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Book News December 2021

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Escorting the Monarch: We Lead Others Follow 

Paperback – 30 October 2021 (UK) & 30 December 2021 (US)

Escorting the Monarch is as close to an official history of the Metropolitan Police’s ‘Special Escort Group’ (SEG) as one could hope for. You may have seen the team at work; as the combination of motorcycles and cars pass you by, they glide elegantly and seemingly effortlessly through busy traffic. Developing a dedicated and diligent team culture, they are masters of their trade. They hold a well-earned reputation for excellence amongst their peers; delivering their passengers (and cargo) on time, safely, in a great deal of style, and without fuss or mishap. Professional and precise in the execution of their operations, they are neither shaken nor stirred. Although the work of the SEG demands exquisitely high levels of presentation there is little room for gloss or glitter. The individuals and property they are charged to protect are assessed by government to need the highest possible levels of protection. From queens, kings, presidents and emperors, to priceless works of art, terrorists and high risk prisoners, the group escort them all.

The Making of Juana of Austria: Gender, Art, and Patronage in Early Modern Iberia (New Hispanisms) 

Hardcover – 8 December 2021 (US & UK)

Edited by art historian Noelia García Pérez, this first-ever collection of essays on Juana of Austria, the younger daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and sister to Philip II of Spain, offers an interdisciplinary study of the Habsburg princess that addresses her political, religious, and artistic dimensions. The volume’s contextual framework shows her sharing agency with other women of her dynastic family who governed in the sixteenth century and developed an outstanding reputation for promoting artists and works of art. The Making of Juana of Austria demonstrates how Juana’s role as a leading patron of the arts offered her a means of creating her own image, which she then promulgated through the objects she collected and her crowning architectural endeavor, the Monastery-Palace of the Descalzas Reales.

1001 Days: Memoirs of an Empress 

Hardcover – 16 November 2021 (US) & 2 December (UK)

This memoir by empress Farah Pahlavi looks back on her reign over an Iran so modern it is unrecognizable today―written just a few years before the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Catherine of Aragon: Infanta of Spain, Queen of England 

Hardcover – 15 December 2021 (US & UK)

Catherine of Aragon is an elusive subject.

Despite her status as a Spanish infanta, Princess of Wales, and Queen of England, few of her personal letters have survived, and she is obscured in the contemporary royal histories. In this evocative biography, Theresa Earenfight presents an intimate and engaging portrait of Catherine told through the objects that she left behind.

The post Book News December 2021 appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Special displays to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

To celebrate The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee, there will be three special displays to mark her long reign. The displays will be linked to three significant occasions in her reign – the accession, the coronation and previous Jubilees.

At the summer opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, The Queen’s accession will be celebrated with portraits taken by Dorothy Wilding, alongside items of her jewellery that she is wearing in the portraits. Also included in the display will be The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which was given by Queen Mary to her granddaughter as a wedding present.

Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Ascension will be at Buckingham Palace from 22 July to 2 October 2022.

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021

Windsor Castle will play host to the Coronation Dress and the Robe of Estate worn by The Queen during her coronation at Westminster Abbey. The dress was designed by the British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, and it was created in the finest white duchesse satin, richly embroidered in a lattice-work effect with an iconographic scheme of national and Commonwealth floral emblems in gold and silver thread and pastel-coloured silks, encrusted with seed pearls, sequins and crystals.

The Robe of Estate was made by the royal robe-makers Ede and Ravenscroft of purple silk velvet woven by the firm of Warner & Sons and was embroidered at the Royal School of Needlework. The goldwork embroidery design features wheat ears, and olive branches, symbolising prosperity and peace, surrounding the crowned intertwined EIIR cipher.

Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Coronation will be at Windsor Castle from 7 July to 26 September 2022. 

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021

The Palace of Holyroodhouse will play host to a collection of outfits worn by The Queen during the celebrations of the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees. In 1977, the royal couturier Sir Hardy Amies designed an ensemble of a dress, a coat and a stole in pink silk crepe and chiffon with a matching hat designed by Simone Mirman with flower heads hanging from silk stems.

The display at the Palace of Holyroodhouse will be from July to September 2022. The exact dates will be confirmed in due course.

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021

Each display will be included in the price of a general admission ticket.

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Maria Theresa of Austria – Blood and life for our King Maria Theresa (Part two)

Read part one here.

As a woman, Maria Theresa could never be elected Holy Roman Emperor, but she did become Queen of Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia and Archduchess of Austria in her own right. Unfortunately, she was woefully unprepared to rule and put her trust in God. She later wrote, “In these circumstances, I found myself without money, without credit, without an army, without experience and knowledge, even without counsel, because all my ministers were wholly occupied in trying to discover which way the cat was going to jump.”1 The only two people she had some faith in was Johann Christoph von Bartenstein, whom she detested at first, and finance minister Count Gundacker Starhemberg. After being told of the true state of the realm, Maria Theresa was left in tears.

The situation seemed rather hopeless, but there was one positive thing. On 13 March 1741, Maria Theresa gave birth to a son – the future Emperor Joseph II. Having a son helped her to establish herself as it was as an auspicious omen. A coronation would also help to establish herself, and later that same year, she was crowned Queen of Hungary.

