Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 114

Empress Yuan – One of the world’s shortest-reigning rulers

Empress Yuan remains one of China’s most controversial monarchs. She has often been considered one of the world’s shortest-reigning monarchs in history.[1] At only fifty days old, she ruled as a female empress for only one day.[2] For centuries, she has been overlooked as a ruler by ancient historians simply because she was a girl who seemed to make no mark in history.[3] However, in the last few decades, Chinese historians are slowly acknowledging the fact that she was the first female queen regnant in Chinese history.[4] This means that Empress Wu Zetian was not the only female queen regnant because, in actuality, she had a predecessor.[5] Therefore, Empress Yuan is gradually gaining an important place in Chinese history.

Empress Yuan was born on 12 February 528 C.E. We do not know her first name.[6] We only know her surname Yuan because that was the surname for the imperial family.[7] Her father was the eighteen-year-old Emperor Xiaoming, and her mother was Consort Pan. It would seem that as a newborn princess, she was unlikely to ascend the Chinese throne as a sovereign. However, turbulent events would quickly sweep Princess Yuan into the midst of a power struggle.

Emperor Xiaoming did not have any power.[8] The real ruler of the empire was his mother, Empress Dowager Hu. Empress Dowager Hu had no intention of letting go of her reigns of power and giving them to her son.[9] This frustrated Emperor Xiaoming because he was of an age to rule for himself.[10] He requested outside help by asking Erzhu Rong, the nomadic chieftain of the Jie tribe, to come to his aid.[11] When Empress Dowager Hu’s ministers found out that Emperor Xiaoming had requested outside help, they killed their Emperor.[12] Furious that Emperor Dowager Hu’s ministers had committed regicide, Erzhu Rong gathered his army and arrived at Northern Wei’s capital gates.[13]

Empress Dowager Hu feared that he would invade the capital. To prevent this, she had to find a new Emperor.[14] However, Emperor Xiaoming did not have a son. He only had one child, Princess Yuan.[15] She decided that she had no choice but to make her Emperor.[16] On 1 April 528 C.E., Princess Yuan ascended the throne as Emperor. Empress Yuan was only fifty days old. Empress Dowager Hu would still be regent. When Erzhu Rong learned that Empress Dowager Hu had made her granddaughter Emperor, he was furious.[17] There had never been a female emperor on the throne.[18] Erzhu Rong considered Empress Yuan to be ineligible and demanded Empress Dowager Hu to find another candidate, or he would storm the capital’s gates.[19] On 2 April 528 C.E., Empress Dowager Hu deposed Empress Yuan and placed Emperor Xiaoming’s two-year-old cousin named Yuan Zhao on the throne instead.[20] Therefore, Empress Yuan was only Emperor for a day.

Erzhu Rong was still displeased with this new choice of ruler because Empress Dowager Hu would still have power.[21] Therefore, he decided on his choice of heir.[22] He chose Emperor Xiaowen’s grandson to be the next Emperor and made him marry his daughter.[23] Erzhu Rong immediately became the most powerful man in Northern Wei. Erzhu Rong’s army stormed the gates of the capital. On 17 May 528 C.E., Empress Dowager Hu and Emperor Yuan Zhao were drowned by Erzhu Rong’s army in the Yellow River.[24] Erzhu Rong killed thousands of officials and their families.[25] Most of whom were Han Chinese.[26] It is not known what happened to Empress Yuan after her deposition since she is no longer mentioned in historical records.[27] Modern historians believe that she may also have been killed by Erzhu Rong’s army.[28] Thus, while she seems to have had an unremarkable reign, modern historians are slowly acknowledging Empress Yuan’s importance in history. Hopefully, one day, Empress Yuan will officially get the recognition she deserves.

Sources:

History Collection (2019). “16 Rulers who Reigned for Less than 50 Days”. Retrieved on 29 December 2021 from https://historycollection.com/16-rule....

Inf.News (n.d.) “The first female ruler-she was enthroned a hundred years earlier than Wu Zetian”. Retrieved on 29 December 2021 from https://inf.news/en/history/7a584cb41....

