and even threatened war".

Archduchess Alexandra of Austria,
wearing the traditional Hungarian costume.

In Buda, the couple settled in the castle of Alcsut. There the couple was happy and Alexandra won the hearts of the Hungarian people, even calling her "The Queen". She was Joseph's counselor and persuaded him to build a town center in order to give Budapest the features of a European capital city. She felt herself one with the culture of Hungary that she started wearing the Hungarian national costume, and this was followed by the aristocrats who used to refuse wearing it.

Joseph was a doting husband and deeply care for his young wife. He was constantly by her side, especially during their early days in Austria, comforting and encouraging her, knowing how his wife deeply misses Russia and her family. However, he had a weak character and cannot protect his wife from the intrigues of the Viennese court and from the antagonism of the Empress. But even in Hungary where she was beloved, she was not free to practice her Orthodox religion. The court at Vienna was watching her every move, and forbade her to conduct church services for a long time. They didn't allow the building of her own Orthodox chapel in Buda. Alexandra's confessor Father Andrew Samborski wrote in his memoirs that the ministers of the Austrian court were afraid because if Alexandra bore a son, then there would be a possibility of establishing an independent Hungarian kingdom.

Her pregnancy further caused her suffering. Every effort was made to complicate her situation, starting from food to medical care. Father Andrew wrote: "The Empress of Austria is clearly showing her unkindness to the Palatine of Hungary. Almost everyday she passes by the home of Her Highness and she never inquired about the health of the Archduchess even just once, despite the fact that she was pregnant." On the last term of Alexandra's pregnancy, the couple moved to Vienna. In Vienna, she experienced more difficulty. The rooms she was given to in the palace were cold and wet. Her food was so badly prepared that she cannot eat any of it. Father Andrew had to use his own money to buy provisions and food for Alexandra. Joseph could do nothing to help her, although he loves her.

Alexandra finally gave birth to a daughter but unfortunately, the baby died after several hours. And Alexandra died several days later because of puerperal fever. She died without ever regaining her consciousness. When Father Andrew came to her rooms to check her, he found her already dead. His cries awaken Joseph who was sleeping on a chair. He rushed to his wife only to see her dead. Joseph was grief-stricken and cried the whole time. On March 16, 1801, Joseph mournfully wrote to Paul I of Russia, "I had an irreparable misfortune on losing my wife. She is no more, and my happiness all vanished." Joseph didn't know that Paul would not be able to read this letter. On March 11, 1801, Paul was killed in his palace by conspirators.

After Alexandra's death, Empress Maria Theresa refused her burial in Austrian grounds. Her coffin remained unburied for some time in the basement of the palace. Then, with the efforts of Father Samborski, her remains were transferred in Buda. An Orthodox church was built to house her tomb.

Joseph remained a widower for the next ten years. He eventually remarried two times and had children but he never truly forgot Alexandra. He remained devoted to her memory. In 1814, Emperor Alexander I and the Grand Duchesses Ekaterina and Maria visited the grave of their sister. For many years, Alexandra's tomb was carefully maintained by the Orthodox Church in Russia. But after the Revolution, everything changed. Her coffin was exhumed and the jewels on Alexandra's corpse were robbed. In the end, her remains were reburied to the family vault of the Hapsburgs. For a daughter of a Russian emperor, Alexandra's short life and the events after her death were rather sad and tragic.

Ella's Beauty

2011-07-14T20:21:00.004+08:00

She was reputed to be the most beautiful of Queen Victoria's granddaughters. Tall and stately, with golden-brown hair and deep-set blue-grey eyes, contemporaries regarded her as one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe, and the Russians - in the words of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich - 'fell in love' with her the moment she arrived in Russia from her native Hesse-Darmstadt. It's not difficult to 'fall in love' with the charming Ella. With her ravishing beauty, gracefulness and good heart, Ella certainly won the hearts of people from all walks of life.

This is a poem dedicated to Ella by her friend and admirer, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia, also known as the poet "KR".

