Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 119

Noble Consort Zuo Fen – An accomplished Poet

Noble Consort Zuo Fen was the most famous of Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty’s wives.[1] She was selected to be an imperial concubine not for her appearance but for her literary talents. Her talents as an accomplished poet allowed her to climb the ranks to have the position that was directly below the empress. Yet, her greatest legacy was her poems. Today, her poems are still being read and praised for being the first woman to use female experiences as an artistic theme.[2]

Noble Consort Zuo Fen was born in Linzi in the state of Qi (modern-day Linzi in Shandong Province) around 252 C.E.[3] Her full name was Zuo Jiu Pin.[4] Her family was of low status and were Confucian scholars.[5] Her mother died young, but her father, Zuo Yong, was a clerk who later rose to imperial censor.[6] Her older brother, Zuo Si, would become a famous literary poet.[7] Even though Zuo Fen was a girl, her father made sure that she received an excellent education in history and literature.[8]

Zuo Fen was described as having a homely appearance.[9] Despite her looks, she was known to have literary talent.[10] This attracted the attention of Emperor Wu (the founder of the Western Jin Dynasty).[11] He wanted her to become one of his imperial wives. In 272 C.E., Zuo Fen entered the Emperor’s harem and was made “Lady of Cultivated Deportment”.[12] This was the second-highest rank below the empress.[13] Her family moved to the capital to be near her.[14]

Consort Zuo Fen liked to stay in her study to compose literary works.[15] The Emperor visited her often and loved discussing poetry with her.[16] She often participated in court events like births, funerals, and weddings by writing poems, odes, eulogies, and essays.[17] Consort Zuo Fen also wrote “A Rhapsody on Feelings of Separation”.[18] In this poem, she laments how she has to be confined to the palace and forced to live an imperial life.[19] One of the lines is “Relatives of bone and flesh, are now as if strangers”.[20]

Consort Zuo Fen also interacted with her brother, Zuo Si, through poetry. Zuo Si wrote “Poem to Departed Sister”, where he lamented how much he missed his beloved sister.[21] Consort Zuo Fen responded to her brother’s poem where she wrote “The Wail of Departure”.[22] This poem expressed her sorrow at leaving her family.[23] Her famous lines of this poem go: “I have been sad and sorrowful, I can only cry to heaven.”[24]

Consort Zuo Fen was eventually promoted to “Noble Concubine”, which was the highest rank below the empress.[25] Noble Consort Zuo Fen died on 23 April 300 C.E.[26] On 24 May 300 C.E., she was buried in Junyangling Mausoleum.[27] Noble Consort Zuo Fen wrote twenty-four poems, yet over half of the poems praised the accomplishments of women.[28] Thus, Noble Consort Zuo Fen was the first female poet that we know of to give full attention to women and their experiences.[29] 

Sources:

Aiwen, L. (2015). Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. (B. B. Peterson, Ed.; Z. Zhongliang, Trans.). London: Routledge.

Davis, T.M. (2015). Entombed Epigraphy and Commemorative Culture in Medieval China: A Brief History of Early Muzhiming. Brill, Leiden:The Netherlands.

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

Lee, L.X.H. (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.

[1] McMahon, p. 120

[2] Aiwen, p.143

[3] Lee, p. 393

[4] Lee, p. 393

[5] Lee, p. 393

[6] Lee, p. 393

[7] McMahon, p. 120

[8] Lee, p. 393

[9] McMahon, p. 120

[10] Aiwen, p. 142

[11] Aiwen, p.142

[12] McMahon, p. 120

[13] McMahon, p. 120

[14] Aiwen, p. 142

[15] Aiwen, p. 142

[16] Aiwen, p.142

[17] Aiwen, p. 142

[18] McMahon, p.120

[19] McMahon, p. 120

[20] McMahon, p. 120

[21] Aiwen, p. 142

[22] Aiwen,p. 142

[23] Aiwen, p. 142

[24] Aiwen, p. 142

[25] McMahon, p. 120

[26] Davis, p. 205

[27] Davis, p. 205

[28] Aiwen, p. 143

[29] Aiwen, p. 143

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Queen Komal – The last Queen of Nepal

Komal Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah was born into a noble family in Nepal on 18 February 1951. She had an older sister, Aishwarya, who was born two years before her. Both sisters would marry royals and hold the title of Queen consort during their lifetimes.

Little did they know that Komal would be the last Queen consort of Nepal.

Komal was educated in India and Nepal and later married her second cousin, Prince Gyanendra, on 1 May 1970 in Kathmandu, making her Princess Komal. Together, they had two children: Prince Paras Shah (b. 1971) and Princess Prerana (b. 1978).

Both Komal and Aishwarya married into the Nepalese Royal Family in 1970, while their younger sister, Prekshya, married into the family two years later. The three sisters married three brothers, two of whom were monarchs.

Komal’s father-in-law, King Mahendra, died in 1972 at the age of 51 from a heart attack. Her brother-in-law, Birendra, then assumed the throne.

Tragedy struck the Nepalese Royal Family in June 2001 as Crown Prince Dipendra – Komal’s nephew – massacred many members of his family. He shot and killed his parents, siblings, aunts and other family members on the grounds of the Narayanhity Royal Palace.

He had gotten drunk during a family dinner, and his drunken actions resulted in his father having him leave and escorted to his room (his cousin later claimed the Crown Prince was only pretending to be drunk so that he would get kicked out). An hour later, he returned with a combat shotgun (SPAS-12), and he began to assassinate his family. He had a bag that contained other weapons like an M16, as well.

