Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 102

Queen Elizabeth II’s ledger stone revealed

An official photograph has been released of the ledger stone installed at the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel in Windsor, following the internment of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The stone is made of hand-carved Belgian black marble with brass letter inlays, to match the previous ledger stone installed in the Chapel.

It now reads:

George VI 1895-1952

Elizabeth 1900-2002

A Garter star

Elizabeth II 1926 – 2022

Philip 1921-2021

Royal Collection Trust/The Dean and Canons of Windsor

The post Queen Elizabeth II’s ledger stone revealed appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Empress Elisabeth – The famous diamond stars

Empress Elisabeth of Austria’s most iconic portrait is the one by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, in which she wore the diamond stars in her hair.

The stars were ordered by the Empress from jewellers Köchert and Pioté in Vienna. They consisted of diamonds and a centre pearl. Some of the stars were given to her ladies-in-waiting, and some ended up with her family. Elisabeth began a trend when she wore the stars, and soon many more royals were wearing them.

One of the stars on display at Schloss Schönbrunn © Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H., Severin Wurnig

In 1865, Elisabeth dazzled with the stars at the wedding of her brother Karl Theodor to Princess Sophie of Saxony. Her brother-in-law Ludwig Viktor wrote that Elisabeth was “stunningly beautiful, also the people acted insane. I have never seen anyone having such an effect before.”1 It was shortly after this that the famous painting was made.

After the death of her son Crown Prince Rudolf, Elisabeth gave away most of her jewellery to her daughters and granddaughter Elisabeth. This included the iconic star diamonds. Her granddaughter Elisabeth Marie, the daughter of Crown Prince Rudolf and Princess Stephanie of Belgium, wore the stars for her wedding in 1902 as she received them in her trousseau.

(public domain)

This was probably the last time the stars were together as a set, and they were later given away individually by Elisabeth Marie and later by her heirs.

The post The Year of Empress Elisabeth – The famous diamond stars appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Empress – Official Trailer

With just six days to go until the official release, Netflix has released the official trailer for The Empress. Don’t forget to turn on the captions for English subtitles.

The post The Empress – Official Trailer appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Royal Jewels – The Greville Ivy-leaf Clips

The Greville Ivy-leaf Clips were from the collection of Dame Margaret Greville, the wife of the Hon. Ronald Greville. Margaret and her husband had had no children, and she bequeathed all her jewellery to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother upon her death in 1942.

The clips were made for Margaret by Cartier. One of them was made before 1930 when she had a diamond reset, and the other was made in 1937 with stones already in her collection. The first one was also modified in 1937 to match the second one. After Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother inherited them, she gave them to her daughter Elizabeth for her 21st birthday in 1947.1

Embed from Getty Images

She has worn them as hit pins but also as brooches.

Embed from Getty Images

The post Royal Jewels – The Greville Ivy-leaf Clips appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Frances Stewart – The unrequited love of King Charles II

King Charles II ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland from the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 until his death in 1685. Before Charles’ reign, there had been the English Civil War, followed by a period called The Interregnum, an 11-year period of rule by a largely Puritan government without a monarch. Due to this long period of struggle and often oppressive rule, when King Charles II took his place on the throne, he did so with all the pomp and excess that could be afforded to a king. Courtiers and subjects quickly became used to his extravagant ways and his long line of royal mistresses. Many women even fought to be introduced to the King, hoping to become his mistress as the role provided great wealth and influence.

Over his lifetime, it is believed that Charles had 13 long-term mistresses and many flings despite, of course, being married to Queen Catherine of Braganza. This behaviour was common for kings at the time, and the role of the royal mistress became an openly acknowledged and coveted role. Charles’ mistresses ranged from actresses to Duchesses, and many of these spent years by the King’s side and had many of his children.

However, there was one woman who was loved and pursued by the King for years but who did not accept his advances. This woman’s name was Frances Stewart; Frances grew up as a royalist due to her father’s role as a doctor in Queen Henrietta Maria’s court (Charles’ mother). As the surname suggests, Frances’ family were also distant relations of the royal family. Due to the English Civil War, Frances was born in exile in July 1647, where she had to remain until the monarchy was restored.

(public domain)

Frances finally moved to England in 1663 to take up the role of Maid of Honour for Charles’ new wife, Catherine, who had recently arrived from Portugal. Frances was widely regarded as one of the most beautiful women of the age; Charles’ sister Henriette Anne, Duchess of Orléans, said of her she was “the prettiest girl in the world, and the best fitted to adorn any court.” Though we also hear that she was silly, shallow and childish and lacked any obvious wit or great intelligence.