I look at you and I enjoy it ever
You are so beautiful, no words can tell!
Oh! I am sure that such beauty hosts
A soul that is wonderful as well.
The depth of modesty and quiet sorrow
Is in your eyes of beauty so pure
You are as calm as an angel;
And as a lady, gentle and demure.
Amidst the many earthly sins and evils
Let nothing blur the pure soul of thine,
And let us all sing praises to the Creator
Who gave such beauty to a soul divine!

Flower of the Bonapartes: Hortense de Beauharnais

2011-07-14T16:27:00.042+08:00

Hortense de Beauharnais,
Queen of Holland
Portrait by Anne Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson, 1808

"My life has been so brilliant and so full of misfortune

that the world has been forced to take notice of it.
- Hortense de Beauharnais

Hortense de Beauharnais, the future Queen of Holland, was the the daughter of Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais and Marie Josephe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie or more popularly known as Josephine de Beauharnais. She was born on April 10, 1783 in Paris. Shortly after her birth, her parents separated. Her father was executed during the French Revolution when Hortense was 11 years old, and her mother was also imprisoned. She was later released in the summer of 1794.

The now widowed Rose took her two small children with her, but she was penniless. The Revolution greatly traumatized her, but she tried to forget its horrors and began embracing Parisian society. With her natural charm, aristocratic manners and sharp wit, she befriended many influential people. Hortense was sent to be educated at Madame Campan's school at St.-Germaine-en-Laye. Here she received an excellent education: she learned to compose music and, besides the usual skills such as learning languages, took dancing and acting lessons. She received painting and drawing lessons from the famous painter Jean Baptiste Isabey. Hortense excelled in everything and was loved by everyone at school. But her mother had no time to admire the accomplishments of her daughter. She was busy establishing herself and making a name in Parisian society.

Soon, Rose attracted the attention of a 28-year-old Corsican general, Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon became passionately in love with the charming 32-year-old Rose. When Hortense first met Napoleon, she admitted to her mother that she disliked him. Soon, Napoleon decided to marry Rose. He changed the name of his future bride into Josephine because he didn't like the name Rose. Rose was henceforth called and known as Josephine. Napoleon and Josephine quickly married, and began his rise to power. Hortense was angry towards Napoleon for stealing her mother's heart, but after writing her a letter which describes his devotion to her mother and his longing to be of a good father for her, Hortense slowly softened her attitude towards him. Now the husband of Josephine, Napoleon doted on his stepdaughter. He admired her talent for singing and composing that he called her "notre Terpsichore". He fondly said about her: "Hortense, so good, so generous, so devoted." He treated her as his own daughter and was fiercely proud of her talents. When Napoleon and Josephine were crowned as Emperor and Empress of France, Hortense was present during the coronation.

When Hortense was 17 years old, the ambitious Napoleon arranged the marriage of his brother Louis Bonaparte to Hortense. It was a match that neither of them wanted. But Louis and Hortense, both obedient to Napoleon, consented. They were married in January 1802. The couple's marriage was unhappy from the very beginning and even the birth of three children didn't change that. Eventually, Louis and Hortense were chosen as the King and Queen of Holland and they moved to The Hague. Hortense quickly became accustomed to life in the Netherlands and fell in love with the country. Much to the annoyance of her husband, the Dutch people liked her and was highly regarded. Louis and Hortense lived in different parts of the palace and avoided each other at every opportunity.

After the death of Louis Bonaparte, Hortense embarked in an affair with Colonel Charles Joseph, Comte de Flahaut, a handsome and sophisticated man. Hortense then gave birth secretly to a son.

Near the end of her life, Hortense was banished from France because of her support to Napoleon. She then purchased a house in Switzerland, which was named the Château of Arenenberg. She lived there until her death in October of 1817. She was buried next to her mother Josephine in a church in Malmaison.

Melancholic Princess: Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia

2011-07-14T15:01:00.008+08:00

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia,
Duchess of Nassau
Portrait by Vladimir Hau

One of the lesser-known but tragic figures in the Romanov family was the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna. She was a daughter of Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich (youngest brother of Alexander I and Nicholas I) and Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (who was born as Princess Charlotte of Wurttemberg). This grand duchess is almost of the same age and shared a same fate as her imperial cousin, Alexandra Nikolaievna, and I can't help but feel fascinated about her as much as Alexandra.