From 1536 until 1830, the Hungarian coronation ceremony was always held in Pressburg (Bratislava). The event was set for 25 June, and on 19 June, Maria Theresa set off from Vienna, taking a flotilla down the Danube. They stopped on the Austrian side of the border for the night and in the morning were escorted by representatives of the Hungarian Diet across the border where two pavilions had been set up. Maria Theresa changed into a gold-embroidered dress in one and received the representatives of the Diet in the other. Later that day, Maria Theresa and her husband entered the city with the bells ringing and crowds in the streets to welcome them.

The next day she met a larger contingent in the great hall where she was to finalise the oath she would take to uphold the Hungarian constitution. Hungary’s Diet wanted to be certain that their liberties would be preserved, while Maria Theresa wanted it to be clear she was the ruler and could pass on the Crown to her chosen successor. Negotiations between Maria Theresa and the Diet grew tense and threatened to delay the coronation. Eventually, Maria Theresa agreed to write into her coronation oath that she would continue to negotiate so that the ceremony could continue.

The coronation ceremony itself was steeped in tradition. The monarch was clothed in the mantle worn in 1000 by St. Stephen, the first crowned King of Hungary, and used by all monarchs since. The Holy Crown of Hungary was called the Crown of St. Stephen, although it is believed to actually date to the twelfth century. The Crown has enormous significance, and a Hungarian King was not considered legitimate without having been crowned with it.

The coronation itself took place on 25 June. Maria Theresa knelt and kissed the cross and swore to uphold the laws of the land. The Bishop anointed her and put St. Stephen’s mantle around her shoulders, the Holy Crown on her head and handed her the orb and sceptre. The sceptre was also believed to have been carried by St. Stephen. She then rode to the church of the Brethren of Charity, where she took the coronation oath and was named Rex Hungariae (King of Hungary- there being no provision for female rule in the constitution.)

Next came a unique part of the Hungarian tradition, again following the example of St. Stephen. A large hill, with soil from all parts of Hungary, had been constructed in the main square. Maria Theresa rode a black charger up Royal Hill, as it was called, and at the top swung her sword to each of the four corners of the earth, vowing to defend Hungary from all comers. This was a physically demanding exercise, but Maria Theresa had been practising for some weeks and pulled it off.

A grand banquet followed, but she had little time to savour the moment. She was still in Pressburg when news came that the Prussian King Frederick had invaded Austria. She had been left with no treasury and not much of an army, and she was now threatened by an alliance of France, Spain and Prussia. In one of the most famous moments of her reign, she went to the Hungarian Diet and begged for an army with which to defend her realm. Reportedly the Diet, which had been so difficult during her coronation negotiations, was quite moved by her speech and shouted out in agreement, “Blood and life for our King Maria Theresa.”2

The War of the Austrian Succession was to drag on until the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed in October 1748. During this time, Maria Theresa gave birth to six more children: Maria Christina (born 13 May 1742), Maria Elisabeth (born 13 August 1743), Charles Joseph (born 1 February 1745 – died at the age of 15), Maria Amalia (born 26 February 1746), the future Leopold II (born 5 May 1747) and Maria Carolina (stillborn or died shortly after birth on 17 September 1748). Finally, on 13 September 1745, Francis Stephen was elected as Holy Roman Emperor – making Maria Theresa Holy Roman Empress consort.

Maria Theresa had retained the main Habsburg domains of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia and the Austrian Netherlands were also eventually returned to her. She ceded the Duchy of Parma to Philip of Spain, who became Duke of Parma. His daughter Isabella would eventually marry Maria Theresa’s son, Joseph, while Philip’s son and heir Ferdinand eventually married Maria Theresa’s daughter Maria Amalia. Nevertheless, Maria Theresa was not satisfied with the outcome but all around, the parties were exhausted of war. She bitterly commented that condolences were more in order than congratulations, though she had come out of it with a minimal loss of lands.

Part three coming soon.

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Maria Theresa of Austria – A Princess of the highest spirit (Part one)

On 13 May 1717, Maria Theresa of Austria was born as the daughter of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was born at the Hofburg Palace but spent most of her childhood at the Favorita Palace.

Maria Theresa’s birth came seven months after the death of her elder brother Leopold Johann, and she was later joined in the nursery by two younger sisters. The youngest of the three, Maria Amalia, would die at the age of five, but Maria Anna would survive to adulthood. Due to her father issuing the Pragmatic Sanction in 1713, she displaced her cousin Maria Josepha as heiress presumptive. Although her father certainly loved her, he could never bring himself to see her as his inevitable heir. He continued to hope for a son, and her mother was submitted to strange “fertility” treatments that included large doses of liquor and a rich diet that eventually led to her becoming so large that she was unable to walk unaided. Her room was also decorated with erotic images of manly beauty. 

As was the custom, Elisabeth Christine and Charles saw their daughters at a set hour, mostly daily. Charles gave Maria Theresa the nickname “Mutz”, but to the girls “Mami” was their governess and not Elisabeth Christine. During her daughter’s reign, it was noted that Elisabeth Christine was “hardly was much beloved” by her daughter.1 The education of her daughters was mainly focussed on religion, and Maria Theresa learned to speak French, Italian and some Spanish. Although her mother tongue was German, she only wrote it (semi-)phonetically. She was also taught music and singing. The girls were not taught to ride as ladies were not supposed to mount a horse.