Komal was shot in the attack and spent four weeks recovering in Birendra Military Hospital.

Princess Komal lost her older sister in the massacre, and a few months later, her younger sister died in a helicopter crash.

After the death of the King, Queen and Crown Prince, Princess Komal’s husband, Gyanendra, ascended the Nepalese throne. Thus, Komal became Queen Komal of Nepal. She and her husband would only sit on the throne for seven years before the monarchy was abolished after a vote from parliament in 2008. This ended Nepal’s 240 years as a monarchy and turned the country into a republic.

Citizens celebrated in the street after the vote to abolish the monarchy, and the King and Queen lost all their royal privileges. They also only had a fortnight to vacate the palace. They did, however, retain their wealth and stayed in Nepal, living in Nirmal Niwas. They do make common trips to India, where they have maintained close ties, as the King is considered a divine figure to ‘akharas’ and pilgrimage centres in the country.

Both King Gyanendra and Queen Komal tested positive and were hospitalised for COVID-19 in late April 2021, and the Queen was admitted into the intensive care unit due to breathing issues by the end of the month. She received plasma therapy to help her recover. She was able to leave ICU a week later and continued to recover in Norvic International Hospital.

In recent years, there have been calls to revive the monarchy; however, the Nepalese government has not held a referendum, and it seems Nepal will remain a republic for the foreseeable future.

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The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Amélie of Arenberg: Sisi’s tragic grandmother

Amélie of Arenberg was born on 10 April 1789 in Paris as the daughter of Prince Louis Marie of Arenberg and Anne Adélaïde Julie, Comtesse de Mailly de Nesle. Her parents had married on 26 June 1788 in the chapel of the Hotel d’Harcourt in Paris. Tragically, Amélie’s mother would die on Christmas Eve in the year of her birth. Her father would follow six years later, on 30 March 1795. The years in between had seen quite a few changes in France, the end of the monarchy for one. In 1794, the Arenberg estates had been seized by the French authorities.

Amélie spent these years with her grandmother, Louise Marguerite de la Marck. It wasn’t long before “Maman” became both mother and father to the little girl. Her grandmother made sure she had a wetnurse and later a governess by the name of Madame Véllany. In May of 1791, Amélie had been brought to Brussels for her safety, but it wasn’t until 1795 that Amélie and her grandmother were able to take up residence in the Stadtpalais in the Rue Heute. However, they were soon declared persona non grata and were forced on the move again. First, they travelled to Paris and later to the Netherlands.

As Amélie grew up amid all the turmoil, her health was never robust, and her bills show expenses for various medications and doctors. Nevertheless, the focus was now on her education. She was taught French, penmanship, reading and geography. There was also a focus on music, mainly on the harpsichord. At a later date, the modern fortepiano was also added. By 1804, the family’s finances were becoming more stable – just in time for Amélie to join the marriage market. And that marriage market was being watched like a hawk by Napoleon Bonaparte, now Emperor of the French.

On 21 February 1806, Amélie’s aunt Louise de Brancas-Villars-Lauragais had dinner with none other than Empress Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, and here the wheels for the wedding between Amélie and Duke Pius August in Bavaria were set in motion. Pius August’s mother Maria Anna was the sister of Bavaria’s first King, Maximilian I Joseph, who was Napoleon’s ally. The then 20-year-old Pius August was known as an unconventional and sometimes belligerent character. He enjoyed spending time in taverns and was noted for his painting skills. With her mother’s fortune backing her, Amélie was a very attractive bride. At the end of 1806, the King of Bavaria’s permission for the marriage was requested, and it was duly granted two months later. Not much later, Napoleon’s permission also followed. Unfortunately, newspapers had already published the happy news before the permission had officially been granted, and Amélie’s grandmother blamed the groom’s father for being indiscrete.

With the required permissions in hand, the wedding preparations could now begin. The marriage contract was signed on 25 May 1807, and the wedding ceremony followed the next day in the Church of Saint-Jean in Brussels. Amélie had only met her future husband a few days before the wedding. The following month, the newlyweds left for Bamberg in the company of the groom’s father. They were to live there with her parents-in-law. By September 1807, Pius August had had several angry outbursts, and he complained about Amélie. He wrote a grovelling letter to Amélie’s uncle Louis Engelbert, 6th Duke of Arenberg, “I would like you to forgive me all the slander I have pronounced out of anger, without thinking of the consequences that such actions might have on the world.[…] I can’t tell you enough how happy this woman [he means Amélie] makes me, and what a model of fidelity she is, she possesses the most principle and essential quality of modesty.”

When Pius August and Amélie were on a trip to Paris not much later, he wrote to Amélie’s aunt, “I find good Amélie every day more kind, more charming towards me. I don’t think I can praise her enough.” Whatever had happened was certainly fixed long enough for the newlyweds to conceive their one and only child. On 4 December 1808, Amélie gave birth to a son named Maximilian – the father of the future Empress Elisabeth. The boy was named for the Bavarian King, who would shape his future as he would be raised at the Munich court. Unfortunately, after the birth of their son, the mismatched couple began to drift apart quickly. Amélie, like her famous granddaughter, developed a need to travel away from her husband. However, another reason for her travels was her worsening health.