Lau, L. M. & Ching-Chung, P. (2015). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. – 618 C.E. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge.

McMahon, K. (2013). Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao. NY: Rowman and Littlefield.

Waldherr, K. (2008). Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends, From Cleopatra to Princess Di. NY: Bloomsbury Books.

[1] History Collection, “16 Rulers who Reigned for less than 50 days”, para. 1

[2] Lau & Ching-Chung; pp. 298-299

[3] Inf.News, “The first female emperor-she was enthroned a hundred years earlier than Wu Zetian”, para. 17

[4] Inf.News, “The first female emperor-she was enthroned a hundred years earlier than Wu Zetian”, para. 17

[5] Inf.News, “The first female emperor-she was enthroned a hundred years earlier than Wu Zetian”, para. 17

[6]  Inf.News, “The first female emperor-she was enthroned a hundred years earlier than Wu Zetian”, para. 16

[7] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 298

[8] Waldherr, p. 60

[9] Waldherr, p. 60

[10] Waldherr, p. 60

[11] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 298

[12] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 298

[13] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 298

[14] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 298

[15] Lau & Ching-Chung, pp. 298-299

[16] Lau & Ching-Chung, pp. 298-299

[17] Lau & Ching-Chung, pp. 298-299

[18] Lau & Ching-Chung, pp. 298-299

[19] Lau & Ching-Chung, pp. 298-299

[20] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 299

[21] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 299

[22] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 299

[23] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 299

[24] McMahon, p. 145; Waldherr, p. 60

[25] Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 299

[26]  Lau & Ching-Chung, p. 299

[27] Inf.News, “The first female emperor-she was enthroned a hundred years earlier than Wu Zetian”, para. 18

[28] Inf.News, “The first female emperor-she was enthroned a hundred years earlier than Wu Zetian”, para. 18

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Princess Astrid at 60: A working princess

On 5 June 1962, a day before her father’s birthday, Princess Astrid was born as the daughter of the then Prince and Princess of Liège, later King Albert II and Queen Paola of the Belgians – with a grand total of seven names – Astrid Josephine Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Maria – and weighing 3,3 kilos. Her elder brother, the current King Philippe, lovingly nicknamed her Titine. Two weeks later, the infant Princess was baptised in Brussels.

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At the time of her birth, Belgium still adhered to salic law, meaning that Princess Astrid was not in the line of succession. In any case, her uncle King Baudouin had just married Fabiola, and it was assumed that they would have children. This, unfortunately, would not be as Fabiola’s five pregnancies all ended in miscarriage.

Like her brother, Astrid was cared for mainly by nannies. Her parents’ marriage was already showing the first signs of a breakdown, which even the birth of a second brother – Prince Laurent – could not mend. Paola was often homesick for her native Italy and often travelled back there, with or without the children. Soon, Paola and Albert were going their own way. In 1968, Albert’s mistress gave birth to a daughter, who is now known as Princess Delphine. Astrid would later say that she found out about her half-sister at the same time as the rest of the Belgians. Meanwhile, at Belvédère Castle, Prince Albert lived on the first floor, while Princess Paola lived on the second floor.

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Once a happy and vibrant child, Astrid suffered immensely because of her parent’s marital strife. She was enrolled in the La Vierge Fidèle school, where her classmates knew her as a quiet girl. She had trouble finding hobbies that kept her interested and also had to redo her first year of high school. She rebelled against the typical Princess image so embodied by her mother by wearing jeans and oversized sweaters.

As it was assumed that she would have no role in the Belgian succession, her studies were not a priority. She spent six years at the French-language La Vierge Fidèle school and then moved to the VAL institute for the 7th year. She then spent a year in Leiden in the Netherlands, studying art history before moving to Geneva to study at the Institut d’études européennes. On the advice of her uncle King Baudouin, she completed her studies in the US at the University of Michigan. While there, she stayed with a family who practised Pentecostalism, and she was fascinated by it. Religion would later play a big part in the reunion of her parents.