Elizabeth was born in Moscow Kremlin on 26 May 1826. She was named after her aunt, the Empress Elizabeth, wife of Alexander I. The Empress Elizabeth was a close friend of Elena Pavlovna and her death robbed the young Elena of any close friend at Court. So it was understandable that she decided to named her second daughter after the lonely and kindhearted Empress.

Elizabeth was nicknamed "Lili" and she and her sisters grew up and educated in the Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg. Their education was carefully supervised by their admirable and highly-intelligent mother. She was nearly a year younger than her cousin Alexandra, and was pretty and sensible but less delicate in figure, less animated, melancholic and reserved. She was talented, and shared with her cousin an extreme love of music. Another of her cousin, Olga Nikolaievna, wrote about Elizabeth in her diary: "Cousin Lili is very outspoken, quick-tempered and a little like a boy..."

Elizabeth and her cousins seldom see each other but when a time comes that she needed to come to the Winter Palace for occasions of ceremony, she spent hours in the apartments of Alexandra, talking about almost anything. Elizabeth was, in some degree, estranged from the inevitable splendor of the throne; her education had been completed in a more natural atmosphere than that of a Court. Her father, Grand Duke Michael, was a simple, unassuming and upright man who felt happier without any exterior pomp. On the other hand, her mother Elena Pavlovna, was a graceful and intellectual woman. She delighted on conversations with likewise intellectual people and always listen to the opinions of people from all walks of life. Surrounded by these kind of people, Elizabeth was nearer the realities of life than Alexandra, who almost knew nothing about the outside world.

When Elizabeth was 17, Duke Adolf of Nassau came to visit St. Petersburg at the invitation of the Emperor. The arrival of the Duke of Nassau almost caused a rift between the family of Nicholas I and his sister-in-law Elena Pavlovna. Elena had always cherished a dream of marrying off her eldest daughter Maria to the Hereditary Prince of Baden, and Elizabeth to the Duke of Nassau. At the same time, Nicholas and Empress Alexandra were hoping that Adolf would choose their unmarried daughter Olga. Olga had been also a prospective bride to Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel but the gallant prince fell in love instead to Olga's younger sister Alexandra. So Olga was left with no future husband again. The Emperor then intervened and said that Adolf is free to make his own choice between the two cousins. But Elena was concerned that Adolf might prefer Olga because she is the daughter of the Emperor. In the end, Adolf chose Elizabeth to be his wife, as the couple seemed to have fallen in love already.

Elizabeth and the Duke of Nassau got married in St. Petersburg, few days after her cousin Alexandra's wedding to the Prince of Hesse-Kassel. The 'double' wedding in the imperial family caused so much festivities. Few days after their wedding, Elizabeth and Adolf left Russia for Nassau. The climate in Nassau was far more favorable and mild compared to that of St. Petersburg. They settled in Biebrich Castle in Wiesbaden. In here, Elizabeth was extremely happy, full of life and charm. She didn't require to embellish her residence by her imagination, for scarcely on the world is a more lovely place to be found than Nassau; but Elizabeth could appreciate this as a special happiness. She was well-loved by her people and travelers reported her happiness. However, that summer, a tragic news arrived from St. Petersburg: her cousin Alexandra had died with her newborn baby. Everyone was shocked, especially Elizabeth, who had only celebrated their wedding together that winter. In the months that followed, she began to convince herself that she would died in childbirth as well. Unfortunately, Elizabeth did die giving birth to her daughter, who didn't survive as well a year after her wedding. Her husband Adolf was devastated. He ordered the building of an Orthodox Church that will house the remains of Elizabeth using his wife's dowry. The sculptor Hopfgarten has immortalized Elizabeth's features in the marble. The church rises above the Nero Valley near in Wiesbaden so that Adolf could still see the church from his residence. Elizabeth's death was a great sorrow for Adolf and it took many years before he remarried. But he wasn't able to forget the memory of his beloved first wife.