During these years, Amélie was in a battle for her son, which she would lose. Maximilian was admitted to the Royal Institute of Education in 1817 under the King of Bavaria’s supervision. Amélie wrote to her cousin Prosper Louis, 7th Duke of Arenberg, “I would like to be happy, but alas, I am far from it. [..] For times are so hard, and life is so expensive that there are more unfortunate people than can be helped, alas, we are in a very unhappy time.[..]At the moment I have at my side my little Max who has demanded that I write to you.[…] I have a nasty rheumatism in my head, and I hope to have the happiness of returning to the country of my birth and having the happiness of returning to the bosom of my family and of being completely cured.” Between September 1812 and May 1818, Amélie spent a total of two and half years away from Bamberg.

Amélie’s father-in-law had written to her grandmother to speak of the situation, but Louise Marguerite wrote back, “The happiness of my child [sic] is too dear to me to not inspire her with all the reason she needs in the neglectful situation.” In 1820, Amélie saw her son for the last time, and they spent two weeks in Munich together. The head of the school wrote, “One can’t say who was happier – the mother or the son.” Unfortunately, the year 1820 also the deaths of her beloved grandmother Louise Marguerite and her uncle Louis Engelbert.

In September 1821, her already weak health was further weakened by “blutspeyen,” translated as coughing up blood and most likely the better-known tuberculosis. During this initial diagnosis, she was bled twice, and the doctors then advised her to travel to a warmer climate. With her son in Munich, and her two closest supporters dead, Amélie was largely on her own.

On 11 February 1823, Amélie once again began to cough up blood. Her three doctors were so worried by this sudden setback that they began to prepare her for death, and a confessor was called to her bedside. Nevertheless, Amélie continued to survive as she continued to cough up blood. Then on 3 April, her breathing became ragged. She died the following morning at 10.25 a.m – having had the presence of mind until the very end. Her father-in-law wrote to the head of Max’s school, “I must leave it to your tender heart to tell him this news. How his childlike, loving soul will suffer.” Amélie was still only 34 years old.

She was buried in Tegernsee Abbey in Bavaria, where she would later be joined by her son and other family members.1

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Book Review: Espionage in the Divided Stuart Dynasty 1685-1715 by Julian Whitehead

*contains affiliate links*

*review copy*

The Stuart dynasty has been marked by the significant religious division in the family itself. We have the merry monarch King Charles II, his Catholic brother King James II, his daughters Queen Anne and Queen Mary II. The latter ruled jointly with her husband, King William III, following the Glorious Revolution that saw King James II vacate the throne.

This is, of course, a breeding ground for espionage and plots. When James succeeded as King, he was almost immediately vulnerable for an overthrow. This came in the form of his illegitimate but protestant nephew, the Duke of Monmouth. His rebellion ended with his execution. Then James’s wife Mary gave birth to a son who would be raised Catholic, and William and Mary were invited to take the throne. Thus came the Glorious Revolution.

While Espionage in the Divided Stuart Dynasty 1685-1715 has an interesting basis, I found the focus on espionage somewhat lacking, and the various characters, especially the more unknown ones, seemed to melt together. The history of the Stuarts is quite interestingly drawn, but that is not what the book intended to focus on, based on the title. In addition to a rather stoic writing style, this book did not suit me, and in the end, I found myself a little bored. Overall, Espionage in the Divided Stuart Dynasty 1685-1715 by Julian Whitehead is a good start if you want to learn about the divisions in the Stuart dynasty, but you may not learn what you wish to where it concerns espionage.

Espionage in the Divided Stuart Dynasty 1685-1715 by Julian Whitehead is available now in the US and the UK.

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Lady Sun – The romantic Princess of the Three Kingdoms

Not to be confused with Empress Dowager Sun.

Lady Sun was the daughter, sister, and wife of Emperors. She was known to be a heroine who had put the interests of the Kingdom of Wu before herself. She has also been the subject of popular literature, where she is portrayed as a romantic heroine. She was not only popular in China but also throughout the world with video games and anime.

Lady Sun lived during the Three Kingdoms era. During this period, the Han dynasty had fallen due to internal politics, and China was broken into three kingdoms which were Wei, Shu, and Wu.[1] Even though China was broken, it still did not mean that men hadn’t tried to unify the nation during their era. Four of those men who attempted to reunify China were immediate family to Lady Sun. They were her father, two of her brothers, and her husband.

Lady Sun was born around 189 C.E. in Fucheng, Wu County (present-day Fuyang County in Zhejiang province). Her name is unknown. However, in the classic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, she is given the name Sun Ren. Her father, Sun Jian, was a great powerful general and warlord of Wu. He also claimed to be a descendant of Sun Tzu, the legendary author of The Art of War.[2] Lady Sun’s mother was Lady Wu. Both her parents would be made the posthumous Emperor and Empress of the Wu dynasty.[3] She had four brothers named Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, and Sun Kuang. Sun Quan would become Emperor of the Wu dynasty.

In 191 CE, Sun Jian dreamed of unifying China.[4] He led a battle against Liu Bei, the warlord of Shu, who also had the same ambitions as Sun Jian in reuniting China.[5] However, Sun Jian was killed in the battle. From 192-200 C.E., Lady Sun’s family became homeless and destitute, moving from place to place.[6] In 202 C.E., Lady Sun’s mother died.

During this time, Lady Sun’s eldest brother, Sun Ce, led a fight against Liu Bei but was killed in 200 CE. He was seventeen years old. His younger brother, Sun Quan, took up his father’s and brother’s fight. However, Sun Quan was losing against Liu Bei. Fearing that he would die at Liu Bei’s hands, he offered his younger sister, Lady Sun, as part of a marital alliance.[7] Liu Bei agreed.