Astrid was just 15 years old when she first met her future husband. His name was Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, a grandson of the last Emperor of Austria. As the Austrian Empire no longer exists, this title was merely a courtesy, and it held no rank in Belgium or elsewhere. Astrid was not initially taken with him, but after several meetings, including a boat tour, they got to know each other better. After Astrid’s grand 18th birthday party, to which Lorenz was also invited, they were in love. They managed to hide the relationship from the press for four years. And thus, they managed to surprise everyone when they announced their engagement on 12 May 1984.

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The wedding was set for later that year on 22 September. Although it rained the entire day, it didn’t ruin their day. Astrid wore a gown by Louis Mis from Brussels. She didn’t wear a tiara and instead opted for a wreath of orange blossom and ivy. Her wedding veil was a family heirloom from her mother’s side. Upon marriage, Astrid gained the courtesy title of Archduchess, but Lorenz wouldn’t be created a Prince of Belgium until 10 November 1995.

The newlyweds moved to Basel, where Lorenz was employed at the Gutzwiller bank. Astrid was often homesick during these early months of marriage, and she knew little of running a household. She had only been there for two months when she was injured in a tram accident. She suffered a concussion and several cuts to her face. Luckily, she recovered quickly, and just a few months later, she found herself pregnant with her first child. For the birth of her child, Astrid went back to Brussels, and both Lorenz and her mother were by her side when she gave birth to a son – Amedeo – on 21 February 1986.

Amedeo wouldn’t be alone in the nursery for long. On 26 August 1988, Astrid gave birth to Maria Laura, followed by Joachim on 9 December 1991 and Luisa Maria on 11 October 1995. The family was completed on 23 April 2003 with the birth of Laetitia Maria. In 1991, Belgium decided to rid itself of the salic law that had regulated the succession. With the introduction of absolute primogeniture, Princess Astrid suddenly found herself third in the line of succession behind her father and elder brother Philippe, who was unmarried at the time. Because of her sudden close proximity to the crown, the family moved back to Belgium. Lorenz continued to work in Basel and thus lived away from home three days a week. Also, in 1991, her children were granted the title of Prince(ss) of Belgium, and they now followed their mother in the Belgian line of succession.

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The death of King Baudouin in 1993 suddenly put Astrid more in the spotlight than before. Her father became the new King of the Belgians, and Astrid was now second in the line of succession. She became honorary president of the Red Cross, taking over for her father, and she took on a military education. In November 1996, both she and her two brothers were named senators by right, giving them a chance to get the know parliament better. However, her opening speech led to criticism of her Dutch language skills, which she immediately sought to improve.

Slowly but surely, Astrid took on more royal duties to support her father, and she became better known to the Belgian people. It wasn’t until 2002 that both she and her brothers were finally provided with funds by the civil list. Her royal duties also began to include international affairs. Just after her father’s abdication in 2013, her brother Philippe asked her to take on the foreign economic missions. At the end of 1999, Philippe married Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz, and the births of their four children put Astrid further down the line of succession. Her brother’s accession also meant that Astrid appeared less and less at official functions. Nevertheless, she suffered from a period of exhaustion in 2018 and was prescribed rest for four months.

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In 2016, Astrid became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of Amedeo’s daughter Anna Astrid. A grandson named Maximilian followed in 2019. Her eldest daughter Maria Laura is set to get married in the second half of 2022.1

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Book Review: The Queen: 70 Glorious Years

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The Queen: 70 Glorious Years is just one of many books being released to celebrate The Queen’s platinum jubilee, but this is the official souvenir publication from the Royal Collection Trust.

The book highlights the memorable events during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in photographs. These photographs are accompanied by quotes and context and, as such, takes you on a photographic journey of her 70-year reign. There are several sections: Early Life, Iconic Portraits, the Role of the Monarch, Travelling the Kingdom and the Commonwealth, the Day Job, Family and Milestones.

The portraits themselves are all pretty well-known ones, so no huge surprises there. The text is short and snappy, taking just one page per photograph. This makes for a rather slim volume, though this is not necessarily a bad thing. I think my favourite photograph is the one of the Queen (then Princess) standing in the garden with her father, smiling rather carefree. The book itself is a lovely hardcover, and overall, it’s a beautiful book to have and perhaps even better to give as a gift.