The King could choose any woman he liked as his mistress and probably thought that Frances would accept his attention willingly as the many other women did. As women in this era had very little means of providing an income for themselves, for women at court (even married women), a dalliance with the King or a high-up courtier could provide them with lodgings, jewels and vast sums of money, and this was difficult to refuse. Not only this, but entire political factions often popped up around French and British royal mistresses; they wielded significant political power and could fill the court and council with their friends and relatives. Over time the mistress would often be elevated in rank and title herself, and any children born between her and the King were given titles and high-up positions for life, as we can see in this quote from a satirical poem from the time: “Have you not heard how our Soveraigne of late, did first make a Whore then a Dutches create”. It is not clear why Frances threw off Charles’s advances so persistently. It could have been as simple as a lack of attraction, or maybe she had seen the numerous plays, poems and pamphlets which had been circulating for years mocking Charles’ mistresses and often using sexually explicit insults. Maybe for Frances, the titles and the wealth were not worth the shame.

Charles became enamoured of Frances Stewart soon after her arrival from France, and it is said that his attempt wooing of her went on for around four years. Everyone knew about it, and Charles often made an embarrassment of himself following Frances around. He even suggested divorcing his wife and marrying her at one stage. Despite his obsession with Frances, Charles did have other mistresses during this time, including his long-term lover Barbara Villiers. Barbara often took pleasure in trying to ruin the King’s relationships with other women, and it is said that once the King was invited to her chamber where he found her in bed with Frances, who was naked, supposedly acting out some mock sex scene. The King, of course, was furious as Frances boasted over and over about her chastity and her wish to save herself for marriage (keep in mind that she was only around 15 at this time). On another occasion, the King was told Frances was unwell but went into her rooms anyway, where he found the Duke of Richmond with Frances in what seemed a romantic meeting. Frances and the King had a huge argument where she threatened to leave for a convent where she may be afforded more freedom until Charles grovelled for her forgiveness. It seems he wanted Frances around even if she was clearly in love with Charles, Duke of Richmond.

CC0 via Wikimedia Commons

In February 1667, Frances was chosen by the King to be the model for Britannia on a medal which was created to commemorate the Peace of Breda and mark an end to the Anglo-Dutch war. The playwrights and satirists lapped this up, of course. One poem by Andrew Marvell is particularly shocking. In this work, Frances, in her role as Britannia, is used as an allegory for England itself. In the lengthy poem, “Last Instructions to a Painter”, Marvell is guiding a supposed painter in constructing a work of art, and one section is about Frances. She is described as a virgin, naked and seemingly blindfolded. We hear how “her heart throbs and with very shame would break”, but the king “pitied then he loved” This implies the King forcing himself on an upset and ashamed Frances. Later the King backs away, and he says, “twas England or the Peace”. The poet here is saying Charles was defiling his own country with his actions, and he could either have England or Frances but not both.

After the release of this poem and other such works, Frances seems to have finally had enough. In March that year, John Evelyn wrote in his diary that she “could not continue at court without prostituting herself to the king, whom she had long kept off.” Clearly, Frances thought she would have to give in to the King’s constant harassment and looked for a way out. Frances and the Duke of Richmond asked for the King’s consent to marry, it is not clear exactly what the King said, but it seems that Frances and the Duke fled the court and eloped anyway. Charles was heartbroken and furious, and Frances was not permitted to return to court for a while.

After contracting smallpox, however, the King and Frances reconciled, and she was allowed to return. After this, the pair stayed on friendly terms, and Frances had a happy marriage with her husband. However, King Charles did take revenge on the couple in his own way by sending the Duke to Copenhagen as Ambassador while Frances remained at court. Sadly, the Duke died of hypothermia after falling into the water while trying to return to England. His death in 1672 left Frances in vast amounts of debt, and as the couple had no children, many of his estates and titles reverted to the crown. For years Frances was caught up in legal battles over estates with her sister-in-law and, in the end, was forced to sell most of her property. Luckily this meant that she had enough to live on comfortably at court.

The Duchess of Richmond, as she was known, was much-loved at court and continued to be an ardent royalist after King James II was deposed. She appears in records at his court in exile in France and also at the court of Queen Anne until her death in 1702. Frances left as her legacy her image as Britannia, which continued to be used on British coins until recently.1

The post Frances Stewart – The unrequited love of King Charles II appeared first on History of Royal Women.

[Photogallery] The final farewell of Queen Elizabeth II (Part three)

Read part two here.

For four days, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lay in state in Westminster Hall as mourners filed past.

Embed from Getty Images

On 16 September, the late Queen’s four children, King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex, kept vigil over the coffin.

Embed from Getty Images

The following day, her eight grandchildren, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, also kept vigil over her coffin.

Embed from Getty Images

As foreign dignitaries arrived for the funeral, they paid their respects at Westminster Hall.

Embed from Getty ImagesEmbed from Getty Images

On 19 September, the funeral service took place in Westminster Abbey.

Embed from Getty Images

Many foreign royals, many related to the Queen, were present.