In 209 C.E., Lady Sun married Liu Bei. She left Wu for Shu and arrived in Gong’an (Shu’s capital city).[8] She was in her early twenties. Her bridegroom was forty-nine and already had a chief wife.[9] They were initially happy with each other, but it quickly fell into a relationship filled with suspicion.[10] Liu Bei would always tremble at the sight of his wife.[11] He did not feel safe in his own household.[12] This was because she had over a hundred female servants, all of whom carried knives![13] “Whenever Liu Bei entered her chambers, he was struck by her piercing coldness.” [14] Liu Bei was not the only one who distrusted her. His own strategist, Zhu Geliang, also regarded her with suspicion.[15] 

In 211 C.E., Liu Bei and Sun Quan were not on good terms.[16] Lady Sun decided to return home.[17] Before she left, she attempted to kidnap her step-son, the heir apparent, and make him a hostage under Wu.[18] However, the attempt was unsuccessful, and she was forced to return on her own.[19] In 220 C.E., Liu Bei proclaimed himself Emperor of Shu.[20] In 222 C.E., Sun Quan proclaimed himself Emperor of Wu.[21] Thus, China remained divided.

It is uncertain when Lady Sun died. It was said that she was buried in a river in Daoji.[22] A mortuary temple named Favored Madame Temple was built in her memory.[23] During the Qing dynasty, she was given the posthumous title of “Madame of Moral Integrity”.[24] A plaque bears an inscription praising Lady Sun for her “intelligence and beneficence.” [25] Thus, Lady Sun was known for sacrificing her happiness for the good of the Wu kingdom.[26]

Yet, Lady Sun is best remembered for being a popular icon in both the East and the West. In the classic Ming dynasty historical fiction novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, she is portrayed as a romantic and tragic heroine. When her husband, Liu Bei, had fallen under a dangerous trap set by his enemies, Lady Sun helped him escape.[27] At the end of the novel, Lady Sun mistakenly believed her husband to be dead and became so grief-stricken that she drowned herself.[28] In the 2008 movie Red Cliff, she is portrayed by the famous Zhou Wei. In this version, she disguised herself as a man to infiltrate the enemy army on behalf of her brother and husband.[29] She has also been featured in a few video games like Dynasty Warriors, Warriors Orochi, Samurai Warriors, Kessen 2, and Total War: Three Kingdoms. She is even referenced in both the anime and video game Koihime Muso. Thus, even though her brother forced her to marry an older man for the good of Wu kingdom, Lady Sun did her best to keep an unsteady peace.

Sources:

Aiweng, L. (2015). Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. (B. B. Peterson, Ed.; T. Danyu, Trans.). London: Routledge.

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

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.

[1] Aiweng, p. 130

[2] Aiweng, p. 130

[3] Ching-Chung, p. 351

[4] Aiweng, p. 130

[5] Aiweng, p. 130

[6] Aiweng, p. 13-

[7] Aiweng, pp. 130-131

[8] Ching-Chung, p. 352; Aiweng, p. 131

[9] Aiweng, p. 131

[10] Aiweng, p. 131

[11] Ching-Chung, p. 352

[12] Aiweng, p. 131

[13]McMahon, p. 115; Ching-Chung, p. 352; Aiweng, p. 131

[14] McMahon, p. 115

[15] Mcmahon, p. 115

[16] McMahon, p. 115

[17] McMahon, p. 115

[18] McMahon, p. 115; Ching-Chung, p. 352; Aiweng, pp. 131-132

[19] McMahon, p. 115; Ching-Chung. P. 352; Aiweng, pp. 131-132

[20] Aiweng, p. 132

[21] Aiweng, p. 132

[22] Aiweng, p. 132

[23] Aiweng, p. 132

[24] Aiweng, p. 132

[25] Aiweng, p. 132

[26] Aiweng, p. 132

[27] McMahon, p. 115

[28] McMahon, p. 115

[29] McMahon, p. 115

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The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Sisi & Néné (Part three)

Read part two here.

In February 1868, Helene was back in Regensburg, and she wrote sadly, “I lead a quiet, monotonous life, but have so much to do so that despite my loneliness of heart… and gloominess of my heart, time flies quickly.”1 She added, “The children are now my only diversion, the sole purpose of my life and this duty alone has preserved me. Otherwise, I would certainly have followed him soon. So I may only look forward to this moment when my task is completed. The children are well, and the two girls are now quite busy with their studies… […] But I prefer to be in Regensburg, if only because of the crypt, where I listen to mass every morning and kneel with him for an hour.”2

Her young son Maximilian Maria was now his grandfather’s heir. Just four years after his father’s death, he succeeded as the 7th Prince of Thurn and Taxis at the age of nine. As per her marriage contract, Helene became the regent of her young son, and she would fulfil her duties diligently for the next 12 years. Meanwhile, her two daughters were married. Louise married Prince Frederick of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen on 21 June 1879, but this union would remain childless. Elisabeth married Miguel, Duke of Braganza, on 17 October 1877. She had three children in quick succession before tragically dying following childbirth at the age of 20. Helene’s son officially came of age on 24 June 1883, which was celebrated with grand festivities. He had been well-trained for the task ahead, but tragedy was to strike yet again.