The Queen: 70 Glorious Years is available now in the UK.

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Royal Jewels – The Coronation Necklace

The coronation of 1937 saw Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) wear this beautiful piece. The necklace had been given to her by her husband to mark their coronation. It was created in the 1840s by Garrard on Queen Victoria’s order after a large amount of the family jewels were claimed by her uncle, the King of Hanover.

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The necklace’s diamonds were taken from “swords and other useless things” in Queen Victoria’s collection. A large diamond, known as the Lahore Diamond, was taken from the Timur Ruby necklace in 1853 and made detachable for use as a pendant on this necklace.

On the day itself, the necklace was worn without the Lahore Diamond, which had been temporarily placed on her new crown. For the occasion, Garrard had recut the Lahore diamond to 22.48 metric carats. Queen Elizabeth also wore two strings of pearl, making the whole thing quite over the top as it should be. After the ceremony, the Lahore diamond was re-attached to the necklace, and a crystal was put on the crown.

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The necklace was also worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth II for their coronations.

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The common Habsburg ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II and Empress Elisabeth of Austria

As the year 2022 both celebrates the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the 185th anniversary of the birth of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, we take a look at how the two women were related. One common ancestor is Maria of Austria, the daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anne of Bohemia and Hungary.

Maria was born on 15 May 1531 in Prague as their third daughter. Her father was a younger brother of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and he succeeded him as Holy Roman Emperor in 1558, while Charles’s son Philip inherited, among other territories, the Spanish lands.

She was just 15 years old when she married William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, the brother of Anne of Cleves who was briefly Queen of England. The wedding took place in Regensburg on 17 July 1546 and came about as a condition of the Treaty of Venlo between William and Maria’s uncle Charles.1 This concerned a conflict over the territory of Guelders and with this marriage, William gave up his claim to Guelders. His sister Anne heartily approved of the match and she sent two horses and two braces of greyhounds as a wedding gift from England.2 At the time of her marriage, Maria was described as not scholarly but “teachable” and well brought up and not beautiful but “gifted with beauty.” She knew German, Latin and Italian.3 Maria came from a fertile family as was William. His grandfather John II had the nickname “the Babymaker” and he reportedly fathered 63 children.

Maria was William’s second wife as he had previously been unhappily married to Queen Joan III of Navarre. The marriage had been forced upon her and had remained unconsummated before finally being annulled in 1545. William had initially preferred to have married Maria’s elder sister Anna but she was promised to the Duke of Orléans.4 The Duke died young and Anna eventually married Albert V, Duke of Bavaria.

Maria and William went on to have seven children, although one daughter named Elisabeth died at the age of 5. Their eldest son lived to become an adult but tragically died at the age of 20, leaving her only surviving son John William as his father’s successor. In her daily life, Maria was described as “a delicate woman of great kindness of heart, in need of care.”5 Maria likely also suffered from mental illness, like her grandmother Queen Joanna of Castile. Maria was unfairly blamed for the health problems that led to the death of her eldest son (most likely consumption) and the mental illness that her younger son seemed to have inherited.6

Her mental health deteriorated as she died at the age of 50.7 She was said to have “spent the last years of her life in mental derangement.”8 One Cardinal Commendone reported that “the pious woman had scruples that her marriage to William could not be legitimate because her husband had married Joan of Navarre and had consummated the marriage with her. Worry, pain and doubt would have shattered her mind.”9 Maria was buried in the Stiftskirche in Cleves but there is no marker on her grave. She is reportedly buried underneath the organ.

Photo by Moniek Bloks – The organ can be seen on the right

Both of her sons died without children, leading to a succession dispute that eventually divided the lands. However, three of her daughters had children.

Both Queen Elizabeth II and Empress Elisabeth of Austria are descendants of Maria of Austria, through her daughters.