Source:
The Golden Dream of My Youth - The memoir of Queen Olga of Wurttemberg
Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia by August Theodor Grimm, translated by Lady Grace Wallace

Rebel Princess: Mary Rose Tudor

2011-07-13T15:56:00.004+08:00

Princess Mary Rose Tudor,
Queen of France,
Duchess of Suffolk

"Nature never formed anything more beautiful." ~ Erasmus

Princess Mary Rose Tudor, the youngest and the favorite sister of England's Henry VIII, was widely considered one of the most beautiful princess of her time. Lively and energetic, she led a rather tempestuous life and the story of her romance with her brother's best friend inspired many novels and movies. Henry's eldest daughter, the future Mary I, and the warship Mary Rose, were named after this princess.

Mary was the baby of the Tudor family. She was the youngest child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York to survive childhood and she was born on March 18, 1496 in Richmond Palace. As a child, she was particularly close to her brother Henry and shared with him an exuberance for spectacle. She was the star of the court and she loved dancing, masques and parties. When she was 14, her father died. The young princess, who was praised for her clear complexion and long reddish-blond hair, enjoyed an unprecedented freedom at court. In the next five years after her father's death, she spent her time virtually unchaperoned in her brother's court, her brother openly encouraging her to participate in every event.

In 1507, when Mary was only 11, she was betrothed to Charles of Castle, the future Holy Roman Emperor. Charles was the nephew of Mary's sister-in-law, Catherine of Aragon, and the marriage was planned for May 1514. However, changes in the political alliances of the European powers meant this wedding didn't take place. Mary was apparently pleased with this, since she probably had no desire to marry a boy four years younger.

As a child, she had developed an attachment to the charming, attractive, robust and athletic Charles Brandon, her brother's best friend. In 1514, she was 19 years old, stunningly beautiful and willful. Her feelings for Charles Brandon had developed into love. Everyone at court knew of her affection. However, Cardinal Wosley negotiated a peace treaty with France and Henry VIII informed her sister that she must marry the widowed King of France. Louis XII was a man in his fifties, with gout and pock-marked face, and Mary was young and at the height of her beauty. Certainly, it was not a pleasing prospect for her. She was crying and sulking; she didn't want to marry Louis, but as a princess she would do her duty. She had her eyes only for the handsome Charles Brandon and he was obviously attracted to the princess. Mary told her brother that after the marriage was over, she would be free to marry the man of her choice. It was an extraordinary demand for any woman at that time, but Henry loved his sister and he agreed.

Mary believed her brother's promise and married Louis XII by proxy at the Greenwich Palace on August 13, 1514. She enjoyed herself at her wedding festivities and its attendant celebrations. She was given a splendid trousseau, marvelous jewels sent from France, and all the honors due to the Queen of France. All contemporary accounts remarked on her great beauty which made her husband all the more eager to see her.

After less than two months, Mary traveled to France. She was described by the Venetian ambassador as "tall, slender and grey-eyed, possessing an extreme pallor". She wore her glorious red-gold hair flowing loose to her waist. After days of travelling, she reached Abbeville and finally met her husband. They were married in that city, followed by weeks of celebration.

Throughout her marriage, Mary remained a complacent wife, biding her time. But her marriage lasted only for 82 days. Louis XII died suddenly on December 31, 1514. Despite his ill health, he had been notably 'active' during his marriage and this may have contributed to his demise. Now a widow, Mary was put in a strict seclusion in the Palace of Cluny for 40 days while they waited to see if she was with a child. She felt alone and terrified. But this gave Mary time to plan. She knew Charles Brandon would be among the contingent sent to France to escort her back to England. She had heard rumors that her brother intended for her to marry a Spanish prince, so she knew she would have to take matters into her own hands to be with the man she wanted. Luckily for Mary, she had an ally in Francis, the new king.

When Charles arrived in Paris, Francis confronted him about his feelings for Mary. Charles then met with Mary herself, where she told him about her plan. She wanted to marry him, but if he didn't feel the same, she would enter a convent rather than be married off for the second time to a man she didn't love. Charles gave in, even though he knew that his King would be very upset at the turn of events.
In the small chapel of the Palais de Cluny, Mary Tudor did the unimaginable for most princesses, she married the man she chose and defy one of the most powerful Kings in Europe. When Henry found out about the marriage, he was furious and blamed Mary for their impetuous decisions. But Mary was his favorite sister and Charles was his dearest friend. After some time, Henry's anger subsided and couple were forgiven. Mary and Charles were married publicly, with the King and Queen in attendance.