From the age of six, Maria Theresa was part of marriage negotiations, and many suitors were considered. Her father was perhaps most serious about the match with Prince Clement of Lorraine. Clement’s father was a first cousin of Charles and also a childhood friend. Tragically, Clement died in 1723 at the age of 16. His younger brother Francis Stephen was promptly put forward as a replacement. He was brought to Vienna for his education, and the two got to know each other well before their eventual marriage. She apparently fell in love with him at first sight. In 1729, he succeeded his father as Duke of Lorraine and set out to see the world – he was then 21 years old while she was only 12. He returned three years later to Vienna to find that Maria Theresa had grown into a young woman. However, Emperor Charles remained silent on the subject of their betrothal.

For her first communion, Maria Theresa was taken to Maria Zell, where a lifesize effigy of her short-lived brother stood at the feet of the miracle-working Madonna. Religion would play an important role in Maria Theresa’s education and also her life. What was lacking in her education was the study of government and the history of her own house. Much time was devoted to her musical talents.

In 1733, the War of the Polish Succession broke out, which France then used as an opportunity to seize Lorraine from Francis Stephen as they were concerned it would bring Austria closer to France. The peace that was eventually reached in 1735 gave Lorraine to Stanisław I, the losing claimant to the Polish throne, while Francis Stephen was made the heir to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in compensation. He was apparently told in no uncertain terms that if he refused to “yield your possession, you shall not marry Maria Theresa; no signature, no Archduchess.”2 Around this time, Maria Theresa was described as being “a Princess of the highest spirit, and regards her father’s losses as her own. She sighs and pines for her Duke of Lorraine all day and night. If she sleeps it is but to dream of him, if she wakes it is but to talk of him to her lady-in-waiting.”3 Francis Stephen want to agree to a modified version that would allow him to retain Lorraine until the death of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but Charles would not have it. When the original treaty was returned to Francis Stephen, he reportedly threw the pen on the floor three times before finally signing.

On 31 January 1736, Maria Theresa and Francis Stephen were officially betrothed, and while the wedding was set for just 12 days later, Francis Stephen left Vienna as it was the custom. In the meantime, Maria Theresa wrote to him, “Dear sweetheart, I am under endless obligations to you for having sent me news concerning yourself, because I was uneasy, like a little dog, about you. Love me and forgive me that I do not write more, for it is ten o’clock and the messenger is waiting. Adieu, my little mouse, I embrace you with all my heart. Take care of yourself. Adieu, sweetheart! I am your happy bride!”4 Although the wedding was described as a happy one, the fact that Francis Stephen had signed away his birthright hung over the ceremony. His mother reportedly called down the wrath of heaven upon him.

Maria Theresa fell pregnant quickly and gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Maria Elisabeth, on 5 February 1737. Maria Theresa had been hoping for a son, so the birth of a daughter was a disappointment. On 6 October 1738, Maria Theresa gave birth to a second daughter – Maria Anna. Just shortly after the birth of Maria Anna, Francis and Maria Theresa left for Tuscany as they had become Grand Duke and Duchess of Tuscany the previous year. They were not very well-received and did not stay long. A third daughter – named Maria Carolina – was born on 12 January 1740. Just six months later, their eldest daughter Maria Elisabeth tragically passed away – she was just three years old.

Even more worrying, it seemed that her father’s life was coming to an end as well. By then, Maria Theresa was pregnant with her fourth child. On 10 October 1740, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, died. He had ordered Maria Theresa not to come and see him to prevent her from having a miscarriage. Although most of the European powers had agreed to the terms of the Pragmatic Sanction, it quickly became clear that it would not be easy for Maria Theresa. Within three months, Frederick II of Prussia occupied the Silesian duchies, and others claimed a portion of the Habsburg lands, such as the son of Maria Theresa’s cousin Maria Amalia (the daughter of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, who had been disinherited by the Pragmatic Sanction).

The fight was on.

Part two coming soon.

 

The post Maria Theresa of Austria – A Princess of the highest spirit (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Duchess of Windsor – The King declares he is “prepared to go”

“In the weeks before the abdication I was willing to do anything – anything – to prevent his going. I lied to our friends, I lied to the King – all in the hope that someone would put a stop to it.” – The Duchess of Windsor1

By November 1936, the intentions of King Edward VIII were clear – he was going to marry Wallis. It was also equally clear that it would not be acceptable. The Australian High Commission wrote to Prime Minister Baldwin, “I think you have to advise the King… that the people of this country and of the Dominions would not accept this woman as Queen… and that because of the perils both to the Throne and the Empire the King’s conduct has created, there would be a demand for his abdication that you would find impossible to resist… You would have to tell him that unless he was prepared to abandon any idea of marriage… you would be compelled to advise him to abdicate, and unless he accepted such advice, you would be unable to continue as his adviser and would tender the resignation of the Government.”2

Even the King’s own private secretary, Alec Hardinge, could not be quiet anymore, and he wrote a letter that he intended to send to the King, informing him that the relationship with Wallis would lead to a confrontation with the government. The King read Hardinge’s letter and felt utterly betrayed. He did not show the letter to Wallis until a few days later, and she now became convinced that the crisis she had been fearing was coming. The letter urged her to go abroad, but Wallis said, “They do not understand that if I did so, the King would come after me regardless of anything. They would then get their scandal in a far worse form than they are getting it now.3 She told her friend Sybil that she “wanted to leave him and clear out, but the King threatened to quit, to follow her, even to commit suicide.”4 She later also told author Gore Vidal, “I never wanted to get married. This was all his idea. They act as if I were some sort of idiot, not knowing the rules about who can be Queen and who can’t. But he insisted.”5

Nevertheless, Wallis begged the King to let her go abroad. He took her hand and said, “I’m going to send for Mr Baldwin to see me at the Palace tomorrow. I’m going to tell him that if the country won’t approve our marrying, I’m ready to go.”6 Wallis was shocked and burst into tears. Technically, the King was free to marry whomever he wanted. However, it would be unconstitutional for the King to marry against the advice of his ministers.