Maria of Austria
Marie Eleonore of Cleves
Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia
Marie Elisabeth of Saxony
Magdalena Sibylla of Holstein-Gottorp (Also an ancestress of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, mother of King George III)
Christine of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Ferdinande Henriette, Countess of Stolberg-Gedern
Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg
Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf
Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafield
Queen Victoria
King Edward VII
King George V
King George VI
Queen Elizabeth II

Maria of Austria 
Marie Eleonore of Cleves
Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia
Sophia Eleonore of Saxony
Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt
Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine
Countess Palatine Elisabeth of Neuburg
Countess Palatine Maria Franziska of Sulzbach
Countess Palatine Maria Anna of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
Pius August in Bavaria
Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria
Empress Elisabeth of Austria

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The Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II

The Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II is an honour that is bestowed on female members of the British Royal Family, and it is worn on formal occasions. The formal practice of family orders was begun by King George IV, though members of the courts sometimes wore the sovereign’s portrait in a bejewelled frame before that time.

The subsequent monarchs presented the family orders suspended on different coloured ribbons. King George IV and King George V used white, King George VI used pink, and the current Queen uses yellow.1 Queen Victoria created her own order, The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, which was given to female members of the family and to ladies favoured by Queen Victoria. King Edward VII did something similar to his mother, but it wasn’t registered that way. His ribbon was blue with white and red edges.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother wearing the two family orders (public domain)

More than one family order can be worn at the same time, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother has been seen wearing both the one from King George VI’s reign as well as her daughter’s reign. The Queen and Princess Margaret wore the orders of King George V and King George VI to their parents’ coronation in 1937.

The Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II was created at the beginning of her reign with a Dorothy Wilding portrait as the image of the sovereign. The image is painted on ivory, though this was replaced with a glass version in 2017. The image is surrounded by diamonds and topped by a Tudor crown. The yellow silk ribbon is formed into a bow, and the order is worn pinned to the dress on the left shoulder.

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It was first given to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Mary, Princess Margaret, Mary, Princess Royal, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone. It was later also given to Princess Anne, the Duchess of Glouchester and Diana, Princess of Wales.

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The latest recipients are the Countess of Wessex (2004), The Duchess of Cornwall (2007) and The Duchess of Cambridge (2017).2

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The Queens regnant before Queen Elizabeth II

As Queen Elizabeth II marks an incredible 70 years on the throne this year, we take a look at the women who preceded her in the English and Scottish territories. Queen Elizabeth II is a so-called Queen regnant, a Queen in her own right. To learn more about the types of Queens there are, click here.

Empress Matilda

Although Matilda’s reign is disputed, the daughter of King Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland was declared her father’s heir after the death of her only legitimate brother in the White Ship disaster. She is known as Empress due to her first marriage to Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor. Her second marriage to Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou produced three sons, the eldest of which would eventually succeed in becoming King. Matilda’s own rights were usurped by her cousin King Stephen and she can only brief claim to have ruled England during his captivity. During this time, she was known as Lady of the English. Stephen eventually regained the upper hand, but the succession was settled on Matilda’s son, who became King Henry II of England upon Stephen’s death in 1154.

Margaret, the Maid of Norway

Margaret was born in 1283 to King Eric II of Norway and Margaret of Scotland. Her mother was the daughter of Alexander III, King of Scots and Margaret of England, and she tragically died giving birth to her daughter. Alexander’s only surviving son died the following year, leaving young Margaret as his heir. By 5 February 1384, Margaret was declared to be ‘domina and right heir’ of Scotland, although Alexander did remarry in an attempt to father an heir. He died in 1286 without having had another child, and Margaret became Queen of Scots under the regency of the Guardians of Scotland. Margaret left Norway in 1290 but died shortly after being brought ashore on the Orkney Islands. Her remains were returned to Norway to be interred with her mother. Her premature death raises the question of her status as Queen regnant. However, she was referred to as a Queen, and she was en route to being crowned.

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary was born in 1542 as the only surviving child of James V, King of Scots and Mary of Guise. With her father’s death just six days later, Mary became Queen under a regency. However, fearing for her safety, five-year-old Mary was sent to France, where she was betrothed to the future King Francis II of France. He died in 1560, and Mary returned to Scotland the following year. She married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley in 1565 and had one son with him before his death under suspicious circumstances in 1567. Shortly afterwards, she married James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, who was accused of murdering Henry. As a result, Mary was imprisoned and forced to abdicate, while James was exiled. Mary eventually managed to flee to England, where Queen Elizabeth I subsequently imprisoned her. She remained a prisoner for the rest of her life before she was ultimately caught in treasonous activities. She was executed on 8 February 1587 at Fotheringhay Castle.