On 2 June 1885, Maximilian Maria died at the age of 22 of cardiac paralysis – he had suffered from a heart defect following a bout of scarlet fever in his childhood. Elisabeth came to lay flowers on his grave, having arrived too late to see him alive. She also wrote a little poem for her “Bubi.” Helene was understandably devastated at the loss of her son with her niece Marie Valerie even writing that she had gone “insane.”3 Her younger son Albert now became the new Prince and at the age of 19 was not yet of age. Once more, Helene was called upon to act as regent. Helene drew her strength from her deep faith, and she even had a chapel right next to her rooms at St. Emmeram’s Abbey, the palace where she and her son now lived.

In 1888, she was finally able to hand over the business to her son Albert. Helene was still only 54 years old, but she was becoming quite the eccentric hermit. Marie von Redwitz wrote of Helene, “In the opposite wing of the palace lived the Prince’s mother, Hereditary Princess Helene. She led a rather lonely existence there. Ate alone most of the time and never got to put her things in order. Since no one was allowed to touch them, there were piles of books on the furniture and pictures leaning against the wall. She spent the whole year shopping for Christmas and gave immensely. In spite of her own messiness, during the minority of her son she was said to have administered his fortune with great understanding and good success.”4

In 1890, it became clear that Helene was seriously ill with stomach cancer, and Elisabeth hurried to be by her sister’s side. Her niece Marie Valerie reported, “Aunt Nene, who did not believe she would die, rejoiced to see Mama and said to her “old Sisi” – she and Mama always spoke English together – “We two have had hard puffs in our lives,” said Mama. “Yes, but we had hearts,” aunt Nene answered. Her last words were reportedly, “Ah yes, life is a sorrow and a misery.”5 She died on 16 May 1890.

Helene had outlived two of her children and her husband. She was buried in the family crypt in Regensburg. The current head of the House of Thurn und Taxis is her great-great-grandson. For Elisabeth, Helene’s death was just another reason to withdraw from the world. She had been longing for death since the death of her son Rudolf in the Mayerling Incident. Marie Valerie wrote, “Mama will probably never again be as she was at one time; she envies Rudolf his death, and day and night she longs for her own.”6 She had already given away all her light-coloured gowns and accessories to her daughters. She had also given away her jewellery to her daughters and Rudolf’s daughter.

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The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Sisi & Néné (Part two)

Read part one here.

There was just one problem. While the Thurn and Taxis family were one of the wealthiest noble families, they were not a royal family and were technically subjects of the King of Bavaria. By March 1858, Maximilian’s father officially asked for Helene’s hand in marriage for his son. However, Helene’s first cousin, King Maximilian II of Bavaria, refused to approve the planned union because of the unequal status of the family but also because the groom’s mother, Baroness Wilhelmine of Dörnberg, belonged to a lower noble family. King Maximilian made any approval for the match dependent on many conditions, making the negotiations very difficult. Ludovika wrote to her sister Sophie, “At first I wanted it very much, for she seemed to want it so much, she would not believe the darker side of it. […] I do not know how it will end.”1 Elisabeth’s help was requested by Ludovika, and Elisabeth would have done anything for Helene. Elisabeth then intervened with her husband, who in turn put in a good word with the King of Bavaria.

At the beginning of May, the King of Bavaria agreed to the match, and Ludovika wrote, “The marriage contract is extremely advantageous for her […] in a way that proves he has great confidence in her. […] He seems to be very fond of her, to be in love with her; but I think he finds her shy, likes to talk to her, and they discuss everything together, seem to understand each other and fit together well.”2

On 24 August 1858, Helene was finally a bride. She married Maximilian at her family home of Possenhofen, but there was one notable absentee – her sister Elisabeth. Elisabeth had given birth to a son just three days before the wedding. The wedding ceremony was performed by Helene’s former religion teacher, Daniel Bonifazius Haneberg, and a choir provided the music. After the wedding ceremony, there was a dinner, followed by a thé dansant in the evening. The following morning, there was a large family breakfast. Then the wedding party boarded a steamboat for a trip around the lake. That evening, the gardens at Possenhofen were festively illuminated. Unfortunately, the planned fireworks were somewhat ruined by rain, which continued well into the shooting match the next day.

Their honeymoon was spent at Biederstein, and the newlyweds even went to visit the Imperial family at Bad Ischl, where her new husband got along well with the Emperor – both enjoyed hunting. Their entry into Regensburg was meticulously planned, and she was welcomed warmly by her new family. Helene cared much for the concerns of her people and devoted her time to charity work. Helene now found herself at the centre of one of the wealthiest courts in Europe. She was soon pregnant with her first child.

On 1 June 1859, Helene gave birth to a daughter named Louise at Schloss Taxis. Just under a year later, on 28 May 1860, a second daughter – named Elisabeth – was born. Shortly after the birth of her second child, Helene received a request from her brother-in-law Franz Joseph. Her sister Elisabeth had been ill for quite some time and was sent to Corfu to recuperate, but she remained in low spirits. Franz Joseph asked Helene to go to Madeira and later also to Corfu to keep Elisabeth company. Ludovika wrote, “Helene is making a great sacrifice, which is so difficult for her, but she says that the Emperor had asked her so urgently that she felt so indescribably sorry for him – the dear Emperor – he is said to be so unhappy and sad.”3 Helene did not like to travel, and she had to leave her two small daughters in the care of their grandmother. Maximilian went with her as far as Trieste, where Helene boarded a steamer.