The couple lived an essentially happy and quiet life in Westhorpe Hall in Suffolk. Their first child was a son, Henry, who was named after the King. Their second was a daughter who was named Frances, a female version of the name of the King of France - who helped bring their marriage. Their third child was a daughter, Eleanor.

Good friends with her sister-in-law, Catherine of Aragon, Mary supported her against the King during his "great matter" and rejected her former maid-of-honor Anne Boleyn.

Mary's health began to fail in 1533. She died at the relatively early age of 38 in the spring of 1534. Her husband was not with her as he was arranging Anne Boleyn's coronation as Queen. While her brother ordered requiem masses for her, he showed no other signs of mourning. Her husband didn't even attend her funeral, although it was considered to be a marvelous affair. She is buried at the church of St. Mary, in Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk.

Mary Tudor was an extraordinary woman who had the guts and determination to defy a powerful and sometimes even "feared" King and brother to follow her heart and marry the man she loved. She was brave and felt secure in her love for her older brother. Probably, in my opinion, she was the only Tudor who was completely satisfied with her life - albeit a struggle to achieve.

Further reading:
Mary Tudor, The White Queen by Walter C. Richardson
Henry VIII: King and Court by Alison Weir

A Russian Nightingale: Alexandra Nikolaievna of Russia

2011-07-13T13:12:00.010+08:00

The Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaievna,
Hereditary Princess of Hesse-Cassel
(Portrait by Vladmir Hau, 1840)

The Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaievna was the youngest daughter of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Princess Charlotte of Prussia). She was born in Alexander Palace on 24 June 1825 and was named after her paternal aunt, Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna. As a child, "Adini", as she was affectionately called within the family, was small and mischievous. Her father considered her "not really pretty" and called her a "little moppet, but sweet". But as she grew up, she became a very beautiful young woman. Nicholas maintained that she alone among her children had inherited her mother's Prussian looks: dark hair and deep blue eyes. Her sister Olga compared her to "a lark" that "emanates with joy."

Russian grand duchesses were known in Europe at that time for their excellent education and refined social manners, but Alexandra was still quite unique for a Romanov. She was a talented musician and a great singer. It was said that her musical gift was so great that she can be matched with the experienced and professional singers of the Italian schools and the musicians of Vienna. But Alexandra sang only in the drawing rooms of the Hermitage, at the scenes of court theatres, in boudoirs and halls of the Winter Palace, the Peterhof or Gatchina.

As a child, Alexandra already loved listening to sonatas and symphonies. Beethoven was her favorite, and by the time she was 14, she revealed to have a remarkable voice whose range reached up to 3 octaves. Her parents were very proud of her musical talents. Nicholas not only delighted with listening to her but he would occasionally sing with her. But it was Empress Alexandra who greatly contributed to the development of her daughter's talent. She invited well-known music teachers from Italy to help cultivate Alexandra's singing voice. Alexandra's voice was described as something "tender, warm and timid". Anyone who hears her singing were quite surprised by her talent, which is quite unusual for a princess at that time. Music professors from Rome and Berlin were amazed and commented that "In the throat of a Russian princess lives the nightingale of Paradise's garden."

Portrait of a young Alexandra
by Christina Robertson

Alexandra was not only famous in St. Petersburg society for her musical talent. She was also known for her beauty, angelic features, graceful manners and lively personality. She was a gentle young woman who loves roses and delighted in nature. She was an enthusiastic reader, and her sisters would jokingly call her 'an eccentric' because of her great interest in ancient legends and myths. Her parents and her brothers and sisters doted on her. Her older brother, Constantine, the future Admiral-General of the Russian Navy, was a restless and mischievous boy. The only things that preoccupied him were ships, the sea and music. But he deeply adores Alexandra, and when she's playing the piano, he would sit still to listen to her, as if he was tenderly absorbing her music. He once told her that she was like the sea, her music are the waves. It is also quite interesting to note that Constantine eventually married Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg, a beautiful woman who had the same name as and looked so much like his sister.