Lady Jane Grey

When King Edward VI died in 1553, all of his potential heirs were female. He had intended to leave the throne to the sons of his first cousin once removed, Lady Jane Grey, but she had only been married for two months at that point and had not produced any sons. Thus, he was forced to change his device for the succession to include Lady Jane herself. He also left out his two half-sisters, Mary (the future Queen Mary I) and Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I). Queen Jane reigned for just a few days before Mary gained the upper hand. Jane was deposed and imprisoned in the Tower. Queen Mary initially intended to spare Jane’s life, but a further rebellion by Jane’s father sealed Jane’s fate. She was executed on 12 February 1554 – still in her teens.

Queen Mary I

The daughter of King Henry VIII of England by his first wife Catherine of Aragon now became England’s first undisputed Queen regnant. She had been her parents’ only surviving child and not the hoped-for male heir. King Henry proceeded to form the Church of England so he could annul his marriage to Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn. Subsequently, Mary was bastardised and became known as Lady Mary until she became Queen. Catherine fought the annulment until her death, even at the expense of never seeing her daughter again. Upon the death of her half-brother King Edward VI, Mary took a chance, managed to dethrone Lady Jane Grey and took up her rightful place as Queen of England. However, her marriage to King Philip II of Spain remained childless despite Mary believing herself to be pregnant. She died on 17 November 1558 and was succeeded by her half-sister Queen Elizabeth I.

Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth was born in 1533 as the daughter of King Henry VIII of England and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Her mother also failed to produce the much-longed-for male heir, and she was subsequently executed on trumped-up charges in 1536. Elizabeth, too, was bastardised but was eventually reunited with her family. As a protestant, she was in danger several times during her Catholic half-sister’s reign and was even briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London. She became Queen in 1558 and reigned until her death in 1603. She never married, and her heir by primogeniture was King James VI of Scotland, who was a great-grandson of Elizabeth’s aunt Margaret.

Queen Mary II

The next Queen regnant became Queen 131 years after Queen Elizabeth I. Mary was the eldest surviving daughter of the Catholic King James VII/II. Mary herself was raised a protestant alongside her sister Anne on the orders of their uncle, King Charles II. After her mother’s death, her father remarried the Catholic Mary of Modena and eventually, they had a surviving son, which raised the fears of a Catholic succession. Mary and her husband William (himself a son of Charles’s sister Mary) were invited to invade and rule as joint monarchs. James fled the country and lived out his life in exile. Mary died just five years later of smallpox. She had suffered at least one miscarriage and had not left any surviving children. William continued his personal reign after her death until his own death in 1702. He was then succeeded by his sister-in-law Anne.

Queen Anne

Anne was the second surviving daughter of King James VII/II and his first wife, Anne Hyde. She married Prince George of Denmark in 1683 and subsequently suffered through many years of childbearing with around 17 pregnancies. At least one daughter died of smallpox; others barely lived long enough to be baptised. Her only child to survive infancy was Prince William, and he died at the age of 11. Anne succeeded as Queen in 1702 and reigned until her own death in 1714. During her reign, the kingdoms of England and Scotland were united as a single sovereign state. As she had no heirs, the Act of Settlement 1701 settled the succession on Sophia of Hanover. As Sophia died just a few weeks before Anne, she was succeeded by Sophia’s eldest son, who became King George I.

Queen Victoria

The most recent Queen regnant before Queen Elizabeth is her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Victoria was born in 1819 as the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. King George IV’s only child Charlotte died in childbirth in 1817, leading to a race between several of his brothers to marry legally and produce a legitimate heir. Prince Edward won the race but died in 1820. King George IV was subsequently succeeded by his younger brother King William IV, who had no surviving legitimate children with his wife, Queen Adelaide. He was succeeded by his 18-year-old niece Victoria in 1837. Victoria married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and they had nine children before his untimely death in 1861. Victoria remained in mourning for the rest of her life. She became the longest-reigning British monarch in 1896 and remained so until she was surpassed by her great-great-granddaughter in 2015. Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901 at the age of 81, and at that time, she had reigned for 63 years and 216 days.