Ludovika was all too aware of how much Elisabeth needed Helene. She wrote, “Helene may be the only one who can manage it [to bring a favourable influence]; she was always Sisi’s favourite sister.”4 When Helene first saw Elisabeth, she was “frightened” by her “puffiness and pallor”, but soon after her arrival, Elisabeth began to improve, and the sisters made “very beautiful outings by water and by land.”5 Helene was able to return home the following winter, which Elisabeth spent with her children in Venice. Helene would have two more children with her husband. On 24 June 1862, she gave birth to her first son – named Maximilian Maria. A second son named Albert was born on 8 May 1867.

In 1862, Helene and Maximilian had moved into the Erbprinzenpalais, which had been bought for them by Maximilian’s father. When her brother Karl Theodor was set to marry Princess Sophie of Saxony in 1865, the daughter of King John of Saxony, all the siblings were invited. Helene and Elisabeth agreed to meet in Prague to spend a few days together before the wedding.

Helene and Maximilian had a happy marriage, but it was destined to be short. Maximilian became seriously ill – he was bloated, short of breath and often lacked physical strength. He was prescribed the drinking of cures in Karlsbad, but they did not help him. Maximilian died on 26 June 1867 at the age of 35 of kidney failure and “lung paralysis.” Two days later, his body was laid out in the chapel, with Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph among the mourners. The devastated Helene found sanctuary in her childhood home of Possenhofen with her children. Also present there was Archduchess Sophie, who had just learned that her son Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico had been executed. Possenhofen became a house of mourning.

Part three coming soon.

The post The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Sisi & Néné (Part two) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Sisi & Néné (Part one)

Elisabeth’s sister Helene (also known as Néné) has gone down in history as the scorned sister as she was supposedly passed over when Franz Joseph fell in love with Elisabeth instead of her. However, there is no evidence to be found that Archduchess Sophie and her sister Ludovika had planned to marry Helene off specifically. The meeting during which Franz Joseph falls in love with Elisabeth is anything but carefully planned out. Ludovika and her daughters not only arrived late, but their luggage was missing, and they were forced to appear dressed in austere mourning clothes. The only indication that Sophie may have preferred Helene comes from her diary but was quickly forgotten when Franz Joseph expressed interest in Elisabeth.

Helene was born on 4 April 1834 at the Herzog-Max-Palais in Munich as the eldest daughter of Princess Ludovika of Bavaria and Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria. Ludovika had been pregnant with twins, but she had lost the other twin earlier in the pregnancy. At the time of her birth, she had just one older brother, Ludwig Wilhelm (who would become the father of Countess Marie Larisch von Moennich). A second brother had died before his first birthday. Soon, she would be joined in the nursery by her younger sisters Elisabeth, Marie Sophie, Mathilde Ludovika and Sophie Charlotte and younger brothers Karl Theodor and Maximilian Emanuel (another brother was stillborn). The marriage of Helene’s parents was deeply unhappy. Maximilian began to have affairs, and Ludovika’s sister Sophie reported to their mother that Maximilian had shown “features of an incredible tyranny.”

Helene would grow up to be the opposite of her famous sister. While Elisabeth enjoyed hunting and riding, Helene sat quietly with her embroidery. This often worried her mother, who believed her eldest daughter to be too serious. Her sense of duty, however, would be perfect for a future empress. A letter from their aunt Sophie, the mother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, would change everything. Her son was in need of a bride, and marriages between cousins were not uncommon. The letter invited Ludovika, Helene and her younger sister Elisabeth to Bad Ischl to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday. Although there does not appear to have been a plan to marry off Helene specifically, perhaps Helene expected otherwise – she was, after all, the elder sister.

On 16 August 1853, Ludovika and her daughters arrived in Bad Ischl, but the visit was off to a bad start with their luggage missing, and they were still dressed in black mourning clothes. Nevertheless, the women were invited to tea by Sophie, and it was at this tea that they would also meet the Emperor. It was love at first sight for the Emperor, but his chosen bride was Helene’s younger sister. The following evening at the ball, Helene was dressed in a white silk gown, which complimented her complexion a lot more than the black mourning clothes. The Emperor danced the cotillion with Elisabeth and presented her with his nosegay. On the Emperor’s actual birthday the following day, he had asked his mother to enquire if Elisabeth “would have him.” And while Elisabeth burst into tears upon being asked, she vowed to do everything she could do to make him happy. Helene’s reaction has not been left to us, though she was reportedly upset and unhappy. This appeared to be mostly because she was worried that she would remain unmarried and become a spinster. She was still only 18 years old at the time. From her aunt Sophie, she received a gift of a cross of diamonds and turquoise, but the gift could not cheer her.

Nevertheless, the relationship between the two sisters remained close, and Helene showed no jealousy towards her sister. Shortly after the wedding of Elisabeth and Franz Joseph, Helene and several other siblings stayed in Vienna for a few more days to keep Elisabeth company. Ludovika later wrote, “As long as the sisters [Elisabeth and Helene] were together, they were inseparable, and always spoke English, but took no part in our conversations, which was not at all nice of them… although  it got them into trouble… more than once.”1 They probably learned to speak English because of their English governess Mary Newbold and the women would use the English language to communicate for the rest of their lives. Elisabeth and Helene’s separation was now truly coming close, and Elisabeth wrote, “Every day I spend with mama and Nene is now too short.”2 Ludovika and Helene returned home in the second half of May 1854.

In August 1854, Helene spent some time with her aunt Maria Anna (Sophie’s twin sister), who had recently been widowed upon the death of her husband, King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony. Sophie would have gone to her herself, but she was ill and could not travel. Helene would later join the family, including Elisabeth, in Bad Ischl. For the next few years, Helene would remain a close companion of her mother. When her little niece Archduchess Sophie died in 1857, Ludovika took Helene and two of her other sisters to Vienna to comfort Elisabeth, which she greatly appreciated.