In the early summer of 1843, the 22 year-old Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Cassel, heir to his father's Landgravate came to Russia in the invitation of Emperor Nicholas and Empress Alexandra. The imperial couple was hoping that "Fritz" would consider marrying their second daughter, Grand Duchess Olga (called "Ollie" in the family). But when Friedrich saw the 18-year-old Alexandra in the galleries of the Arsenal in Gatchina Palace, he was immediately smitten with the young dark-haired and blue-eyed grand duchess, and during the dinner that followed he can't take his eyes off her.

For her part, Alexandra also liked Friedrich but she tried to hide her feelings for him, mainly because she was experiencing feelings of guilt and reproaches of conscience before her beloved sister Olga, who also likes Friedrich. Friedrich was also worried that the Emperor and the Empress might object if he tells them that it was Alexandra whom he wanted to marry and not Olga. In the next few days that followed, Friedrich and Alexandra became 'more friendly' with each other. The warm summer season was a good time for short walks in the park, some tea in the garden and boating at the pond. When the family went boating, they were accompanied by Friedrich. Alexandra would sing as they slid along the waters while Friedrich was admiring her. The closeness between Friedrich and Alexandra was very much observed by Olga. Realizing that the two were very much in love with each other, Olga kindly step aside in favor of her sister. As for the Emperor and the Empress, they assured Friedrich that he can marry Alexandra and they gave them their blessings to get married.

In Gatchina, Friedrich and Alexandra feel protected from the indiscreet look and the gossip of the many people. They remained in Gatchina; it was in its secluded parks and galleries where they feel most peaceful and happy. Friedrich and Alexandra were soon engaged and their wedding was set on January 26 1844. The Empress wrote a letter to her brother, the King of Prussia: "We are very content in this joyful event. And although we desired, of course, that it is our dear Ollie who would appear first before the altar, we will never get tired of giving thanks to God for the fact that He granted our beloved Adini such a dear, good, young fiance. He is indeed a very charming young man. Both were made for each other, and so admirably suited each other, and so terribly in love with each other, to see them like that, side by side, it is indeed a true pleasure... The night before my birthday, Fritz Hesse made his proposal and asked the Emperor and I for the hand of our Adini. This happened immediately after the ball in the Portrait Hall of the old palace, and they shook hands and exchanged their first kiss..."

While they wait for their wedding day, the couple were almost always together and Alexandra continued her small 'concerts' in Gatchina. They imagined their future together, living in a simple home and enjoying their children. By this time also, Alexandra began to show signs and symptoms of consumption. She coughed blood quite often. But she seemed to appear well in one way or another, and she continued to remain cheerful and lively. But during cold evenings, she coughed a lot. Doctors tried to forbid her from singing but this did little to complete her recovery. As the wedding day approached, the doctors became more worried that she might not tolerate the journey to her new homeland. Hesse has a rainy climate and this worried the doctors more than the long cold winters of Petersburg. So it was decided by the family that after the wedding, Friedrich and Alexandra would stay at Petersburg until spring when they will journey to warm Italy or Baden.

Alexandra stayed in her rooms that winter of 1843, hoping to recover her health. Friedrich was constantly visiting her in her rooms and sat by her everyday. Her family continued to hope to see Alexandra completely recovered. Finally in 26 January 1844, Friedrich and Alexandra were married in the chapel of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Alexandra appeared to be quite well the entire day. In the evening, a ball was held and she was as lively as ever before. For a meantime, it seemed that everyone has forgotten about her condition. Everyone was very happy, even Alexandra. Within weeks, she was already pregnant.

Memorial bench in the gardens of the Peterhof Palace
with a bust sculpture of Alexandra

Unfortunately, her health began to deteriorate very rapidly soon after the wedding. She was confined in bed. Her family became increasingly worried, especially her mother, who stayed with her the entire days to take care of her. Alexandra then gave birth prematurely to a seven-month-old son, Wilhelm. Unfortunately, the baby died on the same day and Alexandra, exhausted and suffering from a poor health, died as well in her bedroom at Alexandria Peterhof. It was a terrible blow for the whole family. Her father wrote, "Our grief is lifelong, it is something that we shall carry in our graves." She and her baby were buried in the Fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul.