On the evening of 16 November 1936, the King met with the Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace. He told Mr Baldwin, “I understand that you and several members of the Cabinet have some fear of a constitutional crisis developing over my friendship with Mrs Simpson.”7 Mr Baldwin confirmed this and told him that a marriage with Wallis would not receive his support. The silence that the press had kept on the matter was also unlikely to last much longer. Mr Baldwin later recalled, “That marriage would have involved the lady becoming Queen. I did tell His Majesty that I might be a remnant of the old Victorians but that my worst enemy would not say of me that I did not know what the reaction of the English people would be to any particular course of action… I pointed out to him that the position of the King’s wife was different from the position of the wife of any other citizen of the country. His wife becomes Queen; the Queen becomes the Queen of the country; and therefore, in the choice of a Queen, the voice of the people must be heard.”8 Most ironically, the Prime Minister suggested that it was perfectly acceptable if Wallis remained on as his mistress.

The King then told his Prime Minister, “I am going to marry Mrs Simpson, and I am prepared to go.”9 Mr Baldwin responded with, “Sir, that is most grievous news, and it is impossible for me to make any comment on it today.”10

The countdown to the abdication had begun.

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The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The King declares he is “prepared to go”

“In the weeks before the abdication I was willing to do anything – anything – to prevent his going. I lied to our friends, I lied to the King – all in the hope that someone would put a stop to it.” – The Duchess of Windsor1

By November 1936, the intentions of King Edward VIII were clear – he was going to marry Wallis. It was also equally clear that it would not be acceptable. The Australian High Commission wrote to Prime Minister Baldwin, “I think you have to advise the King… that the people of this country and of the Dominions would not accept this woman as Queen… and that because of the perils both to the Throne and the Empire the King’s conduct has created, there would be a demand for his abdication that you would find impossible to resist… You would have to tell him that unless he was prepared to abandon any idea of marriage… you would be compelled to advise him to abdicate, and unless he accepted such advice, you would be unable to continue as his adviser and would tender the resignation of the Government.”2

Even the King’s own private secretary, Alec Hardinge, could not be quiet anymore, and he wrote a letter that he intended to send to the King, informing him that the relationship with Wallis would lead to a confrontation with the government. The King read Hardinge’s letter and felt utterly betrayed. He did not show the letter to Wallis until a few days later, and she now became convinced that the crisis she had been fearing was coming. The letter urged her to go abroad, but Wallis said, “They do not understand that if I did so, the King would come after me regardless of anything. They would then get their scandal in a far worse form than they are getting it now.3 She told her friend Sybil that she “wanted to leave him and clear out, but the King threatened to quit, to follow her, even to commit suicide.”4 She later also told author Gore Vidal, “I never wanted to get married. This was all his idea. They act as if I were some sort of idiot, not knowing the rules about who can be Queen and who can’t. But he insisted.”5

Nevertheless, Wallis begged the King to let her go abroad. He took her hand and said, “I’m going to send for Mr Baldwin to see me at the Palace tomorrow. I’m going to tell him that if the country won’t approve our marrying, I’m ready to go.”6 Wallis was shocked and burst into tears. Technically, the King was free to marry whomever he wanted. However, it would be unconstitutional for the King to marry against the advice of his ministers.

On the evening of 16 November 1936, the King met with the Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace. He told Mr Baldwin, “I understand that you and several members of the Cabinet have some fear of a constitutional crisis developing over my friendship with Mrs Simpson.”7 Mr Baldwin confirmed this and told him that a marriage with Wallis would not receive his support. The silence that the press had kept on the matter was also unlikely to last much longer. Mr Baldwin later recalled, “That marriage would have involved the lady becoming Queen. I did tell His Majesty that I might be a remnant of the old Victorians but that my worst enemy would not say of me that I did not know what the reaction of the English people would be to any particular course of action… I pointed out to him that the position of the King’s wife was different from the position of the wife of any other citizen of the country. His wife becomes Queen; the Queen becomes the Queen of the country; and therefore, in the choice of a Queen, the voice of the people must be heard.”8 Most ironically, the Prime Minister suggested that it was perfectly acceptable if Wallis remained on as his mistress.

The King then told his Prime Minister, “I am going to marry Mrs Simpson, and I am prepared to go.”9 Mr Baldwin responded with, “Sir, that is most grievous news, and it is impossible for me to make any comment on it today.”10

The countdown to the abdication had begun.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The King declares he is “prepared to go” appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Review: Stadhouderlijk Hof Hotel in Leeuwarden

A hotel review on a site about historical royal women? Indeed! This hotel once served as a royal palace and was in the possession of the Dutch royal family until 1971.