Then came a sudden marriage prospect for Helene – Emperor Napoleon III of France was looking for a wife for his cousin. However, Helene’s father vetoed the match for having “too few guarantees” for the future. She was now 23 years old and had “completely given up” on finding a husband, according to her mother, Ludovika.3 However, she continued to be of “great cheerfulness”, despite her uncertain future.4 Helene developed a love for painting, and she did charity work by visiting the poor and the sick in the villages around Possenhofen. Probably at the end of January 1858, Helene finally met the man who would become her husband – Maximilian Anton, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis.

Part two coming soon.

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Empress Dowager Yi – The courageous captive

Empress Dowager Yi led a turbulent life. She was Empress twice and then Empress Dowager. She witnessed her husband create the Western Liang Dynasty. However, she watched in horror as her son caused the downfall of the dynasty that she helped found. She became a hostage under the Northern Liang dynasty. However, she used her cunning to escape and live a peaceful life with her surviving family. Empress Dowager Yi’s story showed a courageous woman who stood up to her enemies. She never showed the enemy her weaknesses. This gained her the respect of her enemies and also allowed her to pursue her own freedom.

Empress Dowager Yi lived during the Sixteen Kingdoms era, which was when twenty-two states ruled Northern China independently.[1] Empress Dowager Yi was born in Ji County in the Tianshui prefecture (present-day Gan’gu County in Gansu Province) around 380 C.E.[2] Her early life is unknown. She was known to compose poetry. Her first husband was Ma Yuanzheng of Fufeng Prefecture (present-day Xianyang in Shaanxi Province).[3] However, he died at a young age. This allowed Yi to remarry Li Hao, and she became his second wife.[4] She treated her step-children as if they were her own. She also gave birth to a son and three daughters.[5]

In 399 C.E., Emperor Duan Ye of Northern Liang made Li Hao the Governor of Xiaogu County (present-day Dunhuang in Gansu Province).[6] He was then quickly appointed Governor of Dunhuang prefecture.[7] Then in 400 C.E., Li Hao continued to gain a succession of titles. He was made Governor of Shazhou Prefecture.[8] Li Hao was installed as Emperor of Northern Liang, and Yi was made Empress.[9] However, Li Hao was quickly reverted back to Governor of Dunhuang Prefecture.[10] Despite his demotion, he gained many followers. He was able to break away from the Northern Liang Dynasty and founded the Western Liang Dynasty.[11] He declared himself “Emperor of Western Liang”[12], and Yi was made Empress. As Empress, Yi was her husband’s greatest support and acted as his assistant in administrative affairs.[13] It was said that “Li and Yi jointly ruled Dunhuang.”[14] The kingdom was beginning to be prosperous. They focused on the production of agriculture, education, and strengthening the military.[15]

In 417 CE., Emperor Li Hao died, and her son, Li Xin, succeeded him as Emperor of Western Liang.[16] Yi was made Empress Dowager.[17] Emperor Li Xin of Western Liang was not a good ruler like his father. He was unwilling to listen to any official’s opinion, installed cruel laws, built a massive palace, and lived a lavish lifestyle.[18] This weakened the kingdom and gave the Northern Liang dynasty the opportunity to oust Western Liang.

In  420 C.E., Emperor Li Xin of Western Liang decided to attack Northern Liang. Empress Dowager Yi tried to prevent Emperor Li Xin from going by saying they needed to focus on making Western Liang strong before they could attack a powerful kingdom like Northern Liang.[19] Sadly, Emperor Li Xin did not listen to her wise counsel.[20] Emperor Li Xin and his troops fell into a trap set by Emperor Juqu Mengxun of Northern Liang. Emperor Li Xin was defeated and killed by Emperor Juqu Mengxun.[21] Western Liang fell, and Empress Dowager Yi became a prisoner under the Northern Liang Dynasty.[22]

Empress Dowager Yi was sent to Guzang (present-day Wuwei County in Gansu Province). [23] It was in Guzang that Emperor Juqu Mengxun had a meeting with her.[24] Emperor Juqu Mengxun expected her to plead for her life and mourn the death of Emperor Li Xin.[25] She did neither.[26] This earned Emperor Juqu Mengxun’s admiration. Instead of killing her, he let her daughter, Li Jingshou, marry his son, Juqu Mujian.[27] Empress Dowager Yi did not view this as an honour but as a humiliation because her family were bound to the enemy through marital ties.[28] When Juqu Mujian succeeded his father as Emperor in 433 C.E., he made his wife, Li Jingshou, Empress of Northern Liang. However, in 437 C.E., he divorced Empress Li Jingshou to marry the Princess of Northern Wei.[29] Empress Li Jingshou was so depressed about her divorce that she became melancholic. She died shortly afterwards of melancholy.[30] 

After the death of her daughter, Empress Dowager Yi was sent to live in Jiuquan. However, she wanted to go to Yiwu (present-day Anxi County in Gansu), where her remaining children and grandchildren lived.[31] Juqu Wuwei, the garrison commander of Jiuquan, initially sensed her intentions. He had guards tighten around her. However, she gradually tricked Juqu Wuwei by making him believe that she was not interested in going to Yiwu.[32] He began to let the vigilance of the security around her slacken. Once her guard was relaxed enough, she secretly fled to Yiwu. Upon arrival, she immediately rejoined her remaining family.[33] Empress Dowager Yi lived there with her surviving family until she died in 450 C.E. Empress Dowager Yi’s stoic demeanour, even in the throes of her enemies, gained her respect from both her enemies and her people.