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Finding the grave of Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

The story of Princess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach is a tragic one. She was born as the only daughter of Prince William of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Princess Gerta of Ysenburg and Büdingen in Wächtersbach on 25 July 1888.

Her parents weren’t very wealthy, and the family lived in Heidelberg, where they mainly lived off funds from the Weimar court. Sophie was quite popular in the city, and she often visited notable people in town. She was said to be a great beauty. She played several instruments and was said to be a great shot.1

Sophie met the son of a powerful banker, Hans von Bleichroeder, and by 1913 rumours arose that Sophie wanted to marry him or that he was used as a go-between to someone else she wanted to marry. In any case, she would never be permitted to marry below her station, and a statement was released that any reports of an engagement were “groundless.”

On 18 September 1913, she retired to her room at night in “her usual spirits”. Shortly after midnight, a gunshot was heard, and she was found by a servant with a gunshot wound to the forehead. At first, they tried to cover up the suicide by announcing that she had died from paralysis of the heart. The true details soon emerged. Most assumed that the suicide was due to the opposition to her engagement. However, there was another event that may have contributed.2 A month before her suicide, Sophie had been in a car, probably as the driver, that mortally injured a young girl while speeding. The family was paid compensation to avoid a trial, but it soon came out that Sophie was the driver and that Hans von Bleichroeder had also been in the car.3

Five days later, the New York Times reported, “Baron Hans von Bleichroeder, like all acquaintances of the House of Saxe-Weimar, had a farewell view of the departed, but he was expressly forbidden to take part in the funeral or to attend the cremation. As for the stories set in circulation in regard to a marriage between Princess Sophia and Baron von Bleichroeder, there only needs to be repeated the oft-spoken statement of her father, that all the money in the world would never have sufficed to bridge over the gulf between a Princess of Saxe-Weimar and Baron von Bleichroeder.”4

The “Palais Weimar” where Sophie lived and died still stands in Heidelberg. It is now in use as a natural history museum. The only reminder of its past is a small plaque outside on the gate.

(Photo by Moniek Bloks)(Photo by Moniek Bloks)

And while newspaper articles at the time wrote that Sophie would be cremated and her remains would be sent to the family crypt in Weimar, it appears that someone changed their mind. Instead, Sophie, and later also her parents, her elder brother Albert and Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach were interred in a mausoleum in the Bergfriedhof in Heidelberg.

Click to view slideshow.

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Trailer: The Princess

Altitude Films has released the official trailer for the new documentary The Princess, from documentary filmmaker Ed Perkins. It premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and is opening in the UK in June. There is currently no release date for the US.

The life of Diana, Princess of Wales is told through archive footage. Watch the trailer below:

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Exhibition: Juliana – A life in dolls

From 1 May 2022, Borg Museum Verhildersum will play host to the exhibition “Juliana: A life in dolls.” As Princess and later Queen, she amassed a collection of over 600 dolls. But the collection of dolls began with Princess and later Queen Wilhelmina and her mother, Queen Emma. Queen Emma took her young daughter on a tour of all the Dutch provinces during her regency, and they received many dolls during these visits.

The dolls came in many variants, some resembling the royals, but there were also dolls representing the area from which they were gifted through their traditional clothes.

Click to view slideshow.

Although relatively small, the exhibition is surprisingly internationally focused. The text comes in Dutch, German and English, and the accompanying exhibition book also comes in three languages. Most of the story, however, seems to come from the audio tour, which is a shame. I’ve never been a fan of exhibitions that rely heavily on audio tours as I often find them boring and inconvenient. In general, this isn’t an exhibition I would make a three hour trip for again, but if you happen to be in the north of the Netherlands, it’s quite special seeing the dolls, and you can also visit the small castle on the site.

More information can be found here.

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