The original building dates from 1564, and it was built for Boudewijn van Loo, who was the rentmaster-general for King Philip II of Spain. It became the residence of William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg (known as Us Heit or Our Father in the province) and his wife Anna of Nassau in 1587. It continued to be owned by the stadtholder family through inheritance for a while. The so-called Dekama-house was added in 1603, and in 1709 it underwent some reconstruction under architect Daniel Marot. For the arrival of Anne, Princess Royal, it also underwent some reconstruction. In 1743, Carolina of Orange-Nassau was born there, but she and her family moved to The Hague not much later.

The most radical change happened in 1881 under architect Stoett, and most of the original facade disappeared. A new entrance with a balcony was added, and the original bricks were plastered in white. In the 20th century, it was the official residence of the King’s or Queen’s commissioner before it was sold to the county of Leeuwarden in 1971.

The Fletcher hotel settled into the building in 1996.

I stayed in one of the royal suites for two nights, and my room was the one directly above the entrance with the balcony overlooking the square. The hotel also has a newer part with more modern hotel rooms. I paid €424,30 for two nights, which includes €36 for one night of room service. As opposed to the newer rooms, which come with electronic keycards, the older rooms still have an old-fashioned regular key and a rather flimsy lock. Unfortunately, my first impression was not that good as the carpet in the hallway and the room was filthy. At first, I thought, maybe they just haven’t had time yet to clean it up or replace it, but the reviews on Booking reveal that comments about the filthy carpet go back to at least October 2018, so they’ve had three years now.

Click to view slideshow.

The suite itself is pretty big at 48m2 (516 ft2), and it is divided into the main living room, a bedroom, a separate toilet and a bathroom with a bath. The bath was supposed to come with bubbles, but the mechanism to turn that on was covered in mould and did not appear to be working. This, too, appears in the reviews as far back as March 2020. I liked the size of the bathroom, though, and there was plenty of room to put all my beauty stuff. Unfortunately, the complimentary toiletries mentioned on their site were not present, unless they mean the pump with the hair/body wash that you can find in every single hotel room.

Click to view slideshow.

The bedroom was a good size, and it had a lovely soft mattress. There was space to store my suitcase and a large closet, though it did not have a locker like most hotels seem to have these days. Some of the netting around the bed was hanging loose.

Click to view slideshow.

The living room was by far the largest space, and I had brought my book about Carolina with me to “take her home.” Sorry, still a history geek at heart! The couch was pretty comfortable, but it could have used a few cushions; I don’t usually sit upright like a Princess when trying to relax.

Photo by Moniek Bloks

The other side of the room had a glass table and two chairs, which seemed far too modern for the room, but they were comfortable at least. There was also an espresso machine which came with four free capsules, but you could buy more if you wanted to (how generous of them!). Finally, there was a huge empty cabinet beneath the TV, which would have been perfect for a little mini-fridge or mini-bar, but alas, neither was provided.

Photo by Moniek Bloks

On the second night of my stay, I ordered room service. The hotel worked with an app, which seemed very convenient to me, but unfortunately, the app continually cancelled my order, so I ended up having to order over the phone anyway. This went well, although I was momentarily confused by the simple “Hello” after reception connected me to the restaurant. I would’ve gone with, “Hello, this is the restaurant” or something. However, the employee was quite friendly otherwise, and the two employees who brought the food were friendly and cheery as well. I ordered a salmon filet, which was delicious.

Like the salmon, the breakfast was delicious as well. There was a buffet with plenty of choices, though if I did have to mention something I noticed, it would be that there were no markers in place with vegetarian/vegan or common allergies. The employees were very friendly, despite the early hour.

Overall, this hotel, or perhaps more particularly this suite, did not live up to my expectations. I would’ve expected a bit more luxury and maybe a bit more focus on its royal past for the price. My suite was supposedly called the “Anne of Hanover” suite though there was no mention of this anywhere in the hotel or the room itself. The filthy carpet and broken bubble bath mechanism should have been fixed when the first reviewer mentioned it. The other historical spaces in the hotel did not appear to be in use for hotel guests, and the breakfast room was in the bistro in the newer addition of the hotel. The best part of my stay was the food.

If you still want to stay here, I’d book one of the newer rooms. Perhaps these are better value for money.

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Empress Dowager Dou Yifang – The blind champion of Taoism (Part two)

Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang was one of the most powerful women in the Han dynasty. In my previous article, I chronicled Dou Yifang’s rags-to-riches story of a peasant girl who rose to empress dowager. In this article, I will discuss Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang’s powerful influence in the Han court. Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang ruled through three generations. This story shows how the empress dowager was a champion in promoting Taoism in China. Grand Empress Dowager Dou Ying was a woman who commanded both respect and authority.