Sources:

Debing. Y. (2015). Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. (B. B. Peterson, Ed.; Z. Zhongliang, Trans.). London: Routledge.

Holcombe, C. (2019). The Sixteen Kingdoms. In A. Dien & K. Knapp (Eds.), The Cambridge History of China (The Cambridge History of China, pp. 119-144). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Knechtges D. R. & Chang, T. (2010). Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature (Vol 1). Brill, Leiden: The Netherlands.

[1] Holcombe, p. 119

[2] Debing, p. 153

[3] Debing, p. 153

[4] Debing, p. 153

[5] Debing, p. 153

[6] Debing, p. 154

[7] Debing, p. 154

[8] Debing, p. 154

[9] Debing, p. 154

[10] Debing, p. 154

[11] Knechtges and Chang, p. 487

[12] Knechtges and Chang, p. 487

[13] Debing, p. 154

[14] Debing, p. 154

[15] Debing, p. 154

[16] Knechtges and Chang, p. 487

[17] Debing, p. 154

[18] Debing, p. 154

[19] Debing, pp. 154-155

[20] Debing, p. 155

[21] Debing, p. 155

[22] Debing, p. 155

[23] Debing, p. 155

[24] Debing, pp. 155-156

[25] Debing, pp. 156

[26] Debing, pp. 156

[27] Debing, p. 156

[28] Debing, p. 156

[29] Debing, p. 156

[30] Debing, p. 156

[31] Debing, p. 156

[32] Debing, p. 156

[33] Debing, p. 156

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Elvira of Castile – The first Queen of Sicily

The medieval kingdom of Sicily comprised not only the island of Sicily but also the south of mainland Italy. However, when Sicily and southern Italy were conquered by the Normans in the eleventh century, Sicily at first was a county. The first Count of Sicily to combine all of the Norman territories in southern Italy was Roger II. His first wife, therefore, the first Queen of Sicily, was Elvira of Castile. 

Early Life

Elvira of Castile was born around 1100 to Alfonso VI, King of Castile and Leon, and his fourth wife, Isabel. Her mother was probably the same person as Zaida of Seville, who had previously been Alfonso’s mistress. Zaida was the widow of a Muslim prince. After her first husband’s death, she sought refuge at Alfonso’s court and converted to Christianity, taking the name ‘Isabel”.        

Alfonso died in 1109 and was succeeded by his daughter, Urraca, Elvira’s older half-sister. Elvira was eventually betrothed to Roger, the Count of Sicily. Both Castile and Sicily had some cultural similarities. One similarity is that they were both multicultural and multireligious societies. Both Castile and Sicily had a diverse population of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The marriage of Elvira and Roger began a connection between Spain and Sicily that would last for centuries to come. 

Countess of Sicily   

Elvira married Roger I, Count of Sicily, in 1117. Over the next decade, she would give birth to at least seven children:

Roger, Duke of Apulia (1118-1148)
Tancred, Prince of Bari (1119-1138)
Alfonso, Prince of Capua (1120-1144)
William I, King of Sicily (1121-1166). 
Adelisa (c.1127- after 1184) Married firstly to Jocelyn, Count of Loreto, secondly to Robert, Count of Loritello and Conversano
Henry (1130-1145)
At least one daughter who died in infancy 

Not much information is available on Elvira’s activities. However, she seems to have spent most of her time raising her family. Elvira and her children spent most of their time in Palermo, Sicily’s capital. 

Queen of Sicily 

When Roger’s cousin William II of Apulia died childless in 1127, he acquired the Hauteville lands in mainland Southern Italy. Roger wanted to carve out a kingdom with these territories, but the papacy was not willing to let Roger have so much power at first. However, the antipope, Anacletus II, was willing to recognize Roger as a King.  Roger and Elvira were crowned as King and Queen of Sicily on Christmas 1130 in Palermo Cathedral.       

After being crowned Queen, Elvira’s day to day activities changed little. She seems to have never been powerful in her own right, and what she is usually credited the most with is bearing Roger’s children. Elvira and Roger seemed to have enjoyed a close relationship, but Roger was often away, dealing with rebellious subjects in mainland Southern Italy. 

The King and Queen were both infected with an illness at the beginning of 1135. Roger survived, but Elvira died on 6 February 1135. Roger, along with the entire city of Palermo, mourned her death. Elvira was buried in a chapel that she had founded in the cathedral. Roger seems to have been so devastated by her death and he refused to leave the palace for months. This caused rumours to spread that Roger had died as well. 

Having five sons, Roger saw no need to remarry. However, four of his sons would die young. When his oldest son, and heir apparent, Roger, died in 1148, leaving just an illegitimate son, Roger saw it was time to remarry. He married Sibylla of Burgundy in 1149. She died in childbirth the following year, leaving no surviving children. He next married Beatrice of Rethel in 1151, who bore a daughter, Constance, after Roger’s death. Roger died in 1154 and was succeeded by his only surviving son, William. 

Even though not much is known about Elvira of Castile, she holds a special place in history, being the first Queen of Sicily. 

Sources:

Alio, Jacqueline; Queens of Sicily, 1061-1266 

Salerno, Vincenzo; “Elvira of Castile – Sicily’s first Queen” on BestofSicily.com. 

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