Embed from Getty Images

Her own family was, of course, also well represented and included her great-grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Embed from Getty Images

After the service, the coffin was taken to St George’s Chapel, where a committal service was held.

Embed from Getty Images

In the evening, during a private ceremony, she was interred, at the same time as The Duke of Edinburgh, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

Embed from Getty Images

The post [Photogallery] The final farewell of Queen Elizabeth II (Part three) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Queen Camilla pays tribute to The Queen

Watch below as Queen Camilla pays tribute to her late mother-in-law, The Queen.

“She’s got those wonderful blue eyes that when she smiles, they light up her whole face. I’ll always remember that smile, you know, that smile is unforgettable.”

– Her Majesty The Queen Consort pays tribute to Her Majesty The Queen: pic.twitter.com/Txlzr6NGHG

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 18, 2022

The post Queen Camilla pays tribute to The Queen appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The royal tombs of Roskilde Cathedral

The first church on the site of Roskilde Cathedral was built by Harold Bluetooth, who died around 985. This was a wooden church, and no traces of it have ever been found. This wooden church was replaced in the 1000s by a stone church by King Cnut’s sister Estrid from money she received after he had her husband murdered. Around 1080 another church was consecrated on this spot. The present church was started in the 1170s under bishop Absalon.

Construction lasted for more than 100 years, and the body of the church was completed in 1280. Over the years, additions have been made, up to 1985. In 1995, Roskilde Cathedral was admitted to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Click to view slideshow.

Roskilde Cathedral is the main burial church for the Danish monarchs and some other Danish royals. As such, it is home to several magnificent monuments.

Roskilde Cathedral is truly a magnificent place to visit and it is quite easy to reach with public transport from Copenhagen too. You can plan your visit here.

The post The royal tombs of Roskilde Cathedral appeared first on History of Royal Women.

What to expect – Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral

As Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest tomorrow, here’s what to expect.

The State Funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, 19 September, at 11 a.m. BST. The funeral will pay tribute to her extraordinary reign and remarkable life.

On Monday morning at 6.30 a.m., the Lying-in-State will end as the last members of the public are admitted to Westminster Hall. Shortly before 11 a.m, the coffin will be placed on the State Gun Carriage and taken in procession to Westminster Abbey. The coffin will be followed by King Charles, members of the royal family and members of the King’s household.

The State Funeral will be attended by foreign heads of state and official government representatives, including foreign royal families. There will also be representatives of the Realms and the Commonwealth, the Orders of Chivalry, including recipients of the Victoria Cross and George Cross, Government, Parliament, devolved Parliaments and Assemblies, the Church, and Her Majesty’s Patronages will form the congregation, along with other public representatives. The congregation will also be joined by almost 200 people who were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year.

The Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, and during the service, the Prime Minister and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth will read Lessons. The Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator will say Prayers. Finally, the Archbishop of Canterbury will give the Sermon.

The service will end around noon, at which point the Last Post will sound, followed by two minutes of silence. The National Anthem will close the service. The Queen’s coffin will then be returned to the State Gun Carriage for a procession to Hyde Park Corner. The coffin will then be transferred to the State Hearse and taken to Windsor.

As the State Hearse reaches Windsor, it will travel via the Long Walk to St George’s Chapel for the Committal Service. The service inside St George’s Chapel will begin around 4 p.m. in the presence of The King and members of the royal family. Before the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb and Sceptre will be removed from the coffin. Next, the Lord Chamberlain will “break” his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin. The coffin will then be lowered into the royal vault.

Christopher Nicholson / Alamy Stock Photo

A private burial, together with the coffin of the Duke of Edinburgh, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, will take place later that evening.

The post What to expect – Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Queen’s final resting place – The King George VI Memorial Chapel

Following the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, Her Majesty The Queen will be reunited with her husband, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on 9 April 2021. His coffin currently rests in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, waiting to be simultaneously interred with his wife.

Both will be interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which currently houses the remains of King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, The Queen’s parents. It also houses the cremated remains of The Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret.

The chapel was a new construction, and King George VI was temporarily interred in the George III vault until its completion in 1969. It was constructed on the north side of St George’s Chapel and was designed by George Pace. The King’s coffin was privately transferred to the new chapel on 26 March 1969, and it was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on 31 March 1969.

Embed from Getty Images

It can be entered through the four-centred arch, customarily closed off by an iron screen and a gate. There’s also a small ‘liturgical chapel’ with an altar and stained glass windows. On the back wall, you can see a bronze copy of a medallion of King George VI and a matching one for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. A memorial slab for Princess Margaret can also be seen. A small vault lies beneath the chapel, which is closed off with a black ledger stone bearing the name of The Queen’s parents.

The post The Queen’s final resting place – The King George VI Memorial Chapel appeared first on History of Royal Women.