Even though Empress Dowager Dou Yifang was blind, she still wielded significant influence in court. Shortly after her son, Emperor Jing, came to the throne, there was a movement known as The Rebellion of Seven States. It was led by Liu Pi, the Prince of Wu.[1] However, Emperor Jing quickly suppressed the rebellion. Empress Dowager Dou Yifang advised her son not to let Liu Pu’s descendants become princes.[2] Her son only partially did what she asked. He made Liu Pi’s younger son, instead of the older son, a prince.[3]

However, Empress Dowager Dou Yifang’s younger son, Liu Wu, was stirring up trouble. Liu Wu had helped put down the rebellion led by Liu Pu, and he believed he deserved to be his brother’s imperial heir.[4] Because Liu Wu was Empress Dowager Dou Yifang’s favourite son, she supported the idea, but the court officials were against it.[5] One of the ministers, Yuan Ang, said that passing the throne from father to son was unquestionable, for it ensured political stability.[6] This comment angered Liu Wu. He had Yuan Ang and the other ministers that were against him assassinated.[7] Liu Wu then ordered his assassins to commit suicide and presented their bodies to the Emperor.[8] This episode made Empress Dowager Dou Yifang worry about her favourite son’s fate. She cried and refused to eat.[9] When she learned that Emperor Jing officially declared his brother innocent of the assassination of the court officials, Empress Dowager Dou Yifang became calm. However, she began to worry immediately after the official decree when she heard a rumour that the Emperor killed his younger brother.[10] Yet, she found that they had reconciled. Empress Dowager Dou asked her son to make Liu Wu a marquess, but he refused.[11]

There was an incident where she rewarded and punished one of the officials. During a hunting party, one of the Emperor’s concubines, Lady Jia, came upon a wild boar who charged at her.[12] The Emperor was about to protect her, but his official Zhu Di stopped him by saying, “If Your Majesty was so careless of his own life, how can he be worthy of his ancestors and of the hope and love of the empress dowager?”.[13] This made the emperor turn and walk away, and luckily the wild boar turned away from Lady Jia, who did not suffer any injuries.[14] When Empress Dowager Dou Yifang learned of Zhu Di’s comment, she awarded him with 100 jin of gold.[15] Not long after this incident, Zhu Di refused to give Liu Rong, Emperor Jing’s son by a concubine and his discarded heir, a knife to kill himself.[16] Shortly after, another official gave Liu Rong a knife, which he used to kill himself. Distraught over the loss of her grandson, Empress Dowager Dou Yifang blamed Zhu Di for persuading her grandson to commit suicide. She ordered him to be executed.[17]

Empress Dowager Dou Yifang continued to shower gifts on her younger son, Liu Wu. While Liu Wu did not have any punishment with his involvement in the death of the court officials, Emperor Jing sent him to live in Liang, where he was a great distance from the Emperor.[18] In 144 B.C.E., Liu Wu went to the capital to pay his respects and asked if he could stay in the capital longer.[19] The Emperor denied his request. This refusal made Liu Wu sink into a depression. He went home and fell ill and died of a high fever.[20] Empress Dowager Dou Yifang was distraught over her favourite son’s death and blamed Emperor Jing for his death.[21] To appease her, Emperor Jing divided Liang into five states and made Liu Wu’s five sons a prince of each state and granted Liu Wu’s daughters’ land.[22] This made the Empress dowager happy.

In the empress dowager’s later years, she began to promote Taoism in a Confucian court.[23] She circulated Taoist texts.[24] She trained her son, Emperor Jing, on the Taoist theories. Together, they followed the principles during his reign.[25] When Emperor Jing died in 140 B.C.E., his son, Liu Che, became Emperor Wu. Emperor Wu promoted his grandmother to Grand Empress Dowager.

Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang was still very influential and wielded great authority in the court. The new Emperor was a Confucianist and wanted to promote Confucianism and not Taoism.[26] He relied on Confucianist scholars Wang Zang and Zhao Wan to run his court.[27] The two scholars told the new Emperor that Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang should not be involved in state affairs because she was a Taoist.[28] This angered Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang that she sent her spies to gather any information about any signs of transgression.[29] When she received the information she wanted, she told the Emperor of their crimes.[30] As soon as he learned of their crimes, he had them imprisoned, and they were forced to commit suicide.[31] Other Confucianist scholars were dismissed, and no more Confucian ideologies remained in court.[32] The public had now accepted Taoism.[33]

Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang died in 135 B.C.E. She was over seventy. She was buried beside her husband, Emperor Wen, in Shuangling (Shuang mausoleum).[34] All her personal possessions were bestowed upon her daughter, Princess Piao.[35] As grand empress dowager, she did not burden the people with heavy taxes, nor did she try to usurp power.[36] Unlike Empress Dowager Lu Zhi, Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang has been praised for using her maternal power to influence succession and to continue her family line.[37] Her son, Emperor Jing, respected her and tried to please her. Because of her considerable influence, Emperor Wu had to wait until she died to make Confucianism the national doctrine.[38] Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang is remembered as “the last of the Taoist grandes dames of Western Han”.[39]

Sources:

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

Shanben, B. (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] Shanben, p. 133

[2] Shanben, p. 133

[3] Shanben, p. 133

[4] Shanben, p. 133

[5] Shanben, p. 134

[6] Shanben, p. 134

[7] Shanben, p. 134

[8] Shanben, p. 134

[9] Shanben, p. 134

[10] Shanben, p. 134

[11] Shanben, p. 134

[12] Shanben, p. 134

[13] Shanben, pp. 134-135

[14] Shanben, p. 135

[15] Shanben, p. 135

[16] Shanben, p. 135

[17] Shanben, p. 135

[18] Shanben, p. 135

[19] Shanben, p. 135

[20] Shanben, p. 135

[21] Shanben, p. 135

[22] Shanben, p. 135

[23] Xiaoming, pp. 53-54

[24] Shanben, p. 135

[25] Shanben, p. 135

[26] Shanben, p. 135

[27] Shanben, p. 135

[28] Shanben, p. 135

[29] Xiaoming, p. 54

[30] Xiaoming, p. 54

[31] Xiaoming, p. 54

[32] Xiaoming, p. 54

[33]Xiaoming, p. 54

[34] Xiaoming, p. 55

[35] Xiaoming, p. 55

[36] Shanben, p. 136

[37] Shanben, p. 136

[38] Shanben, p. 136

[39] Shanben, p. 136

The post Empress Dowager Dou Yifang – The blind champion of Taoism (Part two) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Empress Dowager Dou Yifang – The blind champion of Taoism (Part one)

Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang’s rags-to-riches story has captured the popular imaginations of China for many centuries.  She is portrayed by Sally Wen in the Chinese television series, The Virtuous Queen of Han. Her life has also been dramatized in the hit Chinese drama, Schemes of a Beauty, where she is portrayed by the famous Ruby Lin. However, her life story shows that the truth is stranger than fiction. Because Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang led a colourful life and is an influential political figure, there are to be two articles written about her life. In this article, I will detail Dou Yifang’s rise to power as the empress dowager.

Dou Yifang was born around 206 B.C.E. in Guanjin village in Qinghe county (modern-day eastern Hengshui) in Hebei province.[1] She was born into a poor family in Zhao state. She lost her parents at an early age, but she had two brothers, Changjun and Shaojun (the latter of whom would later be sold into slavery).[2] The three orphans supported themselves by farming and weaving.[3] 

One day, Dou Yifang was selected to be a servant to Empress Lu Zhi. However, Empress Lu Zhi decided to make her a concubine to one of the five vassal Kings that were loyal to the Han empire.[4] Dou Yifang originally wanted to be a concubine to the King of Zhao so that she could be near her family.[5] However, the eunuch failed to assist her and sent her along with four other women to the kingdom of Dai as a gift to their king, Liu Heng.[6] King Liu Heng’s consort, Madame Wang, had already borne him four sons, so he looked at his gifts to decide his new favourite.[7] His eyes immediately fell upon Dou Yifang, and he chose her to be his favourite. King Liu Heng bestowed on Dou Yifang the concubine title of “Lady Dou”.[8] Lady Dou Yifang bore Liu Heng a daughter named Liu Piao, and two sons, Liu Qi (the future Emperor Jing) and Liu Wu (her favourite child).[9]

When Empress Dowager Lu Zhi died, the court officials selected Liu Heng to be the Emperor. In 180 B.C.E., he ascended the throne and became Emperor Wen. Madame Wang’s sons all died before Liu Heng became Emperor, so Emperor Wen chose Dou Yifang’s son, Liu Qi, to become his successor.[10] He also elevated Lady Dou to the status of empress.[11] The Emperor elevated Empress Dou Yifang’s family. Her deceased parents were given the posthumous titles of Marquis and Marquise of Ancheng.[12] Her elder brother, Changjun, moved to the capital. Her other brother Shaojun’s whereabouts were unknown because he was kidnapped and sold into slavery at an early age.[13]

The tale of how Empress Dou Yifang reunited with her brother, Shaojun, has been one of the most heart-warming tales in China. Shaojun worked as a charcoal burner in the mountains.[14] One evening, the side of the mountain he was working on collapsed. It killed over a hundred workers. Shaojun was the only survivor.[15] He happened to cross paths with a fortune-teller who told him that he would soon become an imperial duke.[16] He set his sights on the capital city of Chang’an, where he learned that his sister was made empress.[17] He presented himself to the imperial officials so he could be reunited with his sister. However, he was asked to prove his identity. He proved it by showing the scar he had when he had fallen off a mulberry tree while picking the fruit with his sister.[18] Upon showing his scar, Empress Dou Yifang recognized her brother, burst into tears and grasped his hands.[19] The Emperor gave him gifts, made him a duke, and permitted him to live in Chang’an.[20] The Emperor also gave Empress Dou Yifang’s brothers tutors to be educated in affairs of state. Unlike Empress Lu Zhi, who was criticized for promoting her family members to high positions of power, scholars have praised Empress Dou Yifang’s promotion of her brothers. Her brothers have often been lauded “to be gentlemen of virtue and taste.” [21]

Shortly after Empress Dou Yifang was reunited with her long lost brother, she fell ill and became blind.[22] As soon as she became blind, she lost all favour with Emperor Wen. He began to shift his attention to two concubines.[23] However, none of them bore him any children.[24] In 157 B.C.E, Emperor Wen died, and Liu Qi ascended the throne as Emperor Jing.[25] Empress Dou Yifang became Empress Dowager Dou Yifang.

In my next article, I will discuss Grand Emperor Dowager Dou Yifang’s later years. She was one of the most influential figures in the Han dynasty, where she wielded power for forty-five years. She was instrumental in reviving Taoism.[26] She also supported the Naturalists’ school of thought, which taught the concepts of the yin and yang and in which nature was the balance of the two forces.[27] Thus, Grand Empress Dowager Dou Yifang will always be remembered as a skilled politician who, through the use of Taoism, helped China remain unified.[28]

Part two coming soon.