On his sister's death, Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaievich wrote in his diary: "With the death of our beloved and incomparable Adini, our family lost the sunshine which warmed us all. After her death, Father and Mother could in no way be comforted..." The Empress fell in deep depression and suffered from ill health; she has to be taken from one European spa to another to help her recover. The Emperor had their apartment in the palace completely redecorated to protect his wife from reminders of the tragedy. But Alexandra's rooms were left as they are at the time of her death. In his grief, the Emperor only found comfort in prayer and in the belief that the tragedy was God's will. He never attended plays and concerts, and Gatchina, the place of many happy family gatherings and Adini's unforgettable voice, rarely saw the arrival of the imperial family. Alexandra's death and the succeeding Crimean War greatly contributed to the rapid decline in health of Emperor Nicholas. As a memorial for Alexandra, a statue of her carrying her baby in her arms was placed in her favorite spot in the garden. A posthumous portrait was also commissioned showing her holding a rose with the Alexander Palace - her birthplace - in the background. As for Friedrich, he mourned Alexandra for a very long time and it was only after 10 long years that he married again (mainly due to dynastic reasons). He never truly forgot about her, and his niece, the future Queen Alexandra of Great Britain, was named after the gentle Russian grand duchess.

"Sunny"

2011-07-13T12:30:00.005+08:00

This is my favorite portrait of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia. It was painted by Frederick August von Kaulbach in the early 1900s.

Below is a description about the Empress taken from the book Royal Romances of Today by Kellogg Durland. When I first read it, the very first thing that came to my mind is this Kaulbach portrait, a favorite of her husband Nicholas I, which perfectly captured the Empress's beauty and melancholy.

"The most beautiful Queen on any throne," she was called when she first became Empress of all the Russias. She is tall and stately, her hair is luxuriant and rich in colour. Eyes that some call blue and some call grey look out through long, dark lashes, and in them lies a great sadness, an appealing wistfulness touched with regret, a silent melancholy betraying soul tragedy. Yet as a child she was known as "Sunny".

Three Graces: The Daughters of Nicholas I of Russia

2011-07-13T12:15:00.005+08:00

It was said that they were Raphael's ideal of loveliness... And that these ladies were highly-exceptional not just because they were the Tsar's daughters, but because they were remarkably talented and that they possessed special qualities unusual for princesses... These three sisters were the daughters of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. Below are descriptions of the sisters from the book Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia.

"The grand duchess Maria was extremely lively, of quick perceptions, condescending, winning all by her goodness of heart, full of life and energy, and free from all petty forms and prejudices. Her presence never checked the most easy or unreserved conversation; she was courteous to those whom she liked, and loving to her friends; her father's dignity was reflected in her regular feaures, while the heart and freshness and energy of her mother invested her whole being with a singular charm."

"The majestic mien of the grand duchess Olga evinced more calm repose; hers was a finished beauty, more remarkable for stateliness, never in intercourse with other for a moment forgetting that she was of regal birth, and concealing her real goodness of heart by a certain degree of reserve. Her perceptive faculties were not so quick as those of her elder sister, but her studies more profound; her disposition led her thoroughly to investigate every subject and every question, and to persevere with industry and patience in all that she undertook."

"The two eldest daughters most resembled their father, but the youngest, Alexandra, bore a greater likeness to their mother, and indeed to Queen Louise also. Till the age of 13, she gave no promise of equalling her sisters in beauty or talent; she showed very little inclination for serious matters, and cared more for childish games; but suddenly a change took place that astonished her mother, and a few months seemed to have done the work of years. This change occured in Alexandra in her 13th year; her charming figure was developed, her pretty features refined, an eager interest in her studies ensued, and unexpected talents were displayed. From this time, she showed a love for music, and for singing in particular; and occuppied herself much about nature."

----------------------------
Source:

Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of Russia. Orig. in German by August Theodor von Grimm, translated in English by Lady Grace Wallace.