Sources:

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

Shanben, B. (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] Shanben, p. 132

[2] Xiaoming, p. 51

[3] Shanben, p. 132

[4] Xiaoming, p. 51

[5] Xiaoming, p. 51

[6] Shanben, p. 132

[7] Shanben, p. 132

[8] Shanben, p. 132

[9] Shanben, p. 132

[10] Shanben, p. 132

[11] Xiaoming, p. 52

[12] Shanben, p. 152

[13] Xiaoming, p. 52

[14] Xiaoming, p. 52

[15] Xiaoming, p. 52

[16] Xiaoming, p. 52

[17] Shanben, p. 133

[18] Shanben, p. 133

[19] Shaben, p. 133

[20] Shanben, p. 133

[21] Xiaoming, p. 53

[22] Shanben, p. 133

[23] Xiaoming, p. 53

[24] Shanben, p. 133

[25] Shanben, p. 133

[26] Xiaoming, pp. 53-54

[27] Xiaoming, p. 55

[28] Xiaoming, p. 55

The post Empress Dowager Dou Yifang – The blind champion of Taoism (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Life with Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. (Part three)

Read part two here.

The rumours that Wallis was somehow connected to these brothels probably came from these episodes. The so-called China dossier – reportedly made in 1935 at the request of the British Prime Minister – supposedly claimed that she visited these brothels with her husband and was also trained in various techniques, such as the “Chinese grip.” She supposedly not only used these techniques on her husband but also on other men, and the dossier concluded that she had become a prostitute. In any case, no one has ever been able to produce the China dossier, and there is no record of it in the Royal Archives. The Countess of Romanones, a friend of Wallis, declared that it was “absolutely preposterous, absolutely no truth in that whatsoever.”1

Wallis soon packed her bags and joined a friend of hers by the name of Mary Sadler, who was on her way from Hong Kong to Shanghai. She looked up a British diplomat named Harold Robinson while in Shanghai, and he took her under his wing. Despite being swept up in parties, the sound of gunfire was never far away. She persuaded Mary to come with her to Peking, where a friend of hers, Col. Louis Little, was serving, and he could help her return to America. A steamer took them to Tientsin, and there they boarded a train in the midst of a regional civil war. The train took almost two days, and thankfully Louis was there to pick them up when they finally arrived. Wallis took a room in the Grand Hotel de Pekin – an oasis of peace.

One evening, she ran into an acquaintance of hers by the name of Katherine Rogers, and they immediately renewed their friendship. Katherine (then Bigelow) had married Herman Rogers in 1920, who was so wealthy he lived a retired life. They asked Wallis to stay with them, and she insisted on paying them rent. Wallis had a great time there. Mornings were for sleeping in, afternoons for shopping and evenings for dining out. Weekends were spent in the country where the Rogers had a rented summer house. She would spend a full year with the Rogers before leaving for Shanghai in the spring. However, during her stay there, she became very ill – another episode which turned into a nasty rumour.

The gossip was that Wallis had had an affair with an Italian Count by the name of Galeazzo Ciano and that she had become pregnant by him. An abortion was then reportedly performed, which went terribly wrong and left her permanently infertile. However, there is no evidence to support this at all. She was still sick when she boarded the President McKinley, and upon arrival in Seattle, she had to have emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. She was now alone and sick in a strange city, and she called Win, who was also back in America. He met up with her in Chicago and accompanied her to Washington. It would be their last meeting.

Wallis and Ernest Aldrich Simpson had met sometime in 1926 as she waited out her divorce from Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. through friends of hers, Mary (née Kirk) and her husband, Jacques Raffray. Ernest was then still married to Dorothea Webb Dechert, with whom he had a daughter named Audrey (born in 1924). Ernest’s father was British, but Ernest himself had been born in New York, and he had graduated from Harvard. During the last year of the First World War, Ernest had travelled to England and joined the Coldstream Guards as a second lieutenant, and he eventually became a British citizen. Wallis and Ernest grew closer over time, with Dorothea bitterly commenting, “From the moment I met her, I never liked her at all… she moved in and helped herself to my house and my clothes and finally, to everything.”2

Ernest and his wife decided to divorce, and he asked Wallis to marry him once they were both free. Wallis wrote in her memoirs, “I had come to admire him for his high qualities of mind, stability of character, and cultivation. But I was not altogether sure that my Southern temperament was exactly suited to such a man. Still, for the first time in a long while, I felt myself falling unmistakenly in love; and when I left Pennsylvania Station to return to Warrenton, I carried an armful of books that Ernest had chosen for me.”3

Wallis spent the following months with her mother and learned that she could obtain a decree of desertion after three years’ separation if she had a year’s residence in Virginia. So, she moved to Warrenton to the Warren Green Hotel, where she rented a single room. She waited out the year at the hotel and decorated her room with memories of China.

Finally, on 10 December 1927, her divorce from Win was finalised. Once more, Ernest asked her to marry him. Wallis wrote to her mother, “I am very fond of him, and he is kind, which will be a contrast… I can’t go wandering on the rest of my life, and I really feel tired of fighting the world all alone and with no money. Also, 32 doesn’t seem so young when you see all the really fresh youthful face one has to compete against.”4 The exact date of Ernest’s divorce is unclear, but he and Wallis were married on 21 July 1928 at the Chelsea Registry Office in London.

Win went on to remarry four times. He died on 29 May 1950 at the age of 61.5

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – Life with Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. (Part three) appeared first on History of Royal Women.